A King's Reign: A podcast series about LeBron James' career, life and impact

Welcome to A King's Reign, a multi-episode series all about the life, career and impact of LeBron James. Across the next two weeks here on The Athletic NBA Show, more than a dozen journalists from The Athletic will detail the highs and lows of LeBron's basketball life.In episode 1, Joe Vardon charts LeBron's rise from an interesting local high school player to a generational basketball prospect. Then, Joe, The Athletic's Jason Lloyd and Tom Withers from the Associated Press discuss all the amazing moments from LeBron's high school and early Cleveland Cavaliers career.

James Edwards III details the moment a young LeBron James broke through in the playoffs in the biggest way, scoring 25 straight points against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 ECF Game 5. Then Joe Vardon analyzes the long arc of LeBron's international career, including Joe's one-on-one interview with Coach K.

In episode 3 of A King's Reign: Zach Harper is joined by Meadowlark Media's Dan Le Batard to discuss the huge impact of LeBron James' arrival in 2010 on the city of Miami and the unprecedented spotlight on the team. Then Dave DuFour and Tim Cato details the significance of the Dallas Mavericks overcoming the Heat to win the 2011 NBA title.

In episode 4 of A King's Reign, David Aldridge speaks one-on-one with Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra about LeBron James' years in Miami: the harsh spotlight, how the team became a villain, and ultimately the successful pursuit of winning two NBA championships.

In Episode 5 of A King's Reign, LeBron James' life on and off the court has been documented on so many social media platforms. The iconic No Dunks crew details the 20 best LeBron memes including the Banana Boat, Taco Tuesday and I Can't Believe This Is My Life.

In Episode 6 of A King's Reign, Jason Lloyd details how the Cavaliers got LeBron James back to Cleveland, Joe Vardon on the epic Cavs 2016 title, and then Marcus Thompson and Zena Keita with a deep dive into the history of the LeBron James-Steph Curry rivalry.

In Episode 7 of A King's Reign, Bill Hader and Judd Apatow trade stories from what it was like working with LeBron James as a comedic actor in the 2015 comedy Trainwreck. Then, The Athletic's Richard Deitsch details how LeBron has fueled ratings and engagement at media companies like ESPN, TNT and Bleacher Report.

In episode 8 of A King's Reign, Sam Amick and Joe Vardon - two reporters who covered the Bubble from inside the Bubble - dive into all the wild, dramatic, emotional moments from the entire Bubble experience, including LeBron James and the Lakers' title run.

In Episode 9 of A King's Reign, Joe Vardon analyzes how LeBron James has differentiated himself from Michael Jordan by diving head first into political debates. And Joe details one of LeBron's greatest achievements - his family foundation and the I Promise school in Akron. Then, Bre Singleton speaks with Dr. Todd Boyd on how LeBron has reached an elite tier for impact amongst all professional athletes.