LeBron James: Miami Heat Star the Right Choice for Pro-School Ads

It may seem that Miami Heat star LeBron James educating kids to stay in school would be hypocritical.

After all, he skipped college for the NBA.

But in his latest ads with State Farm and the U.S. Army and Ad Council, which encourage kids to graduate high school, James is the right fit.

In the context of promoting high school graduation, James can take a lead role because he did graduate from high school. Even if he didn't go to college, that doesn't mean he still can't be a spokesperson for high school graduation.

What a kid decides to do after high school is technically up to him or her. But I think we can all agree that in this economic climate, at least graduating high school is critical these days.

According to America’s Promise Alliance, approximately 7,000 high school students drop out every school day, which is about one every 26 seconds in the U.S. James, regardless of what he did after high school, did not become just another statistic in high school. That in itself makes him a good spokesperson for the cause.

You also have to take into account James' popularity among high school students. Regardless of his controversial image in the NBA, a lot of high school students still look to him as an icon. Heck, a lot of prep basketball players do. This also makes him the right man for these ads because students look to him for guidance.

I'm guessing James' participation in pro-school ads will spark some controversy in the coming days. But in this context, it shouldn't.