What If LeBron James Had Gone to Duke?

LeBron James has officially crushed the Cavs and stunned South Beach.  All around the league, teams are suddenly asking themselves "What if"?

As this once in a lifetime drama unfolds, it is only fair that Duke fans get to join in on the fun.

LeBron's rookie year was the 2003-04 season.  If he had joined the Duke Blue Devils instead of skipping Division I altogether, then he could have been the final piece that pushed Duke to a title. 

Don't believe me? Keep reading!

Duke's lineup that season was as follows: J.J. Redick, Sheldon Williams, Shavlick Randolph, Daniel Ewing, Sean Dockery, Lee Melchioni, Chris Duhon, Luol Deng, and more.

In one of my favorite moments with my father (a dedicated UNC fan), we sat at the Georgia Dome watching this very Duke team win their bracket on the backs of Duke's greatest shooter ever and the landlord. 

They moved on and lost to UConn in the Final Four, but if one player could have pushed this team over the edge, it could have been "The King" himself, LeBron James.

Look at the impact that other notable freshmen have made during their short stays in college—Carmelo led his Syracuse team to the promise land, and John Wall and his corp of newbies returned Kentucky to national prominence.

Could you imagine the impact LeBron would have had opposite of Redick's deadly aim, Duhon's distributing, and Williams pulling the boards? It would have been a Dukies' dream! Arguably the toughest Duke team to ever suit up.

In his initial year in the big leagues, LeBron was awarded the Rookie of the Year award.  This is an illustrious award, but it is more special when you mention that he won this award over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Kirk Hinrich, Josh Howard, and others.

LeBron played in 79 games that season, averaging over 39 minutes a game. During this time he scored over 20 points a game, an impressive number for a rookie. He averaged 5.9 assists a game and only 3.5 turnovers. 

All of these stats were on the big stage. He would have put up staggering numbers in the college game.

It is official that LeBron is a member of the Miami Heat.  He will be missed in Cleveland. They will forever wonder "what if", just like all of the Duke fans that ask the exact same thing.  LeBron is great and he would have made Duke even greater.