and you thought the coverage on LeBron was sick...
 

Mark Walker has been toted the "Future of Basketball." He has made 18 shots in a row (on film if you don't believe me). He has been making shots on since he was 21 months old (on a fisher price hoop, no less). He has an endorsement deal with Reebok.

Oh yeah, and he's three and a half years old.

Very cool, but very disturbing

In the last clip, he says, "I am the future of basketball. I am Reebok". I felt sick to my stomach when he said that. My only hope is that this kid lives a normal childhood and isn't exploited until at least high school, which is still pretty bad.

It's gonna be bad when he doesn't amount to shit. Considering that he won't be elgible to play high school basketball, his parents should be shot for fucking this kids life dream up for a couple million.

Yea, dudes fucked man what happens when he turns 6 and whats to play baseball or football or golf or whatever, or what if he wants to go in another whole dirrection when hes 18. Just seems to me that you shouldn't live your dreams though your kids.

yup

that sucks

He'll own the playground with his two hand shot, until some kid hits puberty and stuffs the shit out of him or someone comes up and takes it from behind.

*shaking my head

I guess when the money was dangled out in front of those parents it was just too much for them to resist...

Similar to the many hockey parents thinking their child will become the next Wayne Gretzky.

If you go to a local hockey game between kids, the yelling that comes from the parents is ridiculous.

Parents of some people do much more harm. I wish the court would make it a law that any dealings monetarily that concern a child should have to be approved by a court appointed trustee. Some of this is nonsense.

These people are stupid, for every Wayne Gretzky that was skating at 2, thers a Paul Kariya who didnt play hockey till 15 Thats why they dont have kids professional leagues, going hardcore at an early age does not necessarily mean success !

When he says 'I am Reebok", it seriously made me sad.

I think the parents went looking for it. That makes it worse, in my mind.

I still haven't really figured out what the deal is for Reebok. Do they figure this will sell shoes?

There was a story about some 15 year old soccer player who gets a million a year from Nike on Sprtscenter today. The one good thing is that his mom turned down AC Milan for 6 digits a year when he was 13 so he could stay in the US and school.

There's a difference though. That 15 year old kid is already playing at the professional level. This 3 year old turd will never get the chance. Is he going to jump straight from middle school to the pros? He lost his high school elgibility by being signed with reebok. I'd say he just blew his chance at the NBA.

Could he still qualify for travelling teams? If he does progressively get better he could get on a good travelling team and get noticed.

Is that a nationwide rule? Besides he has plenty of years before he even has to think about playing in the pros. Thats of course if he wants to by then anyway...

I don't think he'll lose his eligability...he's only 3. His parents signed that, and he had no idea...it's still sad, though.

now that is a damn shame. I feel bad for the boy.

kid bett work on his form!
that over the head shit ain't gonna' cut it in the nba!!!!

fuck that

Actually I think he turned down the contract himself, with hisreasoning being "I need to Mature some more before I play in Europe."

The kid will never play any organized ball. He'll get cracked up at 5, sue his parents for emancipation when he's 8, get herpes from Christina Aguilara at 13 and die in a puddle of his own piss and vomit at age 18.

Or he could grow up to OWN Reebok!

For the soccer, I think you're talking about Freddy Adu. He's only 13 and playing on the U-17 National team. I caught a few clips of him, and this kid is seriously sick. He was absolutely shredding the best 17 year olds in the world. It was nuts. Seeing as how his family was relatively destitute and recent immigrants from ..I forget, somewhere in Africa, they really could have used the money. He's already being hailed as the savior of American soccer.

But seriously, if I had a son and someone offered me a million dollars for him to wear clothing of a certain brand and preform in commercials, I sincerely doubt I would have the strength to say no. That's a million dollars you're talking about. A little more important than HS basketball.

Andrew.

I highly doubt that these commercials ruined his chance to play high school basketball. Like holtmate said, he's only 3, this will be a distant memory by the time he's in high school. I doubt Reebok has him contracted for life.