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Don't cry for LeBron James Posted: Tuesday February 04, 2003 5:55 PM
Poor LeBron. That's what I'm supposed to write, isn't it? LeBron James has been called a lot of things -- phenom, prodigy, wunderkind -- and now it seems people want to attach the V word to him as well. Victim. LeBron James is no victim. He has been a willing player in a three-ring circus that may finally be folding its tent. I don't mean to impugn James' character -- all reports indicate that he works hard in school, is loyal to his friends and family, and has generally comported himself well in the face of intense public scrutiny. But he has also played the system as much as it has played him, and his actions over the past year have become increasingly brash. It was only a matter of time before he slipped up; now that he has, it's time to face the consequences. A lot of people are wondering why the Ohio High School Athletic Association busted James on a petty charge of accepting two vintage jerseys worth $845, when he obviously has accepted much more graft in the past 12 months. The answer is pretty simple: It was an easy hit. As my colleague Grant Wahl aptly put it, nailing James for accepting the jerseys is like pinching Al Capone for tax evasion. OHSAA commissioner Clair Muscaro read an article in The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer that referred to the jerseys, he called up the store that gave them to James and the manager confirmed the newspaper's account. Clean, simple and beyond a reasonable doubt. James and his school have been flouting, if not the letter, then certainly the spirit of the rules governing high school athletics for some time now. His mother's acceptance of a loan to pay for a $50,000 Hummer was just the latest such example. Yes, there is rank hypocrisy in a system that enables a school to make boatloads of cash off of a player but denies the player the same money-making privilege, but just because a person doesn't like a rule, that doesn't give him the right to ignore it. James' explanation to noted journalist Deion Sanders -- that he thought the manager was giving him the jerseys because of his good grades -- underscores his disingenuousness when he claims that he didn't know it was wrong. I stand by the take I laid out in an earlier column: LeBron James belongs in the NBA. For the last year, he has been a professional in every sense of the word. The people who want to vilify Muscaro for saying the emperor has no clothes are the same people who have been decrying the professionalization of this high school athlete. It makes no sense. James may play again for his high school if his attorney files an injunction to stay Muscaro's decision. (Where does he get the money for legal fees, by the way?) My guess is, eventually James will be granted a hearing and Muscaro's ruling will be upheld, thereby denying James the chance to play in the state tournament. It's a hard lesson, but one James would do well to heed in the future: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Other Hoop ThoughtsMail CallReceived a lot of e-mails about my stock ratings last week, many of which came from Louisville fans taking me to the woodshed for leaving their Cardinals off my list. A typical comment came from Chris Lindy in Evansville, Ind.: "How on EARTH can you overlook maybe the sleeper stock of the year in Louisville? People kick themselves to this day for not investing in Microsoft." Adds Lance from Louisville: "You, as well as most of the sportswriters I keep up with, will eat your 'lack of' words on Louisville come March." I left Louisville out basically for two reasons: First, Louisville hasn't played the toughest schedule (the Kentucky win aside), and I wanted to see how they did against Indiana. Guess that question was answered emphatically. Second, the team is so good that I obviously was going to write something nice about them, and I was looking for teams to diss. (What can I say, I'm crotchety.) I will rate them, but remember the purpose of my ratings: To assess where a team is now, and where I think it's heading. So allow me to tick off you sensitive Cardinal fans even further with the following:
I also got a few e-mails from Kentucky fans who didn't appreciate my remark that the team couldn't "shoot a lick," even though I rated the Wildcats a BUY. (Leave it to Kentucky fans to get ticked off when you're complimenting their team.) Tony from Erlanger, Ky., writes: "How can you say Kentucky can't shoot a lick? The Wildcats are third in the SEC in field-goal percentage at 48.5 and shoot 35 percent from 3." While it may have been a bit hyperbolic to say the Cats can't shoot a lick, their high field-goal percentage is a reflection more of quality shot selection, especially from their big men, than anything else. Clearly, this is not a team that can burn you from out deep. They rank eighth in the conference in 3-pointers made per game (5.74), and Keith Bogans is the only player who even averages two 3s. Remember, though, I rated Kentucky a BUY, and I still do because of the Wildcats' defense. Their style makes them tough to come back against, but without the 3-pointer they themselves will have a tough time overcoming big deficits. My mailbox was also filled with sentiments from Jews and gentiles alike re: my excitement at being able to interview a Jewish player (Amit Tamir) and coach (Ben Braun) on my trip to Cal last weekend. Normally this would spark a (very brief) discussion of the best MOTs (Members of the Tribe) in college hoops, but nobody brings it on with regard to that subject like Brian Schiff, who has coached U.S. junior Maccabiah teams since 1999. According to Shifty, the Division I team with the most contributing Jewish players is Yale (Matt Minoff, Paul Vitelli, Justin Simon); the best Israeli women's player is Liad Suez at Villanova (who's sitting out this season because she played in a pro league back home); and MOT coaches include Clemson's Larry Shyatt, Binghamton's Al Walker and Northwestern assistant Adam Ginsburg. (I'd also add Arizona assistant Josh Pastner to this esteemed list.) Moving on, for future reference, I'll also answer the occasional intelligent golf question. Chris of Napa, Calif., asks if I think Andy Miller will win a PGA tournament this year. Miller -- yes, Johnny's son -- won his playing card at Q school last year, but I'd be shocked if he won during his rookie season. He has the tools to be a star, but I'd put his over-under for winning at four years. Finally, as promised, I will continue to give preferential treatment to readers who reveal their favorite song by The Radiators, who hail from the site of this year's Final Four, New Orleans. We have two votes each for Like Dreamers Do (Scott, New Orleans; Sam Williamson, Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Number Two Pencil (M. Cowley, St. Louis; Carl Samrock, Newton, Mass.); plus one apiece for Love Is a Tangle (Marty Bellson, Middletown, N.Y.), Suck the Head (Jim Ehmann, Portland, Ore.), Deep In My Voodoo (J.T. Hannan, New Orleans), I Like It Like That (Brian Hoffmeier, Arvada, Colo.), Last Getaway (Hunter Chenevert, Austin, Texas), and End of Your Rope (James, Greensboro, N.C.). Clinton Dennis of Lookout, Pa., submitted Dead Flowers, which is actually a Rolling Stones song, but I'll include it because The Rads do a mean cover. And my Reader of the Week award goes to Jim McPherson of Spokane, Wash., who combined hoops acumen, wit and The Radiators when he wrote: "As a Washington State Cougars fan, I have to pick Beautiful Loser as my favorite Radiators song." Sports Illustrated staff writer Seth Davis covers college basketball for the magazine. Hoop Thoughts appears Tuesdays during the regular season on CNNSI.com.
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