Chapter 114: Cleveland

19 years ago, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

A loud baby cry could be heard from a house on Walnut Tree Street. The baby's mother, Gloria, did not dream of the moon or the sun, and the baby was only slightly older than a normal baby.

In this dim, damp old house, 16-year-old Grooria is lonely and helpless with her child in her arms. Even she herself couldn't tell who was the biological father of the child, which was normal for a black woman at the bottom of society.

For the first time, the 16-year-old had to think about her future life. She doesn't have any skills to survive with, and if she's still alone, she can go out and continue to fool around, make friends with men of different ages, and survive with them.

But now that she has children, every mother, no matter how depraved she is, doesn't want her children to be in the same quagmire.

Gruoria had to return to her old house in the slums of Walnut Street in Mount Aken, a house rented by her mother, the baby's grandmother. And my grandmother is also a single mother.

The child in Groria became a three-year-old boy, and on Christmas morning that year, she gave him a set of basketball toys. But that same night, her mother, Freda, the boy's grandmother, died of a heart attack.

So over the next three years, the little boy went through 12 moves, and every time he became a little familiar with his surroundings, he had to move into an unfamiliar environment.

The little boy grew up alone until he was 9 years old.

In 1993, the little boy encountered the first turning point in his life.

The young boy, who has already shown great physical talent, often plays with the youth team below a rugby team in southern Akon. Coach Walker found that the boy, who was only 9 years old, always won against this group of older children.

Thanks to Coach Walker's favor, the boy was able to stay and play for the team. Three years later, the boy and Coach Walker are already very familiar with each other. When he learns that the little boy only plays rugby to get out of poverty, and that his real passion is basketball.

After learning about the current situation of the boy and his mother, Walker went home to consult with his wife, and eventually persuaded Geroria to take the boy into his home.

The little boy later said with emotion: "I love the Walkers, without them, I would never be where I am today." ”

After a few years of growing up in the Walkers' home, the little boy, who had enough food and nutrition, began to grow wildly, and he looked much older than his peers. Walker asserts that he will make a great athlete.

He eventually attended St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School, where he made the starting lineup and led the team to the Ohio State Championship in his first season.

And in his second season, he had a terrifying 26-1 record and was named to the All-American First Team, the youngest member of the All-American First Team for high school students. In his spare time, he was also named to the Ohio Football First Team.

His football career ended in a state semifinal in his third season, where he injured his index finger and forwent the opportunity to represent his school in football for safety reasons, allowing him to focus on basketball. And that same year, he appeared on the cover of "SLAM" magazine, which was the beginning of his national exposure.

And in the just-concluded 2002-2003 season, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and other media magazines, and his games were even broadcast live on ESPN nationally, and even popular superstars such as Big Shark O'Neal went to watch his games. And the Associated Press called him "emperor" early on.

At this point, his name has become familiar to those who follow the NBA - LeBron James.

LeBron was named to the nation's No. 1 team three times and was named Ohio Basketball Man of the Year three times. He was honored as MVP of the McDonald's All-American High School All-Star Game, the American High School Ball Classic, and the Jordan High School Charity Game.

LeBron had a total of 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 523 assists in his high school career. At the invitation of the American Basketball Hall of Fame, St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School sent LeBron's No. 23 jersey to the Massachusetts Basketball Hall of Fame.

Because he played more than two high school All-Star games, LeBron was automatically disqualified from entering the NCAA. But LeBron has already decided in his heart that he wants to land directly in the NBA, he does not belong to the NCAA, and only the NBA can tolerate him as a god.

This is Hu's second visit to Cleveland, which is less than a two-hour drive from Chicago. But compared to the cosmopolitan metropolis of Chicago, it's a quiet little town nestled on the shores of Lake Erie.

As for why he didn't go directly to Akron City, LeBron's birthplace, is because there is news that LeBron James is training in Cleveland.

Success is no accident, strength, speed, endurance, explosiveness LeBron's body is like a future soldier who has gathered the best of the world, and such a steel body is of course inseparable from the hard work and training of the day after tomorrow.

When Hu Qingniu and his entourage saw this 19-year-old high school graduate, he was actually practicing yoga. This also surprised Jordan, who had never seen such a strange posture as an NBA player contacting.

"Does that help basketball?"

Jordan asked coldly beside LeBron.

LeBron, who looked up, didn't seem to be surprised by the NBA's basketball god, he just replied in an ordinary pace.

"By practicing yoga, I can improve the flexibility of my body, which can save me from injury when I make movements on the court."

Hu Qingniu deeply believes this, in fact, since LeBron's generation of stars, the training room has also become a unique battlefield for superstars.

The most outstanding are also LeBron and Wade, who never pull down in all aspects of strength and speed, and have also built their own steel-like bodies, so as to cross the league.

After some exchanges, Jordan found that this 19-year-old boy has a temperament that does not match his age, and his first impression is extremely mature, like a veteran supergiant in the NBA, and his style of speech and behavior is leaky.

When Hu Qingniu expressed the Bobcats' interest in him, the feedback he received was not encouraging.

LeBron's reaction can be said to be indifferent in Hu Qingniu's eyes. Of course, LeBron is the ironclad champion, every team wants him, and it's not unusual for the Bobcats to show interest.

But between the lines, it's not hard to sense LeBron's inclination to stay in his hometown of Cleveland.

This is my hometown, I am familiar with every plant and tree here, and the audience here is very supportive.