Should Cam Newton Worry About Becoming the NFL's LeBron James?

Saviors. Freaks. Once-in-a-generation combinations of size, speed and skill. Consensus No. 1 overall picks. Wise beyond their years, vowing that winning means more to them than anything else, both Cam Newton and LeBron James set their respective leagues on fire from their very first game.

In James's first game, he scored 25 points, had nine assists, six rebounds, four steals and sank 60 percent of his field goals.

In Newton's first game, he threw for 422 yards, two touchdowns, 11.41 yards per attempt and a 110.1 passer rating. He also rushed for 18 yards and a touchdown.

Both lost.

Newton, like James, is his team's future. His limitless physical potential and his obvious drive to win have already made the Carolina Panthers far more dangerous than many thought they could be this season. Though they're only 2-7, they've moved the ball in chunks and scored points.

However, Newton has to be careful. As LeBron James hit the ground running with Nike, Under Armour signed Newton to the largest-ever shoe endorsement deal of any NFL rookie. Riding the hype train directly from the BCS National Championship to the Heisman Trophy to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to blowing away NFL passing records, Newton is becoming an NFL icon when he's just beginning his professional development.

The Cleveland Cavaliers slowly accrued role players and supporting cast members for James, culminating in a trip to the NBA Finals and a subsequent 127-37 record over the next two seasons. But James and the Cavaliers never cashed in on all that success. James' on-the-record humility and desire to win a title contrasted with persistent rumors of his desire to bathe in brighter limelight—as well as his mediocre performances and disengaged demeanor during pressure situations.

All the goodwill James had built up evaporated during his reviled "The Decision" TV special announcing his intent to sign with the Miami Heat. In the wake of that fateful event, Cavs fans took to the streets, burning James jerseys and cursing his name. The splashy, selfish move drew criticism from fans and media all over the world.

Now, even if James wins multiple titles in Miami, his choice to abandon the team that drafted him and the city that molded its identity around him will forever stain his legacy. Might Newton leave Charlotte—a city, like Cleveland, anxious to assert its major league legitimacy—before he reaches the NFL summit, with the Panthers on his back?

It's easy to imagine a future where Carolina quickly improves over the next several seasons, becoming a perennial playoff team in the NFC. However, the NFC is full of excellent teams with young quarterbacks at the helm; it's also easy to imagine Newton, like James, spending most of the next decade falling just short of teams like the Packers, Bears, Saints, Falcons, Lions and 49ers.

It's not much harder to imagine Newton being wooed away by a bigger-market team—perhaps after acrimonious contract negotiations, a franchise tag or two, or even a holdout. However, many well-regarded players have clashed with their team's management without losing face with their teammates or fans.

If Newton wants to avoid following in James' footsteps, he'll need to continue to take his on-field development as seriously as he can. He'll need to be the best he can be, no matter how good half his best might be. Newton will have to put the Panthers first, publicly and privately. Ultimately, he'll need to turn that limitless potential into reality—to win—both before and after his rookie contract runs out.