What Powers LeBron James's Superhuman Talent?
GREENWICH, Conn. July 8, 2010— -- Faster than a Chinook helicopter blade. Able to leap yellow taxis in a single bound. It's Cleveland's or New York's or Miami's biggest star. It's LeBron James.
The seemingly superhuman talents of James, who announces tonight which NBA team he will join next season, were scrutinized today by ESPN "Sport Science" host John Brenkus.
LeBron James is known as "King James" for qualities that make even the most physically fit humans seem so very common. And, while he plays the position of small forward, he seems to be enormous in every other way.
"LeBron is a once-in-a-lifetime physical specimen," said ESPN's Brenkus. "He is that rare case where he lives up to all the hype."
The "Sport Science" researcher calculates that James's hands, at 9.25 inches long, are 20 percent larger than an average man's, rendering the basketball into a mere bauble.
He is 6 feet, 8 inches tall, weighs 250 pounds, and his wingspan measures a full 7 feet, more than a foot longer than average.
James plays with unbridled power, jumping with 700 pounds of force. When he dunks the ball, "his arm is actually moving faster than a Chinook helicopter blade," Brenkus said.
