NBA: LeBron James For President

LeBron James NBAPA President? Photo credit NBA 

by Rodney Fisher

LeBron James has recently mentioned that he would be interested in becoming the next president of the NBA Players Association. Should LeBron take on the task of representing every NBA player and this point in his career?


First of all, LeBron would not be the first start player to take on the role. The NBAPA was started by Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy in 1954. Oscar Robertson, the LeBron of his day, was president from 1965 to his retirement in 1974. There was a succession of star players to follow, from Bob Lanier, Isiah Thomas, and Patrick Ewing. Since 2001, players have stepped up to be president that have not been the premiere players of the league, like Michael Curry, Antonio Davis, Jerry Stackhouse, and Derek Fisher respectfully.

James may be the perfect player to take on the role in the current NBA. After his one-hour "The Decision" special in 2010, he experienced unprecedented backlash from fans and NBA owners. Fans burned jerseys while owners like Dan Gilbert of the Cleveland Cavaliers vowed to shame him as much as possible. The result of a player having the ability to make his own decision were he wants to play caused the league to crash. A 161-day lockout in 2011 as the collective bargaining agreement was hammered out made all the players including James take notice to the growing divide between the court and the owner's box. LeBron was one of the few players that continued to play for fans in exhibition during the lockout, putting more pressure on the NBA to get a deal done.


During the past All-Star Weekend meeting of NBAPA members, it was LeBron James and Jerry Stackhouse that were the most outspoken members to call order to the meeting and grill both Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher on the progress of their action items.

Lebron's off-the-court influence is at an all-time high. He would provide a bigger spotlight to the players position on NBA issues. When he speaks, everyone listens. Kids, players, owners, and corporations all seem to play close attention.

Oscar Robertson in an interview with NBA.com cautions LeBron that the role is a big sacrifice. He says, "There's no doubt about it, it's a sacrifice...Especially if you do a good job. If you do the job [the way] they're going to have confidence in you, sometimes it gets a little lonely. Until something happens."

Robertson does however go on in the article by Steve Aschburner to say he thinks LeBron would do an excellent job as president. Pre-Decision LeBron and Post-Decision LeBron maturity level's are totally different. He has made himself available to counsel young players and speak for the veterans' concerns. LeBron would the right player for president.

Follow Rodney Fisher on Twitter @RodneyFisherNBA