New doc explores the high school years of hoops star LeBron James

Between 1999 and 2003, the St. Vincent-St. Mary high school basketball team from Akron, Ohio was virtually unbeatable. It helped that the star player on the "Fighting Irish" was a kid named LeBron James, who now rules pro hoops as "King James" — an elite offensive force for the Cleveland Cavaliers and this year's NBA MVP.

'I wasn't supposed to come back but they never told me to leave and so I just kept showing up; that's pretty much how that whole season went.' —Kristopher Belman, on shooting More Than a Game

Director Kristopher Belman's new documentary More Than a Game is a fascinating look at LeBron James's almost premature rise to stardom and the thorny issues it presented for his high school teammates. It's easily the most comprehensive record we have of a star athlete's adolescence. James was no ordinary teenager: by his junior year he'd been profiled in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and St. Vincent-St. Mary games were being broadcast on ESPN.

Belman followed the team — dubbed the "Fab Five" — during their fourth and final year at high school, and used home videos, TV news reports and more recent interviews to assemble the rest of the story. Although the doc's substantial buzz is a direct result of the LeBron James connection, Belman's film is also a potent reminder that basketball is a team game: James isn't the only compelling character on the squad, nor is he the only one who struggles with being put through the media meat grinder.

CBC News spoke to Belman about how he gained access to the teenage phenomenon six years ago, and how his assignment for a college film class became a feature film.

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Carmello Anthony Sues His Former Manager

When athletes finally make it to the professional level, they're immediately surrounded by people they don't know but are forced to trust. And young athletes in their twenties who don't have any money-management skills whatsoever are ripe for being taken advantage of. That's what happened to Carmelo Anthony, but now he's fighting back.
Melo filed a $2 million lawsuit against his former business manager, Larry W. Harmon and his firm, Larry Harmon & Associates P.A. The suit alleges that Harmon breached their contract by transferring $1.75 million of Anthony's money without his knowledge or consent to a company formed by Harmon, most of it in 2008, according to the Associated Press. There was another $265,000 invested in companies that Melo had no knowledge of or given consent to.

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College Athletes Should Be Paid

 

 

The NCAA, which is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 'educational' organization, has come under fire recently for capitalizing on the commercialization of college sports. Many athletes have accused the organization of unfairly using them for financial gain.

Since 1995, the NCAA has spent more than $84 million on legal fees, including some settlements. Former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon filed a lawsuit on July 21 against the NCAA and its member schools, accusing them of illegally profiting from using the likeness of former players for commercial pursuits like video games, DVDs, and jersey sales.

Dr. Boyce Watkins, a finance professor at Syracuse University, has become a vocal critic of the NCAA, for what he calls its exploitation of the black community.

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Ortiz and Ramirez Listed Of Positive Test

 

In a statement he released Thursday afternoon, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz acknowledged that a New York Times report that said he was one of the players to have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 was accurate.

"I have already contacted the Players Association to confirm if this report is true. I have just been told that the report is true," Ortiz's statement read in part. "Based on the way I have lived my life, I am surprised to learn I tested positive."

Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers star who has already served a 50-game suspension for a failed test earlier this season, was also named in the Times report. According to The Associated Press, he had no comment other than to direct reporters to call the players' union.

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Newport News Plans To Celebrate Michael Vick

 

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Community organizers in Michael Vick's (FSY) Virginia hometown are preparing a "celebration" for the former NFL quarterback.

Andrew Shannon, who is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference chapter in Vick's hometown of Newport News, says the event is scheduled for Aug. 8.

 

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Black Sports: Top Ballers May Take European Money vs. College

 

A year ago, there was speculation that former shoe company czar Sonny Vaccaro was set to go barnstorming over in Europe with a group that would include O.J. Mayo, Bill Walker and a few other elite players coming out of high school. At the time, it seemed pretty far-fetched that an American-born player would bypass the college experience to play in anonymity outside his home country.

 

It didn't end up happening, but now it appears as though Brandon Jennings, arguably the top incoming freshman in the country, could become a trendsetter of sorts and opt for overseas money over a one-year college experience at Arizona.

