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Subject: Lebron James: In trouble again!
Posted by: YOUNGBUCK
- [100373010] Thu, Jan 30, 2003, 22:45
article from espn:
CLEVELAND -- First it was LeBron James' Hummer. Now, it's his clothes.
Just a few days after James was cleared of any wrongdoing for accepting a sports utility vehicle as a gift, Ohio high school officials are reviewing a report he received complimentary clothing.
Last Saturday, James, the nation's top high school player, was apparently given two free "throwback'' jerseys worth $845 at a local clothing store. The story was first reported by The Plain Dealer.
Ohio High School Athletic Association bylaws state that an athlete forfeits his or her amateur status by "capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money or gifts of monetary value.''
OHSAA commissioner Clair Muscaro is aware of the report "and is reviewing it,'' said spokesman Bob Goldring.
On Monday, Muscaro ruled that James, a senior at St. Vincent-St. Mary, would not lose his eligibility for accepting a custom-made Hummer H2 vehicle -- valued at over $50,000 -- as an 18th birthday gift from his mother. Gloria James provided loan information to support her purchase.
After attending a local high school game last weekend, James and some friends visited the clothing store "Next'' where he picked out two jerseys -- one of Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, the other of Washington Bullets center Wes Unseld.
The Sayers jersey costs $395; the Unseld jersey, $450.
Store manager Derrick Craig said the store's owner gave the jerseys to James for free.
"We get celebrities in here all the time,'' said Craig, who would not identify the owner. "They spend a lot of money and sometimes you just got to give them some love.''
Goldring said OHSAA rules stipulate that athletes can't receive any kind of apparel worth more than $100.
And in the case of a school having a contract with an apparel company -- James' school has one with Adidas -- any apparel worth more than $100 is considered school-issued and must be returned by the athlete at the end of the season.
Attorney Fred Nance, who represented James and his family, was not immediately available for comment Thursday.
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| 21 | KnicksFan
Donor
ID: 3974252
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 16:08
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Now he has more time to ride his hummer.
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| 22 | Tree
ID: 22052618
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 16:17
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personally, i think it's a load of crap.
this is a kid - albeit a kid who will make more money in a couple months than most of us will see in our lifetimes - and kids do things like accept free stuff. when i was a senior in HS, the local 7-11 manager used to let me and some pals have free food all the time.
if it wasn't 2003 and he wasn't the best HS player around, no one would care. i feel bad for the guy...and worse for his teammates, who now have to forfeit a game for something they were innocent of.
peace,
Tree
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| 23 | Bob
ID: 340492815
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 16:21
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Strike 2 for Lebron. He should start referring to himself as Lebron "The Dumbass" James.
I predict that his 3rd Strike will come before the summer begins and somehow will involve a trip to New York ( cuz you know the 1st pick will go to the Knicks ), 3 hookers ( one of them being a transvestite ) and Spike Lee.
Things just get better and better.....
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| 24 | beastiemiked
Sustainer
ID: 3531815
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 16:25
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Strike 2? He already struck out.
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| 25 | Bob
ID: 340492815
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 16:29
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Strike 1...the first of many hummers that he will get.
Strike 2...the free jerseys' that he got from the store.
Strike 3...you name it...but you know that it will involve something really stupid that he does.
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| 26 | KevinL
Donor
ID: 48222515
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 16:30
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OK, I'm definitely in support of OHSAA on this move (although I thought the Hummer/loan was acceptable).
But I am bummed because I have tickets for the McDonalds High School All American game in March. Wonder if this makes him ineligible for that also?
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| 27 | Bob
ID: 340492815
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 16:32
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Sorry...I was only referring to the second of the many dumbass moves that this guy will do.
I really hope this guy bombs. I hate punk ass kids that think they can do anything and get away with it.
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| 28 | Seattle Zen
Donor
ID: 554192913
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 17:06
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Hope they fire the store manager who gave LeBron the goods. Can you imagine the $hitstorm about to rain down on that store now that there will be no more LeBron at the games? You know quite a few of people paid HUGE money for future game tickets.
