<table align="right" width="150" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top"><img src="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/college/news/2002/02/13/collbkb_tease/t1_james.jpg" width="150" height="210" alt="Sports Illustrated cover"></td></tr></table>We've brought up Lebron James before, but I can't believe SI put a high school <B>junior</B> on the cover of the mag and the sub-headline reads that he would go in the NBA lottery right now. I bet the mag gets critized for that. I haven't read the article, but the Q&A with the author of the column is online. Apparently Danny Ainge said there are only about 4 or 5 NBA players that he would not trade for James right now. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_online/news/2002/02/12/lebronjames_q_a/index.html
Actually, from what I have heard, lottery is definitely not a stretch, and top 5-7 sounds like a possibility(That is, if the he wins the case against Stern)
I received that issue today. To me it was a very interesting read, but to put a high school junior on the cover is weird to me. I mean doesn't this guy still have a year left in high school. He hasn't really proven himself yet. High schoolers usually take a while to do well in the NBA.
He's already said himself that he's going to return for his senior year of high school and not challenge Stern. When he comes out in 2003, though, something that's almost a certainty, he should be right up there with the top of the draft class, barring injury.
I received my latest issue of SI too. I'm going to go out on a very short limb and predict that Mr. James will retire from football pretty soon, though he looks like an unbelievable receiver prospect. 6'7", 200#, HS Jr.... playing PG (and anywhere else he pleases), good enough to think seriously about the NBA. And has anybody else heard about this 6'4", 7th grader in Kentucky (I think, might be W.Virginia) who is the star of the HS Varsity?! (Granted, he's 14, but still...) WHAT ARE THEY FEEDING THESE KIDS?!?!
I read the article too, and what I found more unbelievable than anything is that Adidas and Nike are already talking about a shoe contract for Lebron. Apparently worth $20 mil.
6-7, 225? Damn. I'd rather play football if i were him. But I can understand basketball. Its more of an individual sport.
Evolution. BTW, the 14 year old dominating, may have hit an early growth spurt or something. You never know. If I were James, I would rather play basketball. Less contact and a longer career.
