The holiday season is upon us. And every time that happens, at least in recent years, a familiar picture goes viral on the internet. Yes, we are talking about the iconic image of a 3-year-old LeBron James standing in his living room and playing basketball on a brand-new mini hoop. When his mother Gloria James bought it in 1987 as a Christmas present for LBJ, little did she know that the wholesome gesture would go on to define King James’ legacy.

Sure enough, LeBron does not forget to address the impact of his mother’s gift every time Christmas comes around. Just last year, he shared SportsCenter’s post of the same picture on his IG story with the caption, “Merry Xmas! Mom’s tried lowering the rim and I went (apes—)!! She put it back at the highest it could go! Only child chronicles.” Along with several laughing emojis.

And continuing the tradition, LBJ shared ESPN’s post of his childhood picture once again tonight, but this time with a different caption, “Iykyk TV on top of the TV” obviously referring to two televisions stacked on top of each other in the background of that image. Moreover, it was just two years ago that James told Bally Sports’ Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson that the mini hoop is the most memorable Christmas gift he has ever received.

“He said his mother bought him a Little Tykes basketball hoop when he was three years old. He said, ‘I played with that all day in the house.’ Changed his life. He said.” Robinson remarked. Well, Gloria’s gift is not only memorable for LeBron, but it has become memorable for the entire hoop community because it planted the seed for King James to become a legend in the future. As expected, the NBA World acknowledged it with comments like “Greatest return on investment in history” and “Mom made a great ROI on this one.”

NBA World thanks Gloria James and demands LeBron James’ childhood highlights

From dunking on a mini hoop to becoming arguably the best player ever, LeBron has come a long way since receiving that gift. And fans credited his mother for setting him on that path as one wrote, “Thank you Gloria James.” Meanwhile, netizens also began imagining how LBJ would have dominated playing on that mini hoop. One fan was even disappointed that there was no video evidence of it, “Too bad we don’t have 3yo Bron highlights.”

However, netizens let their imagination run wild, “HE WAS BORN FOR GREATNESS DUNKIN ON OTHER TODDLERS 😂😂” Considering how dominant LeBron is even today, that might not be an overstatement. Moreover, the nostalgic image left many fans in awe of LBJ’s longevity once again, “Crazy, bro still playing better than the young heads and dudes in their prime.” Yes, despite nearing the age of 40, James is still The Man on his team and arguably a Top Ten player in the league. And to think that a mere $25 Christmas gift started it all is mind boggling.