I feel bad for his teammates. I don't really understand all of this animus directed at LeBron. Let the kid make his mistakes, just enjoy his game.
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| 29 | kev
ID: 11438306
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 17:10
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I don't think you can fully blame LeBron either. Lets also look at his Mother in this whole situation. Is it LeBron's fault she bought him a hummer? I think a lot of the problems are caused by a lady who hasn't lived a lavish lifestyle, and just can't wait to make it big off her son's laurels.
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| 30 | Jazz Dreamers
Sustainer
ID: 240532810
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 17:35
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Why is Lebron a dumbass? Because he got suspended from a league he was dominating and so won't risk the small chance of a career-ending injury before making the NBA? Because he flagrantly violated rules that tell him that while it is okay for everyone else to profit from the hype other people have put on him, it's unfair for him to profit from it?
The biggest joke is that the OHSAA is claiming that Lebron is being treated just like anyone else would -- if I were in high school and playing ball and someone offered me a jersey, I'd take it. And if someone offered me a jersey today, I'd still take it. And I'm not going to criticize Lebron James for doing exactly what I would have done.
Sure, the OHSAA can make stupid rules, and Lebron will learn that he has to accept the consequences for his actions, whether they're fair or not. But I think Lebron is just as well off with two jerseys and a chance to work on his game in a gym (maybe he can find a mentor who can teach him some more skills that he can use in the NBA next year) than playing in the OHSAA.
I won't cry for Lebron James if he ends up getting seriously hurt and not making the NBA or if he makes it to the NBA but mismanages his fortune and ends up without a whole lot of money -- those are the breaks in life and he has to decide whether he's willing to take those risks or do something to prepare himself for a worst-case scenario. But at the same time, I am certainly not going to begrudge him his great fortune at having great talent at something that many people enjoy, and are willing to pay, to watch. He'll get to experience the ups and downs of being a sports star, and it's up to him how he deals with the choices he'll face. I hope he has people around him, family and old friends, that will help him make good decisions, because there will be plenty of people trying to get him to make decisions that aren't in the best interest of Lebron.
Anyway, I know this has been discussed thoroughly already, but I'm always surprised at the vicious reaction to anything Lebron does. I guess I just agree with what Tree said (#22) -- this kid's a, well, kid and he's gonna lose enough of his young adulthood being a celebrity that I don't see why he has to be puritanical in turning down one of the benefits of stardom.
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| 31 | KevinL
Donor
ID: 48222515
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 18:10
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Hey Jazz, regarding a mentor ... I hear former Cavs Coach John Lucas is available.
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| 32 | KnicksFan
Donor
ID: 3974252
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 18:36
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I'll be LeBron's mentor. I was gonna enter the NBA draft out of high school but decided that an Ivy League education was more important. Oh, and I'll only charge him $10 million for my mentoring services :P
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| 33 | Tree
ID: 22052618
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 18:43
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i too was gonna enter the NBA out of high school.
but they didn't have much interest in a 5'9" white greasy-haired white kid with thick glasses with a decent jump shot and tenacious D who hadn't played organized hoops in 4 years but was a star soccer player.
Tree
called "Little Kurt Rambis" when he was the only white kid playing playground ball
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| 34 | KnicksFan
Donor
ID: 3974252
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 18:51
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Similarly in my case, they didn't want a 5'6" skinny white kid who listens to Tenacious D.
