What must it feel like to be Lebron James? Not that Lebron is the first of his kind, nor will he be the last. But he is the current one, the current poster child for Generation Next. Next as in the next superstar, the next athletic savior, the next baller to define greatness, or even dare I say, the next Michael Jordan. All of this and then some has been heaped upon the shoulders of Lebron James, a high school kid from Akron, Ohio with serious game. It looks as if he's ready to skip the prom and head straight to NBA All Star weekend. Only the future will let us know whether or not these looks are deceiving.
There has been more advance billing for the coming attraction of Lebron James than there was for any other young NBA talent in recent memory. I had heard about Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady well before they stepped onto a basketball court as professional players. I knew about how much potential they had. But I didn't hear about their exploits on and off the court on a nearly daily basis. I didn't know what type of car they had received as gifts from their mothers. I didn't know what throwback jersey they had received from a storeowner, or what the retail value of such a present/bribe was. I certainly did not learn in the past that accepting such a gift could temporarily throw Western civilization for a loop. I was aware of the endorsement deals that previous prodigies signed before turning pro, but there was no mention of a bidding war to take place between the major sneaker companies. I didn't get to watch the high school games of Bryant, Garnett and McGrady on ESPN, and certainly not on Pay-Per-View. No, in that quaint era I actually had to wait for them to skip college and turn pro to see their skills in action.
We must venture all the way back to Lew Alcindor's heyday to find someone who was pegged for so much greatness at such an early stage in his development. But Lew, who you probably know better as Kareem, belonged to a generation that predates the internet and reality television on every channel, not to mention the heart wrenching, stomach churning NBA draft day lottery. That was then, a kinder, gentler, less crazed pre-9/11 time when the NBA was not yet the global powerhouse league to be built by Magic, Bird, Jordan and commissioner Stern. This is now, as in it's now Lebron's turn to be front and center of the media's attention span. Yao Ming had better be advised to fully enjoy the adulation he's currently receiving as the NBA's first Asian superstar, because once next season begins, so will the reign of King James. After a very brief grace period, forget about three years of growing pains such as were afforded to players like Kobe Bryant, Lebron will have to prove that he's capable of living up to the hype. Otherwise, we'll get to watch the media gleefully tear down what they've built up.
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