WEEKLY TARGET...OF HATE!!! -- LeBron James' Parents
I thoroughly enjoy covering prep sports. With the money having taken over at the NCAA level, I've long considered high schools the last bastion of true amateurism in this country.
Now, even that is fading away, thanks to the people surrounding LeBron James.
By most accounts I had read before last season, James had a pretty level head on his shoulders, and judging from his reaction to the flood of crap on eBay, his heart seems to be in the right place.
The people surrounding him, however, particularly his mom and her companion (LeBron's "guardian"), are another story altogether.
These folks have tried cashing in at every turn, and the bigger the hype machine gets around James, the more green they figure they're going to see. Not only have they tried to persuade him to turn pro after his JUNIOR YEAR (which, thankfully, he didn't do), but they've got sneaker companies in a full-blown bidding war over a 17-year-old kid.
It's like the unscrupulous uncle in "He Got Game," only LeBron's "father figure" isn't even a blood relative. To top it off, he's already under investigation for other crap. So we're certainly not dealing with saints. The prospect of having a potential millionaire in the family only makes his dirty mind work overtime.
The sad thing is that if no one were pushing him toward the bank, I honestly think LeBron would at least consider college. Maybe only for a year or two...but still...he'd think about it. Maybe even pursue a degree. But with agents, NBA players and sneaker reps dogging him everywhere, this kid never had a chance to think about anything but dough. It's being handed to him by people who see him as nothing more than an investment.
The fact that his mom and Random Hanger-On Guy have only served to fan the flames, knowing that LeBron is their golden ticket...well, it's just really sad.
Had LeBron gone to school, even for 3 years, it could have sent a message to high school kids everywhere. MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING.
Instead, he's being steered off the road before he even gets to take the wheel.
-- O
12:04:37 AM 
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