Everyone is mum on James' vehicle 01/11/03 From staff reports The question rolled around Northeast Ohio like a snowball yesterday, from radio to TV to the Internet and back again. So, where did LeBron James get the Hummer? Try Our Classifieds Yesterday's Plain Dealer reported that James, the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball star who is expected to be the top pick in the 2003 NBA draft, has been driving throughout Akron in a Hummer H2. The sports utility vehicle was shipped from California and supposedly is luxuriously equipped. An acquaintance of James said it contained three televisions and a hookup for computer games. James, who had been driving an Explorer, turned 18 on Dec. 30. The silver/platinum SUV is valued from $44,335 to $48,455, depending on the extras. The Hummer, popular with professional athletes, was a birthday gift from James' mother, Gloria. Sources close to the team said that Gloria James obtained a bank loan to finance the purchase of the Hummer and that nothing had been done that would compromise James' eligibility. When reached at her home last night, Gloria James said she didn't want to answer questions about the Hummer or any other subjects. SVSM officials did not return telephone messages left with them yesterday. Clair Muscaro, commissioner of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, said he received a fax of yesterday's article in The Plain Dealer and has received phone calls and e-mails about it. Muscaro's interest is ensuring compliance with OHSAA bylaw 4-10-1(c), which says an athlete forfeits his or her amateur status by "capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money or gifts of monetary value." "Naturally, I'm concerned," Muscaro said. "Yes, I see a red flag when I see a basketball player driving a vehicle of that status, particularly when it's a player of this caliber. . . We just may call and see what they can tell us about it." Muscaro said he had received calls and e-mails from parents and coaches all season with concerns about SVSM's travel and James' autograph sessions and game ticket prices, and he has called the school before with questions. "We're being chastised in some quarters: 'Why haven't we done something? How can he do this?' " But Muscaro said SVSM has been running its boys basketball program in compliance with OHSAA rules. The team has taken its trips on nonschool time, and any money generated from autograph sessions, he's been told, has gone to charity. The Irish play at Cleveland State's Convocation Center tomorrow as the middle game of a tripleheader being called the Great Lakes Hoops Classic. Maybe ESPN decided to cut him a piece of the action he's generated for them.
Thank God we had the #1 pick last year and not this year, LeBron might be the next "Next MJ," but here in Houston we have the "Dynasty," he's humble, respectfull and not flashy just classy. LeBron's head has probably gotten so big he needs a Hummer to fit it in. Adrian
Wasn't Ming interested in purchasing the exact same vehicle? What does that make Ming for wanting a Hummer?
7 foot 5 inches tall Ming just needs the head room. Regardless, it's not really a good comparison, because at least Ming has waited until he actually has the money, before he started spending it. I'd be less worried about Lebron being a primadona (a lot of NBA players are anyway) and more worried about him picking up more debt than he could handle. Mrs. James, don't give your boy a Hummer; get him a good accountant instead!
You said it. Read through the old posts and see how many rather have Lebron James than Yao Ming before Dec. You know, that's a reason that's no "told you so" posts on the site because no one has actually "told". Sorry couldn't resist.
You wonder if he reads stories of Chris Webber the papers.... LeBron James is too sold out, too sold out to quit.
Another sign of the Apocalypse. Once again, for his sake and the sake of his career, I hope he gets drafted by a team clear across the country, someone like Miami or Denver. Just too many distractions and hangers-on in Ohio.
Lebron's reply when asked where did he get the hummer? "Lebron stays humble by being Lebron. Lebron did not want the hummer but Lebron's mom thought Lebron deserved it. Can you smell what Lebron is cooking?" like adrian said, Lebron needs a hummer for his head.
If that was really his response, I have two words for him: Brian Bosworth. Pathetic. (okay, that's a total of three words, one more than he deserves). edit: whoops. you're too crafty, macalu. Anyway, even that first sentence, using 3rd person, and driving an H2 around gives him the Bosworth label in my book.
oops, forgot the smiley faces B-bob. i was jokingly referring to Lebron's statement that he made long before this hummer debacle. He actually spoke in the third person. That first line is an actual quote from him. He did say, "Lebron stays humble by being Lebron." everything else after that i made up.
The saga continues... LeBron James not shying away from Hummer issue -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press AKRON, Ohio -- LeBron James drove his Hummer toward the basket, made a hard left near the baseline, spun around some cheerleaders and brought it to a screeching stop. Under the bench. While his teammates warmed up two hours before a game Tuesday night, James, whose recent acquisition of a luxury sports utility vehicle has led to a state investigation into his eligibility, toyed with the controversy spiraling around him. Sitting on the floor at midcourt, the nation's top high school basketball player, smiled as he steered a remote control Hummer around the floor of Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena. ''OK,'' he said. ''Here's my real Hummer.'' When a basketball nearly crushed his four-wheeled camouflaged gadget, James yelled, ''Hey, you almost hit my truck.'' Guess he's not too worried about things. On Monday, the Ohio High School Athletic Association began an investigation into how James, the expected No. 1 choice in the NBA draft this year, acquired a 2003 Hummer H2 vehicle. State officials are concerned that James, a senior, might have violated his amateur status by accepting an improper gift. Clair Muscaro, commissioner of the OHSAA, said Tuesday the inquiry was continuing and that he was still in the process of gathering information. Muscaro said he had been in contact with St. Vincent-St. Mary officials and that the school was in the process of sending him documentation. The OHSAA has asked the school to provide written evidence about how the SUV was bought and financed. If it is shown to be an improper gift from an outside source, James could forfeit his amateur status and his school would have to forfeit its games from the time the 6-foot-8 sensation acquired the extravagant vehicle. James, a senior, reportedly got the Hummer -- with a base retail price of $50,000 -- as an 18th birthday gift from his mother, Gloria, who has told school officials she obtained a bank loan to finance the vehicle. Gloria James has refused to comment on the situation. One of the OHSAA's bylaws says an athlete forfeits his or her amateur status by ''capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money or gifts of monetary value.'' ''We have parents buying cars for their kids all the time,'' Muscaro said. ''We just need to know that everything was done properly and within the rules.'' Muscaro said he hopes to have the case resolved by the end of the week. James' case is believed to be unprecedented in Ohio, which has made enforcing any rules more difficult, OHSAA spokesman Bob Goldring said. ''It's been a challenge,'' he said. ''This is new ground for us.'' James' SUV is reportedly outfitted with three televisions, has seatbacks embroidered with ''King James'', and hookups for computer games. License plate tags on the platinum-colored Hummer show it was purchased at 310 Motoring Automobile Specialists of Los Angeles, which caters to a celebrity clientele. On its Web site, www.310motoring.com the dealership boasts to have among its customers actor Denzel Washington, singers Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson, NBA superstars Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Gary Payton and NFL stars Ray Lewis, Keyshawn Johnson and Warren Sapp.
