NFL royalty interviewed NBA royalty as LeBron James was a guest on the “New Heights” podcast co-hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce.
All three Hall of Fame-caliber athletes originate in Northeast Ohio, as the Kelce brothers were raised in Cleveland Heights and James was born 40 miles down the street in Akron.
The Kelce brothers were astonished by LeBron James’ high school exploits
The Kelce brothers were still in Cleveland when the juggernaut James became a national high school sensation just down the road. Jason Kelce continues to marvel at the delirium LeBron was able to create at the turn of the century — before the advent of social media.
“The level of expectation and fame that you had at St. Vincent-St. Mary. I’ve never seen anything like that to this day,” exclaimed Jason Kelce with a look of astonishment on his face.
James vividly recalls the electric atmosphere at his high school games that superseded what the nearby Cavaliers were able to manufacture.
“I don’t like to talk about this too much, but my games my senior year had more fans than the Cavs did that year,” said James. It was serendipitous that James would bypass college and get drafted by these same Cavaliers the very next season, transforming the fortunes of that franchise overnight.
LeBron James says his title with the Cavs remains his favorite chip
When Travis Kelce asked James which of his four championships means the most to him, the Lakers superstar quickly said the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers title.
“Man, there’s nothing better for me than that Cleveland one just because of everything. The 50-plus years of no championship in Northeast Ohio. The seven years I was there beforehand and it took me to leave and to comeback to understand even more. Being down 3-1 with the greatest team, 73-9 Warriors with Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson) and Draymond (Green). And coming back and winning that series for the city of Cleveland, for Northeast Ohio. That’s why you saw those emotions. You saw me crying on the court,” James said. “That’s one year I’ll never forget. 2016.”
LeBron James marvels over the 2024-25 Cavs
The Cavaliers had been mired in mediocrity since James left a second time in 2018 to play for the Lakers. But the 2024-25 iteration of the Cavaliers is blazing on a historic run. They are the talk of the NBA for the first time ever without James and boast a record of 34-5, the best record, by far, in the league.
“The Cavs look amazing right now,” James told the Kelce brothers. “They’ve got another opportunity. I hope they keep it going. They’ve got an opportunity to do something special. I’m glad I was able to put on first, set the trend and hopefully we keep it going.”
