Special Guest Commentary: What I Learned From LeBron

Let’s be honest, it wasn’t the best of ideas. A floater from the free throw line is a pretty ambitious effort almost anytime. A floater from the free throw line when you’re playing in a summer pick-up basketball game as a high school freshman against future NBA superstar LeBron James? Well, that was just not smart.

To his credit, LeBron managed to keep himself from rolling on the ground with laughter and just blocked the disaster of a shot halfway down the court to start a two on zero ready-made fast break. I knew right then and there, I was probably not destined for greatness in basketball – as if being slow, white, uncoordinated, and having been blessed with no discernible jumping ability wasn’t already indication enough of my lack of prowess on the hardwood.

So golf, and not basketball, became my sport du jour. With golf, I feel pretty confident that there aren’t going to be any 6’8” athletic freaks coming out of nowhere to block my sand wedge into submission – although I’d almost prefer that outcome to a hard-packed bunker at times.

In all seriousness, LeBron’s a great guy. It was a pleasure to be around him for three years at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, and he deserves every bit of good fortune that comes his way in life. In high school, he was just a regular guy hanging out with his basketball teammates.

In a way, I guess I owe LeBron James a debt of gratitude. He steered me away from one doomed comedy routine (me trying to play basketball) and led me to another comedy routine with a little bit of potential (me trying to hit a golf ball).

About the Special Guest Commentator
William Bordewick attended St. Vincent-St. Mary Catholic High School in Akron, Ohio with four-time NBA MVP LeBron James. He is currently in his first semester at the Golf Academy of America in Phoenix and is looking forward to a career in the golf industry. Having seen LeBron play golf, William is pretty confident he can take him off the tee.