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| 35 | KrazyKoalaBears
Donor
ID: 266182910
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 18:52
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Tree: "this is a kid - albeit a kid who will make more money in a couple months than most of us will see in our lifetimes - and kids do things like accept free stuff. when i was a senior in HS, the local 7-11 manager used to let me and some pals have free food all the time." According to the latest ESPN.com article: "the OHSAA 2002-03 Athletic Eligibility Information Bulletin states in part that, 'You may receive an award or merchandise as a result of your participation in school or non-school competition from any source, provided the value does not exceed $100 per award.'" So there's the difference. It takes a lot of free food to total $100, but just 1/4 of a Retro Jersey. Sure he's a kid, but after the Hummer incident he has to have known he shouldn't accept the jerseys, right? We send people off to war that are LeBron's age and I would guess that most of them know right from wrong. What's LeBron's excuse this time? Just like with the Hummer, I feel part of the blame falls on LeBron himself (couldn't he see what a mess accepting "just a gift from his mother" brought about?), but a larger part of the blame falls on the adults who are supposed to be supervising this kid. He's under a microscope because of who he is. If he sneezes in a weird way, it's the lead story on SportsCenter. The ESPN.com article says, "According to the source, who spoke with LeBron and mother Gloria James, the James' feel as if they have been set up and that someone purposely wanted him to be ruled ineligible." Then why accept ANYTHING from ANYONE?!?!? It's not like this is something new to them after the whole Hummer situation. I don't see LeBron getting out of this one on appeal. It looks pretty clearcut from the news I've heard and the articles I've read. Jazz Dreamers: "But I think Lebron is just as well off with two jerseys and a chance to work on his game in a gym (maybe he can find a mentor who can teach him some more skills that he can use in the NBA next year) than playing in the OHSAA." Ok, so LeBron is just as well off, but what about his teammates? More than anyone else, he's let his team down the most and I think that's the most sad part of the whole situation. Whether you or I agree with them or not, the OHSAA has rules and by breaking the rules, LeBron, and more specifically, those adults who should be supervising him, has put himself in front of his team. It's this point that angers me more than anything about the situation.
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| 36 | Donkey Hunter
Sustainer
ID: 55220159
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 18:56
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"But LeBron did not want to speak with me,'' Muscaro said, adding that James is the first athlete he has declared ineligible in his 14 years as commissioner.
"I think this sends a message that we are all about fairness,'' Muscaro said. "LeBron is being treated like any one of the thousands of student-athletes in Ohio.''
Back to back sentences in the article. they seem conflicting to me.
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| 37 | Jazz Dreamers
Sustainer
ID: 18015269
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 19:40
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KKB...that's a really good point about letting down the team. On the one hand, we all know that he is, from the perspective of the fans and media, above the team. (Nobody's going to write, or read, a story about when the point guard at SV-SM gets the flu and misses a game.) At the same time, though, sports is a team game and the intangible of putting the team first is immeasurably important. No matter how good you are, you can always be a more valuable contributor to the team if you put the team first. This is something Lebron James had better learn pretty soon, or he won't be half the player he could be in the NBA.
Just some food for thought, but should the OHSAA have considered alternatives for punishing Lebron James? The other options would seem to be a suspension of some length and/or requiring that he return the jerseys before he can play again.
Lastly, don't you love the hypocrisy that an athlete cannot receive apparel worth more than $100, but the school itself can make sneaker deals which are no doubt worth much more than $100? The school is profitting handsomely off its star athlete, receiving money without having done anything meritorious. I wonder if there is any rule limiting the amount of money and gifts a school can receive in a deal with an apparel company. I doubt it (or if there is one, I bet it's a very generous limit for the school to work with).
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| 38 | Tree
ID: 22052618
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 19:42
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Koala - i think you hit the nail on the head by using the example of the gift from his mother.
most teenager i know, myself included when i was one, accepted gifts from our parents.
no, i did not get a humvee. but i got food, spending money, and gifts on my birthday. and as i got ready to graduate from high school, i got the best gift of all - my father paying for my college education.
it boggles my mind that he got a gift from his mom - humvee or hot wheel - and it became national news.
and concerning 100 bucks worth of food - take 5 teenage boys, stoned out of their minds at midnight on a saturday night, and 100 bucks goes FAST.
