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CNN Live Today
Drive to the Basket
Aired January 15, 2003 - 10:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go ahead now and check in with someone who has watched Lebron James from the time he was first hitting the hardwood as a freshman, David Lee Morgan, a staff writer for the hometown newspaper, "The Akron Beacon Journal."
David, good morning. Thanks for joining us.
DAVID LEE MORGAN, "THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL": Thank you, Daryn. Nice to be with you guys again.
KAGAN: First of all, for some one who has been watching Lebron for so long, explain to someone who has not seen him just how great of a player he is at this level?
MORGAN: Well, you know what, Daryn, he has all the skills. He has the athletic ability. He's 6'8", 240. He has the jump shot. He has the court awareness. He has the mentality to play, to see the floor. He just -- he has the entire package. I think what the NBA scouts really like, is the fact that he sees the floor well. He's like a Magic Johnson-type player, where he makes the other players around him a lot better. So that's the type of player he is. He's got a lot mere developing to do, and the projection is that he could be an outstanding NBA player down the road.
KAGAN: That's down the road. But right now, there is a problem with the Hummer and the wheels he's using to get to school. I would imagine this isn't the typical vehicle that most kids in Akron are using to get around.
MORGAN: You know, Daryn, when I was in high school, you know, when you got that 1982 Chevette, with the dice around the mirror, you were driving around the strip. You know, so I mean, it's -- this whole thing it's absurd, it's ridiculous, but it's fun. Because everybody in Akron, this whole situation is new to everybody. I mean, it's a national -- it's an international story. So the Ohio High School Athletic Association really, you know, they've never really had to worry about a story like this. So they're having trouble trying to figure out what's the deal.
And the investigation, actually it involves how Gloria James was able to obtain the loan, and that's the crux of the story. From the people I've talked to around the family, some close family members, basically she was able to get the loan from a financial institution, which they were coming out offering her money for her home, cars, and basically, from what I'm hearing, it's based on the potential earnings that Lebron can make once he signs an Adidas or Nike contract, because they're going at him. So that's where it's focusing on. KAGAN: On potential, definitely.
MORGAN: On potential, right.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 15, 2003 - 10:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go ahead now and check in with someone who has watched Lebron James from the time he was first hitting the hardwood as a freshman, David Lee Morgan, a staff writer for the hometown newspaper, "The Akron Beacon Journal."
David, good morning. Thanks for joining us.
DAVID LEE MORGAN, "THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL": Thank you, Daryn. Nice to be with you guys again.
KAGAN: First of all, for some one who has been watching Lebron for so long, explain to someone who has not seen him just how great of a player he is at this level?
MORGAN: Well, you know what, Daryn, he has all the skills. He has the athletic ability. He's 6'8", 240. He has the jump shot. He has the court awareness. He has the mentality to play, to see the floor. He just -- he has the entire package. I think what the NBA scouts really like, is the fact that he sees the floor well. He's like a Magic Johnson-type player, where he makes the other players around him a lot better. So that's the type of player he is. He's got a lot mere developing to do, and the projection is that he could be an outstanding NBA player down the road.
KAGAN: That's down the road. But right now, there is a problem with the Hummer and the wheels he's using to get to school. I would imagine this isn't the typical vehicle that most kids in Akron are using to get around.
MORGAN: You know, Daryn, when I was in high school, you know, when you got that 1982 Chevette, with the dice around the mirror, you were driving around the strip. You know, so I mean, it's -- this whole thing it's absurd, it's ridiculous, but it's fun. Because everybody in Akron, this whole situation is new to everybody. I mean, it's a national -- it's an international story. So the Ohio High School Athletic Association really, you know, they've never really had to worry about a story like this. So they're having trouble trying to figure out what's the deal.
And the investigation, actually it involves how Gloria James was able to obtain the loan, and that's the crux of the story. From the people I've talked to around the family, some close family members, basically she was able to get the loan from a financial institution, which they were coming out offering her money for her home, cars, and basically, from what I'm hearing, it's based on the potential earnings that Lebron can make once he signs an Adidas or Nike contract, because they're going at him. So that's where it's focusing on. KAGAN: On potential, definitely.
MORGAN: On potential, right.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
