Sports Illustrated announced Monday that they chose Miami Heats player LeBron James as their Sportsman of the Year, making him the first NBA player to win the award since fellow teammate Dwyane Wade took home the honor in 2006, according to The Associated Press.  

James told reporters he was shocked when he heard the news, especially because he thought his 2010 decision to leave Cleveland for the Heats would hold him back. 

"I remember just like yesterday when I signed here and basically, like the roof caved in," James told the AP, referring to the fallout. "To see that I and my team and everyone around me was able to patch that roof up, to come to this point, to come to this point and receive such a prestigious award, it's huge."

Last year's award was shared by college basketball coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Pat Summitt. 

Time Inc. Sports Group editor Paul Fichtenbaum said James stepped up this year in his game, which made him an easy choice for the award.

"LeBron kind of made it easy on us," Fichtenbaum said. "In a year that had really high standards, he just stood taller than everybody else."

The 27-year-old forward has been a professional player for nine years. Among his many accomplishments and honors, James is a three-time NBA regular season Most Valuable Player and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, according to the NBA. He is an eight-time NBA All-Star and earned All-NBA First Team honors six times.

In 2012 alone, he became an NBA champion for the first time, won the NBA Finals MVP trophy, helped the U.S. basketball team win Olympic gold and received his third NBA MVP award. In a year where Olympic athletes such as Gabby Douglas, Missy Franklin, Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps received great recognition for their sporting accomplishments, James in the end prevailed for the Sportsman award, though he said he never looks for individual recognition. 

"Do I need it? I don't need it," James said of his new honor. "I don't ever look for individual accolades. I do what I do because I love it and I want to continue to get better at it." 

Tags: LeBron James sports illustrated NBA