peace,
Tree
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| 39 | KrazyKoalaBears
Donor
ID: 266182910
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 20:15
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Donkey Hunter, they only seem conflicting if you want them to. I see it as the OHSAA saying that they've never had to deal with something like this (is anyone going to say LeBron is not a unique case for the OHSAA?), but they will treat LeBron just like they would any other student-athlete who received $800+ worth of merchandise. The only way they could readily be deemed conflicting statements would be if there were proof of another instance of a student receiving that much merchandise without losing his/her eligibility. Jazz Dreamers, certainly there were other options, but we're talking $800+ worth of gifts. That's not small even by NCAA standards. Just a few years ago, Peter Warrick was suspended indefinitely and Laverneus Coles was kicked off the team for paying $21.40 for $412.38 worth of clothes, 1/2 the value of LeBron's gifts. Personally, I think they made the right call. $800 is a lot to any average Joe, but it seems like that much more to a high schooler, which should have sent off no less than a billion bells and whistles in LeBron's head. Just my opinion. Tree, it could be argued, quite easily I might add, that the $100 was spread out amongst all 5 friends, thus each only received a gift of $20. To get $100 worth of food as a one time gift would be quite hard to do in the example you used. -- I listened to Dickie V on SportsCenter and I agree with something he said: "Where was the support structure?" Where were the people like his mom, his coach, and anyone else, who should have been looking after this kid, particularly after the close call with the Hummer situation? If they thought he was put under a microscope before the Hummer deal, then why didn't they realize that every move, every action, every everything would be scrutinized by the media? Following the Hummer situation, I think LeBron should have been more aware of these kinds of things himself, but you still have to wonder about his mom, the coach (who he's living with), and any other adult in his life.
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| 40 | Tree
ID: 22052618
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 20:27
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Koala - difference in the Coles/Warrick and James situations is that from the outset, everyone involved in the James situation said it was a gift.
in the Coles/Warrick case, it was out-and-out criminal conduct - heck, the second paragraph of the story you linked us to has THREE people charged with Grand Theft.
there is a HUGE difference.
peace,
Tree
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| 41 | Stuck in the Sixties
Leader
ID: 24013117
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 21:04
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Not sure why Lebron, et al even care about this. It means no injuries and he can proceed directly to the draft without passing go.
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| 42 | KrazyKoalaBears
Donor
ID: 266182910
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 21:05
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Tree, most certainly there's a difference in the legal ramifications, but not in the fact that they were both gifts, which is the heart of the issue. I'm sure if I looked hard enough, I could find more than a few NCAA infractions that were less than $800.
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| 43 | Tree
ID: 22052618
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 22:26
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they were clearly both not gifts.
one was a gift, authorized by store management.
the other was theft, completely unauthorized.
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| 44 | SmackDown
Donor
ID: 41127418
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 23:08
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This is so stupid that I have to think he wanted this all long! He must have wanted this...otherwise I have no idea how dumb one could be. Who is advising this kid? Maybe Jazz Dreamers is right...he just does not want to play anymore due to a risk of injury?
This kidd will be a thorn in the NBA before he is even there. Not a good way to start out.
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| 45 | Perm Dude
Leader
ID: 5012623
Fri, Jan 31, 2003, 23:55
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You really do have to wonder about who's "advising" this kid. Yeah, he's a kid and he's entitled to some mistakes, but we all expect him to start making millions next year while losing 60 games playing for the Caveliers. When, and where, is this kid going to get the maturity to play in the NBA. He's gonna get eaten alive.
I predict he's going to be the next Allen Iverson, with half the talent.
pd
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| 46 | KrazyKoalaBears
Donor
ID: 266182910
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 10:22
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Tree, have you never received a discount from a friend working at the place you were shopping? Much like the 7-11 manager giving you a free slurpee, the store clerk gave the FSU players a discount. A VERY BIG discount. The only difference is in the total cost. While a Slurpee is about $1, the FSU players' discount was over $100. You yourself said that your friends would get upwards of $100 worth of free food. Isn't that just as much theft as the FSU players' discount? Both of you are getting products that you would normally have to pay for at a huge discount. What's the difference?
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| 47 | Tree
ID: 22052618
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 10:51
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Koala - i never said what i did wasn't theft. while the clerk was in on it, it still was theft. i have no issues with that.
but you're missing the point here, and getting sidetracked. what *I* did is not the issue.
you compared James with Warrick/Coles. the difference is that management approved the "transactions" with James, while they did not with the other two.
criminal charges were filed in the latter case, and it's highly unlikely that criminal charges will be filed in the former.
