AKRON, Ohio – Three days at the LeBron James Skills Academy is always filled with instruction, workouts and pick-up games.
But this year there was an elephant in the gym, taking up space and overshadowing the cast of high school stars in attendance.
LeBron James during game five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Photo by Getty Images
Between workouts on Wednesday – 24 hours before James will make his announcement – some of the top prep players in the country gave us their two cents on where The King will make his next ransom.
Khem Birch (6-9 F, Notre Dame Prep)
Birch and Ricardo Ledo (see below) led a high school quintet that actually defeated James, his former high school teammate Romeo Travis and three Cavaliers in a scrimmage. Birch was pleasantly surprised after going in with less-than-ambitious expectations.
“I just didn’t want to get dunked on,” said Birch, the camp’s top shot blocker.
Instead, the Canadian led the high school bunch with rejections to Daniel Gibson and Christian Eyenga of the Cavs. Maybe The King will bring reinforcements next year. Perhaps Amar'e Stoudemire.
When asked about LeBron's future, Birch suggested that Stoudemire would be a part of it, which points towards the Knicks.
"Wade and LeBron are both perimeter players so I think it would mess up their scoring opportunities. But LeBron and Amar'e would be a dominant inside-outside duo," Birch said. "Hopefully I’m here next year and they both come to this camp to play us."
A rising junior, Birch is being recruited by powers like Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.
Ricardo Ledo (6-5 G, South Kent School, Conn.)
Ledo and Birch are teammates during the spring and summer on the grassroots circuit, and they were paired up here as well.
In the scrimmage against James' team, their team looked tentative to start. On offense they opened up with a turnover and an airball. But Birch got them going with one of his blocks and Ledo finished it at the other end with a big dunk ahead of the pack.
"I’ve been dunking since eighth grade so it’s really nothing but you could really see how strong the pros are and what’s it like at the next level," Ledo said.
Ledo, also a rising junior, was wearing a Florida Gators T-shirt. In two years, he'll likely be leaving home, but he doesn't think James will be leaving home on Thursday.
"Right here, Cleveland," Ledo predicted. "But him, Amar'e and Tony Parker or Chris Paul would be the craziest team."
Wayne Blackshear (6-5 G, Morgan Park, Chicago, Ill.)
One of the top overall prospects in the country and Louisville verbal commitment, Blackshear made it clear he wants James to come to his backyard and join the Chicago Bulls.
"Him and Derrick Rose would be the best backcourt in the NBA," he said. "If they got Wade and Bosh it would be a dynasty all over again like the 90s."
As much as Blackshear pushed for his Bulls, he got a taste of some hometown cooking when he matched up with LeBron in a scrimmage.
"It was fun," Blackshear said. "He’s my favorite player too. I scored on him one play. Plus I locked him up on defense until the game-winning point. It was an offensive foul though. He extended his elbow, but it figures they didn’t call it."
Anthony Davis (6-9 F, Perspective, Chicago)
Another native Chicagoan, Davis echoes Blackshear and wants The King in Chi-Town.
"LeBron’s points might go down but all three of those guys just want to win," he said. "Wade wants another ring and what better place to do it than his home in Chicago."
When Davis learned the Bosh and Wade have all but committed to Miami, he wasn't giving up hope.
"Then the Bulls need to get LeBron and have (Bosh and Wade) change their minds fast," he said.
The incoming senior is the hot name on the traditional college basketball powers’ lists right now after a big growth spurt and producing big outings during the last few months on the spring travel circuit.
Findlay Prep's Myck Kabongo thinks LeBron James is headed to Chicago.
Photo by Lonnie Webb
The future Findlay Prep teammates will have to agree to disagree on LeBron's future.
"Chicago," Kabongo said. "(That will give the Bulls) five titles in a row."
"It’s not going to be the Bulls," Johnson said. "He doesn’t want to play in MJ’s shadow. And it won’t be the Heat. He wants to win one on his own and doesn’t want to do it with a big three. It’s got to be the Knicks. Him and Amar'e are bringing New York back to the promised land."
Dezmine Wells (6-4 G, Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham, Va.) and P.J. Hairston (6-5 G, Hargrave Military Academy)
Both have committed to colleges - Wells to Xavier and Hairston to North Carolina - but next season will play at Hargrave Military Academy.
Like Johnson and Kabongo they disagree on where James will land.
"I say Chicago," Wells said. "LeBron, Wade and Bosh could be like Jordan, Pippen, Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman."
Said Hairston: "Him on the Knicks with Amar'e and some good role players would just be too much power for anyone to take down."
