According to today's papers, he only accepted the jerseys because they were a gift for his grades of a 3.5. It had absolutely nothing to do with basketball and that he is going to make millions in a couple months. He is smart thus than he gets free gifts. Seems like a logical reason to me.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
That is the best excuse ever
Here is the article. I cut and pasted instead of linked it because I cut out the last half of the article. What the Hell did he get his good grades in.
Quote:LeBron: I thought jerseys were reward for classwork
By KRISTIE ACKERT
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
LeBron James is sorry. In a televised interview to be aired today, James said he accepted two jerseys from a Cleveland sports shop because he thought the owner was rewarding him for his hard work in the classroom.
"You know, if I had known I was violating anything, I would've never done it," James told CBS' "The Early Show." "I would've never jeopardized my eligibility. I would've never jeopardized my team. ... When I went into (the store), you know, I was just going in there as being, you know, another player and they were trying to reward me for my good grades."
James, who is expected to be the top pick in the NBA draft, was declared ineligible on Friday. The Ohio High School Athletic Association ruled the 6-7 senior had violated amateur bylaws by accepting two retro jerseys worth a combined $845 from the trendy Next Urban Gear and Music.
James was expected to appeal the ruling yesterday, but OHSAA spokesman Bob Goldring said the organization had not heard from him or his lawyer as of late afternoon.
James said he has returned the jerseys.
"Yes, I'm sorry," James said. "There's nothing I'm more sorry about, you know, than disrespecting my teammates. ... I love them to death. ... I'm so proud of them, you know, to be able to stick it out for me."
Edited By Teenweek on 1044370099
It's two shirts, overpriced shirts but two shirts.
They looked like fools after the hummer thing so basically they were begging to nail him on anything. The kid coulda already signed a multi-million dollar deal with nike or addidas but he didn't cause of his eligibility issues. So why would he not take millions and instead jeopardize his career over two shirts? People need to remember the kid is still a kid, he's not in college, he's a high school kid, he may seem like a man playing a kids game but he's still gullible to life. He doesn't seem to have the proper people around him to help guide him. His mom seems to be the coat tail rider waiting for him to make millions so she can leech of him, she doesn't work? wtf?.
come on gonzo. he is 18. at you can drive, vote and go to war. he must have some fucking clue. He knows he is going to be a millionaire and does not give a shit. Why doesn't his mother or his coach or his teachers tell him things that won't get him in trouble. I agree if it was just the jersey's at most he should have lost a game. But he made them look like fools getting an 80K hummer from a mom who does not work and is supported by the government. If she was not the mother of a future nba number 1 pick and joe schmo off the street she could not get a loan to buy a cup of coffee never mind an 80 grand hummer.
When you were 18 did you make all the right choices?
Think of the amount of pressure put on this kid, yeah the money is sick. But he's been analyzed and standards have been set for him since he was 14, the pressure is fuckin sick. This is a kid who never got to be a kid, thats the price he paid for a secure future.
yes i made mistakes. I am not denying that. That is what his mom, coach and teachers are for. His coach should have told him not to accept free gifts or lose eligibility. And this bullshit saying he thought it was because of his grades and not playing basketball is ridiculous.
Dude the point is that his mother is not there, she's not working, she's one of those absentee parents who is just waiting for the meal ticket to arrive. Coaches for the most part act like they care but they don't. You honestly think beyond some bragging rights a HS coach making barely 40K a year, IF that. Is gonna really care about some kid who is gonna make millions upon millions before he is old enough to drink.
He is a child still.
The problem is there is no minor leagues for football or basketball.
18 yr old's who go to NHL or MLB - everyone says what a great story it is.
18 yr olds who refuse to pretend they want to go to college - are villified.
I don't have sympathy for his lack of childhood (what is he going to turn into Michael Jackson?) -
what did Kareem Jabbar (nee Lew Alcindor) go through?
I won't crucify him for taking the money, but he doesn't deserve sympathy either.
Quote:I won't crucify him for taking the money
what money?
i think he meant the hummer and jerseys. The coach should get involved because it helps him. Aren't they ranked number #1 in the nation or at least the east coast in high school basketball. With Lebron james, the school was jacking ticket prices up for home games, ohio was broadcasting games on ppv. ESPN magazine and Sports Illustrated did cover stories on him. He made the school a lot of money and gave the coach a lot of fame. Don't you think they want to keep their meal ticket or gravy train around.
The mother is useless, yes that I agree.
He should go to college. I think that he should go to college cause if he gets injured ever and can't play again he can always do something else. The lure of instant fame and money is strong but he should go to college. There isn't a single school out there that wouldn't offer him a full ride.
Dude even if he plays one year, he'll make enough to live off of forever. He has a 25 million dollar shoe contract ready as soon as he turns pro, nike and addidas are battling over him like crazy. He's gonna make insane amounts of money.
Tomato is older than lebron and look at him, I rest my case.
I understand hthat in one year this kid is going to make more than I'll ever make in my life...but you get more from college than a degree...He's going to have to learn to be a man somehow...and if he does it while in the NBA he might get caught up in something stupid before he realizes what's going on...
You obviously just started or are a couple years into college, cause while college teaches you many things it can not teach you how to be a man. He'll learn more in the NBA about life than he will in college.
Like anyone here would rather go to school for 4 more years instead of making millions, playing ball and fuckin groupies.
He can do all that in college. Fuck groupies at least. Then he'll make money after college. He'll have a better understanding of the game if he plays in college...I think he'll be a better player after playing college ball. Plus he'll have a accounting degree.
Edited By 2 tired 2 give N F on 1044381962
Quote:Plus he'll have a accounting degree
unless he goes for his CPA, he might as well have a basket weaving degree.
College will do nothing for this kid
Quote:He'll have a better understanding of the game if he plays in college
He'll have a better understanding of COLLEGE basketball, that doesn't help his NBA career. He will go to the NBA and play against the top level players right away rather than play against a few good ones in college, that competition will either raise his game or destroy him, but at least he will have enough money to retire. What good is college going to do for him? Maybe injure him ending any chance he has at a pro career? Make him the guy on the corner who inbetween sips of malt liquor tells you the story of how he could have been something.
carmelo anthony > lebron james
Any high schooler who is projected as a top 10 pick but decides to go to college instead is a moron. College is a waste of time and is only useful for people like me with no artistic or athletic talent. I would enter the NBA draft after 10th grade if I could.