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Saw this article on the Chicago Sun-Times website (suntimes.com). Nothing new here except a few interesting things.
One - Why are they quoting Jeff McInnis? Couldn't they get any better (current) sources of info for the article?
Two - Quotes from LeBron at the end of the article about him re-signing with the Cavs are in contrast to things that were written earlier in the season. I had read that at the initial news conference to start the season LeBron said he was looking forward to re-upping with the Cavs. And, recently, I thought one of the BJ writers quoted LeBron as saying he couldn't wait until the summer so he could sign a max deal with the Cavs.
Anyway, my guess is he IS waiting to make a decision. Unlike national media that can't understand why any great free agent would want to play for a team in Cleveland, I don't think the city has anything to do with it. I think he wants to make sure the team is playoff worthy and that Brown is a good coach. This is really a critical season. If the Cavs tank, LeBron is probably a goner. That said, I think they will make the playoffs and make the Cavs his best option.
-----------------------------------------------
LeBron: The king of all he surveys
December 22, 2005
BY JOHN JACKSON Staff Reporter
Tune in almost any sporting event these days, and it probably won't be long before LeBron "King'' James appears on the screen.
The new Nike advertising campaign featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar has been praised for its creativity, and the company responded with a December media blitz to rival any beer-company ad buys.
In the series of commercials, dubbed ''The LeBrons,'' James plays four versions of himself -- elderly, middle-aged, contemporary and youngster -- and dazzles with his acting (and dancing) ability.
''I wanted to bring more of my personality out, and they came up with a great concept, so I was like, 'Let's do it,''' James said of the ads. ''At first, there was a little doubt in their minds. They didn't know if I could do all of the characters.''
LEBRON VS. THE BULLS
2003-04
Date Pts Site Result
12/20/03 32 Chi W, 95-87
12/26/03 18 Cle L, 87-80
3/1/04 18 Chi L, 91-82
3/16/04 17 Cle W, 111-87
2004-05
Date Pts Site Result
11/27/04 26 Cle W, 96-74
12/8/04 19 Chi L, 113-85
2/23/05 27 Cle W, 100-91
3/31/05 26 Chi L, 102-90
They should have known better than to doubt him.
Eight days shy of his 21st birthday, James certainly has lived up to the hype. About the only thing he hasn't accomplished that he has set his mind to is leading the Cavs to the NBA playoffs, a failure he's looking to erase this season.
So far, so good. With James averaging 30.7 points (third in the NBA), 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists, the Cavs bring a 14-9 record into the game tonight against the Bulls at the United Center (7, TNT, 1000-AM). They are tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs look like a solid playoff team. Then again, that was the feeling at this time last season, when the Cavs were on the heels of the Detroit Pistons, battling for first place in the Central Division. But they fell apart during the final two months, going 11-19 in their last 30 games to finish 42-40 and miss out on the playoffs -- again.
A year earlier, during James' rookie season, the Cavs went 4-11 down the stretch to finish 35-47.
Despite all he has accomplished, James won't be taken seriously in some circles until he is able to lead the Cavs -- who haven't tasted the postseason since 1998 -- into the playoffs.
''Like everybody says, he's got to get to the playoffs -- that's the key,'' said guard Jeff McInnis, a former teammate of James who now plays for the New Jersey Nets. ''All this he's doing now, he's been doing that. But you've got to make the playoffs.''
Of course, no one knows that better than James. He worked during the offseason on improving his outside shot -- the obvious weakness in his game -- and dialed up several top free agents to recruit them to Cleveland.
'Like getting a present'
The results on both fronts were mixed. His three-point percentage (.360) is only slightly better than it was last season (.351). And though new general manager Danny Ferry was able to sign Larry Hughes, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall, the Cavs failed to lure either of their top targets, sharpshooters Michael Redd and Ray Allen.
Whether Ferry has surrounded James with enough talent to make the playoffs under rookie coach Mike Brown remains to be seen. To date, the Cavs have been a bit up and down. They went 10-4 in November, then started December by losing five of six. Now they bring a three-game winning streak into the game tonight.
