On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Lakers played the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center. It just happened to come on the 20th anniversary of LeBron James’ NBA regular-season debut, which also took place in Sacramento at the now-defunct Arco Arena.
On Oct. 29, 2003, James took the court for the first time as a rookie, and it was quite possibly the most anticipated debut in league history.
He had been impressive at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in his native Akron, Ohio, and many believed he could be a transcendent player as he jumped straight into the NBA. But there were a few who wondered if he was truly worthy of the hype, or if he would be merely another prep-to-pro prospect who would fizzle out at the next level.
James scored 25 points on 12-of-20 shooting and had nine assists, six rebounds and four steals in the game. Although his Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Kings, 106-92, he had sent a clear message to the sports world.
It was just a taste of what was to come for the next 20-plus years.