LeBron James named AP Male Athlete of Year award

In 2020, LeBron James announced to the world that Black Lives Matter. He played a significant role in persuading many non-voters to cast their ballots for the first time. Furthermore, he discovered additional methods to uplift the lives of individuals in his hometown.

As if that wasn’t sufficient, he secured another NBA championship.

James’ on-court performance this year was spectacular again. A fourth NBA title and fourth NBA Finals MVP trophy were his, as he lifted the Los Angeles Lakers back atop the basketball world. And after a year where he was brilliant, on the court and off, James was announced Saturday as the winner of The Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year award for a record-tying fourth time.

“I still know what I do on the floor and obviously, I give everything to the game,” James told AP. “But I can make a greater impact off the floor right now, more than I can on the floor. And I want to continue to inspire people with the way I play the game of basketball. But there’s so many more things that I can do off the floor to help cultivate people, inspire people, bring people together, empower them.”

The AP award was first given out in 1931. James’ fourth win matched Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods for the most by men. Three women have won the AP award at least four times; Babe Didrikson was a six-time winner, Serena Williams has won five and Chris Evert four.

The AP’s Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Sunday.

In 2020, no NBA player outscored or out-assisted James. The only other player to top the league in points and assists within the same year during his lifetime was James himself in 2018.

LeBron James: Ultimate Highlight of the 2020 Lakers Championship

James made history by becoming the first player to be named NBA Finals MVP for three separate franchises. He also managed to surpass Kobe Bryant, securing the No. 3 spot on the all-time scoring list. This significant achievement was made a day before Bryant tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in January. Bryant’s final tweet before his untimely death was a message of congratulations to James.

“Lakers coach Frank Vogel, speaking of James in October, said, “He’s the most remarkable player the basketball world has ever witnessed. You might presume you understand his greatness, but you can’t truly comprehend it until you’re working with him daily, coaching him, observing his mental prowess, watching his adjustments, and witnessing how he commands the team. You may believe you know, but you actually have no idea.”

In a vote conducted by a panel of 35 AP customers and editors, James concluded with 78 points. He was closely followed by Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback of Kansas City and the reigning Super Bowl MVP, with 71 points. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champion of Formula One, was significantly trailing in third place, earning 14 points.

James — also the AP’s male athlete of this past decade — also won the yearly AP award in 2013, 2016 and 2018. Michael Jordan, a three-time winner, is the only other basketball player to win the AP award more than once.

“James is one of the greatest leaders in sports,” said Lakers guard Kyle Kuzma.

This is applicable both on and off the court.

James’ organization, More Than A Vote, attracted over 42,000 volunteers for the November election polling stations. The organization also assisted some individuals in regaining their voting rights and encouraged voting among young and Black voters.

Black voters made up 11% of the national electorate, and 9 in 10 of them supported President-elect Joe Biden, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide. When compared to Hillary Clinton in 2016, Biden drew more voters in critical areas with large Black populations — such as NBA cities like Detroit, Milwaukee and Atlanta. That proved massive.

“James expressed his frustration and sorrow over the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. He said, “Everyone has had the chance to see these tragedies unfold, and my people and I have reached our limits.” James used his influence to call for action, believing that he could rally others to his cause.

As always, he also concentrated on his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

The I PROMISE School, which he launched in 2018, now caters to over 450 students from third to sixth grades. When the pandemic caused the school to close, James and his team made sure that students received hot meals at their homes, including complete Thanksgiving meals. This year, construction began on an affordable housing project for 50 families. Recently, details about House Three Thirty (a reference to Akron’s area code) were released. These plans outline James’ intentions to provide family financial health programs, job training, and a community gathering area.

James spoke, “The pandemic has had a harsh impact on everyone. Regardless of your circumstances or stage in life, it’s been challenging. When the pandemic struck, aside from the interruption of the season, my foremost concern was ‘How will I support my students back at my school?'”

He has his sights set on 2021. The Lakers anticipate being contenders once more. His reboot of “Space Jam” is slated for a summer release. Moreover, James, who celebrates his 36th birthday on Wednesday, is still considering a return to USA Basketball to play in the Tokyo Olympics under the coaching of Gregg Popovich.

“Coach Pop still has a chance, I won’t deny that,” James said, “it’s not absolutely impossible. I do admire him.”

However, as 2020 came to an end, James took a moment to ponder over a unique year unlike any other.

James expressed his gratitude saying, “This is a tribute to my colleagues, to the members of my foundation, and to our sponsors who continue to support our cause and our goals. It’s truly amazing. If you had asked me back in March when we halted, I wouldn’t have believed that we would have come this far by December.”

Yet here he is, again.