among those who have seen him play even
among many of those who have it there
appears to be no debate LeBron James is
the best high school player in the
country and he was even last year when
he was a junior and he likely they say
will go number one of the draft should
he go straight to the NBA he's got a
chance to play on national television
here tonight against the number one team
in the country
Oak Hill LeBron James had proved it off
the court off the big scene here but now
he's got the high school stage here he's
playing against a powerful Oak Hill team
the acknowledged number one program in
all of college basketball and they're
all saying hey forget about LeBron what
about me they are here to make a
statement themselves they are a
high-powered offensive team that relies
a lot on the press to get out in
transition issued a lot of three-point
shots this is a team that is as close as
they come to being a professional team
and at the high school level they will
provide an incredible challenge to this
promising player LeBron James LeBron
James and st. Vincent st. Mary have
played against Oak Hill each of the last
two years James has scored a ton of
points 33 and 36 but Oak Hill has won
both games so we'll see if we have more
the spent in the only going la Bron is
standing there waiting for the ball to
come to him
I'll run out I'll kill and it's Harris
again nice past hours with the score you
are LeBron James to get a go and Oakhill
no trouble getting going up and down the
floor leading by seven come down in
projects and those hard times you see
everything from crackheads
you know to drug do this to gunshots
every night to police sirens and I think
it just made me stronger
you know - it made me strong in a way
not to do those things and to know was
right from wrong down there you can get
an in-depth look at LeBron James
following our game as ESPN the
magazine's next features a select group
of young athletes who may change the
nature of the sports they play Jay
although missing an outside shot there
is Swan so the lead is still seven this
is the shooter Corey Jones there's James
with a follow
I thought he got up and down to court
then he saw that great passing ability
goes for the block altered the shot as
we're gonna watch the offensive rebound
here look at James in good position with
the score with LeBron I sense that the
injure this is the guy who likes the
limelight and when I played high school
good never like the limelight did you
you never liked the lie - I like this on
the court once I stepped off that court
I was terrible you never wanted to talk
to the media impediment I quickly say
hello I couldn't say thank you now they
can't get me to shut up
[Laughter]
subs for both teams James is still in
there for eight minute quarters in these
high school games
Swann from the wing Knox
these kids from Oak Hill didn't really
shoot it and considering there's only
one player back from last year this is a
whole new bunch of kids it's it speaks
for theirs how and how well they look
too like they play together already
they're getting a lot of people from
other high school just played for four
years because to me come back whenever
threes it's a competition
stolen by
guys can you do that bill with your dick
when I played the dump is illegal that's
right and it made me a better basketball
player it was illegal also for you I'll
sinner and you're a Wizard of Westwood
doesn't believe we should use the
dollars James now at four and the crowd
is really into he brought them to their
feet with this explosive duck in
transition finally an opportunity to
show the elevation the windmill the
creativity the extension the elevation
he's a high riser there's no doubt about
it he's got great hops I talked to a lot
of people including this morning Mike
fratello for me the foreman calves coach
and I'm telling you everybody I spoke to
Bill you saw that pass I just think
that's where we absolutely raved about
his instincts and passing ability and
we're not saying these magic Johnson and
we're not saying he's Michael Jordan but
that's the kind of descriptions I was
receiving metric Johnson passing ability
as a youngster an extremely unselfish
player again playing with three of his
boyhood French they've all grown up
together went to high school together
and he likes setting them up here's
wings
James via since they're together James
still on the floor he's got a size
advantage on Swan and there they go
that's a mismatch let's whatever number
you can't handle them inside one on one
don't need the redhead to go out there
knows you a little bit about Oak Hill
Academy and Virginian some of the great
players that have gone through there
that's a young Jerry Stackhouse from a
few years ago Jeff McInnis of course
another great player that they had at
about the same time and Ron Mercer
another Oak Hill alum they've had 17
Donald's all-americans over the years
and a number of first-round picks good
basketball how do you rate LeBron James
in a historic 11 your eighteen years as
coach Oak Hill great shot
it's dude I've seen a lot of great guys
with cokes and great players senior ad
in high school
[Applause]
kevin garnett all those guys Vince
Carter head Jerry Stackhouse myself
together word is 18 years he took over
for Larry Davis's now coaching Fuhrman
was originally as you watch money walk
into play on the interior I got what I
bill I don't have two eyes like you but
I'm watching about ten minutes here and
if that doesn't have Sparta all over
them there's only one guy that's going
to stop him from being the star and his
name is LeBron James take a look at that
past is the Walton he seems to have
overcome a sluggish start that's a great
question bill Annihilus cussed at
Rodriguez who took care of his mom once
he got the riches and fame as a baseball
player here comes James leading the
Irish shot they was down big early but
he has
no kiddin there's what we're talking
about instincts feel for the game i mean
that is she's so special bill
the sense of where you are that we learn
from Bill Bradley as a st. Louis high
school phenom LeBron James is moving
right now at a different speed than
everyone else well he's doing what you
said earlier he was not doing he has
picked up the energy level and the
energy level really hasn't been another
gear player in the country is it really
that big a gap it's pretty big Dan I
think the second-best player is probably
the Walt dang who is out of a prep
school in Massachusetts and yeah I do
think that LeBron James is the real
thing not him clean and st. Vincent st.
