<a HREF="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2002/05/28/james_investigation_ap/">Cavs fined $150,000 for prep star James' workout (2002)</a> <i>.......Last week, James played on a team with Lucas' son, John Jr., a freshman guard at Baylor, and later played point guard on a team of Cleveland players. <b> The 17-year-old James dazzled the Cavs and others in attendance, soaring for several spectacular dunks and showing why many believe he will be the first player taken in the 2003 NBA Draft if he decides not to attend college. </b> James hasn't ruled out college and said during this past season that he has narrowed his choices to Duke, Florida, Louisville, North Carolina and Ohio State. Lucas spoke at St. Vincent-St. Mary's team awards banquet last week in Akron, about 40 miles from Cleveland, and has become friendly with James, who attended several Cavs games last season. The 6-foot-7 James has said he will return to high school for his senior season and has denied reports he will play in Europe while waiting to become eligible for the NBA. James averaged 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.3 steals last season while leading the Fighting Irish to the state finals. In March, James won The Associated Press' Ohio Mr. Basketball award for the second straight year, one month after becoming the first high school underclass basketball player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated under the heading: "The Chosen One." James also received several other national player of the year awards. The workout with the Cavs wasn't the first time James has played against NBA players. Last summer, he was invited to Chicago by Michael Jordan and participated in workouts Jordan held while contemplating his comeback......... </i> <a HREF="http://espn.go.com/magazine/vol5no26next.html">NEXT: LeBron James</a> <i>.........Michael's secret workouts. Jordan was bringing the big guns to Chicago for private scrimmages before the 2001-02 season, and he sent for LeBron. The kid had just finished 10th grade, yet Michael mostly matched him up against Jerry Stackhouse and Corey Maggette. <b>LeBron held his own, and Michael was impressed by his ambidexterity. (James eats and writes lefthanded, but shoots righthanded.) Before LeBron left, Michael gave him his cell number.</b> "We stole it from LeBron's phone," Frankie Jr. says. "We called, and Michael picked up. We hung up. Mike changed his number after that. Now we've got to get the new one. That's our goal before the season ends.".........</i>
I walked five feet from Phil Mickelson for 4 straight hours, chatted with him, and got his autograph. I met him, yes. Does that make me a PGA talent scout? No. You're just jealous of the kids talent.
Bottom line on Lebron IMHO: He will never ever live up to the hype - IMPOSSIBLE He will however be a damn and let me reiterate damn good basketball player.
well i didn't mean he will suck... but what i'm saying is He wont live up to his MJ type hype... Yeah Tmac went against high school kids... but people wearnt basing tmacs talent on what he did in High School. people say he's great because he torches every NBA player that trys to guard him.
Here I am!! I just don't like him cuz.......I dunno I just don't! Show me what he does on the court and then I'll see how I feel about him!
Hmmm...Jamal Mashburn with passing ability? Sounds like a pretty darn good basketball player to me. Almost sounds like a triple double threat, a Grant Hill (pre-injury) type of player. That's one heck of a basketball player, to tell the truth. I think the Cavs would be happy with that - both on the court and in the pocketbooks. And if you wonder where I get the Jamal Mashburn with passing ability line from - it comes directly from the mouth of WhosNumber1, in the first post to this thread. So, if he's going to be such a flop, then what were your expectations for him? Better than MJ? Weird. I don't know that he'll revolutionize the game, but he'll be a pretty darn good player in a few years, probably the best in this draft class, and probably one of the top swingmen in the league. That's pretty much what you want out of a #1 pick.
Reason he's getting the hype is because of McGrady, Garnett, and Kobe. It also doesn't hurt that he's 6' 8", 240lbs. Switch him with either of the three, and they'd be receiving the same hype as well. If he does somewhat as well as the three I've mentioned, you won't want to see the hype on the next phenom.
Some of the Lebron hate is unwarranted.... IMO as a person his actually > Jordan > Chamberlain > Kobe etc.. As a basketball player his in the top 5 of all time... Lets not get irrational with the hate on this guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWzwmm4Fg38 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqGdwB8dbg0 (But lets not go overboard and say his the GOAT on the court also till he gets the resume)
Big ol slob! If he only had the work ethic of lets say an Andrew Bynum then he may live up to expectations.
