Competitive Nature
Dean didn’t have great vision and was required to wear glasses. Despite his poor eyesight, James Dean was a great athlete. He loved sports and played baseball and basketball. Plus, he was also on the track team. If that wasn’t enough, while Dean was in school, he broke a country record in the pole vault. Now that’s impressive.
James Dean playing high school basketball. Photo by Snap / Shutterstock
His basketball coach referred to him as an “all-American type boy,” and described him as “a heady player and a good competitor.” Once, Dean got a three-day suspension from school after he was interrupted while he was reading for an acting competition. He did the only rational thing and tried to choke the heckler.