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An Endless Summer League
He said he is under no illusions that Reebok employs him for any other reason than to get close to his son, saying, "Who could argue with that?"
Not Sonny Vaccaro, Reebok's director of grass-roots basketball, who acknowledged: "Absolutely, that is what this is. No different than a college recruiting . . . they only want you to come to my school. The more airplanes we have and the better time we have on a recruiting visit, the better chance I have of getting you."
 "I really don't look at high school basketball like I do AAU," said rising star Renardo Sidney. "It's not that important. I just like to win tournaments and rings and stuff like that." (Vickie D. King - The Clarion-Ledger) About This Series
During the year, The Washington Post will examine youth basketball in the United States. The lure of multimillion dollar contracts and the growth of college basketball have raised the stakes for young players, their parents, coaches and backers. Along the way, the nature of the game has been altered for thousands of kids.
THE PLAYER CHASEDecember 31: After a six-month investigation, The Washington Post has found that it is now common for college programs to make tax-deductible donations, usually through a booster, to AAU programs in an effort to land recruits.
July 14: Kene Obi still waits for clearance to play his first high school basketball game.
 July 6: Renardo Sidney has developed into a blue-chip recruit despite never having played in a high school basketball game.
 July 4: Being one of the country's best 10-year-old basketball players used to be worth a shelf-full of plastic trophies. Not anymore. Just ask Justin Jenifer.
Photos: Banking on a Prodigy
Video: Justin's Got Game
March 26: Jericho Christian Academy seeks a higher profile by using the lure of basketball, but it is a path that often comes at a price.
March 12: Stoneridge Preparatory School demonstrates how entire prep basketball squads are increasingly transferring together.
 March 5: The NCAA Clearinghouse certifies player's transcripts and grades without doing background checks on the validity of those documents.
THE PLAYER CHASE: THE EUROPEAN MODEL
To better understand the demise of U.S. basketball, reporter Michael Lee went to three countries whose teams have beaten the Americans to examine their player development system.
Dec. 18: Youth players who compete for Serbian club teams face unique economic and social pressures.
 Dec. 17: The European system for developing world-class basketball players can be a model for the U.S.
Graphic: Three basketball powers.
LIVE ONLINEThe Post's Eli Saslow was online to discuss Nigerian basketball players. Read the transcript.
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The elder Sidney said Nike and Adidas made similar offers for his services; representatives still call in attempts to lure the son to their tournaments. The voice mail boxes on his two cellphones are full; he never checks them and does not answer the phone if he sees an unfamiliar area code. He said he has received calls from individuals who refused to give their names but urged the elder Sidney to call back at a specific extension.
"There are so many people coming at" her son, said Sidney's mother, Patricia. "I can't imagine what it will be like in 11th or 12th grade. I've never seen anything like it in my life."
Sidney expects to spend those school years at Artesia High in Los Angeles. But the family says his basketball development will depend much more on his experience with the team he recently joined: the Southern California All-Stars, a Reebok-sponsored AAU team that counts NBA player Tyson Chandler among its alumni. This summer, he's also working out with NBA players and former college standouts at Irvine's Sports Club/LA, a luxurious 130,000-square foot fitness center with valet parking. This for a player whose training regimen 14 months ago included crack-of-dawn hill-running sessions with his father that the two dubbed "The Breakfast Club."
Once the family settles in Los Angeles, the elder Sidney said his son will become an "overnight celebrity."
Offers Abound
The absence of a high school career has not deterred "different people" from offering the family money in return for increased influence with Sidney, his father said. The younger Sidney said those offers come primarily from summer league and high school coaches and have all been refused.
Vaccaro, who has become somewhat of a confidant for the family, said the Sidneys call him when they are offered gifts but he does not ask what they have been offered because "if they tell me, my guilt is bigger." Vaccaro said he tells the family to "stand firm and hold out," but acknowledges the temptation is great.
"That's hard for any rational person to ask them to give up, when they don't have anything in their pocket right now," Vaccaro said. "If you have nothing there, how are you going to say, 'No'? So every once in a while someone gives you something you put it in your pocket or go buy yourself something, who am I to say don't do it?"
Chuck Wansley, one of Sidney's former coaches, said he or family members have also been approached by at least four individuals who claimed they were connected with sports agencies. The men usually initiate a conversation by saying they run a camp or tournament, Wansley said, but eventually explain their true intention -- to cultivate a relationship with the family in hopes that they can represent Sidney if he signs a lucrative NBA contract in four years. Vaccaro confirmed Wansley's account and added that at least two were linked to "very big" agents.
"The land mines Renardo will have won't be with ability -- it's going to be with people," Vaccaro said. "And for the first time, I can say this: The biggest thing will be people aligning themselves to be an agent for him in four years. . . .
"One-hundred dollars is like a dollar to some of these people [agents]. This is a major investment. You can look him in the eye and say, 'One-hundred million dollars in his career is nothing.' He's right in the middle of it. He's right here in Hollywood. . . . It's show business, and these people are substantial. This is not going to be a walk in the park. The hardest part is going to be when the game is over, not when the game is being played."