THAT is the difference...
peace,
Tree
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| 48 | KrazyKoalaBears
Donor
ID: 266182910
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 11:03
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Tree, we're splitting hairs. Obviously there is a difference. I said that in #42 (though, IMO, they're still just different kinds of "gifts," one legal, one not). My point, the overriding point that you're missing by getting hung up on the technical legalities of FSU case, is that LeBron's case is no different than a lot of NCAA infractions. As I also said in #42, "I'm sure if I looked hard enough, I could find more than a few NCAA infractions that were less than $800." Let me add that I'm sure I could find more than a few that were less than $800 and not considered "theft" from a strict legal view. Please get over the legal differences in the cases. I've already agreed with you on that. What I was mostly saying in #39 was what I started the paragraph with: "Certainly there were other options [on how to handle LeBron's infraction], but we're talking $800+ worth of gifts. That's not small even by NCAA standards."
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| 49 | Jazz Dreamers
Sustainer
ID: 18015269
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 12:05
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KKB, you make a very valid point that this ruling is fair in the context of similar rulings made by the NCAA. But there is a question as to whether the rulings by the NCAA are also wrong as well.
I'm not sure that the OHSAA didn't do the right thing, but I do think there is a big hypocrisy in that Lebron is punished for having gotten $800 worth of stuff that he would not have gotten had he not been a star player. Yet the school has gotten all kinds of intangibles (such as exposure) as well as, presumably, tangible money (increased ticket sales and/or money for the rights to televise their games...I don't know for a fact whether they received money for television rights or how much if they did...perhaps someone else knows??) that they would not have gotten had Lebron not been a star player. If Lebron's taking the jerseys is a serious offense, why isn't the institutional profitting off of high school and college players wrong?
This is much more apparent in the NCAA where the big name schools make *huge* amounts of money because they have star players playing at their school, yet the players themselves are punished if they receive any fringe benefits. I just can't see how it can be that it is both wrong for the players to accept fringe benefits, while the schools themselves enjoy all the benefits they can milk out of the players.
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| 51 | KrazyKoalaBears
Donor
ID: 266182910
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 12:34
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Jazz Dreamers, I don't disagree that student-athletes are getting the short end of the stick, but the reward is supposed to be a paid education that others would not receive. The focus is supposed to be on the "student" part of student-athlete. Having said that, I'm sure you would guess that I have much more of a problem with the OHSAA and SVSM profitting off LeBron, particularly with the methods they used including a "national tour", Pay-per-view, and increased ticket prices, than I do with colleges profitting off their student-athletes. But, there are still rules. Rules, unfortunately, are not always fair, particularly through the eyes of a teenager, but it doesn't mean they shouldn't be followed. As far as colleges/universities making a huge profit off of student-athletes, believe me when I say that looking back on my days in college trying to find Raman noodles on sale and forward to my 20 years of loan payments, I would much rather have had the university making a huge profit off of me and giving me a free education and meals. ;)
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| 52 | YOUNGBUCK
ID: 331381323
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 18:52
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told you guys this was going to be an interesting thread.
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| 53 | Tree
ID: 22052618
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 19:30
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only after post 15, and before post 52
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| 54 | Perm Dude
Leader
ID: 5012623
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 21:50
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JD, I went to St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland (Ohio Division I basketball champions, and football powerhouse). They've had a good number of games broadcast, particularly in football (they've been the #1 team in the country a few times), and yes, money goes to the school for this.
But revenue from tickets and broadcast rights (TV & radio) don't cover the cost of athletics at any high school, even the top private schools in the country. There's a real difference, then, in a sport being "revenue producing" and "profit producing."
I'm actually on the bandwagon with you about the NCAA treatment of athletes, who get punished if they get a part-time job to cover family expenses, for instance. I was on the Athletic Board of my college (Xavier University) and the system, as instituted by the NCAA, is messed up. The athletes should get better and completely different treatment from their schools.
However, this is all quite different from justifying a athlete getting what they can on the side, particularly for the high school athlete.
pd
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| 55 | TaRhEElKiD
ID: 42109719
Sat, Feb 01, 2003, 23:13
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"...but remember, I'm on the honor roll with a 3.5 grade point average."