The next two weeks might provide some insight into the Cavs' future. Starting tonight, six of their next eight games are against Central rivals: two each against the Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks and single games against the Pistons and Indiana Pacers.
But regardless of whether the Cavs make the playoffs, James already has earned the respect and admiration of his rivals.
''You pay for a ticket to see LeBron perform, and it's like getting a present,'' Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett said recently. ''I just hope the people of Cleveland understand, realize what they have. He's like the Beatles.''
What makes James so special? That's a complex question that could require volumes to examine fully. The short version might go something like this:
He works hard, stays grounded and might be the only person who doesn't believe the hype.
''To this day, I don't feel it,'' he said when asked during a recent interview with the Associated Press when he knew he was destined for greatness. ''I hear my friends and my mom tell me I'm special, but honestly, I still don't get it.
''I just want to be levelheaded about things. I think about the times I had before, and I don't want to go back to those times.''
James grew up poor in the rough neighborhoods of Akron, Ohio, and believes the harsh realities he faced as a child helped him mature beyond his years.
Of the dozens of players who have made the jump from high school to the NBA, perhaps no one has made the transition more smoothly than James. Shortly after graduating from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in 2003, he signed a seven-year, $90 million deal with Nike.
A few months later, he was playing in NBA games, looking more like a seasoned veteran than an 18-year-old. He averaged 20.9 points as a rookie -- only the third first-year player in NBA history to average 20 points -- and became the youngest player to win the Rookie of the Year award.
''He handled himself like he'd been in the league 20, 30 years,'' McInnis said. ''He's a professional, goes out and wants to win and plays hard. It was great playing with him.''
Off the court, James handled himself with a level of dignity and class that many of the NBA's older players would be wise to follow.
''I don't know where I got it,'' he said of his maturity. ''I don't read books much. I don't read newspapers that much. It's everything that I went through in my itty-bitty 20 years of life I've been through so far.''
The corporate world
Still, James raised many eyebrows last summer when he fired his agent, Aaron Goodwin, and brought in three friends -- Maverick Carter, Randy Mims and Rich Paul -- to help him manage his personal and business affairs.
''I realized that it was time for me to become a man,'' James said. ''I wanted to be like I've always been -- the head of everything that I've done. When you're young and the leader of the basketball team, you don't realize someday you're going to be the head of a corporation or the head of your own business.''
As dedicated as he is on the court, James has interests and goals beyond basketball. He's focused on being an involved father to 15-month-old LeBron James Jr. and on developing success in the business world.
''In the next 15 or 20 years, I hope I'll be the richest man in the world,'' he said. ''That's one of my goals. I want to be a billionaire. I want to get to a position where generation on generation don't have to worry about nothing. I don't want family members from my kids to my son's kids to never have to worry -- and I can't do that just playing basketball.''
Perhaps the biggest business decision James has on the horizon is whether he will commit to the Cavs next summer, when the team is eligible to offer him a long-term contract extension. When his three-year rookie contract expires after this season, he also could opt for one-year contracts in each of the next two seasons before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2008.
James said he isn't ready to commit to anything just yet.
''At this time, I'm very, very happy,'' he said. ''Besides my son, the Cavs are the thing that I'm closest to. One thing that I will not do because I'm a businessman ... I will not put all the eggs in one basket. It's not fair to me. But I will give the Cavaliers the most opportunities for LeBron James.
''That's just being real. I'm a businessman. The Cavs are running a business, too. For my teammates and for the city of Cleveland, I won't make promises because I don't know what might happen the rest of this season.''
LEBRON JAMES -- BY THE NUMBERSYEAR G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
03-04 79 79 39.5 .417 .290 .754 1.3 4.2 5.5 5.9 1.65 .73 3.46 1.90 20.9
04-05 80 80 42.4 .472 .351 .750 1.4 6.0 7.4 7.2 2.21 .65 3.28 1.80 27.2
05-06 23 23 41.1 .504 .360 .793 0.7 5.2 5.9 5.3 1.57 1.00 3.48 2.60 30.7
Career 182 182 41.0 .454 .331 .759 1.2 5.1 6.4 6.4 1.88 .70 3.38 2.00 24.9
*Named 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Cavalier and youngest player to receive the award.
