GQ Article on LeBron--surprising UA reference

[LosAngelesZipFan]

I forced myself to skim the GQ article on LeBron the other day while killing time before a flight. I'm sure people in the newsstand were concerned that I had Ebola or some other highly infectious disease as I was dry heaving much of the time (2 girls 1 cup-like reaction).

One cool little nugget popped up was the writer interviewing LeBron at the JAR-- he said they found a room that looked out on Akron's campus, which he described as 'lovely' or 'beautiful' (again, the retching kept me from fully absorbing the exact words)-- regardless, it's pretty amazing to have UA's campus described as such, particularly for those of us that were there when Buchtel was still a multi-lane hazard through the middle of campus.

[zip37]

The view from the top of Infocision is beautiful, unlike the view I got when I started school in 1963, people who haven't been on campus for 5 years tell me they can't believe what's happenend to the camus, and they have trouble navigating it due to landmarks gone away.

[skip-zip]

Ah yes...memories of crossing Buchtel Ave....and Brown....and Union....and Carroll. Especially on a Friday or Saturday night, after on the strip on Exchange. It's not the same place where I went to school. Many buildings where I attended classes are not even there anymore. I'm amazed every time I walk around there.

The GQ article confirmed a couple of things I suspected all along, and answered a couple of remaining questions:

There appeared to be problems between LBJ and Gilbert.

He didn't like Cleveland.

His relationships with his friends are very important to him.

The "More Than A Game" movie really illustrates this last point, and gives me a little more insight into why Miami was a good fit for him. Unlike many pro athletes, he didn't run off to the highest bidder. I wish him luck. And most importantly, I'm thrilled that he continues to show his loyalty to his hometown (contrary to what some people predicted) by coming back here (this year's bike-a-thon).

[K92]

Ah yes...memories of crossing Buchtel Ave....and Brown....and Union....and Carroll. Especially on a Friday or Saturday night, after on the strip on Exchange. It's not the same place where I went to school. Many buildings where I attended classes are not even there anymore. I'm amazed every time I walk around there.

I'm with you. I got to campus in the fall of 1986 before any of the streets were blocked off. Always a challenge to get across. I remember the main lecture hall in East Hall being lit with two 25 watt bulbs that were in the middle of a 30 foot high ceiling. I remember the Chuckery and getting one of those little pizzas from Altieri's. One of the houses I lived in on Kirkwood Ave is now parking lot for the Chapel.

So much has changed. Campus is so much nicer. Makes me proud every time I come back and look at all the improvements.

[GP1]

The GQ article confirmed a couple of things I suspected all along, and answered a couple of remaining questions:

I haven't read the article. The questions I would like to know are:

1. Do you believe the ESPN special was over the top and would you do it again?

2. Do you understand why the ESPN special would lead some to believe you are a self-absorbed jackass?

3. Do you plan on firing the clowns you have managing your career or do you think their idea to have the ESPN special was a good one?

4. Do you ever plan on marrying the mother of your two children or do you stay single so you can bang girls in every NBA city?

5. If you win a ring in Miami, do you believe it will be tainted because you were Wade's wingman and you couldn't do it on your own?

I would love someone to ask those questions.

I've never really held leaving Cleveland against LBJ. He is grown man who can do whatever he wants to do. I think the way he did it tells a lot about him and I think we are going to find out a lot more about him when he settles in Miama.....and I think a lot of it may not reflect in a positive way on him.

[Blue & Gold]

LeBron goes out of his way to pimp Akron at almost every opportunity that arises. It's really quite unbelievable that the most famous athlete in the world won't stop talking about the city of Akron. But whatever, I'll take it.

LeBron took the reporter to the top of InfoCision? A reporter from GQ?! To show him UA?!

To a long-suffering Akronite & UA fan that's simply surreal.

I looked online and GQ has monthly sales of almost 825,000 magazines in the states and another 120,000 mags in Britain.

Go LeBron! Akron's got your back!

Go Zips! Go UA! Go Akron!

[LosAngelesZipFan]

It wasn't quite as awesome as that-- the reporter was trying to get some time with LeBron during his camp at the JAR and asked for a private space to interview him. There was some oddness about LeBron not liking to be in unfamiliar rooms (hard to believe there is any space in the JAR he hasn't been in) but they found a small room that overlooked part of campus.

I hope he maintains a link to Akron and UA, but I think the way he left the Cavs was truly dreadful. He's taken a huge hit to his reputation and brand as a result. He's gone to Miami to be Robin. I don't get it. Icons don't recoil from being 'the man', they long for the opportunity and, if they are great (and lucky) take full advantage of it.

One telling thing in the interview was his views of Cleveland having grown up in Akron. Basically, he says that folks in Akron don't really care about Cleveland because the latter looks down on the former. I don't disagree with that per se, but the lack of true regional thinking is one of the things that really has held back NEO. Akron shouldn't be "competing" against Cleveland-- they should be working together to compete against other regions in the country and world.

