ESPN talking head Brian Windhorst says LeBron James kept playing high school football because of the death of R&B star Aaliyah in 2001.
“[LeBron James] was going to quit football after his sophomore year, then Aaliyah, one of his favorite singers, died in a plane crash. He decided he wasn’t going to live life scared,” Windhorst said during a segment on “NBA Today.”
Bron Was A Legit HS Football Star
Bron was an accomplished football player and had the goods to at least play Power Five college football. He was first team All-State in Ohio as a sophomore WR for St. Vincent-St. Mary’s football team.
In his junior year he caught 60 passes for 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns and was considered the No. 1 football prospect in the state of Ohio at the time.
Your first reaction might be to call cap on this story. Bron has been accused of telling tales and embellishing in the past. But this is coming from Windhorst who is a credible media member. It was also backed up by Grant Wahl’s legendary Sports Illustrated profile of Bron back in 2002.
Bron mentioned Aaliyah’s influence on him during his interview with Wahl when he made the cover of the magazine as a high schooler. He told Wahl at the time, “You’re not promised tomorrow. I had to be out on the field with my team.”
Aaliyah’s Death Hit Different
For people of a certain age, Aaliyah’s death hit different. Her first three studio albums, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number” (1994), “One in a Million” (1996), and “Aaliyah” (2001) cemented her as the “Princess of R&B” and a force to be reckoned with.
She also made her film debut in “Romeo Must Die” (2000) and filmed “Queen of the Damned” (posthumous release 2002). Aaliyah was a star and Bron would’ve been only 17 at the time and had things been different, given his burgeoning superstardom, they would’ve likely met.
She died at the age of 22 in a tragic plane crash in the Bahamas and her loss was felt by her many fans, of which Bron was likely one, around the world.
At the time of her death Bron was already the most famous high school basketball player in the world. He probably couldn’t have imagined what he is now back then. But it’s safe to say the late R&B singer’s death had an impact on him.
