Living the Life of Lebron James

CBN.com - Since when does scoring 31 points on ESPN 2 guarantee a lifetime of fame, fortune, and dizzying success? This is a question I have been pondering for the better part of two weeks trying to figure out how high school phenom Lebron James has been anointed the greatest basketball player of my lifetime.

For those not familiar with the 18 year old wunderkinds exploits on the hardwood allow me to set the scene. In an unprecedented programming move, ESPN televised James December 12^th high school game on national television. The 6-8, 240 pound high school senior did not disappoint as he torched a team featuring five future Division 1 players for 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. Even more amazing is the fact that in addition to the millions watching on television, an audience of 11,523 paid ticket prices ranging from $15 to $75 dollars to watch in person. To give you some perspective, the average admission price to a high school basketball game is somewhere between three and five dollars.

For the record just let me say that the kid is very good but so was Marcus Liberty, Leon Smith, and Damon Bailey. Who? That is my point exactly. These three were also high school phenoms prematurely ticketed for stardom who barely made a splash in NBA waters.

But just who is Lebron James?

He lives with his mother in a two bedroom Akron, Ohio apartment. Attending St. Vincent St. Marys High School, James currently carries a 3.2 grade point average. But this is where the normalcy stops for a young man already being hailed as a better player than Michael Jordan in some circles.

The remainder of James life is anything but normal. He rarely goes out in public for fear of the public spectacle he might create. He carries two cell phones and a two way pager with him at all times just in case Boston Celtic forward Antoine Walker or His Airness himself calls to chat. Several sneaker companies are hounding him to endorse their product. His body is believed to be insured for $5 million dollars. His home games are on pay per view in 14 Ohio counties for $7.95 per game. He has practiced with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James already has an entourage of people who he says he will "take care of" when he gets to the NBA. Did I mention he is only 18?

With so much fanfare surrounding his every move there is little wonder James has begun talking about himself in the third person? He recently told ESPN Magazine, "Lebron stays humble by just being Lebron."

Compounding matters is a mother who has been widely compared to Ann Iverson, mother of notorious NBA bad boy Allen Iverson. According to ESPN Magazine, Gloria James often shows up at Lebrons games wearing a "Lebrons Mom" shirt and has been known to yell, "Yeah, baby, we going to the bank!"

And apparently Gloria James has gone to the bank as she purchased James a $50,000 Hummer H2 for his 18th birthday. I don't know about you but that gift seems a bit elaborate considering that my 18th birthday gift consisted of a new pair of Nike sneakers. I realize that inflation could have played a role in this vast gift disparity but this seems extreme.

Rumored to be the number one pick in next summers NBA draft, it is clear to me that based on this grotesque display of premature fanfare, Lebron James is very ill equipped to make a successful transition to the NBA stage.

People would argue that Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady had little trouble adjusting to the rigors of the bright lights, big city lifestyle of the NBA. While this is certainly true, I would mention that Bryant had the benefit of growing up in and around professional sports as his father played nine seasons in the NBA. Conversely, McGrady also benefited from having a cousin (Toronto Raptor Vince Carter) who shared similar experiences growing up. Lebron James does not have this type of support system.

What saddens me the most about James inevitable entry into the NBA is that he is a product of what sports fans and on a larger scale what modern society has created. That is the simple fact that what our forefathers designed to be a land of opportunity has for some become a land of entitlement. Unfortunately, for many who have been blessed with a special skill or talent there is a sense that this society owes them something before they have earned it. This trickles up, down, and around to many others who are associated with the skilled individual.

In our quest to watch players who are bigger, faster, and more skilled than the generation before, professional sports executives are on a continuous journey to find the next great sensation before someone else does. The by product of this is the NBA digging down into the high school ranks hoping to snap up the next fresh young talent first. Doing so guarantees increased visibility for a given team while the player becomes the next darling on Madison Avenue. Bottom line, a hot high school talent (commodity) is potentially worth billions of dollars to the league, ie its all about the money.

For Lebron James sake, I hope and pray he surrounds himself with people who truly care for him and not just for what he can do for them. His life has already become one that is far from ordinary and he is only midway through his senior year of high school. What lies ahead, if handled properly, can be an NBA career filled with tremendous success and happiness. However, a few ill advised decisions can lead to a lifetime of heartbreak, heartache, and desperation.

More than anything else, James needs to equip himself with wisdom from God.

Wisdom, or lack thereof, is an area that many of us battle with on a daily basis. The uncompromising desire on our part to make decisions independent of God has toppled even the best of us. I cannot begin to count the times where I have made decisions based on the outcome that I would like to see without seeking the Lord. However, the results are always less than spectacular.

A mans wisdom may conform with Gods wisdom or it can just as easily be in contrast to what God wants for you. Knowledge by itself may not bring truth. Trying to make decisions rooted in your own judgment can often lead to confusion and worse still drawing a conclusion that God did not intend for you.

In other words, if we combine our knowledge with the counsel of God, we will experience a great sense of clarity in relation to the direction we should take in our decision making process. To do so, is nothing short of being truly wise.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

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Information from The Transformer Study Bible used in this article.

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