LEBRON INC.

LeBron Inc.

Why the King Should Keep His Court in Cleveland

Act I “There’s only one place they call me one of their own… These are my streets, the only life I’ve ever known. Who says you can’t go home”- Bon Jovi

The King was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. Ask any lifelong resident of Cleveland, and they’ll tell you it makes perfect sense that LeBron James was born during the apex of the holiday season; he’s been one of the biggest gifts the city has ever received.

It was apparent from an early age that LeBron was different from the others, and his talents on the basketball court were nothing short of astounding. He was a virtuoso, Michelangelo operating with a Spalding instead of a paintbrush, conducting fast-breaks like Mozart did his symphonies. While his peers were spending their high school years dealing with normal adolescent issues, James was achieving goals never before accomplished. He was named to USA Today’s All-USA First Team an unprecedented three times, and won the title of “Mr. Basketball” of Ohio three times as well. By his 16th birthday, his trademark moniker – “King James” – was becoming a household name. He appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated, SLAM and ESPN The Magazine all before his high school graduation. LeBron Raymone James, before his 18th birthday, was the most talked about and sought after athlete in the country.

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ATHLETE BY WALTER IOOSS

Walter Iooss never thought he would be a professional photographer. As a teenager, it was just a hobby. But then at age 18, he got his first assignment for Sports Illustrated.

Michael Jordan Lisel, IL – 1987

No one captured Michael Jordan’s personality, his joy for the game, or his most personal moments, the way Walter Iooss has. For this photograph, Walter trekked to Jordan’s basketball camp for kids in Lisel, Illinois. He had one side of a parking lot painted red and another side blue, not knowing which uniform Jordan would wear to the shoot. When Jordan arrived, Iooss perched himself above the rim in a cherry-picker and had an hour to capture Jordan with the proper light and shadow. In later years, Jordan would never do an hour-long shoot. “When he played those two seasons for the Wizards,” says Iooss, “he never posed for a single photographer.”

He was to photograph and octogenarian sailor in Connecticut, who had built a boat with no plans and sailed it to Florida and back. Similarly with no plans, Iooss built an unparalleled photographic collection that has captured virtually every icon of professional sport: Ali, Jordan, Pele, Koufax, Gretzky, Unitas, Arnie and Tiger among hundreds of others. He has also photographed the most beautiful women on the planet for the world famous Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. “If you’ve got the best looking women on the planet and the best locations, it isn’t that hard,” Iooss says. Turning the pages of Iooss’ book, Athlete, is like taking a visual tour through the last fifty years of American sports history. From Kyle Rote to Brett Favre, from Wilt to LeBron, Iooss’ camera has focused on the icons of every major sport under the brightest lights looking for the story not yet told. This feature is just a small representation on the colossal body of artwork that Iooss has created and continues to expand every day.

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DWIGHT HOWARD – THE DNA OF SUPERMAN

The DNA of Superman The 2008 All-Star Slam-Dunk Champion is changing the way big men are perceived around the league.

Decode the chemical design of Dwight Howard’s DNA and you’ll notice a sequence harvested from the finest athletic gene pool. The 6-11, 270-pound Orlando Magic center has the physique of a modern day Spartan with fast-twitch muscle fibers akin to a thoroughbred.

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JAMIE ADAMS

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RAPHAEL MAZZUCCO

Raphael…his name is synonymous with traveling the earth with the most beautiful women in the world. Known for infamous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition covers and spreads, and his phenomenal images that have graced the pages of Sports Illustrated book: “Exposure” (one of the most looked at photography book in America last year), Raphael Mazzucco is one of the most sought after photographers in fashion. His life: him in the Bahamas achieving the first handbra swimsuit cover with eight of the most well known models in the world. Exotic, beautiful women running around topless; all of which respect Mazzucco for the beauty he captures with a click of a shutter. Each model singing the same song, “he is truly a great guy and an exceptional artist.”

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FROM THE LENS OF GEORGE KALINSKY

Formally known as Madison Square Garden’s “official” photographer, George Kalinsky is easily one of the most sought-after professionals in entertainment, with a quick glance at his work you immediately understand why. Whether it’s sports, music, theater, or perhaps just a simple snap shot, Kalinsky’s photos seem to capture the attention of people round the world.

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EVERYBODY LOVES RAY

With Ray Lewis, you can count on two things:

1.)The toughest middle linebacker in the game will eventually decleat you.

2.)He will then help you find your shoes.

Ray Lewis loves to hit people. Maybe that’s why he’s been named to the NFL All-Pro first team as a middle linebacker for a sixth time this season. Even at age 33, after having played in over 170 NFL games, one of the fiercest tacklers in the history of the game enjoys the process. The recognition of what the offense is trying to run. The anticipation of where the ball is about to go. Moving at top speed to that part of the field, then lowering his shoulder pads and separating the player from the ball. Despite the sheer joy Lewis derives from jacking up an opponent, it’s the moment after the hit that Lewis enjoys even more. “We were playing the Raiders last week and I put a hit on JaMarcus Russell,” Lewis says. “Between whistles, I told him ‘I like you big fella. Make sure you get my number after the game. And if you need anything, anytime, you give me a call,’” Then Lewis heads back to the defensive huddle and prepares to behead his new friend again.

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PORTRAITURE IN ACTION BY ROBERT SEALE

Robert Seale is a Houston-based photographer specializing in dynamic editorial, corporate, and advertising portraiture.

A former staff photographer for the Sporting News, Seale photographed over 200 covers over his ten year career there. In 2006, he left SN to concentrate on his portrait work, and to take on work for a variety of new clients, including: Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, Rides, SLAM, Businessweek, Rolling Stone and Men’s Health. He recently completed work on a National ad campaign for Under Armour.

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GROWING UP ROTHMAN – LIFETIME COMMITMENT TO BE THE BEST

For those of you familiar with the reality TV show Growing up Gotti, it is consider an Aesop’s fable compared to Growing up Rothman……Although the late” Teflon Don” John Gotti may have struck fear and respect in the five borough hoods of New York, maintaining control of the family in his castle was laughable at best. Just look at his sons today. During the same era, approximately 5,200 miles away on the North Shore of Oahu was a four year old toddler named Makuakai (guardian of the sea in Hawaiian) who vividly remembers all the armed forces of Hawaii except for the sixth fleet from Pearl Harbor descending upon his home to take dead or alive Big Daddy Da Hui founder “Fast” Eddie Rothman. Now I could tell you what Da Hui means & who Fast Eddie Rothman is, but then I would have to kill you. So take me off the hook and google it.

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BRANDON JACOBS – GIANTS’ STAR RUNNING BACK

Brandon Jacobs, the best running back of the best rushing attack in the NFL, is sitting in his living room watching football highlights. “Look at that,” he says. “Look how far that guy is off the receiver in the end zone. You’ve got to be in that guy’s face.” It’s the only way Jacobs knows how to play football—head on. In the last year of his current contract with the Giants, Jacobs has been steamrolling the opposition, leaving many other players to scratch their heads and wonder, “How do I bring down a 270-pound running back that moves that fast?”

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