For LeBron James , the early 2010s were all about rediscovering who he was—his identity and why he loved the game.
James' exit from Cleveland was handled controversially, and he caught a ton of backlash for how it went down. Although he played great during his first year in Miami, it was tough because of the suffocating pressure to win a championship. Also, just when he felt like he had his naysayers by the throat, LeBron's poor play directly correlated to the Heat's collapse in the 2011 NBA Finals.
All the two-time MVP could do was point the finger at himself as he felt the weight of the world come crashing down on his shoulders. In a situation like that, James sought the help of his high school coach, Keith Dambrot.
"I just told him that he's got to get back to trusting his instincts. He came down here after the Finals, and we had a heart-to-heart, and I told him he's got to get back to doing what he thinks is right, not what he's supposed to think is right or what anyone else thinks is right. I just kept telling him, put the raincoat on, let all this roll off," Dambrot said via ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
For the first time, James felt that he had gone adrift. Despite having faced poverty as a child—growing up without a father figure and being born to a single mother at 16—this professional failure did more to throw him off than anything else he had ever experienced in his 26 years of living. Yet, it may have come just in the nick of time as far as encouraging a serious mid-career reflection for "The Chosen One."
Keith's impact on LeBron
Dambrot graduated from the University of Akron the year James was born. Having grown up in the inner city, he shared a special connection with LeBron throughout his high school years.
When you think about the people who've impacted the NBA superstar's life, you'll think of his mother, Gloria. But no man outside of Dambrot has ever been connected to LeBron, who's notorious for having grown up without a dominant male figure.
Dambrot was the closest to a father figure for James as he prepared to take on the next chapter of his life. When the Akron native drew interest from Adidas as a teenager, it was Keith who shaped his mindset to begin treating himself as a business mogul and no longer just a standard athlete. The coach knew Gloria and stayed close to the James family as he watched the young No. 23 take center stage as one of the world's biggest draws.
Related: Udonis Haslem on the significance of the 2011 Finals loss in LeBron James' growth: "Boy returned with a bag I ain't ever seen before"
LeBron bounced back
Striping the Dallas Mavericks of their due credit is not the point here. Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs were a dominant team throughout the 2010-11 season. But James' wounds in 2011 were almost entirely self-inflicted. He was too caught up in what the world was saying about him. He read, he watched, he responded—just not in through the means he should've (on the court).
"I get on the Internet, read you guys' columns, those are fun," The King said during the 2011 NBA Finals. "I've seen a lot of them. They're pretty good. Appreciate it."
The situation may have been unique, but LeBron clearly didn't take the noise well. He let it get to his head. There are athletes—retired and current—who don't read the back page of the paper or their social media feed. They know it will mess with them. James needed to adopt that same mindset. But the 26-year-old still dealt with insecurity, and the desire to read and listen ate him alive.
Then again, this forced LeBron to take a long look in the mirror. To his credit, he reflected and conquered. The then-Heat superstar started going "Zero Dark Thirty" in the ensuing postseasons. Winning another MVP and four championships since—let's just say he turned things around pretty well.
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