If the NBA has their way (and they usually do), we won't be seeing any more pictures like this. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, Lebron was "asked" by the league to refrain from having his son (Prince James?) on the team's bench in the future:
According to an NBA source, the league office spoke with the Cavs about LeBron James Jr. sitting in the team bench area with his dad in the closing moments of the Cavs' win over the New York Knicks on Friday. The NBA asked that it not happen again, but the league did not issue a fine or formal reprimand.
I'm actually with the league on this one. Most of us are not allowed to bring our small children to work, so why should things be any different in the NBA? Plus, just imagine the public relations nightmare that would occur if a player were to land out of bounds and flatten the poor kid. The league would never hear the end of it, and Lebron's popularity would drop to a level somewhere just above where Kobe's was during that, um, Colorado incident.
If you think it's a little far fetched that a small child could be injured while up close at a sporting event, you need to look no further than the 2002 World Series (that's baseball, not poker). Remember all the heat that Dusty Baker caught for having his infant three-year-old son hovering around home plate and nearly getting trampled? The NBA is just making sure that their global icon won't have to deal with a similar situation.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
A better analogy than Kobe/Colarado might be Michael Jackson/baby-over-the-balcony.
Brett,
I agree with your idea's intent but not with your research. It was Barry Bonds son playing bat boy not Dusty Baker's that was nearly run over but saved by one of Barry's team mates scooping him up after he scored and taking him back to the dugout. I was watching the game and I saw the whole thing.
Anyway, you're right, Professional Sports operational areas are not the place for toddlers. Also, Partial Truths can be misleading and confusing (watch loose change 2)
greywolf
Good move by the NBA that LeBron "I'm not Iris Avila" James keep his child away from the sidelines at NBA games. With the image problems the NBA has the last thing the league needs is the children of these "icons" to get trampled by accident by other players.
Miss Gossip:
You're right, that IS a better analogy, but I was trying to keep it to NBA players.
Charles:
I hate baseball, so if I was wrong it wouldn't be a huge surprise. But if you click the "hovering around home plate" link in the post, you'll see that the first line of that story reads: "The 3½-year-old son of San Francisco manager Dusty Baker... " I do my research, my man!
i think it was dusty's son and not barry's
charleskemp1, your eyes lied to you. It was Darren Baker who was saved by JT Snow. Barry's son Nikolai was a bat boy then too but was 12 years old in 2002. After the incident MLB instituted rules rules on the age and numbers of batboys/family members in dugout.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/playoffs/2002-10-25-roundup-baker_x.htm
The league can't do that! Don't they know tat he's "King James"?
Can you imagine the chaos if a whole team brought their small children to the game and let them sit on the bench - there would be no room for the players. Shawn Kemp where are you?
2 me it doesn't matter bout the sweet heart chill with his father at the last min at the end of the game. I see what the NBA r saying 2 they don't want the child 2 get hurt. But if they players can ball right i don't see them comeing that way by them. And if is was somebody white and they will not so a got damn thing. Let the Prince chill with the King.
(Like Father Like Son)
This be your girl lashay.
p.s. Play The Game, And Don't Let It Play U !!!!!