LeBron James has built a career on moments that define greatness, but the Los Angeles Lakers superstar still remembers when he first realized he was different from the rest, per BleacherReport. Appearing on Complex’s 360 With Speedy, James shared that the awareness came early.

As a kid playing youth football and basketball, he noticed he was bigger, quicker, and more capable than his peers. “I thought I was pretty special,” LeBron said, recalling how he was already pulling off plays that didn’t make sense for someone his age.

By eighth grade, that self-belief had turned into national recognition. James finished as runner-up in a major AAU tournament, and for the first time, he dunked consistently in live games. “At that point in time in that tournament, I was like doing things that I hadn’t did the summer before,” he said. His team also pulled off upsets they had no business winning.

That summer became a turning point. Years later, in 2002, Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl cemented the moment in his iconic feature labeling James “The Chosen One.” The national spotlight found him, and for once, the hype didn’t fade. Unlike countless teenage phenoms who buckle under pressure, James embraced it and grew into one of the most accomplished athletes in history.

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From prodigy to meme moments

Even while reflecting on his rise, James laughed at some lighter internet moments that have trailed him in recent years. He addressed the viral clip where he wished Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis a Happy International Women’s Day. According to him, it was just the first thought that popped into his head when he saw them.

He also cleared up the bubble playoff memory against the Portland Trail Blazers, where cameras caught him saying, “ain’t that our ball?” James explained that even though he wasn’t on the floor, he stayed locked into the game, knowing exactly where possession stood. “I was trying to win,” he said, showing the same competitive edge that defined him as a teenager.

LeBron’s story reminds fans why his journey is unmatched. From recognizing his gift in childhood to fulfilling a prophecy that once felt impossible, James continues to live up to the words that followed him as a teen: chosen, different, and destined.