Outside the Beltway

LEBRON JAMES

LeBron James long ago stopped being an "amateur," as he became a national celebrity and everyone around him started cashing in. But so what? If he were a computer prodigy rather than an athletic one, there would be no fuss.

James Joyner · Friday, January 31, 2003 · 1 comment

So LeBron James is ruled ineligible for receiving $845 worth of free clothing but it’s perfectly fine for him to have received a gift of a $50,000-plus Hummer purchased based on his expected NBA earnings? This strikes me as somehow odd. Clearly, James long ago stopped being an “amateur,” as he became a national celebrity and everyone around him started cashing in. But so what? If he were a computer prodigy rather than an athletic one, there would be no fuss. (And who is it that’s paying upwards of $400 for these “throwback” jerseys, anyway?)