I hope someday LeBron endows a huge scholarship fund for Akron kids-- that would be great. He could also cajole his corporate sponsors (Nike and Coke mainly) to support a new arena, which could help make it happen. As great would be if he committed to getting his degree from UA-- I tried to make that happen a few years back when I did brand work for him. God that would have been a great story and a great piece of an amazing brand. *sigh* It was not to be.

[GP1]

I hope someday LeBron endows a huge scholarship fund for Akron kids-- that would be great. He could also cajole his corporate sponsors (Nike and Coke mainly) to support a new arena, which could help make it happen. As great would be if he committed to getting his degree from UA-- I tried to make that happen a few years back when I did brand work for him. God that would have been a great story and a great piece of an amazing brand. *sigh* It was not to be.

Great post. I think the endowment could easily happen....Hell, it only takes $10,000 for an endowment.

I don't think Nike or Coke are ever going to sponsor an arena. LBJ has pull, but not that much pull. The day he retires is the day he is cast aside by Nike and Coke for the next "King". LBJ works for them, they don't work for him.

A degree from UA? Maybe some day, but there is really no need for it.

LBJ will support UofA on the margins, but never the level some think he should....I'm not even sure why he should support it.

[GP1]

LeBron goes out of his way to pimp Akron at almost every opportunity that arises.

What is his talking about Akron doing for the city?

I'd have his back if I though he had a meaningful impact on the City, but he doesn't. Making people feel good is not meaningful.

[Dave in Green]

In the global economy, trillions of dollars are spent every year for the exclusive purpose of "making people feel good." It's meaningful to all those who profit from it, both sellers and buyers. Of course, it can always be argued that it's better to look good than to feel good.

[Hilltopper]

The GQ article confirmed a couple of things I suspected all along, and answered a couple of remaining questions:

I haven't read the article. The questions I would like to know are:

1. Do you believe the ESPN special was over the top and would you do it again?

2. Do you understand why the ESPN special would lead some to believe you are a self-absorbed jackass?

3. Do you plan on firing the clowns you have managing your career or do you think their idea to have the ESPN special was a good one?

4. Do you ever plan on marrying the mother of your two children or do you stay single so you can bang girls in every NBA city?

5. If you win a ring in Miami, do you believe it will be tainted because you were Wade's wingman and you couldn't do it on your own?

I would love someone to ask those questions.

I've never really held leaving Cleveland against LBJ. He is grown man who can do whatever he wants to do. I think the way he did it tells a lot about him and I think we are going to find out a lot more about him when he settles in Miama.....and I think a lot of it may not reflect in a positive way on him.

+1

[Blue & Gold]

LeBron goes out of his way to pimp Akron at almost every opportunity that arises.

What is his talking about Akron doing for the city?

I'd have his back if I though he had a meaningful impact on the City, but he doesn't. Making people feel good is not meaningful.

-"Making people feel good is not meaningful."

I do see what you mean, GP1, but I don't agree with the above quote. "Making people feel good," is basically all that sports do & all they have to offer people: develop a sense of community. Not much more, not much less. But that is powerful. LeBron is definitely starting to define that Akron is an entity unto itself. (Perhaps, sadly, emotionally weaning the baby away from mamma, so-to-speak, is a pertinent illustration?) Painful, but necessary for growth/identity/self-esteem. I think that, psychologically, this is a very healthy and long overdue step for our community (a lot of people don't like the idea right now, but that's okay - I once heard a humorous quote that went something along the lines: "Don't worry about others stealing your ideas; if your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats." How many babies like being weened from mamma? Not many, but it's healthy.) The whole "consequences of an idea" phenomena. Of course, it could take a generation (or more) to see the tangible results of our community actually taking pride in our community, and not finding our identity in the city to the north. That's potentially worth more than we could quantify. And to have the most famous athlete on planet earth doing this is worth more than even our university's fine advertisements which air on Superbowl Sunday.

But I do agree that I wish LeBron would do even more. But let's not forget that he already does quite a bit - the bike-a-thon, all the playgrounds he's built around the city, getting our b-ball program Nike uni's & LBJ shoes, conducting interviews in and around the city, attending quite a few basketball games every year & occasional football games, accepting his MVP's @ St.V/M & @ the JAR, name-dropping "Akron" into the nation's conscious at just about every conceivable opportunity, hosting the LBJ Skills Camp & the King James AAU tourney @ UA - honestly, that's doing quite a bit (he is the Chosen One, but he's not God Lol) and the impact of these things shouldn't be discounted.

But sure, I wish he'd do more too! I wish he'd throw his weight around and get Nike to build us a new basketball arena, get Nike to sponsor all of our athletic programs, do interviews wearing Zips gear & open a restaurant/sportsbar downtown! Of course, he's got 10 years of pro ball left, so we'll see what else he does.

