Lebron James Again

[Stokomo]

Normally I would agree with the thought of going to college before entering the NBA, but this is one extreme exception that can be cast out. LeBron James is ready for the NBA both physically and mentally. He has worked out with Michael Jordan, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Jalen Rose, and a host of others fron the NBA during the last two summers. LeBron James will go to the NBA and make an impact. Trying to compare him to anyone else is hard. Really he just needs to be the best LeBron James he can. Everyone wanted to compare Kobe to Michael to Dr. J. and Shaq to Kareem to Wilt and Bill R.......... LEBRON JAMES will have enough to worry about off the court ie. relatives from nowhere wanting money, agents trying to take advangtage of his youth and skills, and the overall pressures that plague the NBA players. Wherever his journey takes him, I wish him the best of luck and to seek God's advice on making decisions.

[JDub22]

If I KNOW for a fact that I'm going to be drafted in the first round....I could careless if I'm ready for the NBA or not...I'm GOING. He should go to college for two years so even if he gets hurt he'll have an education to fall back on???? What???? He's going to be set for life...why would he want to risk THAT type of financial security for an education that he does NOT need?? Y'all are trying to make college to be some sort of ethical standard. You go to college to get a degree..to get a job...and to DREAM of making .000000001% of what LeBron James will be making next year. If I'm him...I don't care if I'm ready or not..I'm going so I can make the SURE money. That's not greedy..or immature..or ignorant...that's just being logical.

[Opperman]

Posted by JDub22:

If I KNOW for a fact that I'm going to be drafted in the first round....I could careless if I'm ready for the NBA or not...I'm GOING. He should go to college for two years so even if he gets hurt he'll have an education to fall back on???? What???? He's going to be set for life...why would he want to risk THAT type of financial security for an education that he does NOT need?? Y'all are trying to make college to be some sort of ethical standard. You go to college to get a degree..to get a job...and to DREAM of making .000000001% of what LeBron James will be making next year. If I'm him...I don't care if I'm ready or not..I'm going so I can make the SURE money. That's not greedy..or immature..or ignorant...that's just being logical.

 

Eggs-actly.

 

Can I see a show of hands for people who would, honestly, turn down a guaranteed three-year deal (that could be four years) at anywhere from one million dollars (insert Dr. Evil pose here) to five million dollars a year for a job you're very good at? And turn it down to go work for free and have to take anywhere from 12 to 18 hours of classes?

 

OK, fine, count tuition, room, and board if you want...so you're working for $25,000 a year max instead of being paid seven figures.

 

Can I see a show of hands for who would take that deal? Any takers? Keep your hands up so I can laugh at you.

 

Anybody who would take the guaranteed money for their job, you have no right to say LeBron James should go to college. I work in college athletics, believe me I want college basketball to be as good as it can be, but for crying out loud, most of us are so two-faced about it. We say it's stupid for people to go pro, etc., yet we are willing to take a different job for more money. That's called hypocrisy.

[Stokomo]

That was the best illustration to those who criticize LeBron James going Pro. And to add to what you said about hypocrisy, if anyone thinks that LeBron should go to college, you take a look at your pay. If you don't make 7 digits, quit your job and go back to college. That's what you are telling LeBron James to do.

[MaryvilleRebels]

What happens if Lebron James gets injured in his 2nd or 3rd season in the NBA, or first for that matter? Career ending injury, unlikely yes, but then that "sure" money is gone. Where does he turn? If you're famous enough maybe television, movies, sports shows, etc. If your name stops with you, and you relied on your basketball skills your entire life, what do you fall back on? When most people say, you need something to fall back on, its incase you don't make it into the NBA, or wherever, but in this case, what if he makes it and then gets hurt. He has enough to get him by for a little while, but eventually all those things, advantages, that basketball brought will fade away and he'll have to face the read world. If he's smart enough he might fall into college and earn a degree, if he's not smart he might just have to fall into a job at a local place like MacDonalds or Wal Mart. I am quite sure this won't happen to LeBron James, but what if!? He never really thought of it I'm sure, and I doubt many people have, but that is one thing going to college will help to prevent. If you lose your ability to play, you already have something to fall back on, you don't have to go back to college, or on to a job with a weak income.

