LeBron James named AP Male Athlete of Year award

In 2020, LeBron James publicly declared his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. He successfully encouraged numerous individuals who had never voted before to participate in the polls. Furthermore, he discovered additional methods to uplift the lives of individuals in his hometown.

As if that wasn’t enough, 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.

James held the record for scoring the most points and having the most assists in the NBA in 2020. The only other player to achieve this feat in his lifetime was himself, back in 2018.

LeBron James: Ultimate Highlight of the 2020 Lakers Championship

James made history as the first player to be named NBA Finals MVP for three different franchises. He also surpassed Kobe Bryant to secure the No. 3 spot on the all-time scoring list. This happened just a day before Bryant’s untimely death in a helicopter crash last January. Bryant’s final tweet was a message congratulating James.

“James is the best player that the basketball world has ever witnessed,” stated Lakers coach Frank Vogel in October. “You might think you understand, but you really don’t until you experience him on a daily basis, coach him, observe his thought process, his modifications, and his leadership style. You may believe you comprehend. You don’t.”

In a vote by a panel of 35 AP customers and editors, James ended up with 78 points. Patrick Mahomes, the current Super Bowl MVP and Kansas City’s quarterback, was a close runner-up with 71 points. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time champion of Formula One, came in a far third with only 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 Kyle Kuzma, a guard for the Lakers.

This is applicable both on and off the court.

James’ organization, More Than A Vote, attracted over 42,000 volunteers for polling station work during the November election. It also assisted some individuals in regaining their voting rights and encouraged voter turnout among young and Black citizens.

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 over the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. He said that everyone witnessing these events, including himself, have had enough. This led him to call for action, believing that his platform could influence others to join him.

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

The I PROMISE School, inaugurated by him in 2018, currently accommodates over 450 pupils from third to sixth grades. When the pandemic caused the school to close, James and his team made sure that the students received hot meals at their homes, even going as far as delivering full Thanksgiving meals. This year saw the initiation of an affordable housing project for 50 families. Moreover, this month saw the announcement of plans for House Three Thirty (which refers to Akron’s area code), outlining how James plans to provide accessible family financial health programs, job training, and a community meeting area.

James said, “The pandemic has had a harsh impact on all of us, regardless of our personal circumstances or where we stand in life. Besides the halt of the season, my first concern when the pandemic struck was ‘What will I do for my students back at my school?'”

Already anticipating 2021, he is setting his sights on a triumphant year. The Lakers, with him, are projected to be strong contenders again. His revamped version of “Space Jam” is scheduled for a summer release. Even as he approaches his 36th birthday on Wednesday, James hasn’t dismissed the possibility of representing USA Basketball at the Tokyo Olympics under the coaching of Gregg Popovich.

“Still, it’s an option,” stated James. “I wouldn’t say it’s a 0% chance. I have great respect for Coach Pop.”

However, as 2020 came to a close, James gave himself a moment to contemplate on a year that was incomparable to any other.

James expressed his gratitude towards his colleagues, his foundation’s supporters, and the sponsors who continually back their cause and objectives. He described the situation as incredible, admitting that he didn’t anticipate the developments that occurred since they halted operations in March to reach this stage in December.

Yet here he is, again.