 

"He's definitely considering it," said Kelly Williams, the father of New Jersey Nets point guard Marcus Williams and also a close advisor to the Jennings family. "Why wouldn't he?"

 

"If it's a sweet enough deal, why wouldn't he look into it?" Williams added. "But there's nothing definitive right now. They are in the process of investigating it, but he's not going to go just to become the first kid to go overseas. We're not going to put him in a bad situation. We'd try and put him in a situation where he can grow and develop."

 

Jennings first hatched the idea from Vaccaro, who is on a personal crusade against the NCAA and NBA because of the restrictions that those organizations impose on young basketball players.

 

Jennings' camp said that whether or not he achieves the SAT score (he's expected to get the results of his latest test any day now) that will make him eligible to play college ball at Arizona is irrelevant with regards to his decision to play overseas.

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Black Sprinter Justin Gatlin Likely to Appeal Ruling Before Olympics

ATLANTA (AP) -- Banned sprinter Justin Gatlin is expected to appeal a ruling by a federal judge in Florida that prohibits him from competing in this weekend's U.S. Olympic track and field trials.

His lawyer, Joseph A. Zarzaur Jr., said Wednesday that he planned to file a motion with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta by the end of the day, asking that Olympics officials be prevented from barring Gatlin from the trials before the court hears his case.
Gatlin's event, the 100 meters, begins with qualifying Saturday. USA Track and Field officials said they have made contingency plans for Gatlin to run if the courts rule he can.

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Don Imus Insults Black Men, Black Athletes: Pacman Jones

I received a call today from a producer at WVON in Chicago. My good friend Roland Martin (the black dude on CNN) and I are going to discuss Don Imus tomorrow morning at 8 am. I like WVON, it's literally my favorite station in America. There is a great deal of tradition there.

I was involved with the first removal of Don Imus from the air, as I worked with Rev. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton on the phone to talk about ways to get him off the air. I mentioned that if African Americans engage in a unified effort to challenge his corporate sponsors, we can bring him down. That is what Jesse and Al did, and it worked. As a Finance Professor, I always look to the money first. That is the most critical element of power in a capitalist democracy.

You can imagine how disappointed I was to see Don Imus back on the air so soon. I admit that when I saw Imus appear on Al Sharpton's show, I really believed he was truly sorry for what he did. For him to repeat his actions is simply baffling, and I wonder out loud Rev. Jackson and Rev Sharpton feel the same way.

I recorded some of my thoughts on Don Imus below. The fact that this man can do what he did the first time, get back on the air and repeat the same stunt one year later is yet another reminder of just how little respect African Americans get in white media. No, it's not mainstream media, because mainstream media should reflect viewpoints from all perspectives. The truth of the matter is that most media is owned by people who are not black, so people like Imus and Bill O'Reilly can get away with this stuff without being forced to engage in any form of respect or responsibility. The ownership structure of American media is an artifact of 400 years of slavery and economic exclusion of African Americans. Our grandparents never had the chance to own CNN, FOX or NBC and they also did not have a chance to own the corporations that financially support these media outlets. African American wealth was stolen from us and now lies, in part, in the hands of companies that support racism on the airwaves.

So, the networks continue to insult black people and there are no consequences. Personally, I am getting tired of this crap. What is most ironic is that no matter what anyone says about black people on the air (lynching Michelle Obama, killing Barack Obama, calling Mrs. Obama a Baby's mama, calling Barack a terrorist, or calling black women Nappy headed hoes), someone is always there from the right wing willing to rationalize this behavior. It reminds me of a relative I had with a drinking problem. No matter how much you pointed out his weakness, he always had an explanation. America's addiction to racism is a lot like the addictions of my uncle.

It's actually kind of pathetic.

The video is below:

The Irony of NBA Hoops: Black Players Get Celtics a Black Title

After going from worst to first, the 2008 Boston Celtics finished their magical ride by winning the franchise 17th NBA Championship and the first since 1986 by beating the longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers in six games before an excited home crowd in the place they call "Beantown".

