Freaks Roll Into G'boro For LeBron

GREENSBORO -- He soared through the air and threw down high-arching alley-oops. He cut an imposing defensive force on the wing and even drained a buzzer-beating jumper at the end of the first half.

And after St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School's 85-56 blowout win against Winston-Salem's R.J. Reynolds High School at the Greensboro Coliseum, LeBron James even had game in a press conference setting, answering questions with surprising, if not eloquent, aplomb.

But after surveying a day of the LeBron James Magical Mystery Tour, it seems that his appeal goes beyond watching a future top NBA draft pick embarrass his opposition.

In fact, it's much like going to a traveling carnival, sans the bearded lady. Plenty of daring, amazingly athletic feats. Plenty of good cheer.

Above all, plenty of freaks.

Admit it. There is a sort of sick pleasure that comes from watching strange people do strange things. There might be even more pleasure when normal people start acting, well, freaky.

So I'm not going to sit here and bemoan the fact that James has become a national icon at the age of 18.

A more interesting, and less discussed, topic are the people who come out to see him play in places like the Coliseum or UCLA's Pauley Pavilion.

The most notable contingent of fans are the crowds from James' hometown of Akron, Ohio, that have followed the city's most famous son everywhere he has played over the past few seasons.

They took up an entire section behind a basket, many cooling themselves with fans sporting James' likeness.

These are LeBron's people. Akron AAU coach Brian Glasper, whose son is a freshman at St. Vincent-St. Mary's, said James is more mature than most of the people watching him play.

"He's the class clown," Glasper said. "But he knows who's important in his life, who he needs to keep close."

One older man, also from Akron, said that going to James' games was "sort of like a family reunion."

I guess. At the last Gordon get-together, my Aunt Joyce wasn't waving a hand fan featuring my mug. Maybe the precedent just hadn't been set yet.

Aside from the Akronites in attendance, there also were the celebrities, and pseudo-celebrities, and the people who wish they were celebrities.

And they all wanted a piece of James. For example, a TV guy next to me said of James before the game: "He doesn't look nearly as big as they say he is. He looks no taller than me, I'd say."

I half-expected this dude to add something like, "I could take him."

(By the way, James is listed at 6-foot-8. This moron? Five-10, tops.)

These clearly weren't James' people, unlike former UNC star Julius Peppers. Just another admirer who came out to see LeBron ball, Peppers shared a quick embrace with James at the conclusion of his 32-point performance Monday.

But UNC assistant basketball coaches Fred Quartlebaum and Doug Wojcik got no love from James. While Pep chatted with his old coaches, the man-child they came to see was ushered to the auditorium, where 72 writers and a ton of photographers awaited.

He didn't disappoint. He answered questions from everyone, even including the crazy Rex Chapman-as-a-pimp wannabe from the Dish Network.

The best moment came when a reporter with a camcorder (who is this guy?) asked James how he dealt with the hype, especially when men like him waited "since 8 a.m." for an autograph.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time I (sign for) kids," James said. "Sometimes I see grown men, you know ..."

His voice trailed off, and the middle-aged man nodded before looking back at me and saying earnestly, "I've been trying to get it all day, man."

I bet you have. Maybe you and the rest of the menagerie can catch him at his next stop in this state, when Charlotte gets a new NBA team.

Ian Gordon can be reached at igordon@email.unc.edu.