LeBron

[Playmaker0017]

I don't wish him failure. It'd be nice if he could continually get league paychecks. Enough to "make it"... but, failing? Come now, what is the purpose of our lives? To make life comfortable and be in a position to procreate and pass on as much comfort to your offspring as possible.

He's done it.

He's a success.

Are you implying that I am a failure due to my lack of basketball success? Or is it profession specific? I would think that a lawyer who makes 500K a year a success, regardless of his record.

"Hating on" is "gutter dialect". It is NOT proper english in any stretch, twist or turn of the imagination. You will never hear a teacher explaining the definition of "hating on" something. Why? It is not proper dialect.

Your definition of said phrase does not encompass my feelings toward James. I could truly care less about him. It makes no difference to me if he decides to parachute and his chute opens or not. Basically, alive or dead, good or bad... it makes no difference to me. He is not paying my rent. He is not calling me when he wins or loses. It has no bearing.

What does have a bearing is the inundation and bombardment of his persona and image. It is revolting and annoying. Thus, I wish mediocre success at most, thus watching corporate America flush their money down the toilet.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

JJJohns3,

I challenge you to do two things:

(1) Prove how anything I have said is ignorant. Do you have any concept of the definition of this word? Ignorance is lack of knowledge. I do not have a lack of knowledge concerning my opinion.

(2) Please explain to me how LeBron has acted like a MAN off of the court. I would like you to detail this to me.

If there are instances of maturity being shown, I assure you there is a well-coached kid spewing forth the answers his agent said to say.

Now, if you can do those two things, I would be impressed.

As for being jealous - no, I'm not. It offends me slightly that an ignorant, yes - ignorant - whelp can make 90 million dollars in a shoe deal and he has done nothing professionally to back this up. That would be the equivalent of Merrill Lynch signing a high school grad to 200K because he got an A+ on math test.

It's silly.

With that aside, I am not jealous. I am glad he is successful. I am glad he will never have to work a day in his life. But, that's just it... he's succeeded. What more do you want? He's now richer than 99% of American's and has amassed more wealth this year then this whole board put together.

What more does he need for success? Any NBA failures at this point would be irrelavent. He's made it. He's rich. He never has to want for anything, other than an accountant to track his taxes.

NBA failures would directly affect the corporations stupid enough to sign a child to 90-million dollar contracts.

Have, I seen him play, you ask. Sure, I have. How could a person who avidly watches sports miss him? Even if I attempted to avoid his visage, it would still find a way through.

Play.

[Traceman]

know the purpose of "our" lives? I find it very interesting that you define "success" based on the amount of money a person makes. I find it even more interesting that you know that the purpose of our lives is "to make life comfortable and be in a position to procreate and pass on as much comfort to your offspring as possible."

Do you really think that the amount of money a person makes defines whether they are successful or not? If that is the case, I know a LOT of unsuccessful teachers, preachers and police officers. Personally, I do NOT think that a lawyer who makes 500k a year would NECESSARILY be a success regardless of his record. It would depend on the definition of success for that individual. I think that each individual determines what success means for them.

Do you really think that the purpose of everyone's life is "to make life comfortable and be in a position to procreate and pass on as much comfort to your offspring as possible?" What about people who don't procreate and have no wish to procreate? Do they not have a purpose in life?

As for "hating on" not being proper english, of course it's not. It is a slang term used to describe people who begrudge another person having success, money, popularity, possessions, etc. It's slang - no different that saying that something is "cool" or using any other slang term. As for the term "hating on" not encompassing your feelings for James, I disagree. You are "hating on" him like you just drank a whole bottle of "hater-ade."

I find it amusing that you call James an "ignorant whelp" and then tell jjjohns3 that ignorant means "lack of knowledge." What exactly does LeBron not know that makes him an "ignorant whelp?" He appears to know PLENTY about the game of basketball and he appears to be very media savvy as well, particularly for someone his age. Well respected individuals like Pat Riley and Danny Ainge have complimented LeBron on his poise and knowledge of the game. What makes him "ignorant" in your eyes?

