Charting The Reign of King James

LeBron by Jeff Benedict Photo courtesy of Simon & Schuster
Sports Illustrated writer Jeff Benedict has an eye for the greats, or as they're commonly referred to by fans, G.O.A.T.s — the greatest of all time. His biography, "Tiger Woods" was the basis for a two-part docu-series on HBO, and his book "Dynasty," covering the unbeatable New England Patriots team led by Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick has been ordered as an upcoming series for Hulu. His latest biography of an American superstar is "LeBron." Known as King James to his NBA fans, Lebron James is undeniably one of the greatest to ever play the game. I spoke with Benedict ahead of a talk he'll give at House of Books in Kent, Conn., on Friday, May 5, at 6 p.m.
Alexander Wilburn: When we talk about these larger-than-life sports figures you’ve written about — Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, and now LeBron James — who almost transcend their role as just athletes to become pillars in the culture, what makes an icon?
Jeff Benedict: To me, those three are the transcendent athletes of the 21st century. I’d add a fourth in Serena Williams. The reason I wanted to write about Tom, Tiger, and LeBron is that they’re not just athletes, they’re global figures. In order to be interesting enough to write a book about someone they have to be more than just a great athlete. Tiger and LeBron were certainly helped by being the two global spokesmen for Nike — Michael Jordan was in the ‘80s and ‘90s — Tom was helped by leading the greatest sports team that we’ve seen in this century. There have obviously been a lot of endorsements and business opportunities. Tom Brady has built a brand as a businessman. That’s also what separates them, they built businesses while they were playing at the peak of their careers. Traditionally most athletes have waited until they retired to try and start a business.
AW: The movie “Air” directed by Ben Affleck is out now about the creation of the Air Jordan. Nike and Michael Jordan teamed up to create a cultural legacy that’s still relevant 30 years later. Why hasn’t LeBron captured that?
JB: Jordan was first. Whenever you’re first, that’s the legacy that lasts, and it should. When he joined Nike it was a low-grade sneaker company. People only bought Nikes if they were going jogging. He was really responsible for catapulting Nike into a global company. In LeBron’s case, he came second, the baton was passed to him from Michael. What LeBron did differently is he really is responsible for opening up China. He has gone to China every single year since he’s been in the NBA, he’s really opened up the foreign markets for Nike. People in America really underestimate the significance of that. We’re so insular here, most Americans don’t really recognize how much impact LeBron has had with Nike in markets that we don’t pay attention to. But China is the biggest market in the world, and LeBron James is the most recognized athlete in China. Michael Jordan was a ground breaker and a trailblazer and the Air Jordan brand is never going to be eclipsed because it is so intricately married to Nike, and “Air,” which I loved, did a good job of showing that. LeBron, he’s more than just Nike. He’s in movies and TV and HBO comedies. He owns a piece of the Boston Red Sox. His portfolio is more diverse.
AW: Just this year LeBron James broke the scoring record previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Is that bittersweet?
JB: We’re talking about a handful of players who become the all-time leading scorer, hit the most home runs, and won the most Super Bowls…we can count those players on one hand. When you set a record like that, you’d love for that record to stand forever. But players also realize they’re always going to be someone who’s going to come along and threaten the record. I thought Kareem was gracious. These records are so rarely broken, the person who previously held them usually isn’t alive. So it’s actually neat that Kareem was here to see that happen. That record that LeBron just broke — that record just stood for a long time.
AW: Thinking about his legacy: Jordon was a Bull, Kareem was a Laker, Larry Bird was a Celtic — who will claim LeBron?
JB: By the way, people dismiss the fact that Kareem spent a huge swath of his career as a Buck and he didn’t win there. He didn’t win any championships until he went to the Lakers and paired up with Magic Johnson.
AW: But we think of him as a Laker.
