When LeBron James barely saw action in a Michael Jordan-led scrimmage

LeBron James is arguably the most scrutinized player of all time. It doesn't help that his rise occurred in an era dominated by social media, where opinions and criticism can spread rapidly. But that hasn't deterred James from becoming one of the greatest basketball players in history, as his accolades speak for themselves.

James has always been at the center of attention ever since he became a sophomore sensation at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. Every game from thereon was all about the player who would soon be crowned as "the King." However, as hard as it is to believe, there was one game involving a Chicago Bulls legend where James didn't see much action and was basically a non-factor.

All-Star scrimmage

The reason why James didn't play much was that this specific scrimmage featured the likes of Michael Jordan, Paul Pierce, Ron Artest, Penny Hardaway, Jamal Crawford, Jerry Stackhouse, and other NBA-caliber players. Although James was a high-school star, his credentials weren't enough in such an elite field.

"They didn't let me play for like the first hour. A young guy sitting there just waiting my turn. The only reason I played is because the guys that were in the league, you know, after a few hours, some of them get tired, they're like, 'I'm done with this sh*t, hey young fella, we need a fill, you wanna play?'" shared James.

While James got a good sweat going, the two players who really got their money's worth in that pick-up game were Jordan and former Boston Celtics star Antoine Walker.

"Him and Antoine Walker were talking so much s***. Him and Antoine Walker was just talking so much sh** back and forth, back and forth," James said.

Unforgettable moment

While much of the details of that scrimmage are now just a blur (MJ's team won), James said the moment he first saw Jordan will remain etched in his memory for all time.

"For me to be on the court at 16 years old, a sophomore in high school, with my favorite player of all time, it was like, this can't be real, man. If you pinch me, I hope I don't wake up," said James.

"The dude looked like Jesus Christ to me. He was Black Jesus to me. Nobody could tell me anything different. I didn't think he was real, man. You don't understand. I don't think Michael Jordan was real. I only thought he lived on the TV, either in games or commercials," LeBron shared.