LeBron James reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers was one of the greatest stories over the past week. It completely altered the structure of hierarchy in the NBA, especially in the Eastern Conference where the Miami Heat have instantly morphed from regular contenders to a team that no one knows for sure how they would measure up with the rest of the East. And LeBron James quickly transformed his image from a selfish Super Star when he made his "Decision" in the summer of 2011 to a returning hero in Cleveland.
However, It appears that LeBron James is not only the most famous sports figure in Cleveland but in the entire America as well. In a recent survey conducted by Harris Poll, James was the most popular male athlete in America. The survey was conducted in a representative sample of 2,241 people in the U.S. last month.
This is the first time in LeBron's career that he has become No.1 in terms of popularity. His recent highest ranking was at No.2 but has now overtaken retired Chicago Bulls Star and current Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan, who has consistently been No.1 from 1993 to 2005.
But it took plenty of years and reputation building for LeBron James to finally reach the summit. Four summers ago in 2011, the year he made the "Decision" and joined forces with Wade and Bosh in Miami, LeBron never made it to the top 10. After making his jump to Miami, LeBron was able to carry the Heat to four consecutive finals appearance including back-to-back championships in which he was the MVP. It helped James build his brand back up in terms of his appeal to the general public. This time, he will try to achieve the same success in his home town by leading a very young but talented Cavaliers squad to relevance.
The Cavaliers Super Star is highly regarded among people between the 18-36 and 49-67 age demographics. The survey also revealed that people who belonged to the Generation X (37-48) favored Jordan over LeBron.
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