In Fortune's second annual world's greatest leaders list, the Cavaliers small forward finds himself ranked as No. 31, rubbing elbows with the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Pope Francis and Howard Schultz. He is also one of four individuals involved with basketball, joining Yao Ming, Adam Silver and Courtney Banghart.
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Since being drafted out of high school in 2003, James has accumulated two NBA championships, four MVP awards, two Olympic gold medals and 11 All-Star Game appearances all before his 31st birthday. He was also elected as the vice president of the NBPA as of Feb. 13, 2015, making him a voice to be reckoned with during future labor negotiations.
With two NBA titles, James didn’t need to return to Cleveland—a place without a championship, let alone hope of a quick one. But, he said, he wanted to bring a group together and help them “reach a place they didn’t know they could go.” The Cavs, atop their division as of mid-March, are reaching. Meantime James, newly elected VP of the NBA’s Players Association, will face a fresh leadership challenge as labor negotiations with the league get underway.
As if all that wasn't enough, the Cavaliers have been the NBA's hottest team down the stretch of the regular season and seem primed for a deep playoff run.
Maybe Fortune is onto something.