“Best sophomore in the country, my a**”: LeBron James reveals what his HS coach Keith Dambrot told him to “set the tone”

On Wednesday morning, the third installment of LeBron James and JJ Redick’s “Mind the Game Pod”was released, featuring the expected exchange of great stories between the two. Among the topics they delved into was James’ high school coach Keith Dambrot and his significant impact on him.

Redick inquired of Bron the lessons he had acquired from Dambrot.

James responded:

“Oh my goodness! I think the No. 1 thing that I learned from him right away is how to not only approach the game but also how to think the game. And also play at a level that was a lot harder and determined than the AAU tournaments.”

LeBron James discussed his experience transitioning from middle school to high school and being coached by someone who had previously coached at the collegiate level.

“The one thing that I learned from Coach D is that, ‘We are going to practice perfection every single day. Every single day.’ He always used to tell us, ‘The practices are going to be way freaking harder than the games.’”

James discussed Dambrot’s strict and demanding nature, noting that he would not hesitate to call out his players. This included those whose parents regularly attended practices, as they were not exempt from his scrutiny.

After that, James proceeded to recount an incident from his sophomore year in which Dambrot used him as an example.

“My freshman year, we went to state championship. We go 27-0. I was MVP of the tournament. … My sophomore year, the first practice, I came in as the projected No. 1 player in the state of Ohio. I was projected to be an All-American as a sophomore, projected to be Mr. Basketball as a sophomore, which had never been done in Ohio high school history.”

LeBron James went on to say:

“And the first practice we had our sophomore year in the Winter State Championship, I did absolutely nothing wrong coming out of football. He kicked me out of practice. I had no idea why the f**k he kicked me out of practice.

“And I think he was just setting the tone for the season. ‘Wherever the f**k or wherever you think you are, I have heard of all this stuff of how great you are.. .. Nope, I am gonna humble your ass right now.’ He kicked me out of practice and the last thing he said, ‘Best sophomore in the country, my ass.’”

LeBron James’ High School Years

Despite Keith Dambrot’s tough love towards James, it ultimately proved effective. Upon graduating from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, the Chosen One had accumulated 2,646 points, making him the third-highest scorer in Ohio boys basketball history at the time.

Despite many other accomplishments, LeBron James’ leadership led the team to three state championships and a remarkable 101-6 record. In 2003, he also guided the school to a national title. Additionally, he was honored as a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year, as well as a two-time recipient of both the Mr. Basketball and USA Today High School Player of the Year awards.

Following his graduation, he quickly rose to become one of the most highly-regarded prospects in NBA history. To this day, any promising player in the NBA draft is often measured against the standards set by LeBron James. Recent instances of this phenomenon include Zion Williamson in 2019 and Victor Wembanyama in 2023.