JB: No, that is how we think about him, and you’re absolutely right. LeBron is different from them, and different from all of the great players who came before. He's "The World Traveler." He’s been to four cities and he has delivered a championship to every team he’s played on. That’s what distinguishes him. I wasn’t knocking Kareem when I said he played for the Bucks, but he only won championships with one team [Editor's note: Abdul-Jabbar did win one championship with the Bucks in 1971]. Same with Jordan, same with Bird. There’s no other journeyman, no other greatest of all time, who’s in the conversation, who was able to go to all these teams and deliver.
AW: When the topic of The GOAT comes up — the greatest of all time — it’s likely you’ll get a different answer depending on the generation of the basketball fan. Is it actually worth trying to rank Kareem, Jordon, and LeBron, or should we let the different generation have their own GOATs and appreciate the players on their own?
JB: It’s great discussion material for sports talk radio, but to me, I don’t ever weigh in on that. The only people I think can really weigh in with authority are those players themselves. When you look at Michael Jordan, I like what Michael said at the pinnacle of his career and being compared to Bill Russell. He said he thought it was inappropriate to compare, because they played in different eras, and the game was very different in those eras. To me, that makes a lot of sense with Michael and LeBron as well. Michael played his last game as LeBron was being drafted. Literally, one era closed and another opened in the same summer. Sometimes history had a beautifully poetic way of unfolding. I think in the end, LeBron will be remembered for a lot of things besides his talent in basketball. That’s not a knock on Michael, he was a world-class entertainer who happened to be an athlete. LeBron has branched out into areas that Michael purposefully stayed away from, like politics and social activism. That is another form of legacy.
Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.
Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.
Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.
On Sunday, July 6 at 2:30 p.m., the next master pianist, Yefim Bronfman, joins Andris Nelsons as he conducts the BSO in the Shed. Bronfman features in an All-Beethoven program. Hear the Leonore Overture No. 2 followed by the Piano Concerto No. 3, a deeply expressive work that highlights the lively interplay between the BSO strings, winds, and Bronfman’s piano. After intermission, experience the epic Symphony No. 5.
On Saturday, July 12 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons join pianist Seong-Jin Cho in celebrating the 150th birth year of Maurice Ravel. Expressive, sincere, and wonderful, Cho’s playing is bound to create a rich evening of music that includes “Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun” (Debussy), “Piano Concerto in G” (Ravel), “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand” (Ravel), and “La Mer” (Debussy).
On Sunday, July 13 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen will be a superb combination, along with the energetic young Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Kuusisto comes from distinguished musical lineage, and he’s equally captivating whether performing classical works or masterfully weaving Northern European folk melodies. The program includes “Tumblebird Contrails” (Gabriella Smith), “Violin Concerto” (Sibelius), and “Symphony No. 5” (Sibelius).
On Saturday, July 19 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons present the Piccini’s “Tosca,” with special guest singers Kristine Opolais, Seok Jong Baek, Bryn Terfel, Patrick Carfizzi and the entire Tanglewood Festival Chorus, with James Burton conducting. Expect an unforgettable evening in the Shed, with beauty and brilliance at full volume—star power layered on star power.
Beginning Thursday, July 24 at 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall, the TMC Festival of Contemporary Music kicks off with Ortiz and the Mexican Tradition. This year’s festival runs through Monday, July 28 and features music of Mexican music educator and composer Gabriela Ortiz Torres, Carnegie Hall’s composer in residence for the 2025 season. This superb Festival within a Festival is a proverbial “Box of Chocolates”, where you never quite know what flavor is in the middle until you bite.
On Friday, July 25at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome Spanish-born violinist María Dueñas. At a mere 18 years old, Dueñas has already won the 2021 Menuhin Competition, including the audience award. The BBC also named her as its “New Generation Artist 2021-2023.” This program includes “Air,” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 (J.S. Bach), and “Adagio from Symphony No. 10” (Mahler) before Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto”,“Calm Sea”, and “Prosperous Voyage.”
