As a former longtime sportswriter for the Akron Beacon Journal in Ohio, David Lee Morgan Jr. had open access to LeBron James in high school. In The LeBron Phenomenon: My Front-Row Seat to History, Morgan shares his firsthand account of covering LeBron during his time as a student-athlete at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. This book is not a typical biography, but a collection of Morgan’s personal anecdotes, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and unique stories gathered while he chronicled LeBron’s journey before and after he became a global icon.
 
Relive the early 2000s and experience an unprecedented era in high school basketball. From the energy of packed gyms across the country to quiet moments off the court, The LeBron Phenomenon: My Front-Row Seat to History provides an entertaining and bittersweet look back at LeBron’s formative years. Also included are current stories from those who coached and played against LeBron during his high school career. 
 
This is a personal, nostalgic reflection on sports history. It is filled with Morgan’s memories and the excitement of covering a high school phenom and watching LeBron ignite his path into the NBA and certain election to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
 
David Lee Morgan Jr. is a longtime sportswriter/journalist for more than 30 years and is currently a high school Senior English/Creative Writing/Video Journalism teacher at Stow-Munroe Falls (OH) High School. He’s also an established author, and public speaker. He was also a content producer for PBS Western Reserve.
David Lee was a co-producer of the 2022 regional Emmy Award-winning PBS Western Reserve documentary Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley, which told the story of Motley and three other Black players reintegrating professional football in 1946. The documentary aired nationally on PBS affiliates and was distributed by American Public Television.
David Lee received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional Writing and Editing from Youngstown State University, and his Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University. He also received an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Humane Letters from Youngstown State University, where he was the 2022 Fall Commencement speaker. David Lee was recognized by Western Governors University as a Distinguished Alumni in 2023, one of only fifteen graduates across the country and one of only two from Ohio.
 
David Lee is the author of 16 books, including LeBron James: The Rise of a Star, which was selected as one of the year's best books for reluctant young adult readers by the American Library Association in 2005. The book also received starred editorial reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal. He is also the author of Breaking Through the Lines: The Story of Marion Motley, which was a 2023 Foreward INDIES Finalist for Best Biography. He is also author of an eight-book children’s series called Black Trailblazers in Sports (2024). As well as Massillon Tigers: 15 for 15  which covered the famous Ohio high school football team.
David Lee was inducted into the Warren, Ohio Sports Hall of Fame in 2024, Warren High Schools’ Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame in 2017, and the Trumbull County African American Achievers Hall of Fame (2004).
David Lee and his wife Jill enjoy their Northeast Ohio home in Canton with their two Labrador retrievers, D. J., and Donut. They also enjoy the regular visits from their seven adult children and four grandchildren. Visit David Lee online at www.davidleemorganjr.com.