Why we can't get enough of LeBron

(11-14-03) BOSTON, Mass. � Eighteen year-old basketball sensation LeBron James has officially begun his professional career. The newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers is also the most talked-about hoops star since Kobe Bryant. As Michael Jordan steps aside for James to shine � as both a player and the new face of Nike � all eyes are on young LeBron.

Peter Roby, director of Northeastern�s Center for the Study of Sport in Society weighs in on the circus surrounding the newest straight-to-the-NBA high-schooler:

�He's been on the radar screen for a couple of years now, with the media talking about LeBron being the next coming of Michael Jordan - a heck of a thing to put on a 18-year-old kid. It's whipped everybody into a frenzy as a result, and it�s a shame that some people are exploiting the situation, only concerned with cashing in on his fame. Marketing executives, companies and media conglomerates target the 18-to-49-year-old male. Those people can't get enough of LeBron James.�

Peter Roby is an expert on societal issues related to the sporting world, violence in sports, gender and youth issues, and urban sports issues.Formerly vice president of U.S. marketing for Reebok International, Roby has 20 plus years of experience in athletics and marketing. Before joining Reebok, Roby served six seasons as head basketball coach for Harvard University and three years as Harvard's assistant basketball coach. Prior to joining Harvard, Peter was the assistant coach at Stanford University, Dartmouth College and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Roby is a 1979 graduate of Dartmouth College where he was co-captain of the basketball team and earned a B.A. in Government.

About the Center for the Study of Sport in Society
The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University is one of the world�s leading social justice organizations that use sport to create social change both nationally and internationally. The flagship organization located in the heart of Boston, Mass. was founded in 1984 by Dr. Richard Lapchick and touts branches in Baltimore, Md. and Phoenix, Ariz. Through research, education, and advocacy the center promotes physical activity, health, violence prevention, and diversity among young people and college and professional athletes. Sport in Society�s innovative programs are all staffed by former college or professional athletes and have been awarded America�s most successful violence prevention program by Lou Harris, the Peter F. Ducker Award as the most innovative non-profit program in the social sector, and have been cited as the National Crime Prevention Council�s 50 Best Strategies to Prevent Violent Domestic Crimes. For more information please visit http://www.sportinsociety.org.