LeBron James says college scouts should stay away from his 10-year-old son

LeBron James Jr already is attracting the interest of college scouts

(Getty Images)

This story sounds familiar. A young man named LeBron James is wowing people playing basketball in the state of Ohio, to the point that he is receiving national attention even though his age just crossed into double digits.

But this LeBron James is LeBron James Jr, son of basketball star LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. And the elder LeBron James is not a fan of the attention and says college scouts should lay off his son, at least for the time being. Check out the video of the younger James below.

“He’s already got some offers from colleges,” James said of his son, according to the Washington Post. “It’s pretty crazy. It should be a violation. You shouldn’t be recruiting 10-year-old kids.”

James the father did not go to college, as NBA rules at the time allowed players to jump straight from high school into the league. New rules require that players must have a year separating their high-school and NBA careers. Most players opt for college basketball, though some play overseas.

While James Sr may want to shield his son from national attention for his basketball prowess, he is no stranger to such attention. He is arguably the most vaunted high-school basketball player ever, making the cover of Sports Illustrated before he had a diploma.

James was drafted in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played for seven seasons before bolting for the Miami Heat. He won two NBA championships in four years in Miami and last summer announced he would take his talents back to Cleveland.

Follow Payton Guion on Twitter @PaytonGuion.