LeBron+James+Article

=**Is LeBron James the next Michael Jordan? High school phenomena could be the answer to one of the NBA's biggest questions**=

IT has become a part of basketball's annual ritual, the persistent question of who's going to be "the next Michael Jordan." With all due respect to Shaq, Kobe, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett, fans agree that no one yet has been able to impact the game--on and off the court--the way Jordan has. But with Jordan retiring for the third--and he says final time--if all of the hype and expectations are valid, the answer to that often-asked question could come in the form of a 6-foot-8, 240-pound, 18-year-old high schooler whose spectacular play has prompted onlookers to refer to him as "King James." LeBron James, who has been called "the best high school player ever," is a creative dunker with the explosiveness of Jordan and the passing ability of Magic Johnson. Not since Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) was a high schooler in the '60s has a high school sensation gotten so much exposure and generated so much excitement. He is what sports experts call "a legitimate showstopper" who has, during his tenure at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, exhibited the kind of fan-pleasing ability that will likely make him the NBA's No. 1 draft pick on June 26. James, who has a 32-point scoring average and 3.75 grade-point average, is a cordial, sometimes engaging youngster who is characterized by his unselfishness on the court that's mixed with a bit of flamboyancy. And it's those credentials that elevated him to the level where he was the focus of what was called the "Fantastic Scholastic LeBron James Tour," an 8,500-mile, cross-country road schedule that included stops in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Dayton and Greensboro, N.C. But with so much attention devoted to James, it has created the sometimes circus-like environment that surrounds him. Even so, he has been able to handle it with the maturity of one who is much older than his 18 years. "Sometimes it's tough because you don't get to be a kid anymore. But I've chosen this lifestyle and you have to take it for what it is," he says. "I love every moment of it. I'd rather people know me as a great basketball player than see me on the news [and people] saying something bad that I did." The McDonald's High School Player of the Year is a unique package of athletic ability and charisma that has enthralled spectators in ways not seen before at this level. This spring, for example, sellout crowds of 20,000 or more attended several All-Star games in which he played, and some paid upward of $85 to see him. There are nearly 1,100 LeBron James items listed on eBay. And when was the last time that a high schooler has generated so much excitement that his regular-season games were nationally televised? Earlier this year, James' introduction to nationwide TV gained ESPN2 its largest audience in two years. That's the kind of effect he has had on the sports world, and the NBA can't wait for him to take the next step. "I feel like God has put me in a position that only He knows where I'm going to go and I'm going to follow in His footsteps," says James, who helped his St. Vincent-St. Mary team win three state titles in four years. "I just try to take every second and every footstep by the moment because you're not promised tomorrow." His tomorrow has already begun to take shape, with several teams hoping to get his signature on a multimillion-dollar contract, putting him in position to command a five-year shoe deal that'll be worth at least $30 million. But the money notwithstanding, onlookers are eagerly awaiting to see not only if he will be the NBA's next superstar, but if he is the one who will finally turn out to be the heir to Jordan's throne.