Soonish, LeBron James will rock the sports world by announcing where he’ll play basketball in the 2018-19 season. His recruitment is one of the highest-profile pursuits in sports history, matched in America only by the last two times he was a free agent, in 2010 and 2014.
8 star college recruits on how LeBron James should announce his decision this time
Another televised special or first-person magazine article? How about a tweet with an iPhone notes screenshot? A video? A hat ceremony? A pep rally in his high school gym?
Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Estabrook Group
The people best positioned to give LeBron advice on where to play? Probably his family, friends, and agent.
But the best people to give LeBron advice on how to announce? Definitely college football recruits, who are known for announcing their school choices in myriad creative ways after dramatic recruiting processes. LeBron never went to college and thus never got to have his own National Signing Day ceremony, as he’s pointed out during previous decisions. These teens know exactly how he should play it.
Idea No. 1: A slow-motion video where a Cavs jersey becomes a Lakers jersey the second LeBron finishes a thunderous dunk
Four-star Oregon receiver commit Josh Delgado explains:
“You’d have to be really creative if you were him, because it’s not something small. Of course, high school going to college isn’t something small either, but you know, LeBron, he’s on the big stage. You have to go overboard. You’ve gotta do extra. So for him, that’s a crazy one.
“I’d probably make a little video of him working out and him going through the years and his basketball career, and then at the end, if he does a dunk, I’d transform the jersey from his current team to his new team, Cavaliers to — say if he goes to the Lakers — like he jumps in the air, and it’s in slow motion and it’s Cavaliers, and as soon as he slams, now it’s a Lakers jersey.”
Idea No. 2: A press conference at LeBron’s high school
Four-star uncommitted QB Jaydon Daniels and four-star Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz both propose a simple presser at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Ohio.
“Everybody would show up,” Daniels says.
Idea No. 3: A revised version of this old Nike commercial, maybe where LeBron is a robot coming of a cryotherapy chamber
“You can just create like a mini-story,” uncommitted four-star receiver Genson Hooper-Price suggests. “The last one it was him kind of running, and all his fans were following him, like a Nike commercial, something like that. I really like that one. LeBron’s like a beast. Whenever I think of him, I think of a robot. Maybe he comes out of some cryochamber in a rocket suit. I don’t know, something cool, because he’s like a superhero.”
Idea No. 4: Just do “The Decision” again
“Probably on ESPN, for the world to see it,” four-star uncommitted receiver John Dummore says.
About the last time that happened ...
Idea No. 5: Make a cartoon with a jersey reveal at the end
“If I was LeBron, I’d probably make a video.” five-star Georgia receiver commit Jadon Haselwood posits. “Just to make it fun, because you know everybody hate him anyway. Might as well go all out.”
Idea No. 6: Get Bleacher Report to make a video edit
Like one of these old things:
“I think it would be a basketball game with his son, and at the end of the game, he takes off his jersey and it has his team on it,” four-star Alabama receiver commit DeMarcco Hellams says.
Idea No. 7: Say you’re going to the Lakers and be done with it
“Don’t do anything,” says four-star tight end Keon Zipperer. “Just say you’re going to LA.”
There you have it, LeBron. That advice is all free of charge.
What’s your advice? Leave it in the comments.
