But there’s an interesting theory going around basketball circles that King James isn’t 19 but a few years older. The storyline is his stepfather Eddie Jackson, who’s known as a con artist, tinkered with James’ birth certificate to create the hype of a man-child superstar.
My buddy T. J. Manotoc says his father Tommy—a former Philippine Basketball Association grand slam coach–subscribes to the theory.
If you look at James, you wouldn’t think he’s a teenager. He seems to be every inch a grown man. Even his game is mature. He doesn’t play like a kid fresh from high school. Kobe Bryant was 18 when he made his pro debut in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and averaged only 7.6 points as a rookie in 1996-97. James is doing a lot more than Kobe did in his freshman season.
Tom Friend, writing in ESPN The Magazine, hit the nail on the head when he said James dishes like Magic, creates like Michael, slashes like T-Mac and is as ornery as A. I. This kid is special. And King James is just scratching the surface of his potentials.
James was born when his mother Gloria Marie was only 16 and too promiscuous for comfort. His father Anthony McClelland was his mother’s "casual sex partner." McClelland probably didn’t even know Gloria Marie gave birth when she did. Of course, now that James’ star is rising, McClelland has resurfaced to claim his share of the glitter. James, however, refuses to see him.
For the record, McClelland has been found guilty of theft five times. He’s also been convicted of arson. He’s bad news in any language.
Gloria Marie brought up James—whom she fondly calls "Bron Bron"—almost by herself. Her mother died two years after James was born so she had no one to lean on. Gloria Marie and her baby son drifted from apartment to apartment around Akron, Ohio. One of the apartment buildings where they stayed in was condemned and bulldozed. Gloria Marie wasn’t exactly the ideal mom. She’s been cited in court for various offenses, including criminal trespassing, contempt, disorderly conduct and playing music too loudly. Still, Gloria Marie somehow managed to put food on the table and clothes on James’ back.
In the fourth grade, James missed 82 out of 160 days of school because he couldn’t face his classmates "out of shame" for what was going on in his family life. Sports was James’ ticket to self-esteem. He was a football standout as a kid, once scoring 19 touchdowns in six Pee Wee games as a wide receiver and his coach Frankie Walker offered to take him into his home. That was after Walker found out about James skipping classes. So late in the fourth grade, James moved in with Walker’s family. Since Walker was a youth basketball coach, it was inevitable that King James gravitated more to hoops than the gridiron.
A few years later, Gloria Marie met Jackson. By then, James had become a sort of wunderkind on the basketball court. James led his eighth grade team to the finals of a national Amateur Athletic Union tournament and suddenly, Jackson realized his girlfriend’s son could be a star.
Jackson, who served a prison term of 27 months for aggravated cocaine trafficking in 1991, began to shower James with more and more attention as he grew in inches. James, who calls Jackson "Dad," embraced his stepfather like the father he never had. Before James played his senior season at high school, Jackson gave him a 1995 Ford Explorer as a Christmas gift—a step up from the Playstation 2 that was his gift the year before.
During James’ senior year, his mother bought him a Hummer from the proceeds of a character bank loan. Apparently, the loan was approved on the basis of James’ future worth as an NBA star.
Gloria Marie, 35, is as giddy as Allen Iverson’s mom Ann at courtside when her son plays. Jackson, 36, is never far behind in the cheering gallery. Aside from promoting concerts and his stepson, Jackson is involved in drug-and-alcohol prevention counseling. Jackson was indicted for mortgage fraud two years ago.
James–who eats and writes lefthanded but shoots righthanded–has blossomed into a legitimate NBA star with a $6 Million five-year trading card deal and a $90 Million seven-year shoe contract spiked by a $10 Million signing bonus. Last Sunday, he poured in a career-high 38 points–19 in the third period–to fuel Cleveland’s 104-100 road win over Washington. James showed some immaturity in the fourth period as, eager to jack up his points, he took poor shots (shooting only 1-of-6 from the floor), was slapped three offensive fouls, picked up a technical and threw a bad pass with 18 ticks to go in the crest of a furious Wizards rally.
Whether he’s 19 or older, James is proving he’s not called the King for nothing. Now, if only the Cavaliers could make the playoffs, his Cinderella story would be complete.