On Sunday, July 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome pianist Lang Lang.Lang Lang is squarely in the 100% not to be missed category, and this afternoon the audience will be indulged with “La Calaca” (Gabriela Ortiz) for string orchestra, Piano Concerto No. 2 (Saint-Saëna), and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6, Pastoral.”
On Saturday, August 16 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra join with German conductor and concert pianist Anna Handler and young Italian-German-American violinist Augustin Hadelich to present the Brahms’s “Tragic Overture,” “Symphony No. 4” (Schumann), andTchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. The constellation this evening looks to become especially bright, colorful, and passionate. Plan to come early and stay late.
On Sunday, August 17 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra welcomes conductor Dima Slobodeniouk, who was born in Moscow and settled in Finland.Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is another musician not to miss; every appearance is fresh and lively. This program includes “Threnody (In Memory of Jan Sibelius)” by William Grant Still, “Piano Concerto No. 2” (Liszt), “Valse triste” (Sibelius), and “Symphony No. 3.” (Sibelius).
The 2025 Tanglewood season promises to be another exciting one. A quick note: the BSO has faced issues with ticket resellers posing as official sources and charging inflated prices. To avoid this, be sure to purchase tickets in advance only through bso.org.
SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.
Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.
James attended Millbrook School, Ripon College, and the Culinary Institute of America in New Haven, Connecticut.
He proudly served in the Navy and his dedication to his craft led him to later own several restaurants, including the renowned Fox & Fox in Gaylordsville, and most recently, Panini Cafe in Kent. He went on to become a staple at the Cornwall Farmer’s Market, known for his delicious soups.
James lived in Sharon, for 20 years, where he cherished the serenity tending to the gardens and property. Perpetually in motion, he filled his days with gardening, tending his property, and engaging in hobbies such as collecting model cars, woodworking, and perfecting his culinary creations.He never hesitated to take on a new project, no matter the scope.Not many 82-year-olds can say they fully remodeled a bathroom single handedly.After a full day of work, one of his greatest joys was relaxing at the end of the day in front of the fireplace.
James is survived by his constant companion of 22 years, Kathie Dolan; his two sons; Adam Fox of Montpelier, Vermont and Emmett Fox of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; his brother, Tom Fox of Phoenix, Arizona; his brother-in-law, Gary Sarachan of St. Louis; and several nieces, including Sydney Fox Sarachan of St. Louis, Carrie Fox of Phoenix, and Amanda Fox of Columbus, Ohio. He also leaves behind his grandson, Aidan Fox of New Hampshire, extended family, Erin Dolan, Megan Mollica, Rory Dolan, his dog, Django, and his cat, William.
James will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His unique sense of humor and culinary excellence will live on in the hearts of his family and friends.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
All services are private.
FALLS VILLAGE — Richard Stone of Main Street passed away June 25, 2025, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington.
Born Feb. 12, 1942, in Ossining, New York, Richard was son of the late Howard Stone and Victoria (Smith) Stone.
He attended public schools in Ossining and then studied architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. After graduation he became a licensed architect.
Richard admired contemporary architecture by Corbusier, Philip Johnson, and Louis Kahn, but also many earlier and folk designs. His projects included re-erecting, at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the 18th century Chinese house “Yin Yu Tang”, and also restoration of the historic Delaware & Hudson office building in Albany, New York. Broad cultural interests led him to travel around the world, but especially in Caribbean lands and Latin America.
Long a resident of Falls Village, Richard had a concern for the built environment surrounding him. More importantly, he cherished neighbors, church, and friends near and far.
Richard is survived by his three brothers; Thomas of Peabody, Massachusetts, William of Canaan, New Hampshire, and Kenneth of Medford, Massachusetts, their wives, and many nieces, nephews, and step siblings.
A service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 484 Lime Rock Road, Lakeville, Connecticut, on Thursday, July 31, at 11:30 a.m.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.