Your analogy of LeBron signing the Nike deal being equivalent to a highschool grad being offered a 200K from Merrill Lynch because he got an A+ on a math test is not accurate. First of all, I assume the grad would not be hired to do or teach math for Merrill Lynch. I assume that good math skills would be beneficial to doing the job but math would not BE the job. On the otherhand, Nike is betting that LeBron will be able to play basketball well enough at the professional level (and that he will be charismatic enough while doing so) that people will want to buy Nike products because LeBron endorses them. Based on the hype surrounding the kid before he plays a game in the NBA, Nike will probably be very happy with its investment.

Finally, you said that LeBron "will never have to work a day in his life." Are you serious? That kid is definitely going to have to do a LOT of work. Besides working on his game (and believe me, he has a LOT of work to do there), he is going to have to deal with the media, fulfill his obligations to Nike and fulfill obligations to other sponsors that he might have. He is also going to have to do work in the Cleveland community.

As I said before, I think it's sad that you want LeBron to fail because YOU think it was stupid of Nike to sign him to a $90 million deal. Personally, I hope that Nike makes a mint by marketing LeBron. If they do, more than likely, that means the kid is having success and to me, that is certainly more important than whether or not Nike was wize to invest $90 million in him.

[Guest]

Nothing againest you Play...But an NBA fan shouldn't

want LaBron to fail.With all the problems the league

currently has it needs a player like LaBron.

I bash the league alot because of the foolish marketing

and lack of balanced teams and so on....but I want to

see the league in better shape and hopeing LaBron

is a failure doesn't make the league better.

[Playmaker0017]

Trace,

How do I respond to such a well thought out response?

I guess, I will start at your ending comments since they are what is ringing in my ears. My statement that "LeBron will never have to work another day in his life" is not meant to say that he WILL NOT, but rather DOES NOT HAVE TO. Basically, he could blow out his knee tomorrow and not have to file unemployment anytime in his life. If I lost my job, I'd be in a bit of trouble. I am stashed okay for a couple months, but what then?

As for LeBron signing a deal compared to the highschool grad analogy - it was a bit far fetched, but let's take an undergraduate from MIT or Harvard ... they won't be inking a 200K a year deal straight out of college. Maybe mid 100K, but not 200K... but, let's take the best High School senior in the country... he gets a scholarship to go to school. He doesn't ink a 200K a year deal with Microsoft. It doesn't happen.

James is ignorant in most things outside of the game of basketball. If he blew out his knee his senior year, he wouldn't be eligible for most universities. Thus, he is ignorant - scholastically. Further, he is ignorant about life at this point. What does a 17-year old know about success or life? Nothing. That is why so many of them crash and burn. It is really unfair to do what they have done to him ... albeit I do not feel remorse or a need to drop on my knees for the kid.

I do believe that the only thing a person can do in their life is make it comfortable for their children and obtain a self-worth. Other than that, you can do very little that affects the world. Do you think if Franklin didn't figure out electricity that for the rest of mankind's existence we would be living without it? No, someone else would discover it. His contribution to the advancement of mankind is really nominal. Even if you decided to blow the world up, someone else could and probably would do this eventually. No one has a lasting impression in the world, because deeds can be redone, improved upon or recreated in history as something more than it was. The only thing you can contribute is your genetics (and maybe not contributing them is a good thing too, in some instances).

I never want kids, but that is just me. I am selfish. I like to fly to Greece or Nassau at the drop of a dime. I don't want to be restricted. But, when I die - anything I have amassed or done for the world will surely fade.

People can have differing opinions on what they feel is "success" or "purpose", and I challenge them to truly define how this benefits them once they die? What lasting impression did they leave? The only thing we can do that can't be recreated easily is pass on our genetic code. Maybe it is cynical.

I don't think money is the ultimate pinnacle of success, but it does provide and sustain a life in these times. In the past, somone of my stature would rule a cave because I was the strongest. I would procreate left and right due to me being the alpha-male - and this would strengthen my "tribes" genetic code - so they could thrive. Then I would wither. But, in this world, money and intellect and self-actualization are at the forefront of providing a successful world for your offspring and your "tribe".

Play.