The questions started flooding in almost a year ago. LeBron James was a Sports Illustrated cover subject as a high school junior from Akron, Ohio. Kobe Bryant was in Cleveland for Lakers at Cavaliers, helpless against the inquisition.

That was last February, when the locals came to Gund Arena to ask about King James and when Bryant warned that if "he's as good as they say he is, he'll still have to improve his game." Now they all get the questions, each of LeBron's predecessors on the preps-to-pros assembly line.

	LeBron James will have to grow up fast if he goes straight to the pros.

There are presently 15 players in the NBA who bypassed college to go directly to adulthood on hardwood. It shouldn't be terribly surprising that press gnats are constantly asking The Fifteen what they think of the kid who has churned out more adolescent publicity than all 15 combined.

Of course, LeBron James and the corresponding mania that accompanies him is a byproduct of what Bryant and the others have achieved. Kevin Garnett arrived in 1995, Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal in 1996 and Tracy McGrady in 1997. Even though it took them each a few years to really arrive, together they've formed the backbone of a fraternity that has nothing to do with college.

Attention and anticipation smother James today because we have been conditioned to expect more wunderkinder like Kobe and KG and T-Mac. Our radar tracks them earlier than ever, which isn't even that tough when the target is playing regularly on ESPN2 and driving a Hummer to class.

Bryant met James at last winter's All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia, before his Cleveland stop. He left the teen-ager with a pair of hi-tops and a message about being tough in those first few years that don't always go so well. "If you come to the NBA," Bryant said at the time, "you have to sacrifice a lot. It may not be a business for you, but it's a business for them. And they are paying you millions of dollars."

Over the past week, we caught up with as many of Bryant's peers as possible to hear their reactions to the nationwide LeBron frenzy and what advice they might have for the new pledge. The findings:

Tracy McGrady

	McGrady

"It's a lot of pressure. I don't think that much pressure should be put on the kid, but it seems like he's handling it in a mature way.

"You have to stay focused and be your own man. You have to make wise decisions. Do what's best for LeBron, and don't listen to all the people around you trying to get in your ear. You've got to have a real tight supporting cast. Don't let anybody that's outside the circle come in and try to take over. Listen to your family.

"I wouldn't want all that (frenzy). I would think that's a little bit too much, and then jealously starts to set in. It would just be a whole lot of people talking, a lot of negative stuff. I wouldn't want to put that on myself (by driving a Hummer). I'd wait until I'm ready for that kind of life.

"But if you can hold your own, you've got nothing to worry about. Guys are going to try to stick it to him (next season). They're going to test his heart. He's got to go right back at 'em."

Kevin Garnett

	Garnett

"Some of the best advice I can give anyone coming into the league, and especially him, is to remain who he is. Remember some of the things that got you here, like working hard and being respectful and gaining respect. Enjoy the game, because after a while it can get a little hectic.

"As you grow, you learn things. It's not like one second (it clicks) and you already know something. Maturity is a part of growth. I've been in a position to learn and mature at the same time. I like the progress because I've learned a lot since I've been in the league.

"Travel is one of the most difficult (aspects) coming into the NBA. Also playing center in high school and then (small forward) in the NBA. Playing guys like Chris Mullin, who make you pay for your mistakes. Those were the most difficult aspects of the game that I had (to learn).

"It's hard to speak on then and now. A lot has happened since myself, Kobe, Jermaine, Al (Harrington) and Tracy came out. I compare it a lot to how Michael Jordan opened up the floodgates as far as endorsements and style. At the time when I did it, people didn't know what to expect from it. Now there is a certain expectation level that can go to another level (with LeBron).

"The pressure that people put on Kwame (Brown), now they are going to do it to LeBron. He needs to remain who he is, continue to work hard and let things come to him. You may want it right now, but that's not always the case."

Kwame Brown

	Brown

"You really can't give any advice because I think every situation is different. But I would say, before he makes any decisions, he just needs to stick with immediate family -- don't let friends influence you. You want to have your little group around you because it's going to affect all of them. It's going to affect the way your friends treat you. Just get with your family and make the right decisions. And just follow your heart.

"I'm a little nervous for him. I'm scared for him. I'm going to pray for him. Because, you know, he's got a lot of hype on him now and a lot guys will be out to prove him wrong. I'm sure he knows that. They're building him up so high that it'd be a long fall if he doesn't do well early.

"I think he's a tough kid. He's strong. He's smart. He just needs to stay positive. All you've got is you and your family. Just stay positive with yourself and keep your family with yourself. They're the only ones who'll be with him if he doesn't do well early."

Rashard Lewis

	Lewis

"As a guy who came from high school, I'm behind him 100 percent. If he thinks he can compete in the NBA, I think he should go ahead and (declare). But he has to make sure he's mentally and physically ready, because a lot of people are going to be expecting big things from him. They're going to be looking for him to put up big numbers right away, and that's hard to do.

"I've been watching him and they've really been hyping him up. This is my fifth year and my name is just starting to get out there as far as double-teams and things like that. He's already a focal point. The attention is already on him. The first time I play against him, nobody's going to be paying attention to me because he's supposed to be the next Jordan or the best kid who ever came out of high school.

"He has to learn how to play in the NBA first. I think it's going to be real difficult."

Shawn Kemp

	Kemp

"It's kind of funny to hear about (the Hummer and the TV games). He's putting up with a lot, but in a way they're also doing him a favor, talking a lot about him so much. It's like he's at the next level already.

"It makes it a little harder, but when you're young like that, you don't fully understand what's going on around you. He's not sitting around analyzing the whole picture, trust me.

"Generally guys who come in at the one, two and three positions don't do very well (at the start), so he's got to work his butt off. Kobe went through that, too. (Amare) Stoudemire is making a big impact right now. He's doing the best that I've seen (out of high school), but he's a power player.

"I went to a veteran team (in Seattle in 1989) so I had to earn every minute I got. It was a little different for me. I don't think he'll have to earn minutes. There's nothing wrong with coming into the league at 18 years old as long as you know it's going to be very, very hard at the next level."

Eddy Curry

	Curry

"I think we all had a lot of hype coming out of high school, but LeBron has definitely had a lot more than we had. If (embracing the hype is) what he wants to do, he should do it his way. As long as he stays focused and concentrates on his priorities, he'll be all right.

"He has to stay focused on what he's doing right now. With all the talk about the future it's kind of easy to get off track. Complete your high school career so you won't have any regrets.

"You can never work too hard when you're preparing to make the jump to the league. You have to grow up so fast. So it's important to enjoy being a kid for as long as you can. You're not ready for the sudden lifestyle change."

Tyson Chandler
"He has to keep working and concentrate on getting better and learn more about this league. But I feel he has the talent to come in and respond to all the hype he's getting.

"He's the type of player, like me, who enjoys the hype and feels he can respond to that. He's been exposed to a lot of it, so he should be OK."

Amare Stoudemire
"He's got to become a man. Quick."

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, send Stein a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.