I would like to start this week's column by thanking Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL for having had the proper rules in place before Sunday's All-Star game in Sunrise, Fla. to ensure that the contest came to a definitive conclusion. Now on to the other story this week that stole sports headlines.The most captivating news had to be the final edition of the high school saga of amateur celebrity LeBron James. To quickly summarize, the 18 year-old phenom out of Akron, Ohio is a good enough basketball player that there was legitimate concern he would challenge NBA regulations and declare himself eligible for the draft after his junior season at St. Vincent-St. Mary Prep. During the course of his senior season he has almost gotten the same amount of face-time as Michael Jordan. Lebron's games have appeared on ESPN twice to date, and he has yet to disappoint. A local Ohio cable provider (Time-Warner) makes his games available on pay-per-view to the tune of $9.99 per telecast.

One can only assume that this young lad is rolling in dough. Well, that assumption is wrong. His only financial reward to date has been a free private school education.

The reason LeBron's story has become so convoluted lately is a result of events that have transpired in the past few weeks. When LeBron turned 18, his mother presented him with a brand new 2003 Hummer (the legal kind). It was supped up with enough bells and whistles to impress Master P. With tinted window and dual video screens in the headrests tied to an X-Box and DVD Player, LeBron's new ride belonged on MTV's cribs. And how could anyone forget about those rims? He's got 22-inch 'dubs! So how could this poor family afford such affluence so suddenly? Well, LeBron's mother was approved for a $50,000 loan based on the future earnings of her son's budding basketball career.

And who can blame the loan officer? Reports have it that James, once officially drafted into the NBA, will earn over $25 million merely for his sneaker deal with either Nike or Adidas. In fact, some believe that Adidas didn't renegotiate with Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant to better position itself to make LeBron Le Man. He is the 21st century version of Michael Jordan. Not even Tiger Woods generated this type of media attention at such a young age.

I can picture it now: "Hi, I am LeBron James, starting guard for the New York Knicks, and I'm proud to introduce the LeBron condom from Durex. Strong enough to support a basketball."

But back to the story. LeBron's twisted tale took another odd turn once he was acquitted of any wrongdoing by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. On Friday, he was rumored to have received two "throwback" jerseys from a local urban youth clothing store in exchange for taking a few snapshots with shop employees. The two jerseys, a Wes Unseld and Gale Sayers, had an astounding street value of nearly $850.

One would assume that Mrs. James could just ask that loan officer for another grand so her son could wear the stylish suits often sported by NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson. LeBron seems like a good kid, an honest soul. He immediately offered to return the items or pay cash for their purchase. My only question is, if he knew that they could potentially get him in hot water, why didn't he just pay cash from the start? Well, sometimes the simplest questions don't yield simple answers.

The LeBron James story is far from over. In fact, it is probably just in its infancy. But if his pro career can in any way reflect the events of this past season, we're in for one extremely wild ride.