USA Today via Reuters

In the famous 2003 TV interview, Smush Parker was one of the Cleveland Cavaliers players who “doubted” LeBron James, who was still a high school star at the time. Today, NBA icon LeBron James is the first person in the league’s history to have a net worth of $1 billion. 

When the Cavaliers won the 2003 lottery, everyone thought they would take LeBron happily. But instead of being excited about the possibility of getting the team’s now-hero, the players seemed apprehensive and didn’t believe a high school kid could save the franchise. Recently in a YouTube interview, Parker exposed some facts about James and the team during that time.

In a recent interview with DJVlad, Ex Cavaliers star, Smush Parker has opened up about the controversial pick and has stated how things went after James joined them.

He was asked, ‘Cuz LeBron joins the next year. This is before the LeBron era, yes pre- LeBron how did they do that year who were the Cavs when you were on there?” and Smush laughed a bit, admitting, “I plead the fifth. Yeah I mean with LeBron, Cavs don’t always, don’t always do their thing you know but there’s- I mean there was word going around that you know Cleveland you know was trying to tank that season to get the first pick first season for Lebron.”

Parker went on saying how he ended up joining the Greek League, while everything changed in Cleveland.

He stated, “So they wiped house, they clean they clean everybody out from Cleveland you know they only kept a handful of guys because LeBron’s coming, yeah they got to be a team. They changed the arena name, they changed the seats, they mopped the floors, they did everything. They swept they did everything. They changed everything about that arena for LeBron. Um, I ended up at the vet camp in Atlanta, didn’t get picked in Atlanta.”

Many would argue that LeBron James is now one of the best basketball players of all time. The icon is currently playing for Los Angeles Lakers, and has won four NBA titles. He is one of the best-paid athletes in the world and also one of the best-paid basketball players.

James is the fourth-best-paid player in the year 2023. James’s net worth has grown a lot, major thanks to the investments and endorsements he has made and the long time he has spent as a top NBA player.