OMC: The lack of a black middle class is a problem in Milwaukee as well as in other cities. Would the transition to uber-wealth be easier for someone who came from the middle class? It seems like it'd be tough to wake up with $50 million in the bank no matter where you come from.

LH: Look at Grant Hill. He grew up middle class, so the people around you are less inclined to expect you to buy them things and completely subsidize their lifestyle. A lot of young people we talked to are losing aunts and uncles and parents because of disagreements about money.

Torii Hunter, the all-star baseball player, said he gets two calls a year from people who just want to see how he is doing and that 98 percent of the calls he gets are people who want to see how he's dong and then, within five minutes into the conversation, they are asking him for money.

For guys coming out of the underclass, everybody depends on these individuals. They look at them as income generators. When they start to realize they're losing their fortune. they have to go back and tell people "I love you, man but you need have to start to support yourself. I've got a family. I've got a wife. I want to put my kids in private school. I want my kids to have access to education. I can't do that if I have to support you."

It makes it very difficult for these young people. What you say is true -- when people win the lottery, this is a very similar experience. The difference is that when you combine wealth and fame and being black. When you're black, black people expect you to be socially aware and do charity things and to support black causes.

OMC: You spoke to athletes and hip-hop stars for this project. It's interesting how much crossover exists between athletes and hip-hop stars. A lot of athletes want to be rappers and vice versa.

LH: The hip-hop culture is growing into the young African-American culture. Hip-hop culture almost inspires a lot of these athletes to be businessmen. They see Russell Simmons and Sean Combs and say "That guy looks like me. That guy came out of similar circumstances. I want to do more than just be an athlete."

The problem is they don't have the education. They're not prepared. They don't have the mentorship. They're not talking to the Bob Johnson's who can give them advice. That's what fascinates me so much about LeBron James. He used his platform. He called Warren Buffet and said "I want you to be my mentor." He's reading voraciously. He reads every newspaper he can get his hands on. He wants to be the future Magic Johnson or Oprah Winfrey.

OMC: It's interesting that LeBron reached out in search of mentors. Some have criticized Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods for not being more active in that area or more politically outspoken. Did you talk to either of those guys?

LH: Unfortunately, they didn't cooperate with my book. We did see Michael Jordan when we followed Bob Johnson around, because they share an interest in the Charlotte Bobcats franchise, but he didn't want to talk to us on camera.

I do think it would be easier for LeBron to go to a guy like Jordan or Woods than to go to a guy like Bill Cosby. There is the intergenerational kind of strain and the lack of mutual understanding. People tend to go to people maybe 10 years older than they are, because they are not going to slap them down for the way they dress or having tattoos.

OMC: What's the most important thing you discovered doing this project?

LH: Black America is not recognizing the tremendous opportunity that this is. Once these guys start to recognize in the Obama era that there is more to being a celebrity than just being a celebrity, maybe they'll start to go like (former Packers defensive end) Willie Davis did. Willie Davis went in the off-season and got his MBA from the University of Chicago when he was playing for Vince Lombardi and now owns 30 radio stations.

When we start to see that happening more, that's when that is more the story of Black America. That's going to be huge for Black America and America. For so long, we've had people talking about affirmative action and things that need to happen in order to solve the black economic crisis. The reality is we don't have to go outside of our community for these solutions. We can solve these issues in our community through entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. It is only through entrepreneurship and economic empowerment that we will begin to solve those problems by supporting each other and starting our businesses among each other.