Mary's got it back Travis James out the
basket for Dru Joyce but some recruiting
and we're getting near halftime less
than a minute away here in Cleveland you
know some people like different things
James leaning in has that shot block
cyclist handy cats with his look at the
recruiting classes in college LeBron he
has 13 points but more importantly his
team's up by five Simon Harris at 11 and
7 Toledo kill James with a rebound and a
putback or a Yao Ming his 6-8 about 235
240 pounds I mean who knows what he
projects out to in the NBA is the awana
two or three years he just or whatever
he wants to be he's just the player that
he could play anywhere
at halftime with Jim O'Brien he said let
me tell you dick he said this kid is for
real he said I've seen him before
and we've seen that out here that was
the great pass before by Marcus Williams
going out to Utah look at this right
here being the one on one the strength
of the lower legs the explosiveness
rarely do you find the complete physical
package in someone greatest skill of the
top players as they make their teammates
better exactly and that's what he
possesses that rare talent and when you
lift their spirits
at the basket area and you know what he
did you just set it right there
only 150 students at Oak Hill I was
along the way with that James couldn't
thread the needle on that pass here's
Reynolds for three he managed a 1000 run
to tie the game championship has a
freshman soft walk up he doesn't
Junior once he gets the ball in that
deep he's automatic as his mom is
cheering Warrior
sirplease because his his thought
process and when we saw that procession
of magazine covers we saw young Ming
flash up there we're starting to see
that right now I'm gonna tell you this I
give you credit on that I heard you in a
game when everybody was on the kid early
said he wasn't ready and I remember you
telling Brad Nessler I'm telling you be
patient this guy's gonna be special
oh you strawberry going out to Maryland
to shut up Darryl Strawberry there's a
guy he's some bad mistakes his life
didn't listen to the right people
look at this snatch look at the pass
great hands you'd like to go to that
post and flailing him to fit the way
LeBron James floats over the board look
at the way it keeps his arms up this is
just that man that's big-time his eyes
never dropped look at his more great
vision all the time great vision the
ball is an extension of his mind he
knows he's good he's got it I'll tell
you right now my friends he's the truth
the whole truth and nothing but the
truth
he's surround yourself with people that
care 26 points now for LeBron James as
he finally gets a three ball to go down
the only thing that you can't really
predict what happens when you get the
money there's whether he'll stay healthy
and whether will continue the work ethic
that he's shown to this path see the
floodgates really opened after Kevin
Garnett went in 1995 some guys like
Garnett and Kobe and Tracy McGrady have
become superstars and some guys to be
honest to have just flamed out and did
until after your third year looking for
that with that to make a lot of kids not
come to college in the first place if
you put that restriction act
statement James with the certainly the
ability to make it look like he can go
to the next level and maybe skip college
go right to the NBA he's got 29 there is
no doubt he can play I'm gonna tell you
right now you put him on the floor
you're watching with the wand Wagner's
doing that 33 after one year at Memphis
this kid can step in and play in the NBA
that's not the question the question is
as the coach said and we've addressed
how do you handle all the other factors
I he just stepped it up man that's got
the hop going now at the air ball two
three he's waving him off yeah hard foul
underneath the basket by Jarvis Scott on
James that's got a bounce up she's got a
bounce right back up and cried said Jill
'ti ability he really hit the nation
with he used to eat a lot of ravioli
James to Travis they're just not nearly
as big or as physically talented he
comes to a high school game to say well
it's a whole different world but then a
politico bility and strength his body
and the things they can achieve I love
the wall I love basketball but they're
all different sports interviewing his
son after the game with Warren and I was
touched
looked at your son and you curious the
curiosity really had me
with stories yesterday on a front-page
story in USA Today
really really he has lived up to all the
villain which is so difficult our
infusion player of the game LeBron James
coach wouldn't always want to know when
you gave the speech to the team before
the game I thought that was in church
LeBron with all the hype going into this
game playing against the number one team
on national television did you feel a
lot of pressure coming into this well
you know you know it's a different game
give her atmosphere today and today you
know we played a number one team in the
country and I don't think it was no
pressure for our team I think it was
more pressure for the fans you know to
come here you know we lost the last two
years and we just wanted to come here
and get a victory
you know the cover of USA Today the
cover of ESPN magazine last year on
Sports Illustrated's cover what do you
think is this too much or is it too much
pressure for you well I think there's no
pressure for me I think if I come out
and play my game and get my team
involved in the game you know it's a lot
of notre ride for me and my teammates
but I just go out play my game every
night and give it our all and if we give
it 110% like we did tonight nas no
pressure for us your performance you
came out it looked like you started
slowly relied a little bit too much on
the jump shot how did you calm yourself
down well you know I have time our team
was telling me I need to go inside a
little bit more cuz the player that was
garmi had three files at halftime so I
said you know anything it takes to win
for our teammates they told me to get
inside and I did that for our team and
we came out with a victory what's next
for you what what do you have to improve
upon when do you want to take your game
to the next level well you know it's all
about just getting better every day you
know of course you know defensa wise and
get your jump shot better to a
perfection but it's just getting better
every day for our team and for myself
alright LeBron James with Jay Bilas well
we saw on the court how about the
interview skills he seems to have his
head screwed on pretty straight out he's
got charisma that goes with it that
leads to marketability and if he smiles
and he takes that game like magic and
Jordan the cash register is gonna go
dingaling thing