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Don't blame the kid
The good news for James' fans: They wear bags in the NBA, too. AP |
By Stewart Mandel
So let me see if I've got this right.
It's OK for tournament promoters to shuttle him around in a stretch Cadillac Escalade, it's OK for Nike and adidas to shower him with private parties and endless apparel, it's OK for his school to sell its soul to ESPN and it's OK for someone to loan his Mom $50,000 to buy a Hummer.
But if amid such madness LeBron James makes the mistake of accepting a couple free jerseys, suddenly he's the devil in all this?
Do you have any idea what this must be like for a high school senior? Imagine going to dinner and, without asking, the maitre'd seats you in a VIP area. The waiters start bringing you the most expensive wine and appetizers, their best cut of steak, the richest dessert -- whatever you want, Mr. Smith, it's yours, take it -- but when you get up to leave they accuse you of skipping out on the check.
That's what the past two years have been like for LeBron, ever since it became apparent what a rare talent he is.
It's been a circus no high school player, however mature, could possibly handle. Sure it was wrong to take those jerseys, but can you see how maybe it didn't seem any different at the time from any of the other special treatment he's been receiving? The lines had been blurred for so long it's a wonder this didn't happen sooner.
But as is the case in amateur athletics, it's the kids who get punished for the greed of adults. A rogue booster, like Michigan's Ed Martin, gets a college program in trouble? Ban 13 completely unrelated players from going to an NCAA tournament. A football coach leaves for a new job? He gets to start right away, but the players must sit a year if they transfer.
Adults -- shoe companies, ESPN, tournament promoters and other money-hungry leeches -- are the ones responsible for exploiting LeBron. The kid? Just let him play.
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Take it like a man
James managed to make his own jersey a retro item.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images |
By B. Duane Cross
Cry me a river for LeBron James. Fate dealt LeBron James an absent father and a teenage mother. James' neighborhood isn't where most of us would choose to live. There are people taking advantage of James' athletic skills.
James knows he is gifted with a basketball in his hands. He also knows it's the ticket to riches. One thing James obviously does not know: responsibility.
A $50,000 Hummer. Throwback jerseys in the $500 range. And those are just two of the things we know James has been given because of his athletic talent. Yep, James has got game, and people will pony up to get close to The Chosen One -- if they can get past James' security personnel.
Can anyone explain to me why a teenager needs a $50,000 Hummer? I'm 35 with a wife and kids, a mortgage and a daily commute in Atlanta's hellish traffic. Even I don't need a Hummer. A wide-eyed, shoot-the-rock teenager definitely doesn't.
I do have a Bart Starr throwback jersey, but I bought it years ago before old-school was cool -- with money I earned.
What James needs is a reality check, because no matter that he is an 18-year-old worth untold millions to sneaker companies or TV networks or whatever -- he's still accountable for his own actions.
No one is forcing James to live this lifestyle. No one is forcing James to buy into the hype. No one is forcing LeBron James -- except LeBron James.
James is not a victim of those around him. By all accounts he is a bright kid who understands right from wrong. With that understanding comes responsibility for LeBron James.
However, if these actions are James' skewed view of responsibility, I'm sure he'll be welcomed with open arms. All neighborhood pick-up teams have room for another what-could-have-been.
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