On the same day in late May, LeBron James signed a five-year, $5 million contract with Upper Deck, the trading card company, and a seven-year, $90 million deal with Nike that brought a $10 million signing bonus.

Then he got back to business: graduating from Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.

James won't get around to signing a contract with Cleveland until soon after the Cavaliers make him the No. 1 pick in Thursday's NBA draft, but hey, who needs it? At a bit less than $11 million over three years, his rookie contract will be little more than gas money for his Hummer H2.

"My friends probably spend more than I do. You know, I don't need too much," said James, fancy wheels aside. "Glamour and all that stuff doesn't excite me. I'm just glad to have the game of basketball in my life."

One wonders: Is he worth it? Does he have the goods? Is he a prospect like Kobe Bryant was when he passed on college and went directly to the NBA? We know what the frenzied, huffing, hype machine says. Surely, the seasoned skeptics of the NBA would offer a more reserved appraisal.