What Powers LeBron James's Superhuman Talent?
As 'King James' makes big decision, science explains his superhuman talents.
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.
Could LeBron Jump Over a Taxi Cab?
With his 43-inch vertical leap, James once bragged to ABC News that he could jump over a taxi cab. Though a cab is about 57 inches tall, Brenkus thinks James could lift his legs to clear it.
"LeBron would come darn close to getting over the roof, he could definitely get over the hood," he said.
Even James himself describes his talents as near robotic.
"One day I forgot how to miss, and I made like a thousand shots in a row. I had to reprogram myself so that people would realize I am human still," he said.
Any way you slice it, by the numbers, Lebron is LeMazing.