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Second Captain First Pick - NBA Draft

bertrum

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1st pick..

a little off topic but who is this kid in high school that is the consensus #1 pick in the NBA this year? I heard that he is unbelievable. The Grizz and Clevland will battle it out for the first pick.
 

Captain Shamrock

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James set for national stage
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By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
December 11, 2002

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Tighten the laces on your sneakers, America. LeBronmania is finally going prime time.

LeBron James, perhaps the most talked about high school basketball player ever and the probable No. 1 overall pick in next year's NBA draft, will make his national television appearance Thursday night.

For curious hoops fans, it's must-see TV.

Dick Vitale will be there, baby. Bill Walton asked ESPN2 if he could broadcast the game between James' Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary squad and powerful Oak Hill Academy.

And Cleveland State's 13,000-seat Convocation Center is expected to be near capacity for fans anxious to get an up-close look at the 17-year-old phenom.

A local ticket brokerage is selling courtside seats for $100 apiece.

James' debut could be the most anticipated small screen performance since the Beatles got off a plane and stormed Ed Sullivan's stage nearly 40 years ago.

Even Mr. Big Time himself is excited.

``This is NOT like any other game,'' said James, whose every dribble, dunk and 3-pointer this season seems to be being making national headlines.

This week alone, James' face graces the cover of ESPN The Magazine and Wednesday's USA Today ran a front-page story featuring the 6-foot-8, 240-pounder, who shares the same birthdate (Dec. 30) with Tiger Woods and wears the same uniform number (23) as his idol, Michael Jordan.

``I have not seen it, but I know about it (the ESPN cover),'' said James, who earlier this year was stamped the ``Chosen One'' on Sports Illustrated's cover. ``I love it. I want to be on them all. I'm working hard and I want all the spotlight. I'm not being selfish.

``If I'm in the spotlight, that means my team is in the spotlight, too. I'm having a lot of fun with it.''

It's great that James says he's enjoying the attention, because it's only going to intensify as his senior season progresses and the klieg lights brighten.

In addition to Thursday's matchup with Oak Hill, James and his team will soon embark on a national tour of big arenas, playing games against topflight competition in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Columbus, Ohio, and Greensboro, N.C.

James and his teammates have played on local TV before. The demand to see the Irish has been so overwhelming this season that 10 St. Vincent-St. Mary games have been made available in Northeast Ohio on pay-per-view at $7.95 per contest.

James swears he's not nervous about the national exposure. He's not going to be intimidated by extra cameras or the sight of Dickie V's shiny bald head.

``I'm just out there trying to play my game,'' the kid they call ``King James'' said. ``I don't know which cameras are ESPN. There's cameras at every game and I don't try to play to them. I've played in front of more fans at the Gund (Arena). There's no pressure. I just am going to go out and play my game and give my team the best chance.''

Normally, James has his way on the floor while playing against smaller players from tiny Ohio towns. They can't stop him or slow him down.

Oak Hill, which has gone 126-3 over the past four years, is another matter.

In recent years, the Mouth of Wilson, Va., school has produced NBA players like Jerry Stackhouse, Rod Strickland, Corey Alexander and Ron Mercer.

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This year's squad has at least five Division I prospects, including Ohio State-bound Ivan Harris and Dion Dacons, who will attend Connecticut next year.

James knows he'll have his hands full.

``It's Oak Hill,'' he said. ``It's like when you are in the NBA and you play the Lakers there's a different mentality.''

James wants to avenge two straight losses to the Warriors. Despite his 33 points, Oak Hill beat St.Vincent-St. Mary 79-78 in 2000 and 72-66 last season, overcoming 36 points by James.

``A lot of coaches tell you just to treat this game like every other game but from a player's perspective, me and my teammates are treating this like a whole different game,'' James said.

So is everyone else.

I remember reading the SI article on this fellow. He made a few comments here that would worry a few fans. He already has a head the size of Texas. That is never a good thing. Big heads and lots of money NEVER lead to good things....
 

Captain Shamrock

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How's this for pressure?

Well, Mr. James didn't disappoint. He delivered 31 points along with with 13 boards and some special assists and dunks. They defeated the number one team in the country,Oak Hill Academy, by 20 points. How would this be for a 17 year-old? I'm looking forward to seeing this kid play. He appears to be the first high school player to be ready for the NBA since Moses Malone. All the others took several years(should have been their college years) to develop into useful players......
 

knvb

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He appears to be the first high school player to be ready for the NBA since Moses Malone. All the others took several years(should have been their college years) to develop into useful players.
Two words ... Kobe Bryant.
 

Captain Shamrock

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One word.....

WRONG. It took him at least THREE years before he became dominant and a lot of that had to do with the fact that he had a 7'1" 350 lb freak playing center. When Kobe came out of high school his hype was nothing like LeBron James. James is already 6'8" and 240 lbs. That is scary.
 

