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Volume CXXXII, Number 13 |
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LeBron deserves it all: H2 and NBA
J.P. BOX
COLUMNIST
King James is already acting like a king-slamming down show-time dunks on national television, draining threes, befuddling opponents, and driving around town in a H2 Hummer. Can you believe the nerve of this 18-year old high school senior?
Just because he is the most talented amateur basketball player in the world, LeBron James thinks that he is a cut above the ordinary high school student.
Just because he has a reported 47-inch vertical leap and the peripheral passing vision of Magic Johnson, he thinks that he has the right to own a Hummer and cry "You sorry!" after every rim-rattling dunk.
To top it all off, James thinks that it is wise to bypass college and head straight to the NBA where millions of dollars and countless endorsement opportunities await. And you know what? He's right.
LeBron James has earned the privilege to act like a king in America. His enormous skill combined with his 6'8," 240-pound frame sets him apart from every other high school senior in the United States of America.
While most seniors ponder their college choices or line of work, James gets to sit back and wonder which team will win the NBA Lottery in May. Although he just officially became an adult, James has already secured his status as the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft.
Imagine Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird rolled into one player. According to reputable scouts, James has that kind of potential in the NBA. Why, then, do we expect him to act like a regular high school kid?
Why do we chastise his mother for buying him a $50,000 automobile for his 18th birthday? What's wrong with celebrating a little early? If you were brought up in the projects and had millions of dollars piling up as a graduation gift, wouldn't you be tempted to dip into the cash pool?
Instead of focusing on the misnomer of the "amateur" athlete in the modern era, critics zero in on LeBron James and claim that he represents everything that's wrong with today's athletes. The purchase of the Hummer illustrates his greed, his recent fender bender shows that he is irresponsible, and finally that his game is all flash and no substance.
However, these shortsighted critics fail to realize that the James family is not exploiting the system; rather, the system is exploiting the talents and amateur status of LeBron James. As a senior at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, King James' fame is sufficient for others to make money off his name.
However, if James acts upon any ambition to earn money off his own name, he will forfeit his status as an amateur athlete. Worse than that, he will watch his reputation become publicly tainted before ever putting on a NBA jersey.
In the meantime, Sports Illustrated and ESPN have the right to sell magazines with LeBron gracing the cover. In addition, television affiliate ESPN 2 aired the first-ever and second-ever nationally televised high school basketball games. Guess who was playing.
Earlier in the season, James skied for his usual rim-shaking dunk in practice. His force tore the rim off the backboard, and he landed awkwardly on his tailbone. No worries, however. The high school's athletic director was quick to run out on the court to make sure James was all right-and to take the rim as his own personal keepsake. Guess how much that will be worth if James becomes an all-star.
Do you want more proof of the exploitation of the amateur? Log onto ebay.com and search for "LeBron James" products. Currently, 498 items are on sale, including the "Lebron James Lightswitch" for the "true fan," the LeBron James' Sports Illustrated with no label, the LeBron James autographed basketball, and even the "Rare LeBron James Face Sign."
People all across America get to buy and sell a piece of the senior from Ohio, but James himself cannot enter the market. He must watch as hundreds of transactions are made in his name. And that's what is deemed just and fair by every high school athletic association in the United States?
The system is flawed. As an "amateur" athlete, everyone can make money off of you, but you cannot make money off yourself. Herein lies the inherent contradiction in the amateur status. LeBron James is only an amateur to himself and to his family. To everyone else, he is a marketable commodity.
In light of this exploitation, can you really insist that James should take his game to the NCAA where he would retain his nonprofessional status?
As of 1999, the average Division-I basketball head coach earned $164,297 per year. Furthermore, basketball brings millions of dollars to colleges through television revenues and deals with sponsors like Nike. Meanwhile, the average player receives a free college education and a free pass to be exploited.
LeBron James is too good of a ballplayer and too smart of a person to subject himself to four years-or even one year-of college basketball. He's heading straight to the pros. Heck, he's already a professional to everyone else.
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