*One of three rookies to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in one season (O. Robertson, M. Jordan).
One - Why are they quoting Jeff McInnis? Couldn't they get any better (current) sources of info for the article?
Two - Quotes from LeBron at the end of the article about him re-signing with the Cavs are in contrast to things that were written earlier in the season. I had read that at the initial news conference to start the season LeBron said he was looking forward to re-upping with the Cavs. And, recently, I thought one of the BJ writers quoted LeBron as saying he couldn't wait until the summer so he could sign a max deal with the Cavs.
Anyway, my guess is he IS waiting to make a decision. Unlike national media that can't understand why any great free agent would want to play for a team in Cleveland, I don't think the city has anything to do with it. I think he wants to make sure the team is playoff worthy and that Brown is a good coach. This is really a critical season. If the Cavs tank, LeBron is probably a goner. That said, I think they will make the playoffs and make the Cavs his best option.
-----------------------------------------------
LeBron: The king of all he surveys
December 22, 2005
BY JOHN JACKSON Staff Reporter
Tune in almost any sporting event these days, and it probably won't be long before LeBron "King'' James appears on the screen.
The new Nike advertising campaign featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar has been praised for its creativity, and the company responded with a December media blitz to rival any beer-company ad buys.
In the series of commercials, dubbed ''The LeBrons,'' James plays four versions of himself -- elderly, middle-aged, contemporary and youngster -- and dazzles with his acting (and dancing) ability.
''I wanted to bring more of my personality out, and they came up with a great concept, so I was like, 'Let's do it,''' James said of the ads. ''At first, there was a little doubt in their minds. They didn't know if I could do all of the characters.''
LEBRON VS. THE BULLS
2003-04
Date Pts Site Result
12/20/03 32 Chi W, 95-87
12/26/03 18 Cle L, 87-80
3/1/04 18 Chi L, 91-82
3/16/04 17 Cle W, 111-87
2004-05
Date Pts Site Result
11/27/04 26 Cle W, 96-74
12/8/04 19 Chi L, 113-85
2/23/05 27 Cle W, 100-91
3/31/05 26 Chi L, 102-90
They should have known better than to doubt him.
Eight days shy of his 21st birthday, James certainly has lived up to the hype. About the only thing he hasn't accomplished that he has set his mind to is leading the Cavs to the NBA playoffs, a failure he's looking to erase this season.
So far, so good. With James averaging 30.7 points (third in the NBA), 5.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists, the Cavs bring a 14-9 record into the game tonight against the Bulls at the United Center (7, TNT, 1000-AM). They are tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs look like a solid playoff team. Then again, that was the feeling at this time last season, when the Cavs were on the heels of the Detroit Pistons, battling for first place in the Central Division. But they fell apart during the final two months, going 11-19 in their last 30 games to finish 42-40 and miss out on the playoffs -- again.
A year earlier, during James' rookie season, the Cavs went 4-11 down the stretch to finish 35-47.
Despite all he has accomplished, James won't be taken seriously in some circles until he is able to lead the Cavs -- who haven't tasted the postseason since 1998 -- into the playoffs.
''Like everybody says, he's got to get to the playoffs -- that's the key,'' said guard Jeff McInnis, a former teammate of James who now plays for the New Jersey Nets. ''All this he's doing now, he's been doing that. But you've got to make the playoffs.''
Of course, no one knows that better than James. He worked during the offseason on improving his outside shot -- the obvious weakness in his game -- and dialed up several top free agents to recruit them to Cleveland.
'Like getting a present'
The results on both fronts were mixed. His three-point percentage (.360) is only slightly better than it was last season (.351). And though new general manager Danny Ferry was able to sign Larry Hughes, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall, the Cavs failed to lure either of their top targets, sharpshooters Michael Redd and Ray Allen.
