Keith Dambrot Knew LeBron Would Be A Pro In Grade Nine
May 8, 2009 – 8:45 am by Tas Melas
Keith Dambrot was LeBron James’ Coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and is now the Head Coach at the University of Akron (much thanks to LeBron for that climb in the ranks – Dambrot even alludes to that in the interview). Keith joined James at his MVP acceptance conference back at their old high school stomping grounds as LBJ paid homage to where it all started. Dambrot was there to see him grow from that skinny, wiry kid to the 6’8″, 260 pounder barreling across our TVs. His statements are extremely bold below – I’m not sure if his predictions for LeBron’s game have evolved over time or if he truly thought these things when LBJ was 14 years old. Dambrot joined WKNR to discuss when he knew LBJ would be an NBA player, how good he think LeBron can become, and where ‘Bron can improve.
When did you know he would be an NBA player?
“I knew as a freshman in high school that he was a sure-fire pro, and I knew three games in to his sophomore year that he would never play in college. And, with that being said, two years ago, I believe in my mind that he was only at 70% of where he will be and I think he’s at about 90% now. I think he still has some room to grow as a player. He continues to do the right things to improve – he’s a guy that looks himself in the mirror very well and works on his weaknesses.”
How good can LBJ be?
“I believe he can lead the league in any category he wants to lead it in. And, that means rebounding, I think he can score more points in the paint than anybody else, I think if he wants he can lead the league in assists, and he can be the best defender in the league. There’s not one thing the guy can’t do; he’s in the prime of his career. Not many people have done what he’s done the six years he’s been in the league.”
Where can LeBron improve?
“I think he can be a better rebounder, that’s for sure. I think he can be a better mover without the ball, I just think he can be a better low block player. I think if you challenge him in any of those areas, he’s one of those guys that takes a challenge. I think that he has improved defensively because he wanted to improve, and he knew that he could play better defense, and he knew that was a way to the championship. I don’t think he can be a better passer, I’ll say that.”
What type of player did you think James would become?
“He’s one of the best passers of all-time. I thought when he came in to the league that that would be his forte. I knew he was a good scorer, but I thought he’d be a guy like Magic Johnson, but what he’s turned out to be is a mix between Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, and that’s not a bad mix.”
Listen to Keith Dambrot on WKNR in Cleveland with Kenny Roda
Tags: Basketball, Cleveland Cavaliers, Keith Dambrot, LeBron James, NBA
