LeBron offers support to Beckham: 'He can reach out to me any time'
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James knows all too well about the pressures of being precocious, and wants to help New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
James, who's been in the spotlight since appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated during his junior year of high school, offered to assist Beckham, who came under fire this season for his on-field theatrics.
"I just try to be a guide to him and give him words of advice when he needs it and when he wants it," James said Saturday via NJ.com's Dan Duggan. "He can reach out to me any time no matter what time or what the subject is and I just try to give him a piece of my knowledge. It's up to him however he wants to take it."
Beckham remains as one of the NFL's preeminent wide receivers, recording 101 receptions for 1,367 yards and 10 touchdowns during his third NFL campaign. However, the 24-year-old drew scrutiny for throwing down a kicking net, delivering a crushing, illegal hit on New Orleans Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro, and entering a series of extraneous on-field spats.
James, who recently eviscerated NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley for continuous criticism of his game, advised the young superstar to not worry about extraneous factors.
"At the end of the day, you control what you can control," James said. "What I can control is how I approach the game, what I represent to the game and how I step out on the floor and compete every night with my teammates. That's the only thing I can worry about and should focus on."
Beckham and James worked out together in July and have cultivated a friendship during the former's three professional seasons.
"It was just good to be able to work out with him," Beckham said of James in July. "Obviously you see what it takes and what he is doing even after what he's already done. I don't want to say I gained a new level of respect for him because I already have the utmost respect for him. He's my favorite athlete and the one that I look to the most, so it was just a cool experience for me to be able to go down and work with him."