Sports Blog

Already, LeBron James has accomplished what few NBA players ever do. His basketball jersey has been proudly displayed among all time NBA stars like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. He leapt from high school directly to the professional ranks with remarkable ease. He helped revive a Cleveland franchise that had previously been an after-thought on the NBA landscape. And all the while, his on-court skills earned him comments like, “He’s the next Michael,” comparisons that have since, in many minds, grown to, “He’s better than Michael ever was!”

Not bad for a guy who’s only 24, just about the age at which he’d be expected to finally blossom in the NBA had he gone the standard route and played in college and enjoyed a couple of seasons to mature in the NBA. But as with all NBA superstars – even Jordan – the standard that matters most when measuring a career is the number of rings on a player’s fingers, and as the playoffs get underway, James looks like an early favorite to take that next step.

From there, James could step into NBA history again by becoming the highest-paid free agent in league history. His contract with Cleveland expires after the 2010 season, and many suspect a bigger market awaits the reigning king of basketball. Already, replicas of his Cavalier jersey are among the highest selling nationwide. Imagine the sales figures if his next uniform reads, “Lakers” or “Knicks” across the chest.