Keller @ Large: LeBron James An American Success Story
BOSTON (CBS) - I admit it, I am not a big LeBron James fan.
I recognize that he is a superb athlete and one of the greatest basketball players ever, but as a lifelong Celtics fan, I hate LeBron every bit as much as I would love him if he were a Celtic.
Nonetheless, I was especially disgusted to see the news that a complete imbecile or imbeciles spray-painted a racial slur on LeBron's Los Angeles home the other day.
I am pretty sure that when the cops catch the creeps who did this, they will prove to be vastly inferior to LeBron James, the man, in every conceivable way. The opposite, if you will, of the quintessential American success story LeBron represents.
James was born to a 16-year-old single mother and grew up poor. But he stayed out of trouble, developed his athletic skill, and emerged as an exemplary adult.
He is by all accounts a devoted husband to the mother of his three children. And he goes above and beyond giving back to the community, donating millions for college scholarships and an exhibit about the life of Muhammad Ali at the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.
This year LeBron won the NBA's annual good citizenship award for his work helping disadvantaged kids in his hometown, which often includes personal involvement in addition to money and the use of his name.
And unlike some other superstars like Michael Jordan, LeBron has not tried to wall himself off from the world around him, speaking out thoughtfully on controversial racial and political issues.
But to some cretins in LA, he's a racial slur.
Perhaps if they behave in prison, they'll get to watch him in the NBA Finals.