Why Lebron?

In response to being asked whether or not he could ever hawk a pair of $14.98 sneakers, like the one's New York Knicks' Stephon Marbury is endorsing, Lebron James recently stated that "Me being with Nike, our standards are too high."

Why Lebron? Why?

Many black people find issue with the fact that so many prominent Black entertainers misrepresent the culture by getting involved in legal problems due to their sense of empowerment, sudden riches and feeling of invincibility.

I on the other hand am much more inclined to focus on those entertainers who, due to their rise to fame and riches, forget where they come from. And unfortunately, Lebron's comments these past couple of weeks have put him in this ill-fated category.

Lebron should be ashamed of himself. He's so caught up in his new image and stardom that he can't even consider making affordable clothing and footwear for people who come from the same economic background that he himself grew up in. But according to his statement, he's too good to sell to people's whose budgets don't meet Lebron's high standards.

When Stephon Marbury was informed of Lebron's statement, he shrugged his shoulders and looked as if he was going to with hold commenting. Then, as his face changed to what I would define as disgust, he responded by saying that he "would rather own than be owned."

If they had asked me the question (and granted no one really cares what I have to say), they probably would have gotten a much more expressive and detailed quote from me. Lebron's statement was the equivalent of holding his pinkie up in the air while drinking tea and pointing his nose toward the sky as he steps over those less fortunate than him...at least in my opinion anyway. After all, him saying his standards are too high to sport affordable sneakers fits right in line with celebrities who never wear the same pair of underwear twice, have a list of snotty demands for their dressing rooms and can only drink one type of bottled water.

Listen, Lebron, you are an African-American who came from a working class home at best, and yet you wouldn't even consider the opportunity to give something back to the community that could socially revolutionize the way athletes and other celebrities market to lower class individuals and children? Come Bron-Bron, you didn't just wake up a millionaire. Show some sense of self-awareness and remember where you came from.

King James actually hasn't just been raising his pinkie alone though. No, he has befriended several wealthy individuals, including Warren Buffett. Buffett, the billionaire investor, says of his relationship with Lebron that "He [Lebron] tells me what socks to buy and I tell him what stocks to pick." Sounds like a real give and take relationship, right? Don't expect Mr. Buffett to be taking any stock advice from Lebron anytime soon though. As for the sock picking, haven't black people, my people, picked enough cotton, Lebron? I guess being Buffett's Puppet is a lot better than selling affordable sneakers to a population of lower income families...at least in Lebron's mind anyway. But considering the fact that Nike owns Lebron, he's probably used to being puppeteered.

I however agree with Marbury. It's much better to own than be owned. Lebron is a prime example of that, and will continue to be as long as he continues to reinforce Nike's brainwashing job that cheap sneakers are beneath the standards of Lebron. As for Marbury, keep doing good, and don't let Buffett's Puppet mess up a good thing for the people you and Lebron both came from.