The negative reaction to The Decision maaaaay end up actually working in our favor: he may feel more pressure now to do even more to prove his loyalty to his hometown - which he seems on a mission to do. I don't know LBJ personally, but I have been following him since his freshman year in high school, and though LeBron tries to act so "cool", I'm quite certain that he's actually a very sensitive, sentimental kind of person. I think it's extremely important right now that Akron makes it known that we've got his back and haven't turned on him in favor of the city up north. Millions of dollars and consistent blips on the radar of the nation's conscious could depend on it. Until either our football or basketball teams make consistent national noise, LBJ's the best (and, frankly, only) pub we've got.

LeBron is a huge ambassador of the city of Akron. That is significant.

[zipseuph]

@B&G

I'm sorry but I can't get on the Lebron band wagon. I do give him his credit for helping out the city in the manner that he has, but I keep it in perspective because those bikes = a huge tax write off for him. I have heard several stories (both from the media and from my personal friends) that LBJ isn't the nice person you like to think he is. (friend of mine used to work at the OBC and would tell me about how he would walk in with a crap tone of people, run up a huge bill, and leave no tip.)

While I agree that Akron and Cleveland are two separate cities you have to remember that we are in the same professional sports market. I'm not saying LBJ is pure evil, I just think he has a lot of growing up to do, and that he needs to realize how his actions hurt many people.

[Spin]

I can't be a LeBron fan anymore. I was going to, no matter where he went. But he took a huge dump on Cavs fans, and I was a Cavs fan before LePrincess was born. The bridges are still burning.

I don't think he hurt his legacy by going to another star's team. Any more than Moses Malone hurt his legacy when he went to Dr. J's and Andrew Toney's team. Or A Rod hurt his by joining Jeter's team.

[Blue & Gold]

@B&G

I'm sorry but I can't get on the Lebron band wagon. I do give him his credit for helping out the city in the manner that he has, but I keep it in perspective because those bikes = a huge tax write off for him. I have heard several stories (both from the media and from my personal friends) that LBJ isn't the nice person you like to think he is. (friend of mine used to work at the OBC and would tell me about how he would walk in with a crap tone of people, run up a huge bill, and leave no tip.)

While I agree that Akron and Cleveland are two separate cities you have to remember that we are in the same professional sports market. I'm not saying LBJ is pure evil, I just think he has a lot of growing up to do, and that he needs to realize how his actions hurt many people.

Great post. Thanks for the maturity, civility and intelligence in your disagreement. I'm not a big internet chat room kinda guy (this is the only internet sight I am active on, well, now that I think about it, I do occasionally post on Rasor's blog @ Ohio.com) But, in my limited experience, I get the vibe that, when online, it seems to be taken for granted that if you disagree with someone you are supposed to be combative about it. So, cool, you really made some good points!

[zipseuph]

@B&G

I'm sorry but I can't get on the Lebron band wagon. I do give him his credit for helping out the city in the manner that he has, but I keep it in perspective because those bikes = a huge tax write off for him. I have heard several stories (both from the media and from my personal friends) that LBJ isn't the nice person you like to think he is. (friend of mine used to work at the OBC and would tell me about how he would walk in with a crap tone of people, run up a huge bill, and leave no tip.)

While I agree that Akron and Cleveland are two separate cities you have to remember that we are in the same professional sports market. I'm not saying LBJ is pure evil, I just think he has a lot of growing up to do, and that he needs to realize how his actions hurt many people.

Great post. Thanks for the maturity, civility and intelligence in your disagreement. I'm not a big internet chat room kinda guy (this is the only internet sight I am active on, well, now that I think about it, I do occasionally post on Rasor's blog @ Ohio.com) But, in my limited experience, I get the vibe that, when online, it seems to be taken for granted that if you disagree with someone you are supposed to be combative about it. So, cool, you really made some good points!

no prob. I'm not very combative in real life, so I figure theres no reason to try to act big and bad online. friendly debates are always healthy and fun, but if things feel to out of place with all this civilized conversation, then I would like to bring things back to normality and say "your mom"

[Buckzip]

Akron "U" without Spicer Hall will never be the same.

I get shivers thinking about that place....

[Dr Z]

Excerpts from "Three Weeks in Crazyville," GQ's September cover story on LeBron James

James on how a kid could from Akron, located only thirty minutes from Cleveland, could grow up rooting for Chicago and Jordan: "It's not far, but it is far. And Clevelanders, because they were the bigger-city kids when we were growing up, looked down on us.… So we didn't actually like Cleveland. We hated Cleveland growing up. There's a lot of people in Cleveland we still hate to this day."

[MDZip]

Akron "U" without Spicer Hall will never be the same.

I get shivers thinking about that place....

But Spicer Hall is back. OK, so it's no longer the former elementary school turned registrar's building, but it is a brand new very nice dorm right behind the Info.