He is smart and works hard, just made a brain dead mistake. Give him a break...I would too. He has way too much crap going on. He is ready to have the torch passed as a legend leaves and the next "Next Jordan" comes to the NBA.
THK
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| 56 | MNG@college
ID: 14157117
Sun, Feb 02, 2003, 00:28
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Any guesses as to what James' debut price will be in TSN next year? I say 8 million... at least.
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| 57 | Ender
ID: 13443221
Sun, Feb 02, 2003, 00:37
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I highly doubt that. What was Yao's? $4 mill. I certainly wouldn't expect it to be any higher than that. Yao even had professional experience which LeBron will not. I certainly don't expect him to be star next year. He probably won't come near what Stoudemire is doing. Remember he is being hyped because of his potential. I am sure the current NBA players can't way to show him exactly how he stacks up right now.
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| 58 | rockafellerskank
Sustainer
ID: 461124288
Sun, Feb 02, 2003, 21:04
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I think Jay Williams was the highest priced rookie @ $4800, but I'll bet King Jmaes will debut at about $6.5M. It's all about exposure.
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| 59 | SmackDown
Donor
ID: 41127418
Sun, Feb 02, 2003, 22:33
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All depends who he plays for and if he will be a starter. I suspect he is not going to be a starter and he will debut around 2.5 Mil. And he will remain in Gravity for most of the year! What did Kobe debut as? KG, Jermain O'niel??
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| 60 | KrazyKoalaBears
Donor
ID: 266182910
Sun, Feb 02, 2003, 22:44
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From ESPN: "Joyce insisted that James didn't go to the store looking for a handout, and had no idea he was going to get the jerseys for free from the store's owner, Robert Rosenthal. Fair enough "'Bron walked in and he said, 'Let me know what you want'," Joyce said. "He's an 18-year-old kid. What's he supposed to do.'" Umm, he's supposed to say something along the lines of "No thanks" "At the time, James was unaware of the consequences of accepting the free gifts, Joyce said." The only reason he couldn't have know would be that either a.) no adults warned him of stuff like this following the Hummer ordeal, or b.) LeBron didn't learn anything following the Hummer ordeal, or c.) all the above This is the COACH talking. It's really no wonder that LeBron got in hot water when you take a good hard look at the "adults" he's surrounded by. He obviously has nobody around him that is simply looking out to make sure he stays compliant with OHSAA regulations, not even his own coach, whom he lives with.
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| 61 | tj
ID: 16154221
Sun, Feb 02, 2003, 22:54
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it really burns me up that his loud obnoxious trailer trash mother is going to live in a mansion the rest of her life. all she did was hit the lottery gene pool. life really isn't fair.
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| 62 | SmackDown
Donor
ID: 41127418
Sun, Feb 02, 2003, 23:12
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tj
LOL And we are a part of that life that supports people like this. In a way playing this fantasy game it a way of supporting it. All in th Demand baby!
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| 63 | Memphis Fan
ID: 36851518
Mon, Feb 03, 2003, 02:25
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LOL!
I think the Gurupies care more about Labron playing HS basketball than he does. Im sure he's more concerned with his future Nike deal than winning a HS championship. If he cared any small bit he would have stayed away from anything remotely like the Hummer ordeal -- thats just common sense.
Am I right in assuming that now he can take all the 'donations' he wants?
As far as IPO I'm betting close to 5 mil for James next year. But who knows, its all about the team he plays for. I dont think the he would flurish in Cleveland with Ricky. Denver would be interesting tho. Or maybe Memphis?! (I can dream) ;)
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| 65 | rage_22
Donor
ID: 4582621
Tue, Feb 04, 2003, 14:17
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This passage, particularly the second paragraph, is hilarious:
"If I had known I was violating anything, I would've never done it," James said. "I would've never jeopardized my eligibility. I would've never jeopardized my team.
James, saying he has a 3.5 grade-point average, thought the store was rewarding him for his schoolwork.
