GREENSBORO - I squandered an opportunity to see Lebron James play during his sophomore year of high school, and afterward, vowed never to pass up the chance again. Already the talk of Ohio - James had averaged 18.1 points per game as a freshman while leading his Fighting Irish to a Division III state title- he and his teammates were going on the road for the first time, traveling to my hometown of Columbus to play against the nation's top-ranked team, Oak Hill Academy. What I missed was James' national coming-out party. He scored 33 points in a game that has since been dubbed one of the greatest high school basketball games ever.
"He is really, really, really good- he's almost impossible to guard one-on-one," Oak Hill coach Steve Smith told The Columbus Dispatch. "What a future that young man has in front of him."
That was when James was a 15-year old sophomore. Now, at age 18, James has become the most highly-touted- and coveted- high school athlete in history. Though others have accomplished great feats at young ages (see Jennifer Capriati in tennis, Nolan Ryan in baseball, Tiger Woods in golf and Wilt Chamberlain in basketball), James' star has shined under more publicity, more criticism, more money-grubbing and more expectation. Whether or not James' name will be legendary in the future remains to be seen, but yesterday afternoon, watching James play basketball in front of 15,000-plus in Greensboro Coliseum, I was just grateful to witness him play.
So was everyone else - fans, sportswriters, opposing players and teammates alike. Each time James touched the ball gasps resonated in anticipation throughout the arena; his pair of alley-oop dunks were met with awestruck cheers. Only his mother seemed unimpressed.
"Let's go, baby," his mother scolded from the sideline in the first quarter, her son having just missed a shot from the sideline. She was wearing a Notre Dame basketball jersey, which is remarkably similar in design to the Irish's jerseys. Her name - "Lebron's Mom" - was stitched on the back. "Step up, baby, step up!"
James left the game with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, having accumulated 32 points and a new group of fans and admirers.
From the bench, James remained the centerpiece of his team and of the arena's attention. He was shouting out orders and praises to his teammates on the floor, particularly the young man who has been tabbed by St. Vincent-St. Mary's head coach Dru Joyce to fill James' shoes next year, freshman Marcus Johnson.
"That's water, Marcus," James yelled as Johnson drained a three from the baseline. "That's what I'm talking about, boy!"
For now, however, the voices of the sports world are chattering about James, and barring injury, will remain so for many years to come.
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