INDEPENDENCE, OHIO– As soon as the words left his mouth, LeBron James knew what the impact was going to be.
“The NCAA is corrupt, we know that,” James said after Tuesdays shootaround when asked about the scandals currently engulfing college basketball. “I’m sorry. It’s gonna make headlines, but it’s corrupt.”
LeBron: “NCAA is corrupt, we know that. I’m sorry. It’s gonna make headlines, but it’s corrupt.” pic.twitter.com/TcbbTFyCQE
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) February 27, 2018
First, some background. As many as 25 Division I programs are currently under FBI scrutiny for possible illegal benefits. On Friday, Yahoo! Sports published an extensive report after reviewing hundreds of documents concerning schools such as North Carolina, Duke, Texas, Kentucky and Michigan State that allegedly provided benefits to players or their family members. The investigations are part of a federal probe that has already charged several coaches with a corruption scheme saying that they, along with advisors and others, lied and used their stature to influence where recruits signed.
James was asked if he thinks there is a solution to the problems that currently surround college basketball, and was brutally honest in his assessment.
“I don’t know if there’s any fixing the NCAA,” he said. “It’s what’s been going on for many, many, many, many years. I don’t know how you can fix it. I don’t see how you can fix it. Obviously, I’ve never been a part of it, so I don’t know all the ins and outs about it, I don’t know all the rules and regulations about it. But I do know what five-star athletes bring to a campus, both in basketball and football. I know how much these college coaches get paid. I know how much these colleges are gaining off these kids.
“I’ve always heard the narrative that they get a free education, but you guys are not bringing me on campus to get an education, you guys are bringing me on it to help you get to a Final Four or to a national championship. So it’s just a weird thing.”
Part 1: LeBron is asked about what needs to change in college basketball. “I don’t know if there’s any fixing the NCAA. I don’t think there is. It’s what’s been going on for many, many, many, many years.” pic.twitter.com/us11FYJpV4
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) February 27, 2018
Even though James never played in the NCAA, opting to go straight to the Association, he still had to deal with being recruited. On Tuesday he laughed when asked about the craziest recruiting offer he ever received as a high school student.
“Listen, man. I don’t know, I can’t even talk about that,” he said laughing. “Me and my mom was poor, I’ll tell you that, and they expected me to step foot on a college campus and not to go to the NBA? We weren’t going to be poor for long, I tell you that. That’s a fact.”
LeBron when asked what the craziest offer was that he received in high school: “I can’t even talk about that,” he says with a laugh. “Me and my mom was poor I’ll tell you that.” pic.twitter.com/nu1jyxj7Fi
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) February 27, 2018
Instead of just griping about the problems surrounding college basketball, James said he has been “brainstorming” potential ways for the NBA to mitigate some of these issues. He declined to go into too much detail with reporters, but said he plans to speak with commissioner Adam Silver about his ideas. This includes discussing changes to the one-and-done rule, and potentially turning the G League into more of a farm system much like Minor League Baseball, or basketball farm systems overseas.
“I think us, we have to kind of figure it out, how we can do that,” he said. “We’re worried about kids coming into the league early but they’re not ready, then they’re out of the league because of that. I don’t have the answer to it right now, but I’ve kind of been brainstorming a lot. I don’t want to tell y’all because if you steal my idea, then we’re going to have some problems.
“But we have to figure out if a kid is like 16 or 17 and he doesn’t feel like the NCAA is for him, if we have a system in place, we have a farm league where they can learn and be around the professionals but not actually become a professional at that point in time, but actually learn for a few years, learn what the NBA life is about, learn how to move and walk and talk and things of that nature, then in two years they’re able to, just like guys do overseas.”
The G League has been around since 2001 and currently features 26 teams, and a 27th is planned for next season. While it isn’t quite where it needs to be yet, James said he is still impressed with how far it’s come over the years.
“Every NBA team has to have their own farm system, and I think we’re almost there, but we’re not quite there yet,” he said. “It’s not one team per (franchise) as of right now. We’re getting there. And the G League, I clap and commend what we’re doing with that. We’ve had so many call-ups in the last 10 years and guys have actually been max guys, champions, inspiring guys because they took that route. We’ve also had guys that went overseas and then came back to the G League to be a part of our league.
“So we’re doing a great job, but we want to continue to get better and better. I got a really good idea about this farm system thing that I want to go over with the commissioner and some other people, but that’s a longer dialogue.”
When it comes down to it, James seems focused on finding a way that incoming NBA players can improve their game while reaping some benefits.
“I’m not a fan how the kids don’t benefit from any of this,” he said. “So it’s kind of a fine line because I actually got a couple of boys that could be headed in that direction, so there’s going to be some decisions that we as a family have to make. I know as the NBA, we have to figure out a way that we can shore up our farm league and if kids feel like they don’t want to be a part of that NCAA program, then we have something here for them to be able to jump back on and not have to worry about going overseas all the time.”
LeBron says he has “been brainstorming a lot” about ways for the NBA to potentially develop a farm system for younbfer players, like in MLB. pic.twitter.com/Wom1OFOBug
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) February 27, 2018
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