On the path to success, it is important to have the right influences around you. Fortune and fame can be double-edged swords to the youth. But sadly, mentorship has been a major issue in the NBA for some time now. Several veterans of the game have voiced their opinions on how it could help the younger generation to cope with wealth and fame.

Recently Detroit Pistons legend John Salley talked about the NBA’s lack of attention on such an important topic. Salley said that when he was a rookie in the NBA, his salary was $230k a year, and that put him in the top 5 highest-paid athletes on his squad.

However, times have changed drastically now, and athletes are making more money even before they get into the big league. The NIL has revolutionized the financial aspect of the game. Sally believes that the league should provide athletes with cars, houses, and security like they do in Europe. Meanwhile, he agreed that LeBron has proven himself to be a cut above the rest because of how focused he was on the right things since the beginning.

Salley also praised LeBron James for being level-headed ever since he burst onto the scene. As per the NBA veteran, LeBron was prepared for everything that came his way, and even as an 18-year-old, he was guarded by the right people.

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He said, “The best thing about LeBron is that he had his crew. He had this guy go to that school and that school, he had his mom knowing what she did and he put people around him to take care of the problem and he could trust them.” Salley on the other hand said that he has been in situations where he lost “a lot of money with an accountant.”

LeBron James is a product of his Akron roots

It takes a village to raise a child and that has been true for LeBron as well. Ideastream Public Media’s sports commentator Terry Pluto, who has covered LeBron’s stories since he was in high school, talked about the 4x NBA champion when he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list. He said, “In the fourth grade, LeBron missed about 80 days of school. So, the Walkers opened their home to LeBron and [he] stayed there about a year-and-a-half.”

“Different people helped LeBron along the way and LeBron was willing to listen to them. You’re only a good teacher if you have a willing student,” Pluto said. “And LeBron turned out to be a willing student. But it’s such an Akron story,” he added. Now the same kid from Akron is one of the greatest ever and gives so much back to the community where it all started.

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