Add another crown to the King’s collection. LeBron James was named male athlete of the decade by the Associated Press on Sunday, joining the ranks of Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, and Arnold Palmer.
BREAKING: The King's 10-year reign: LeBron James is AP's male athlete of the decade. https://t.co/SSxCE5W1mp
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 29, 2019
“You add another 10 years of learning and adversity, pitfalls, good, great, bad, and any smart person who wants to grow will learn from all those experiences,” James, who turns 35 Monday, told the AP. “A decade ago, I just turned 25. I’m about to be 35 and I’m just in a better (place) in my life and have a better understanding of what I want to get out of life.”
The award is voted on by AP member sports editors and beat writers, a vote in which James was the “runaway winner” and “easily outpaced” the runner-up, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Other runners-up included Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi, and Michael Phelps.
The announcement comes the day after the AP named Serena Williams their female athlete of the decade.
Through the 2010s, James played in eight consecutive NBA Finals and won three of them with two teams, including breaking the infamous Cleveland sports curse by knocking off the 73-9 Warriors in seven games in 2016.
James also won three of his four MVP awards in this decade (2010, 2012, and 2013). According to the AP, he entered the decade ranked 124th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, he is now fourth on the list with Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all within reach.
He has also accomplished just as much off the court, most notably opening the I Promise School in his hometown of Akron. James has been one of the leading voices for social justice in pro sports, from wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt in support of Eric Garner to openly criticizing the NFL for blackballing Colin Kaepernick.
James’ reign as king has been long, and he hopes to cap it off with another ring or two as he enters his mid-30s in the 2020s.