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| 66 | gumby
ID: 40955216
Tue, Feb 04, 2003, 14:59
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forget everything else about this affair and focus on what he did to his boys. the guys he supposedly cared so much about. his team. he screwed them. he's going to the show. what are they going to? no State championship. no number one in the country. his stupidity, ignorance, greed, naivete whatever took their dream away. that's what's wrong here.
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| 67 | darkside
Leader
ID: 516203012
Tue, Feb 04, 2003, 15:12
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Do they deserve that dream if it is completely dependent on one person (which is implied by the fact that you say it's over now he's out)? What about the fact that he was a bad-ass football player...one of the best on their team; did he let the football players down when he opted not to play so as to avoid injury that could keep him from getting PAID? How about the state titles HE'S already won his boys (if the king taketh, the king giveth too).
Let us not forget that this is HIGH SCHOOL basketball. Granted this is the highest level, but it's still HS bball. Lebron has paid his dues to his team, coaches and school and if anyone thinks people surrounding Lebron would be better off without his having played 3.5 years, they're INSANE. Perhaps his boys should be thanking him for letting them ride his coattails to 15min. of fame that will probably be the last they ever see.
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| 68 | rockafellerskank
Sustainer
ID: 461124288
Tue, Feb 04, 2003, 21:51
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I wonder if James thought his 2 cell phones, 1 pager, 310 custom package on the Hummer, diamond necklace, lawyer, security force, closet full of shoes & gear all were GIVEN to him because he is good student. If he belives that is true, he is not smart, he is truely stupid. Lebron took a ot of stuff over the past year. Suck it up. So what if he gave back the jerseys? If anyone cares, there's plenty of freebies to bust him on.
All this stuff costs m-o-n-e-y. I'll predict right here that Lebron will be a bust in the pros. Not for lack of talent but rather he will waste away what God gave him through mismanagement and poor decisions. Before anyone says "no way" remember, he won't be the first or last athlete to piss it all away.
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| 69 | 624
ID: 60503116
Wed, Feb 05, 2003, 19:13
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Len Bias, anyone? Granted, it was for a different reason, but he was wasted talent.
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| 72 | Dave R
Leader
ID: 12441623
Sat, Feb 08, 2003, 13:02
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interesting article about some top NJ players reaction to lebron
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| 73 | Dave R
Leader
ID: 12441623
Sun, Feb 09, 2003, 22:36
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more on Lebron
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| 74 | KevinL
Donor
ID: 34272811
Tue, Mar 25, 2003, 00:27
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LeBron won the Jam Fest featuring the McDonald's High School All Americans.
I was there (with my 6 year old son) and it was definitely a fun event.
The "Jam Fest" was held at Cleveland State's old gym, which holds maybe 2000 people and it was quite full at $7 / ticket.
The night started (after introductions) with the prelims of the dunk contest for boys (plus 1 girl who tried, Brittany Hunter 6'4 from Columbus Brookhaven, going to Duke, she missed all her tries).
Next was the girls 3-point contest, won by Ivory Latta from York SC (going to NC), what a little ball of energy!
Next was the boys 3-point contest, unimpressive for the most part.
Then they did "team ball" with circles on the floor for various values, 6'11 Brian Butch of Appleton, WI (a future Badger) is a SHOOTER! Or at least he was hot tonight. Erin Lawless of Berwyn Fenwick, IL (going to Purdue) shot well also.
LeBron was high in the air, strong and impressive on each and every dunk. JR Giddens from John Marshall in Oklahoma City (on his way to Kansas) had the best first round dunk with a nice between-the-legs move, and Shannon Brown (6'3 from Maywood Proviso in IL, going to Michigan State) definitely had the dunk of the night, a 360 taking off near the foul line.
The disappontment was the sound system was awful, and there was no scoreboard, so the crowd basically did not know what was going on, until we recognized the same player shooting again, then it was clear we were in the next round.
The scoring system was not explained, and players got (it seemed) as many tries as they needed for each dunk, so there were some boos when James was announced the winner, because of Brown's superb dunk (in the semis i guess).
Oh and I got a photo of my son Luke standing by the famous Hummer.
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