NBA: 5 most culturally impactful players of the last 20 years

LeBron James

For some people, it feels like LeBron James has been a talking point since the beginning of time. LeBron’s rise to prominence coincided with the rise of more media coverage earlier in a player’s career along with social media. This began with him being the most hyped draft pick of all time with high school games broadcast on national television, Sports Illustrated magazine covers in high school and being deemed, “The Chosen One,” before playing an NBA game.

However, part of what makes LeBron so influential is that he actually rose to the challenge by becoming one of the greatest players of all time and dominating the Eastern Conference this past decade with eight straight NBA Finals appearances.

LeBron is compared to Jordan all the time and when all is said and done, many players will be compared to LeBron with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson already receiving those comparisons. LeBron has been a cultural figure from appearing in an Entourage episode in the 2000s to being brilliantly hilarious in an acting role in Trainwreck, to hosting his own interview/talk show called The Shop featuring multiple athletes and celebrities on HBO and now starring in Space Jam 2 to kick off the 2020s.

LeBron not only popularized the phrase, “more than an athlete,” but gave that phrase life with his off the court endeavors. LeBron delivered on his career-long promise of bringing a championship to Cleveland, but his greatest achievement there may be in creating his “I Promise School,” providing free tuition to at-risk youth in the third and fourth grade helping them get on a path to college and promising to support them once they get there.

LeBron had a horrendous upbringing with no father bouncing from home to home unable to even make it to school as a young child due to his lack of stability. LeBron has become a global icon, spoken out for social justice, has tons of celebrity backers and popular music lyrics referencing him while his star seems to only be shining brighter with the Los Angeles Lakers to carry us into the next decade.

LeBron also created the era of player movement in a way no one had before him changing free agency, the game and truly creating the super team era that arguably just ended. The Celtics formed the NBA’s first Big 3 with Paul Pierce and trades to acquire Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

However, when LeBron hosted a TV special called, “The Decision,” to announce the unforgettable phrase, “I will be taking my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat,” joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh players have not stopped switching teams since. Kevin Durant never goes to the Warriors if LeBron didn’t go to the Heat and free agency would have never become the exciting spectacle it now is.