Basketball: Thomas can play, no doubt

By the time LeBron James reached his last year in high school it was determined he would never have to work another day in his life. Sorry, he'd never have to work a day in his life.

He was labelled the most extraordinary basketball talent for his age since Dr James Naysmith nailed a pair of peach baskets to the wall. Companies like Coca-Cola and Nike were all lining up to put LeBron's face to their name.

Forbes magazine estimated James would earn $280 million before he turned 25. When Thomas Abercrombie turns 25 there are high hopes - and this isn't just hyperbole - that he will be on his way to joining the likes of Stan Hill and Pero Cameron in the pantheon of New Zealand basketballers.

It's unlikely his face will be on a soft-drink can; his name might not festoon a shoe; a quarter of a billion dollars in the bank would be fanciful.

But he might have a degree from one of the world's most prestigious universities. He might be captain of the Tall Blacks and he might, just might, have a burgeoning NBA career.

No, he's not LeBron, but this high-school phenom could be the closest we've got.

Already the offers from US colleges are rolling in.

"I've been officially offered a scholarship by Washington State," Abercrombie said.

"At Stanford, because it's such a highly regarded academic school, you have to be accepted on your academic record before you can be offered a scholarship. I'm in the process now of getting an application sorted for that."

What Abercrombie failed to mention was that he also has a proposal from Indiana University, the famed Hoosiers who are regarded as the spiritual keepers of basketball's torch.

The Washington State connection was made through former North Harbour import Tony Bennett, whose father is head of the basketball programme.

It is an attractive proposition but Abercrombie also knows a Stanford degree in sciences could set him up for a life outside basketball should he for some reason not make the grade.

Which, by all accounts, is unlikely.

Abercrombie is part of a Westlake Boys' High School basketball team that has this season won its games in Auckland's premier college grade by an average of 143-50.

He is Westlake's kingpin but the worrying thing for opposition coaches is his frank admission that in these games he's not even trying and is, not to put too fine a point on it, actually bored at the prospect of playing them.

"It's been no competition at all. It's just steal the ball, lay-ups and half the team just stands around watching.

"I went away with the Breakers to China and, playing with those guys and at that level of competition, coming back you miss competing at that level. It is just so much more challenging."

Abercrombie impressed the Breakers management enough for assistant coach Wayne Brown to write in his tour diary: "Young Tom Abercrombie had a great tour. He certainly wasn't just the kid who carried the bags ... he has an excellent base of fundamental skills and unbelievable natural athletic ability. His blocks were fantastic, well above the rim."

North Harbour basketball chief executive Mike Rogers said it was not "stretching it at all" to suggest Abercrombie would have been starting for the Harbour Heat this season. To do so would have meant jeopardising his NCAA eligibility as the NBL is a professional competition.

"At this stage we thought the US system was a better fit for him," Rogers explained.

He has no doubt, though, that the 17-year-old has the talent to go way beyond the NBL.

"He's a prototype basketballer really. He's big [1.97m] and he's smart as well. Kirk Penney thinks that he is an absolutely outstanding prospect."

An outstanding prospect himself, Penney is still trying to cut an NBA break in a basketball world where shooting guards are as big as forwards are in New Zealand.

Abercrombie has an inside-outside game but natural skills are not a prerequisite for the NBA. Size and athleticism hold greater sway.

"I'd like to play professionally somewhere. There's lot's of attractions in Europe. Obviously the NBA is a dream and not a totallyunrealistic one.

"NBA is where the big money is," Abercrombie said wistfully.

Just ask LeBron.


- HERALD ON SUNDAY