Lebron James on National TV

twins15 · 12-12-2002, 10:08 PM

They had one of Lebron James' game on TV tonight. That surprised me that they would have a HS game on national Tv. He is sure going to be something though.

ziimalan · 12-12-2002, 10:09 PM

hes too hyped...hes going to suck

twins15 · 12-12-2002, 10:13 PM

31 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists, vs. a team that has lost 3 times in 4 years is not bad. If only he would go to college...

CMH · 12-12-2002, 10:38 PM

i dont think he's goin to suck. The only thing he needs to develop is a jump shot. He'll have no trouble doin that in the NBA with practice and early morning shoot arounds.

Is he over hyped? I think so. I feel he will be a very good player. Just remember it takes about 3 years to fully develop in the NBA. So lets not judge him on his rookie season. But he is gettin a whole lot of press. I dont think he will amount to this great player, but he has the potential to be really good.

This is all just a part of how the press has evolved. When you got guys like Kobe winning 3 championships, T-Mac running away with MVP, and Kwame gettin picked first by Michael Jordan, you are gonna open up the possibility of a high school player gettin a whole lot of press the second someone compares him to greats.

twins15 · 12-13-2002, 12:04 AM

He certainly got some high praise. http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/1212/1476103.html

Bill Walton said, ''What I saw tonight was a special basketball player. It was an eye-opening experience for me.''

''I came here with high expectations,'' said Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who asked ESPN2 if he could broadcast the game so he could get an up-close look at James. ''I'm leaving more impressed than I could have ever believed. This guy has the complete package."

His final stats were, 12-25 from the field, 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Andy Katz also called him a hybrid of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and John Stockton. Anyone else think he may have gona a little overboard with that?

holyroller · 12-13-2002, 12:07 AM

High praise from Bill Walton? Isn't that an oxymoron?

blubbla · 12-13-2002, 12:23 AM

I'm gonna wait and see on James. After all, the Baby Bulls (Chandler and Curry) sure haven't torn the league up in year 2...

David Stern needs to find a way to cut this crap. FAST.

BaseballMan · 12-13-2002, 02:57 AM

well im not gonna judge him.
He may have the tools but what kind of attitude does he have?
You can have all the talent in the world but if your attitude sucks
its usually a quick career.

fantom1979 · 12-13-2002, 03:38 AM

I dont care how good he is... There should not be high school baseketball games on national TV.

84Tigers · 12-13-2002, 05:22 AM

I'm glad someone broached this subject first. Now I get to vent

-----

(A) All day on ESPN it seemed, I had to hear about how Lebron James is the next Micheal Jordan. What are we basing this theory on? I don't care if this kid averages 70 points a game this season...he's in High School. Have you seen the 'talent' he plays against?

All this hype is pointless babble for the 24/7 sports networks to fill air time. After this kid gets some girl pregnant and loses that "marketable" factor, he'll be spit out to the wolves looking to feast off whats left of the kid.

And the following week, another kid will catch the fancy of some HS beat writer and we'll have to swallow this story again.

Does Lebron have talent? as much talent as a HS kid can have. He's never been tested. He won't be tested until he's in college or the NBA. And until he shows me something there, get him off my TV.

(B) On one of the ESPN shows, a commentator mentioned that James is a man amongst boys.

BULL S**T! He's not a man. He's not mentally capable of living the NBA life. I don't care what ANYONE says. He's a boy. He's a HS Child. And there is NOTHING wrong with that.

He may be physically imposing to other HIGH SCHOOL players, but he is just that, a High School player. He's just lucky enough to be born with the the physical ATTRIBUTES of a man. He still has a lot to learn, and a ways to grow up.

He was interviewed prior to the game. He seems grounded right now. That's good. He's got potential. I won't deny that fact. But all this hype, so soon...he could end up like Shawn Kemp.

Do we want that?

ziimalan · 12-13-2002, 09:42 AM

Thats true.....his competition is all HIGH SCHOOL kids....let him guard T-Mac then we'll see what he's made of.....

and what is all this about the olympic team thinking about inviting him to play in 2004?? HE's 17!!

Chappy · 12-13-2002, 10:01 AM

I'm not a huge follower of high school sports, and for a reason. It's freakin' high school! He's playing against other high school kids. People don't grow and develope at the same rate. A lot of these high school phenoms are simply more physically developed at a younger age. As they get older and lose their size advantage you can then see what they're made of- what talent they have.

I'm not saying this kid is good or bad. I'm simply saying that he 'looked' like a great passer, a good ball-handler, and an average shooter. What was he, like 12-25? He didn't even hit half of his shots. Big deal.

andymac · 12-13-2002, 10:32 AM

He may only be playing against high school competition, but he still made a couple passes in that game that very few NBA players could have. I agree that he is over-hyped, but I see no reason why he would not be able to step right in and contribute in the NBA next year. Like Vitale and Walton said last night, the only thing that is going to stop him is himself.

The Professor · 12-13-2002, 10:55 AM

Well, the big criticism of him is that he is of the Michael Jordan School of Basketball -- he lives for the dunk and the jump shot and everything else is secondary. This is the opinion of at least some critics voiced on ESPN. Bill Walton and Dicky V both seemed to jump right on the bandwagon. "You can't hide talent, baby!"

That said, I don't know much about it. I sit the fence on the whole HS-to-NBA routine, once had strong feelings about it, but nowadays, economically...I can't fault people for taking the sure thing.

ziimalan · 12-13-2002, 11:23 AM

but how can he be even considered for the olympics????

Total Nirvana · 12-13-2002, 11:27 AM

They show a high school basketball game nationwide... What about High School Football?

CMH · 12-13-2002, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ziimalan
but how can he be even considered for the olympics????

one word: money.

it's all about marketing. With all the talk about James, imagine the number of olympic jerseys the NBA would sell with James' name on the back.

Plus, since so many people wanna see what this kid is really about, they'll watch the olympics and possibly go to the games.

The kid is goin number one. Let's just not hate on him when he struggles. No one knew who McGrady was until he left Toronto, which was three years later. Kobe didnt do much in LA until his fourth season in the league. He was competitve by the second, but he didnt become the impact player he is now until his fourth season.

It takes high school players three years to develop into stars. Look at Jermaine O'Neal. Wouldn't be surprised if Al Harrington and Darius Miles is on that list in a year.

sixto · 12-13-2002, 01:12 PM

He's coming to Trenton for a national HS tournament in February and I'll have a chance to watch him in person. Frankly I agree with the people who say he should just stop playing. He's already going to be the #1 pick, the only thing he can do now is hurt himself. He should drop out, get a trainer, take some personal services contracts, and live a dream life.

He'd benefit from going to an NBA team with some strong veteran presence. On the other hand I'm sure Chicago is salivating over "the next Jordan" already and for all we know, they've been tanking for 3 years in the anticipation of having this guy.

Anyway, hype is all the NBA has got left. No surprise that they're dipping into that well now, and ESPN is just an arm of the NBA now that they have the games on TV. That's really all this was.

ziimalan · 12-13-2002, 01:36 PM

Where in NJ are you from sixto?

sixto · 12-13-2002, 02:04 PM

I live and work in Mercer County. Grew up here.

12-12-2002, 10:09 PM	#2
ziimalan Major Leagues Join Date: May 2002 Location: new jeru Posts: 392	hes too hyped...hes going to suck __________________ hmmmmm...

12-12-2002, 10:13 PM	#3
twins15 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Area 51 Posts: 4,792	31 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists, vs. a team that has lost 3 times in 4 years is not bad. If only he would go to college... __________________ "Ah man we're just hungry man" - Dovonte Edwards Bismarck Boy Scouts of the OTBL - league yes-man Ross Gload at baseball-reference.com Book Quotes and Book Lists

12-13-2002, 12:04 AM	#5
twins15 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Area 51 Posts: 4,792	He certainly got some high praise. http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/1212/1476103.html Bill Walton said, ''What I saw tonight was a special basketball player. It was an eye-opening experience for me.'' ''I came here with high expectations,'' said Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who asked ESPN2 if he could broadcast the game so he could get an up-close look at James. ''I'm leaving more impressed than I could have ever believed. This guy has the complete package." His final stats were, 12-25 from the field, 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. Andy Katz also called him a hybrid of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and John Stockton. Anyone else think he may have gona a little overboard with that? __________________ "Ah man we're just hungry man" - Dovonte Edwards Bismarck Boy Scouts of the OTBL - league yes-man Ross Gload at baseball-reference.com Book Quotes and Book Lists Last edited by twins15; 12-13-2002 at 12:14 AM.

12-13-2002, 12:07 AM	#6
holyroller Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: OTBL Forums Posts: 3,532	High praise from Bill Walton? Isn't that an oxymoron? __________________ Back to work, but not drawing a paycheck. TonyJ et. al.'s alias “I confused it with the chicken’s neck,” Mocanu, who was admitted to the emergency hospital in Galati, was quoted as saying. “I cut it ... and the dog rushed and ate it.”

12-13-2002, 03:38 AM	#9
fantom1979 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Detroit, MI Posts: 3,498	I dont care how good he is... There should not be high school baseketball games on national TV. __________________

12-12-2002, 10:08 PM	#1
twins15 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Area 51 Posts: 4,792	Lebron James on National TV They had one of Lebron James' game on TV tonight. That surprised me that they would have a HS game on national Tv. He is sure going to be something though. __________________ "Ah man we're just hungry man" - Dovonte Edwards Bismarck Boy Scouts of the OTBL - league yes-man Ross Gload at baseball-reference.com Book Quotes and Book Lists

12-12-2002, 10:38 PM	#4
CMH Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5,057	i dont think he's goin to suck. The only thing he needs to develop is a jump shot. He'll have no trouble doin that in the NBA with practice and early morning shoot arounds. Is he over hyped? I think so. I feel he will be a very good player. Just remember it takes about 3 years to fully develop in the NBA. So lets not judge him on his rookie season. But he is gettin a whole lot of press. I dont think he will amount to this great player, but he has the potential to be really good. This is all just a part of how the press has evolved. When you got guys like Kobe winning 3 championships, T-Mac running away with MVP, and Kwame gettin picked first by Michael Jordan, you are gonna open up the possibility of a high school player gettin a whole lot of press the second someone compares him to greats.

12-13-2002, 12:23 AM	#7
blubbla Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Herscher, IL Posts: 2,457	I'm gonna wait and see on James. After all, the Baby Bulls (Chandler and Curry) sure haven't torn the league up in year 2... David Stern needs to find a way to cut this crap. FAST.

12-13-2002, 02:57 AM	#8
BaseballMan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6,522	well im not gonna judge him. He may have the tools but what kind of attitude does he have? You can have all the talent in the world but if your attitude sucks its usually a quick career.

12-13-2002, 05:22 AM	#10
84Tigers Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Decatur, Illinois Posts: 20	I'm glad someone broached this subject first. Now I get to vent ----- (A) All day on ESPN it seemed, I had to hear about how Lebron James is the next Micheal Jordan. What are we basing this theory on? I don't care if this kid averages 70 points a game this season...he's in High School. Have you seen the 'talent' he plays against? All this hype is pointless babble for the 24/7 sports networks to fill air time. After this kid gets some girl pregnant and loses that "marketable" factor, he'll be spit out to the wolves looking to feast off whats left of the kid. And the following week, another kid will catch the fancy of some HS beat writer and we'll have to swallow this story again. Does Lebron have talent? as much talent as a HS kid can have. He's never been tested. He won't be tested until he's in college or the NBA. And until he shows me something there, get him off my TV. (B) On one of the ESPN shows, a commentator mentioned that James is a man amongst boys. BULL S**T! He's not a man. He's not mentally capable of living the NBA life. I don't care what ANYONE says. He's a boy. He's a HS Child. And there is NOTHING wrong with that. He may be physically imposing to other HIGH SCHOOL players, but he is just that, a High School player. He's just lucky enough to be born with the the physical ATTRIBUTES of a man. He still has a lot to learn, and a ways to grow up. He was interviewed prior to the game. He seems grounded right now. That's good. He's got potential. I won't deny that fact. But all this hype, so soon...he could end up like Shawn Kemp. Do we want that? __________________ Hey Tiger fans, check out The Tiger Zone, updated when news breaks! http://members.aol.com/dennisdubay2002

