John Bazemore/AP; Beth A. Keiser/AP

Basketball legend Michael Jordan was not so impressed with LeBron James before he entered the NBA. While MJ acknowledged the potential of current Los Angeles Lakers superstar, he thought James did not belong in the upper echelon of shooting guards and small forwards.

At the same time, the six-time NBA champion admitted that LeBron has an unbelievable potential. Jordan pointed that James could become a good pro if he kept working on improving himself. The rest is history.

“I think once James gets on this level, he’s not in the upper echelon of shooting guards and small forwards. I think he’s toward the bottom. He has unbelievable potential, but he hasn’t played against the competition consistently in college or the pros. He’s played against high school kids who are probably under 6 feet and have the talent of storywriters.

“Five years from now, if he takes on the dedication of being the best basketball player he can be and continues to improve and accept challenges and not get comfortable with what’s been given to him, or what the expectations may be, he can definitely be a good pro.”

Michael Jordan

James was picked as the number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. In his first season in the league he was named the Rookie of the Year. He averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.