It's not often we post about LeBron James in the world of college basketball, but here's a little nugget, as reported on Wednesday by CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein:
LeBron James will no longer have his name associated with the King James Shooting Stars AAU Program, sources told @CBSSports.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 31, 2016
The King James Shooting Stars AAU Program is being discontinued as well, sources told @CBSSports.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 31, 2016
The King James program has been a prominent part of Nike's greater youth basketball scene over the past five years. At the Peach Jam this past July, it was one of a few programs prominently displayed in promoting the event by showing current NBA stars who formerly played on the Nike circuit. (C.J. McCollum previously played for King James Shooting Stars.)
And now it's no more. Why? Not sure. It's not uncommon for AAU programs to fold; that happens with regularity. Reasons can vary. Certainly James could have continued to fund the program if he really wanted, but that's no longer the case.
No matter, Nike is still loaded with so many teams and has affiliations as the youth level with a lot of current NBA players, guys like Chris Paul and Elfrid Payton, not to mention Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis and Draymond Green, who've worked with Nike-affiliated summer basketball events in recent years.