LeBron James, Savannah, Jay-Z and Beyonce Hit the Sports Illustrated Sportsman Of The Year Awards

What a difference two years can make?

In just a short time, LeBron James went from being one of the most hated athletes in sports (as a result of his Big Decision to leave Cleveland), to being one of the most loved all over again.

Last night, he was honored by Sports Illustrated at the 2012 Sportsman of the Year Awards. After an amazing year that included snagging the NBA Championship ring, followed by the Olympic Gold, it was well deserved. During his acceptance speech, he had this tidbit of advice for young players that look up to him:

What I would say to that kid is there are going to be a lot of ups and downs, and there are going to be a lot of expectations. There are going to be a lot of pitfalls, too. But it’s how you come back from those pitfalls and how you come back from those situations that will define you.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski introduced LeBron as one of the most scrutinized athletes that he’d seen in his lifetime.

To have the year of scrutiny that you had the year before — and then to have the year of accomplishment — the dignity and class you showed makes you unbelievably deserving of this award. You are in a position of mastery. That’s where you are with your game. There is nobody in the history of the game of basketball who has been more unique than you.

LeBron was accompanied by his beautiful fiancée Savannah James as well as close friends Beyonce and Jay-Z who came out to support.

Catch more pics below: