By David Combs

I wrote an article for InsideHoops.com back in November when the LeBron James hype began to really pick up steam. In it, I wrote how difficult it would be for LeBron James to become the next Kobe Bryant. In light of the Ohio High School Athletic Association's suspension of the aforementioned James, it would be fair to say that this is a classic case of the star athlete's support system breaking down beyond repair. The whole debacle has plenty of blame to go around, but the most culpable person in this may be the closest person to him.

My father used to say that "a rat is a mouse with a bad public relations man." That is to say image isn't everything, it's the only thing. Gloria James is probably doing the best that she can to control the chaos that has surrounded her son for the last year and a half, but she didn't do LeBron any favors by purchasing him the Hummer that was so closely scrutinized by the OHSAA. Let's "keep it real" here: there is no reason for a teenage driver to have what can only be described as a rhino with a gas tank. That one's on mom, OK? That has disaster written all over it because, heaven forbid he really hurts someone with that SUV and, oh, here's an original theme: that person sues James for a million or two. At some point, Gloria James should have either said, "No, LeBron, why not keep a lid on this until we get your shoe deal signed after the McDonald's (high school All-American) game? We could get everyone on the team at St. Vincent's-St. Mary's a truck with the money you are going to get." Or she could have gotten him a less ostentatious car which would have raised eyebrows, but not so much jealousy that a whistle-blower would have called her on it.

There are a lot of people in the media who compare Gloria James with Annie Iverson. That's an unfair criticism...of Annie Iverson. When Annie saw her son's NBA dreams going down the tubes before it even left Hampton, Virginia, she didn't go shopping. She got a ride to Washington and begged John Thompson to take her son. That's a lady who understood public relations better than anyone in the James camp. Allen was going to be coming out of jail, hadn't played a game of basketball since his junior year and he still got a scholarship to Georgetown. That's what we call a win-win proposition: Thompson's Hoyas were going nowhere and Annie's son wasn't either, so Allen tore up the Big East for two seasons and John Thompson helped mentor the can't-miss kid. Thompson and Georgetown helped legitimize Iverson to the point that Philadelphia had no problem drafting him #1 and telling Jerry Stackhouse that his days were numbered. When Allen's entourage started hanging around in Philadelphia wreaking havoc, Annie Iverson dispatched one of her brothers to make sure that some semblance of order was restored. She understood that as long as her son played well, he was a valuable commodity and the money would continue to flow. Annie Iverson may not be Mother Theresa, but at least Allen will always have someone in his corner who really has his back.

It has to be difficult as a parent when your child is paying the bills, but a parent has to play that role until the child is ready to take true responsibility for his or her career. Earl Woods and Richard Williams were front-men for their extraordinary children early in their careers. There was no doubt who was running the show: the parents talked to the media and the kids played. The media and the public called Earl and Richard flamboyant, ignorant and annoying, but Venus, Serena, and Tiger kept winning and winning and winning. Do you want to bet that Venus as a teenybopper cleaned her room, ate her vegetables and said her prayers? You'd better believe she did. No doubt that Tiger as a teenager pretty much did what his parents said. These examples prove that a talented child can be raised properly in light of the hype and hoopla. No one around LeBron James has the stones to say "No, LeBron. This is wrong. I will not allow you to do it." That's sad. There are plenty of pampered ice skaters' parents who can't do the same thing.

LeBron James may not ever become a great basketball player at the professional level. Right now, Gloria James' only job is to make sure that if LeBron does not make it as a pro his future be secured. Since he is ineligible to play amateur basketball, she can now begin to trade on his professional prowess. She needs, at the minimum, an accountant, an attorney and a publicist. They'd undoubtedly work for free until Nike or adidas fronts the millions for the shoe deal. She can call John Thompson or Oracene Price (Venus and Serena Williams' mother) if she needs guidance. These are two people who came from modest beginnings who will most likely not be influenced by the fame and money that her son can generate because they have both achieved a fair amount of success and they both understand the market. The NBA is advanced economics, civics and public relations. If Gloria James goes bush league on the "advisors" that will have access to her son, he could be entering a world of pain. Let's hope, for his sake, that she goes top shelf in obtaining professional advice and counsel for her now professional son.


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