By Dan Williams

He is LeBron James and he will be appearing at an NBA arena near you soon.

After witnessing the wonderkid from Akron Saturday night in The Prime Time Shootout, it is even more apparent how special he can be. Not just on the basketball court, although his talent level is far superior to any prep player I’ve ever seen. He can be a truly special inspiration to youngsters all over the country.

Unless THEY ruin him. Who’s THEY?

The media, the shoe companies, the entourage, the hangers-on. James needs to be very careful who he allows to be close to him. He has to acquire a sense of distrust in order to truly succeed. People and organizations have already sponged millions of dollars off the inspiring talents of James and it will only get worse when he does make the move to the pro ranks.

James seems to understand all of this and is prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Not many 18-year-olds from the inner city have ever faced the scrutiny and the bright lights of a traveling media show like James has endured this season. He knows that he stopped being a kid a long time ago.

"LeBron James has a big bullseye on him. I know that," James said after his scintillating 52-point outburst Saturday against Westchester (LA). "I can’t do what other 18-year old kids do. I have to keep my focus on my team and our goal to win a National Championship."

According to James, the highlight of his stay in Trenton, NJ was not his career-best scoring output, but his opportunity to meet with other inner-city teens on a tour of Trenton’s tougher neighborhoods. The beauty of the Prime Time Shootout is that it supports The Isles organization, a group that performs great service by developing neighborhoods through education, health, community development, job training, and affordable housing.

James was touched and pleased that the throng of people that shelled out big bucks to watch him play a game were contributing to a non-profit charity and not some promoter’s pockets. He relished the time he spent with other teens - his contemporaries - and that he and his team could make a difference to others by being positive examples.

On the court, there are no contemporaries of James - at least not yet. Matched up against the #7 team in the USA and a big-time recruit in 6-8 Trevor Ariza, James simply took over the game. Oh, he let the UCLA-bound Ariza have a little fun at his expense when the lithe forward lost James on a vicious cross-over and went in for a dunk to the gasping delight of the sold-out arena.

Then James got serious.

He scored his team’s next 18 points and 20 total in five minutes to effectively end the contest. Then, he decided to play a little defense on Ariza. The Westchester All-American managed to score just six points in the final three quarters, wearing down under the weight of James’ onslaught.

It really did look like a superstar NBA player out for a little game with some high schoolers. His own team stood around and watched. Unfortunately, after awhile, so did his opponents. He would have outscored the entire Westchester team by himself except for a last-second three-pointer that gave the weary Californians 52 points for the game.

James displayed his showmanship throughout the game, constantly talking to the crowd, imploring the cheers, and acknowledging the support.

The real story of James’ development of a superstar came after the game in a jam-packed media room with dozens of TV cameras and hundreds of reporters from all over the country. The 18-year-old kid sauntered into the room and immediately took over the press conference. He wanted to talk about basketball, not the other stuff going on off the court. He wanted to express his appreciation and love for his teammates. He wanted to show all of the adults in the room how to be grateful and respectful.

"There’s no pressure on me ... I just play my game and do everything possible to allow my team to win," said James.

Later, he discussed how this team - his team - want to be remembered. "I love my teammates, they’re my second family. I spend 12 hours a day with them and I’ll miss them when this is all over. At St. Vincent-St. Mary we worry first about being great people and students, not necessarily great players. I’ve been blessed to be a part of this team,"said James.

Actually, he just might be all three. A good person. A good student. A GREAT player.

Let’s hope his focus remains on keeping his priorities in order and keeping the slugs out of his life.

Dan Williams is the National Editor of TheSportsEdition.com


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