2002 LeBron James Signed 1st Sports Illustrated Newsstand Magazine. PSA 8 Auto 9

The Chosen One!
An extraordinary piece from the very beginning of one of the greatest careers in sports history, offered here is LeBron James’ iconic first Sports Illustrated cover, signed by James as a teenager during his high school years! Dated February 18, 2002, the desirable newsstand edition famously introduced the 17-year-old phenom to the world as “The Chosen One.” LeBron beautifully scripted his early-style signature in bold blue ink across the lower right of the cover, creating outstanding contrast and tremendous eye appeal.

During his 2002 junior season at St. Vincent-St. Mary, LeBron averaged an astounding 28 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Already the unquestioned #1 high school player in the country, he became the first junior ever named Gatorade National Player of the Year, while also earning USA Today and Parade National Player of the Year honors. His games attracted national television audiences and were moved into larger arenas to accommodate the crowds coming to see “The Kid from Akron.” Then, in February 2002, Sports Illustrated put the high school junior on its cover and gave him the nickname that would follow him forever — “The Chosen One.”

Early, high school versions of LeBron’s autograph like this are extremely rare — and its presence on the very magazine that announced his arrival makes this piece particularly special. Rather than a modern signature added years after the cover became iconic, this magazine was signed during LeBron’s teenage years, when the almost unimaginable expectations surrounding him were still just that — expectations. He was already being compared to Jordan, Magic, Bird and Kobe, yet no one could have known that the 17-year-old pictured here would actually live up to the hype.

Publication collecting has emerged as one of the hobby’s fastest-growing genres, with particular attention being paid to debut and “rookie” magazine appearances of legendary athletes. Much like vintage rookie cards decades ago, few collectors thought to preserve these publications — let alone have them signed by the young stars appearing on their covers. As a result, period-signed copies can be significantly scarcer than the traditional signed photographs and basketballs commonly encountered in the hobby. With collectors increasingly seeking graded, low-population examples of important debut publications, a high-grade, period-signed copy of arguably the most famous modern Sports Illustrated cover represents a compelling intersection of autograph and publication collecting.

More than two decades later, LeBron has amassed 4x NBA Championships, 4x MVP Awards, 4x Finals MVP Awards and became the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer — just to name a few of his accomplishments and records. The February 18, 2002 Sports Illustrated has consequently become one of the defining images of his legendary career: a snapshot of “The Chosen One” before he played a single NBA game. Safe to say, he exceeded expectations.

Further demonstrating the rapidly emerging market for elite signed publications, a comparable copy of this same February 18, 2002 newsstand issue recently sold at public auction for over $36,000. While that example carried a slightly higher magazine grade, ours boasts a far superior autograph, graded PSA/DNA Mint 9 — highlighted by an exceptionally bold, beautifully placed signature with tremendous eye appeal.

Authenticated, Graded, and Encapsulated by PSA/DNA.

Ships FedEx/UPS/USPS with Insurance.