ParkHead

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Knvb,

Kobe was no where near ready to play when he came out!! He rode the pine for 2 or 3 years.

I watched the game tonight I have to say he is pretty damn good!! Obviously he can dunk and score but what I think was most impressive was his court vision. He can pass and he throws bullets, at the NBA level he will throw these passes to guys who can finish them. Scary!!:eek: The grizzilies might be good after all if they can get lucky in the lottery!!:mad:
 

ParkHead

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It was on ESPN!! If you had a Dish you could have watched it. There should be highlites on TSN or Headline sports I'm sure.


I had to go to a friends house to as I am poor just like you and do not have a dish either!!:rolleyes:
 

knvb

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I think you're both wrong and your both Putzs'. Where the hell is Sensei when you need him? The problem with being a first round pick now-a-days is you end up on some awful cnuting team like the Grizz or the Clip, or worse (who, I couldn't think of...) and get destroyed by crap supporting players who could give a fcuk, because they don't want to be there themselves. Can you say Stromile Swift?

I'm judging before I've seen the kid play. Anyone heard if the game will be replayed?

#8
 

ParkHead

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Knvb you Slurrey PUTZ!! not even Sensei can help you on this one!! :p Then again at this point you need all the help that you can get.;)
 

Captain Shamrock

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I think the smell of shitty diapers and the sight of leaking nuggets is definitely getting to you. Kobe is an excellent player. No questioning that BUT he was not a big influence in his first couple of years. So go have a wet dream about Kobe, clean your wife's maternity bra, and most importantly get up with Jackson when he starts crying. You will feel better about yourself in the morning. :) Trust me.....:rolleyes:
 

knvb

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mmmm l-e-a-k-y nuggets...

He's up now, having a right moan. Why do you think I'm hanging with you two putzs at 11:57 talking about the ins and outs of a player I've never seen play vs. a player who's one of the leagues best.

Tell me which ring did he have to win before you guys though of him as improved enough? His first in his 4th year of his second in his 5th year?

Captain, when do they stop crying? It's a school night for fcuk sakes...
 

sensei_hanson

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Pressure is being called the next Magic Johnson. That's exactly what scouts have been referring to James as for the past two years (those being his 10th and 11th grade years). That's a ton of pressure for a guy who has been doing all this wonderful stuff against guys who his own age, and obviously far below his skill level.

I don't know how the kid will fare mentally, not to mention physically. Obviously his growth development to this point has him beyond Garnett, McGrady and Kobe when they first broke into the league.

But the aforementioned three never had guaranteed shoe deals coming out of high school, never had a television contracts riding on their shoulders, and were never locks to go #1 overall.

I'm curious to see if the fans/media/coaches will expect him to make a more immediate impact in his rookie year than others. If you look at T-Mac, Kobe, KG, Jermaine O'Neal, Al Harrington, Rashard Lewis and, to a certain extent, Jonathon Bender and Darius Miles, the payoff for drafting high schoolers has been pretty good, once you let them mature. Obviously you get duds like Korleone Young and Leon Smith, and the jury is still out on the high schoolers from 2001 (Brown, Chandler, Curry, Diop) - but for the most part, the high school debate has been quieted by some pretty impressive results.

James just seems different to me because there's SO much hype surrounding him and his game. He could end up being the definitive make-or-break scenario for the high-school jump.
 

Captain Shamrock

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Captain, when do they stop crying?

A couple of years. You only have about 720 nights of it. You're well on your way.


The bottom line is that it is very difficult to come out of high school and have impact right away. Physically, it is very difficult but the mental pressure that comes with every move is ridiculous. These 18 year old kids are ready for it and I don't care what anyone says. They should force them to go to university/college for AT LEAST 2 years.

BTW, Denver and the Grizzlies fcuking suck.

Captain
 

sensei_hanson

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Hold on.

How can you say that the NBA should force kids to go to school? Especially when there's a rash of European players filtering into the league who have benefitted from playing professional basketball since their late teens?

I understand the logic and reasoning behind the schools providing necessary time to mature and grow as an adult. But the bottom line is that the league suffers from a double standard if they start demanding high schoolers (US ones, anyways) go to college first.
 

bertrum

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Yoda, Yoda, Yoda

Originally posted by knvb
Two words ... Kobe Bryant.

A well known NBA GM has said off the record that James is better than Kobe or KG coming out of High School - much better. How about those Mavs?:D
 

knvb

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From The Province...

Anyone catch the wheels LeBron James is driving?

High school hoop star LeBron James gets to keep his Hummer after officials ruled Monday that he violated no regulations by accepting the $50,000 SUV as an 18th birthday gift from his mom and remains eligible to play. James as the top NBA pick this year.

Geez, where do you suppose his mom got the money to buy that? :rolleyes:
 

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