Will the Chosen One dethrone Air Jordan?

What high school graduation gifts did you receive? A few bucks from the grandparents for books, maybe a new laptop or even a hand-me-down car that will get you through the next four years? How about a $90-million shoe contract, a Hummer, the keys to Cleveland and the hopes and dreams of an entire pro franchise?

For the Cavaliers LeBron James, this was not fantasy, but reality. Ever since his junior year he was touted as the next Michael Jordan, the man who would lead the NBA's new era of young stars as the original dream teamers of the 1992 Summer Olympics were fading away.

James' high school games were televised on ESPN. He dawned the cover of Sports Illustrated at 17. This success lead the fledging Cavs to draft James as the first pick in the 2003 draft, ahead of college studs Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony, both fresh off of Final Four appearances.

It was obvious that James was a cut above the pack as a high school player, but he still faced many questions that had to be answered before his career began.

First, would James become the next Kobe Bryant? This is a great player who made the jump from high school ball to the NBA. Or, would he be Darius Miles, a decent player but with a career that appears destined to be disappointingly mediocre?

James quickly passed this first test, scoring 25 in his NBA debut. After this, he was on his way to averaging over 20 points a game and winning the Rookie of the Year award. LeBron showed no sophomore slump in the 2004-05 campaign, averaging over 25 points per contest and an All-Star appearance. This season, James is on pace to be only the fourth player in league history to average 30 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds a game (The others are Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan). James also claimed the All-Star MVP.

The next challenge for James would be if he could revive the hapless Cavs franchise, which had not enjoyed consistent success since Mark Price and the short-short years of the late 1980s and early 1990s. James would lead the Cavs from a 17-65 mark in 2002-03 to a more respectable 35-47 record in 2003-04. Last year, the Cavs had their first winning record (42-40) since the 1997-98 season. This season Cleveland (44-29) clinched its first playoff season since that 1997-98 campaign. The Cavs do not appear to be done just yet, however. They are currently on an eight game tear that includes wins over the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.

The most refreshing part of the story is that LeBron has done nothing to dent his public persona. James has stayed clean from the "dark side" that often comes with stardom. He appears to be the same Akron kid he was just a few years ago, just with a better car.

The final question is one that few dare to ask, but all ponder: can LeBron be the next Michael Jordan? The answer - he can be even better.

This season, James (21) is third in the NBA in scoring, averaging 31.5 points per game. At the same age, Jordan averaged 28.2 points in his rookie year. James is the currently the front-runner for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, which Jordan won in his third year as well. The biggest question is the bling. Jordan flaunts six championship rings where LeBron is searching for his first. James' situation mirrors Jordan's of 20 years ago. Jordan took Chicago from obscurity to a playoff team in one season and eventually overcame the older Laker, Celtic, and Piston teams to start the Bull dynasty. James and the Cavs are clearly on the rise and, with a few more pieces to the puzzle, could challenge the elder Spurs, Heat, and Piston teams for NBA supremacy in the next few years.

There is still just one more question left for LeBron: Does he want to be like Mike?

James' answer - Why not better?

Bryan DeArdo is a sophomore in journalism. He can be reached for comment at deardo.1@osu.edu.