Lebron James: Read all about him

Don't know where your money is on the Lebron James sweepstakes. I bet a buck that he'll sign with my N.Y. Knicks, though I'm guessing like everyone else in the world. The contract he'll demand is staggering -- on the order of $100 million, which would make him nearly as rich as literary superstars such as James Patterson or J.K. Rowling. And he doesn't have to go on endless author's tours.

As his televised announcement nears and the frenzy peaks, I have a suggestion: Instead of engaging in all the talk show speculation, consider spending some quiet time reading about him. You might consider the King James Bible -- whoops, wrong King James. Better yet, try "Shooting Stars," which chronicles James' pre-NBA basketball life with a group of friends in Akron. It was written with Buzz Bissinger of "Friday Night Lights" fame. An excerpt from the N.Y. Times review: "Inasmuch as James set out to celebrate the triumphs of five stalwart friends, 'Shooting Stars' is at times affecting. But as a fresh take on James as the Chosen One, or as a cautionary tale about the commercialization of young athletes, it's more tenuous."

James must be responsible for killing more trees than last year's forest fires, because the list of biographies goes on and on. Among them: "Lebron James: The Making of an MVP" by Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst, "King James: Believe the Hype" by Ryan Jones, and "LeBron James: The Rise of a Star" by David Lee Morgan Jr.