In short, there’s no shortage of material for a biographer to chronicle the current Los Angeles Laker, and Jeff Benedict’s comprehensive new “LeBron” does a masterful job of shaping that material into a cohesive and propulsive whole. This is a fast break of a book, slicing into the many mini-narratives that James has lived and artfully tying them together to create a portrait of a man who has, by his own design, remained an enigma except to those he decides to trust. Benedict has constructed a sort of sports opera fueled by the drama and emotion surrounding his subject, but never sensationalistic or unfair. Benedict clearly likes James, but he’s been around long enough — among the subjects of his 17 books are Tiger Woods and the New England Patriots — to steer far clear of hagiography.

After reading this book, my opinion of him has changed. LeBron shown here is a recognized and prudent person in making an initial investment decision, and what is important, he has been like this since that summer when his career in the NBA was written for him. When I saw this book about LeBron James, I was immediately intrigued. I did have to stop reading it a few times as I had other books to read, but when I finally finished it, I was glad I read it and learned a lot more about him than I knew previously.The artwork was also beautiful. The children featured were diverse, majority BIPOC, and were a great display of what most kids see regularly in public schools. I also loved the amount of all-girl sports pictures there were. Girl power! There was an innate maturity to him. It exhibited itself, according to LeBron, very early in his life. He moved constantly. Many kids would hate that, and would protest. You also have a kid who didn’t have a father. But his attitude was: this is life and you roll with the punches. I think he had a very mature perspective very early in his life and career, and that gives him the ability to put things into a narrative perspective. I learned more than I expected to. LeBron is famously private and we only know what he wants us to know. And still I feel like Jeff Benedict was able to dig deeper than most have in the past. I knew that LeBron grew up poor but I didn't realize just how poor he was. LeBron is a surprisingly normal person given just how long he's been one of the most famous athletes on the planet. Since his sophomore year in high school he has been hyped as the next Michael Jordan( unpopular opinion alert: I think Jordan is overrated) and has had all eyes on him. The fact that he hasn't had any major scandals is crazy. I'd be a hot mess if I had his fame and money from the age of 18. Benedict has a flair for relating great sports moments in a way without cliche and depicting Lebron's personality in the midst of controversy. I never got bored once with his narrative. It's a book worthy of its subject and also a pretty riveting history of the NBA in the 21st century. If you enjoyed the "Last Dance" documentary you'll enjoy this one and have some pretty interesting things to chew on as you ponder the GOAT debate between James and Jordan. Their outlooks on basketball and life could not be different. I really learned a lot not only from Lebron's focus on self-improvement and building up the team around him.

This book goes into detail about LeBron's life from his childhood up to early 2023. It not only discusses his journey to the NBA and his career, but also his experiences off the court. We learn about his savviness, his entrepreneurship, and activism - especially with how he has spoken out against injustice and his efforts to advocate for change (as well as his community work). We also learn about his impact on player empowerment and on the league itself. I was intrigued throughout as I read the book. While I did know some of the information covered in the book, I also learned a lot. Plus, as an NBA fan and someone who loves learning basketball history, I enjoyed reading about his career. It was great reliving the various playoff series and Benedict does a nice job in describing aspects of the games in vivid detail. Benedict also gives great information about the context behind "The Decision", James' return to Cleveland, and his experiences on the Cavs, Heat, and Lakers.

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LeBron’s basketball skills are not his most impressive attributes. His brilliance, instincts, maturity and discipline all outrank his athleticism. These attributes explain why 20 years into his career, LeBron is still one of the best players in the world. Benedict has a proven record of excellent research for unauthorized biographies. His take on Tiger Woods was excellent and his history of the New England Patriots was great as well. I give this book 3/5 stars because it barely scratches the surface of many of the facets of LeBron's empire. What is ironic is that for all of his mega-stardum, LeBron is fairly private. Windhorst is a friend and a former beat writer in Cleveland, so it isn't surprising that the stories in this book are almost entirely positive, with mere lip service paid to some of the failures. Hopefully there will be a book with more depth written about LeBron one day, and I'll be interested to read it. Excellent book, stellar writing style and I am NOT a sports person! I only gave 4 stars because I really really would have liked a photo section...I found myself multiple times looking for a photo section ... James came into high school below grade level, and never went to college. Where do you think his narrative voice comes from?