“It’s a Tragic Loss”: LeBron James Joins Millions in Mourning Saddening Death of Sports Icon

Published 12/10/2022, 9:07 AM EST

Eminent US Journalist Grant Wahl passed away recently while covering the FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar. He had a long career with Sports Illustrated and was behind NBA superstar LeBron James’ first SI shoot. He was a prominent figure who advocated strongly for women’s soccer and LGBTQ rights. While covering the World Cup match between Argentina and Netherlands, Wahl passed away. After the news spread across the Internet, LeBron James has joined other members of the sports community in mourning the loss of an eminent journalist.

The shocking news has urged prominent personalities around the world to offer their condolences to Wahl’s family. Four-time NBA champion James took to Twitter to offer his condolences and reflect upon Wahl’s career.

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LeBron James talks about the death of a prominent Journalist

Sports journalist Grant Wahl was one of the most prominent names when it came to covering sports. He had a long career in Sports Illustrated and had his own substack.

“I’ll Not Comment Further on the Nature of His Death”- LeBron James Serves Out a Powerful Message as America Mourns the Loss of Soccer Journalist at The FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022

Following Argentina’s victory over the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup, Wahl collapsed under unknown circumstances. He was then rushed to the nearest hospital. Wahl’s brother confirmed the death of his 49-year-old brother. During a press conference, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James reflected upon Wahl’s unfortunate death.

James said, “I’ve always kind of watched from a distance even when I moved up in ranks and became a professional, and he went to a different sport. Any time his name would come up I’ll always think back to me as a teenager and having Grant in our building … It’s a tragic loss.”

Wahl was behind the iconic Sports Illustrated cover shoot that involved 17-year-old LeBron James. He covered James even before he made his debut in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Wahl was behind one of the most iconic cover shoots

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Sports Illustrated released a cover shoot involving LeBron James which was released on February 18, 2002. James had just turned 17 and was already one of the biggest prospects in the country.

He made his NBA debut when he was just 18. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him and he averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds straightaway.

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Written by:

Abhinava is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication. Abhinava has been following NBA for the past 6 years and is a huge fan of the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry.

Edited by:

Satagni Sikder

“It’s a Tragic Loss”: LeBron James Joins Millions in Mourning Saddening Death of Sports Icon

LeBron James talks about the death of a prominent Journalist

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Wahl was behind one of the most iconic cover shoots