'I will continue to inspire, to be a leader' - LeBron James
LeBron James kept the media waiting for over an hour, but no one really complained.
The King entered the room to cheers and wild applause, and even though he held court for just a little over 10 minutes, everyone in the room held on to his every word.
"Mabuhay, Philippines!" were the first words he uttered upon grabbing his microphone, before he settled down in his seat for a little Q & A. Only the host, veteran sportscaster Boom Gonzales, was allowed to ask questions, but the four-time NBA MVP answered all of them as best he could.
Here are excerpts from his interview:
On his impression of the Philippines before he came over and if he had heard about Filipinos' passion for the game of basketball
Yeah, absolutely. My head coach Erik Spoelstra told me all about it. So it's very exciting to be part of such a great culture.
(I heard) that they're very passionate about what they love, what they believe in. Basketball being huge, and probably the biggest sport over here, they're just so passionate about it. I love the game of basketball so I'm just happy to be here and inspire the best way that I can and leave a great impression.
On winning two championships in a row, and the difference between the two title runs
Both championships were emotionally draining, because you're going from one series, from one game to the next game to the next game. A playoff game is probably five times more difficult than a playoff game.
They both were emotionally draining. The emotions ran high, ran low throughout both years. My first year, last year against OKC, we lost Game 1 so my emotions were very low at that time. But I kept a cool head about it and we were able to win four straight.
This year, I was on the floor the whole time, going up against a great San Antonio team. I knew the hard work, I knew how well they'd push us for the championship so it was basically a sigh of relief that we were able to accomplish that goal.
They always say once you win the first one, it starts to become easier. It wasn't easy at all to be the defending champions and defend your time each and very night, the regular season throughout the playoffs is very difficult. For me, as a player, I just want to be the best I can be each and every night. I want to be the MVP for our team, try to be the best player on the floor each and every night.
My Little League coach, Frank Walker, taught me how to play the game the right way, and no matter how good an individual is, it takes a full team to win a championship. He laid the DNA on how to play team basketball.
On the growth of social media
What I tweet is who I am. social media allows me to be one with my fans. The fact that I can inexact with my fans is a great thing. I got so may followers (over 9 million at last count), so I don't get all the messages.
There are people on social media than get a little crazy at times and say things to you that they can't say face to face. but it's a great tool. It can get out of control though at times.
On his legacy
I don't think about it or talk about it. I'm 28 years old. I got 10 years in the league. I got a lot more to accomplish. The word "legacy" is thrown around a lot in sports in general. But I don't think about it. My resume is for history to decide.
I will continue to inspire, and I will continue to be a leader.
His parting shot
This is very overwhelming to see all these cameras. It's very exciting. I can't believe this is my first time here. Definitely it's not my last. I'm definitely looking forward to what today brings.
