Lebron James’ Hero’s Journey

Here is my attempt at analyzing Lebron James’ career in the context of the Hero’s Journey

Call to adventure: LeBron James was born in Akron Ohio. From a young age, he excelled at basketball and was destined to bring Athletic glory to the state of Ohio. This role was cemented when sports illustrated put a teenage LeBron on the cover with the title “The Chosen One.” The call to adventure is the step in the journey where the hero, beginning from normality, receives a call to head off into the unknown. For LeBron, this magazine is symbolic of the call. 

Refusal of the Call: Comes out of order

Supernatural aid: LeBron James is a 6’ 9” insane athlete, and he probably took steroids (In around 2014, the NBA made their drug tests more stringent, and LeBron lost 30lbs and stopped balding). The supernatural aid provides the hero with power that will help them in their journey. LeBron could not have succeeded in his quest were it not for his exceptional genetics. 

Crossing of the first threshold: LeBron went straight to the NBA from high school. Winning rookie of the year for the Cavs, LeBron accepted his role as the chosen one. The crossing of the first threshold is the point in the journey where the hero enters the unknown, where there is no turning back. The NBA is the unknown to LeBron. Skipping the opportunity to get a free college education meant that LeBron had little opportunity for going back, especially with the added expectations after his successful rookie season. 

Belly of the whale: The belly of the whale is the final separation from the known world. For LeBron, this is represented by going from his dominant high school team to the awful Cavaliers team. Though LeBron had a lot of personal success, he was surrounded by terrible players and felt like he had no chance of winning a championship. 

Refusal of the Call: This step comes out of order, but LeBron James refuses his task of bringing a championship to Cleveland by going to the Miami Heat. LeBron wins two championships with the Heat, but eventually, he returns to Cleveland. Campbell says that the refusal can happen for “any range of reasons.” For LeBron, it was the feeling that his task, winning with Cleveland, was impossible. 

Road of trials: The 2014-2015 season. LeBron started the season with an injury and played a career low 69 games. In the time when LeBron was healthy, the team played great. Clearly, they had potential. Unfortunately, injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving lead to the Cavs losing in the finals. The road of trials is a series of tests, and certainly an NBA season, with 82 games, matches this description. 

Meeting with the goddesses: Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are healthy giving LeBron the support he needed to win a championship. They are the “goddess.” An important part of meeting with the goddess is amor fati, or love of fate. At this point in the journey, LeBron is likely beginning to feel that everything that happens in his life is necessary. For example, the Cavs would not have been able to acquire Irving and Love were it not for LeBron’s brief departure. 

Women as temptress:  Woman as temptress broadly describes events that distract the hero from their journey. LeBron James had a lot of distractions during the 2015-2016 season, including the midseason firing of the Cavaliers’ coach. 

Atonement with father/abyss: LeBron James turned to philanthropy. He funded thousands of scholarships for the University of Akron, and donated millions to the Smithsonian. He was awarded the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the NBA. This dedication to service represents atonement with the father because he realizes that he can help Ohio and improve his image through methods other than basketball. 

Apotheosis: Apotheosis is the stage where the hero is glorified to divine levels. This certainly happens in 2016 when LeBron James goes God mode in the finals. He leads both teams in points, steals, blocks, rebounds, and assists. His chasedown block at the end of game 7 marks the absolute height of his powers. 

The Ultimate Boon: LeBron James wins the 2016 NBA championship for Cleveland. This is the achievement of the goal of the quest. 

Refusal of the Return: Although he accomplished his mission of bringing a championship to Cleveland, LeBron stays with the Cavs for another season. They get destroyed in the finals by the Warriors with their new addition of Kevin Durant. 

The Magic Flight: LeBron James goes to the Lakers, but he faces many challenges, including injury and making problematic comments about Hong Kong Independence. Also, the team was terrible. These challenges, or dangers, that he faces are typical of this stage. 

Rescue from Without: In this stage, the hero gets powerful guides to aid in their return to normal life. For LeBron, after a horrible season with the Lakers, this help comes in the form of all-star forward Anthony Davis and coach Frank Vogel. The ending of this season coincided with COVID, leading the NBA playoffs to be held at Disney World. Other teams were impacted by unvaccinated players being unable to play, giving LeBron and the Lakers an advantage.

The Crossing of the Return Threshold: The Lakers win the championship. LeBron no longer has anything to prove. He can return to the “known world” without the intense scrutiny and high expectations that he faced earlier in his career. 

Master of the Two Worlds: LeBron starts the I Promise School to help the city of Akron. LeBron also breaks all-time NBA records. For LeBron, the two worlds are basketball and philanthropy, specifically for his hometown. At this stage in his career, LeBron cements his legacy as a great basketball player, and a great influence on the state of Ohio. 

Freedom to Live: LeBron is nearing Kareem's all-time points record. He has two sons looking primed for the NBA. He is loved by Cleveland and LA, and no one blames him for the Lakers current lack of success. He also starred in Space Jam 2. Through the lens of freedom to live, we can guess that LeBron is now free of many of the fears he faced earlier in life. Certainly, he no longer has the fear of failure, and he likely has little fear of aging/the end of his career (he’s got 4-5 years left max) given that he is a consensus top 5 player of all time.