The Celtics did something the Patriots couldn't do against the Giants in the Super Bowl back in February and that's win a championship when most fans and media expected them to.

Unlike the Celtic championship teams from the past, this year's team won the title with unified colors -- in jerseys and in race. Unlike the teams in the past with a black coach and a mix of white and black players, this year's band of champs got the job done with a black coach and mostly black players -- especially the players that made the difference.

How ironic in a city who's past race relations leave a lot to be desired.

From the era of Russell and Cousy; Havlicek and White; to Bird, McHale and Parish (The original "Big 3"), they all can brag about winning titles, but could never boast being an African American dominant team to win a championship with a black coach at the helm.

Russell may have been the winningest Celtic player and K.C. Jones may have been a championship player and coach, but the combination of African Americans achieving the ultimate crown in the "association" was not fullfilled until this season.



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Sure there were other storylines that came out of this series. Once again, Phil Jackson is denied his record setting 10th championship as a coach, a record he shares with the late Red Auerbach of the Celtics.

Kobe Bryant doubters and critics will see the Laker loss as another example of his inability to win a championship without Shaquille O'Neal. Teammate Luke Walton trying to beat the team he loved as a kid growing up because his father played and won a title there.

Kevin Garnett finally getting over the hump of losing in the playoffs and being labeled as a player who couldn't step his game up when it counted.

Paul Pierce, who has been Boston's first real superstar after the tragedies of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis, suffering through losing seasons and harsh critics only to shine on the big stage.

He carried that same weight for so long on his shoulders, but showed his strength, grit and determination in leading his team to the championship like the captain and warrior he is.

Finally, Glenn "Doc" Rivers, the man under enormous pressure from the Boston media and fans to win and win now. All the questions he endured not about his coaching style or philosophy, but the questions from doubters of his inability to be a coach as the highest level.

Rivers' kept his belief in his players and in himself to stay the course in the midst of a storm called "Celtic fans" that threatened to wash him away.

We also have to give credit to Danny Ainge for making the moves to bring in the "big two" of the three in Garnett and Ray Allen along with Sam Cassell, P.J. Brown, James Posey and others to give Rivers the ingredients to mix together in making a championship dish for the franchise.



All stories worth discussing around the water coolers of the office after the impressive and dominating performance of this proud group of men in green.

I still however feel a sense of irony after this particular championship for this particular city with this group of men.

A city that most blacks and other minorities who grew up in the area or in the vicinity or happened to move there, travel there or even pass through there, knew about certain parts that were off limits to non-whites especially when the sun went down.

Acts of racial violents, racial slurs and racial intimidation were rampant "back in the day" and to some of my friends back home, still exist. They exist however slightly different.

Instead of white mask and robes, they disguised themselves with black robes and gavels or with badges and guns. Instead of burning crosses on a minoritie's lawn, they pass laws to oppress or incarcerate minorities at a higher volume than non-whites.

In fairness to Boston and the state of Massachusetts, you can make the same claim for other New England or tri-state places like New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and others nearby.

Massachusetts also has a black Governor, new black and minority leaders in politics and in sports like David "Big Papi" Ortiz and Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox and of course the "new big three" in Pierce, Garnett and Allen for the world champion Boston Celtics.

So I congratulate guys like Rivers, K.G., Pierce, Ray Allen and the rest of the Celtics that worked hard this year to beat the odds. The improbable journey from basketball mediocrity to the title of "champions" all in one year.

To go from the butt of jokes in Boston, to the respect worthy of royalty from the entire league. More importantly, the success of a group of black men that beat the odds and the doubters by using their intelligence, basketball knowledge, will, determination, faith and belief that we can get it done it.

They worked together as a team in a town that few blacks in the past had the opportunity and success as a group.

In a town full of racial irony, championships are in abundance and the fans of these championship teams have fully embraced all of the players, coaches and franchises with open arms whether the embrace is authentic or temporary.

For those minorities, like the 2008 Boston Celtics, enjoy it while it last because as we know in Boston, cheers can turn to jeers like darkness turns to light and as we know from the past, that could be dangerous in Boston.

Written by LA Batchelor