[Stokomo]

Now you are not showing your 4.0 GPA. What ifs? What if you go to school to become a doctor and when you graduate they find computers to diagnose and do the surgery you studied to do, thus eliminating your job. What would you do? There are many "What ifs." The one thing you overlook....if he get hurt his first year, he can go back to school at 19 with millions of dollars. Don't forget his paycheck 3 million per year AND his 25-50 million dollar shoe contract waiting on him, that's potentially 53 million dollars in ONE year, something you can not amass being a doctor all of your life!!!! So what if? What if Lebron James went to college and tore his ACL and MCL, had reconstructive surgery but never played the same again. Those millions of dollars are gone and he will have to work to support himself. If he's hurt and can't play after going to the NBA, he has millions of dollars to cushion him, start his own business, and have people like you that earned a degree from college to work for him & run his business. You have valid points about others who venture out into the NBA from high school, but Lebron is guaranteed to sign for three million per year for three years and a shoe contract for more than 10x that much per year. His decision is a no-brainer. If you get one million and no shoe contract then get hurt, you will live a mediocre life unless you know how to manage your money. But if you play one year and get hurt, make three million plus 50 million from your shoe contract. You don't have to work another day in your life.

[Edited by Stokomo on 1-8-03 12:08A]

[JDub22]

I couldn't have said it better myself. JUST by being drafted in the first round...and signing his name on a shoe contract...sets him for life. Whether he plays one year or twenty years. I agree..these points apply to some people. But LeBron James should NOT go to college. He's doing the smartest and best thing for him. And there's not a person on this earth that would turn down what he would be turning down. And if there is a person who would...then i would like to meet that person. So I can say that I know the DUMBEST person on earth.

[TJ]

Even if it doesn't set him for life or he does get hurt....look at Willis McGhee.....I'm sure James will take out some kind of insurance policy.

[Opperman]

HE'S ALREADY GOT THE MONEY, GUARANTEED, if he gets hurt early in his NBA career. What if he gets hurt in college?

 

Do you think Chris Marcus and Kelley Washington are glad they stayed? They might say they are, just in the name of saying the right things, but they'd be lying.

[jmourning]

I've seen Lebron James play 5 times, and he is going to be a bit below McGrady and Kobe. I would put Kobe above McGrady right now because of the 3 rings and his special playoff performances when the Lakers needed them most. McGrady may be the better individual player, but Kobe has learned to play within the team concept. For all those who would scoff at that, three rings don't lie.

 

Back to James, he had a bad game the other night, but you could still see the awesome potential. He is a better shooter than people give him credit for, but needs to work on the fadeaway and off-balance shots. He's not quite as agile as Kobe, but he's stronger and plays more physical. I'd probably put him at 2 in the NBA his first few years, but he could eventually play the 3 position. With the Cavs blowing their season, look for fate to land him in Cleveland with perhaps a little help from David Stern.

[LordInfamous]

.ARE MY POST INVISIBLE???

That is hypocracy if he gets hurt in year 2 then he will still be set financially, like I said

no one says anything about soccer, hockey, and baseball players skipping college don't be hypocrits

[Stokomo]

What do you people thinkging LeBron James should go to college think about this....

In Tennis you have Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, Justin Henin to name a few. They played pro tennis and only Venus and Serena are going to college during their careers to be fashion designers, something they enjoy doing. Do they get harassed about not going to college, because colleges do have tennis teams they could play to get an education before they turn pro? The answer is NO!! Now out of those top Americans I've named, their are thousands that never get to the top to make the millions of dollars that these tops do. The ones below only live minimum upscale lives or mediocre. That is what America and life is about. Follow your ambishions and if you have the GOLDEN opportunity, take advantage of it. I don;t follow baseball much, but I know that 99% of the players that go pro start out in the minors, travelling with the club at low budget hotels, making less than doctors or even business executives do. Which one is a better deal....LeBron James going straight to the PROS to make multi millions or baseball player going PRO to the minors making minimum amount of cash with the slim chance of going to the PROS? ........... :confused: