Twenty years ago, there was a basketball player in northeast Ohio who was beginning to make some noise. The “Kid” from Akron, as he was known, appeared to be a surefire superstar. Then, in February 2002, the 17-year-old junior for Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. On it, he was anointed “The Chosen One.” Instantly, LeBron James became a household name and the basketball landscape changed forever.
We all know what LeBron has become: a player widely considered one of the greatest of all time. But this isn’t that story. This is the story of the only team in the state of Ohio to get the better of him — for one day and one day only. This is the story of “The Chosen Ones,” the one Ohio team that beat LeBron James in high school.
The Plan
Bill Brewer, head coach of Division II Roger Bacon, a small Catholic high school outside Cincinnati,…