12-13-2002, 09:42 AM	#11
ziimalan Major Leagues Join Date: May 2002 Location: new jeru Posts: 392	Thats true.....his competition is all HIGH SCHOOL kids....let him guard T-Mac then we'll see what he's made of..... and what is all this about the olympic team thinking about inviting him to play in 2004?? HE's 17!! __________________ hmmmmm...

12-13-2002, 10:01 AM	#12
Chappy Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 2,721	I'm not a huge follower of high school sports, and for a reason. It's freakin' high school! He's playing against other high school kids. People don't grow and develope at the same rate. A lot of these high school phenoms are simply more physically developed at a younger age. As they get older and lose their size advantage you can then see what they're made of- what talent they have. I'm not saying this kid is good or bad. I'm simply saying that he 'looked' like a great passer, a good ball-handler, and an average shooter. What was he, like 12-25? He didn't even hit half of his shots. Big deal. __________________ NPBL - Pennsylvania Freedom AFBL - North Carolina Aviators MLB-Pro - Kansas City Royals

12-13-2002, 10:32 AM	#13
andymac Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Effingham, IL Posts: 5,725	He may only be playing against high school competition, but he still made a couple passes in that game that very few NBA players could have. I agree that he is over-hyped, but I see no reason why he would not be able to step right in and contribute in the NBA next year. Like Vitale and Walton said last night, the only thing that is going to stop him is himself. __________________ June Madness: Links FTB: andymac

12-13-2002, 10:55 AM	#14
The Professor Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: East of East Posts: 3,020	Well, the big criticism of him is that he is of the Michael Jordan School of Basketball -- he lives for the dunk and the jump shot and everything else is secondary. This is the opinion of at least some critics voiced on ESPN. Bill Walton and Dicky V both seemed to jump right on the bandwagon. "You can't hide talent, baby!" That said, I don't know much about it. I sit the fence on the whole HS-to-NBA routine, once had strong feelings about it, but nowadays, economically...I can't fault people for taking the sure thing. __________________ History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are."

12-13-2002, 11:23 AM	#15
ziimalan Major Leagues Join Date: May 2002 Location: new jeru Posts: 392	but how can he be even considered for the olympics???? __________________ hmmmmm...

12-13-2002, 11:27 AM	#16
Total Nirvana All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 750	They show a high school basketball game nationwide... What about High School Football? __________________ Total Hockey Commissioner Your Off-Topic Nightmare. Free Agent OT Player - Plays 1B/3B/OF, hits for power on all fields, great fielder, can hit .330 a season!

12-13-2002, 01:12 PM	#18
sixto Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,262	He's coming to Trenton for a national HS tournament in February and I'll have a chance to watch him in person. Frankly I agree with the people who say he should just stop playing. He's already going to be the #1 pick, the only thing he can do now is hurt himself. He should drop out, get a trainer, take some personal services contracts, and live a dream life. He'd benefit from going to an NBA team with some strong veteran presence. On the other hand I'm sure Chicago is salivating over "the next Jordan" already and for all we know, they've been tanking for 3 years in the anticipation of having this guy. Anyway, hype is all the NBA has got left. No surprise that they're dipping into that well now, and ESPN is just an arm of the NBA now that they have the games on TV. That's really all this was.

12-13-2002, 01:36 PM	#19
ziimalan Major Leagues Join Date: May 2002 Location: new jeru Posts: 392	Where in NJ are you from sixto? __________________ hmmmmm...

12-13-2002, 02:04 PM	#20
sixto Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,262	I live and work in Mercer County. Grew up here.