So when he showed up to play the Drew League – an annual summer pro-am league in California – in July for the first time since 2011, people turned out in droves.
Appearing alongside five-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan for the MMV Cheaters, James had 42 points, 16 rebounds and four steals as the Cheaters defeated the Black Pearl Elite 104-102.
However, when clips of James’ surprise appearance surfaced on social media, it was the player guarding him who grabbed the headlines.
Almost every person on the planet would have struggled to defend one of the greatest to ever play the sport. So when Dion Wright checked Twitter afterwards to see his face plastered all over the place, he felt mixed emotions.
“I didn’t know how, but I told him that, and they were like, ‘Dion, you were absolutely right. You told us you were going to go viral one day.'”
On the other hand though, the framing of the blanket he was getting annoyed him. Accompanying numerous videos of James showing off his elite offensive repertoire were supposedly humorous comments such as “You can see the fear in his eyes”, directed at Wright.
But Wright says that while he kept the biggest name in the NBA, he was never scared.
“I wasn’t scared. I was just locked in,” Wright said.
“I was just trying to stop him. I was just caught up in the game. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I felt like I made the most of my situation.”
“It was so loud in there”
It was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
At first, Wright didn’t believe that James wouldn’t appear in the Drew League. He hadn’t appeared at the tournament, which was founded in 1973, for 11 years during the NBA lockout, so why would he show up now?
Wright was actually across the country for a completely different basketball tournament when his friends started texting him that James was showing up. But he was skeptical until he saw DeRozan’s tweet.
A simple crown – for “King James” – followed by the simple statement: “Drew League Tomorrow”.
Even then, Wright was unconvinced he should make the trip. His friends, however, insisted. “They said to me, like, ‘He’ll probably never come back in life with the Drew. You’ll get a lot of exposure for that. And that’s something you have to do.'”
And so the race against time began to go from Buffalo, New York, to Los Angeles in time to appear for Black Pearl Elite — a team he’s been fitting for regularly for the past few years — against James and DeRozan.
Luckily, his trip went off without a hitch. After purchasing a ticket, his flight landed in Los Angeles around 11 a.m., with the game starting around 1 p.m., giving him just enough headroom to arrive on time.
Wright describes the atmosphere at King-Drew Magnet High School upon his arrival as “surreal”.
“Like it didn’t even feel real. I really felt like I was in the NBA, getting ready for a game,” said Wright, who has played in Japan, Cyprus, Israel and in Ukraine in recent years abroad. said.
“I feel like LeBron James and it’s just a few players that could shut down the whole city. People were out (from) like six in the morning trying to get into the game like it was the ability from the gym. It was standing only. It was so loud in there and the environment was great.
A challenge
When the MMV Cheaters were finally tipped off against the Black Pearl Elite, Wright volunteered for the toughest mission possible – guarding James.
“I said to my friends, like, ‘I’m keeping it.’ I always want to play against the best players,” he explained. “I don’t run away from my competition, I crave competition, it brings out the best in people.
“And I felt like almost everyone had their match-up. And I was just like, ‘I’m keeping LeBron James, no matter what. At least I have to try. “”
Immediately after the whistleblower, Wright knew he was facing it.
“It’s like he was by far the best player I’ve played against in my life. He was so strong, so athletic. And he’s really worth all the money he makes. He’s a player once in a lifetime.”
Despite Wright’s best efforts on defense, James was able to rack up 42 points, naturally grabbing headlines. “No one can really stop this man,” he said.
But Wright’s Black Pearl Elite only lost by two points, with Wright himself scoring over 20 points in the losing effort.
Although he was the subject of internet memes doubting his confidence and basketball abilities, the experience was “by far… [a] positive” for Wright, he said.
And he says he took a lot of the day as a whole. “I’ve gained a lot of confidence now just playing against him.”
He added: “I just thank God that I could do something like this in my lifetime. Some people could never experience what I did, and I just thank the man above for giving me this opportunity.
“I’ll probably never see any type of player like that again unless I go to the NBA.”