Whether Ferry has surrounded James with enough talent to make the playoffs under rookie coach Mike Brown remains to be seen. To date, the Cavs have been a bit up and down. They went 10-4 in November, then started December by losing five of six. Now they bring a three-game winning streak into the game tonight.
The next two weeks might provide some insight into the Cavs' future. Starting tonight, six of their next eight games are against Central rivals: two each against the Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks and single games against the Pistons and Indiana Pacers.
But regardless of whether the Cavs make the playoffs, James already has earned the respect and admiration of his rivals.
''You pay for a ticket to see LeBron perform, and it's like getting a present,'' Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett said recently. ''I just hope the people of Cleveland understand, realize what they have. He's like the Beatles.''
What makes James so special? That's a complex question that could require volumes to examine fully. The short version might go something like this:
He works hard, stays grounded and might be the only person who doesn't believe the hype.
''To this day, I don't feel it,'' he said when asked during a recent interview with the Associated Press when he knew he was destined for greatness. ''I hear my friends and my mom tell me I'm special, but honestly, I still don't get it.
''I just want to be levelheaded about things. I think about the times I had before, and I don't want to go back to those times.''
James grew up poor in the rough neighborhoods of Akron, Ohio, and believes the harsh realities he faced as a child helped him mature beyond his years.
Of the dozens of players who have made the jump from high school to the NBA, perhaps no one has made the transition more smoothly than James. Shortly after graduating from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in 2003, he signed a seven-year, $90 million deal with Nike.
A few months later, he was playing in NBA games, looking more like a seasoned veteran than an 18-year-old. He averaged 20.9 points as a rookie -- only the third first-year player in NBA history to average 20 points -- and became the youngest player to win the Rookie of the Year award.
''He handled himself like he'd been in the league 20, 30 years,'' McInnis said. ''He's a professional, goes out and wants to win and plays hard. It was great playing with him.''
Off the court, James handled himself with a level of dignity and class that many of the NBA's older players would be wise to follow.
''I don't know where I got it,'' he said of his maturity. ''I don't read books much. I don't read newspapers that much. It's everything that I went through in my itty-bitty 20 years of life I've been through so far.''
The corporate world
Still, James raised many eyebrows last summer when he fired his agent, Aaron Goodwin, and brought in three friends -- Maverick Carter, Randy Mims and Rich Paul -- to help him manage his personal and business affairs.
''I realized that it was time for me to become a man,'' James said. ''I wanted to be like I've always been -- the head of everything that I've done. When you're young and the leader of the basketball team, you don't realize someday you're going to be the head of a corporation or the head of your own business.''
As dedicated as he is on the court, James has interests and goals beyond basketball. He's focused on being an involved father to 15-month-old LeBron James Jr. and on developing success in the business world.
''In the next 15 or 20 years, I hope I'll be the richest man in the world,'' he said. ''That's one of my goals. I want to be a billionaire. I want to get to a position where generation on generation don't have to worry about nothing. I don't want family members from my kids to my son's kids to never have to worry -- and I can't do that just playing basketball.''
Perhaps the biggest business decision James has on the horizon is whether he will commit to the Cavs next summer, when the team is eligible to offer him a long-term contract extension. When his three-year rookie contract expires after this season, he also could opt for one-year contracts in each of the next two seasons before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2008.
James said he isn't ready to commit to anything just yet.
''At this time, I'm very, very happy,'' he said. ''Besides my son, the Cavs are the thing that I'm closest to. One thing that I will not do because I'm a businessman ... I will not put all the eggs in one basket. It's not fair to me. But I will give the Cavaliers the most opportunities for LeBron James.
''That's just being real. I'm a businessman. The Cavs are running a business, too. For my teammates and for the city of Cleveland, I won't make promises because I don't know what might happen the rest of this season.''
LEBRON JAMES -- BY THE NUMBERSYEAR G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
03-04 79 79 39.5 .417 .290 .754 1.3 4.2 5.5 5.9 1.65 .73 3.46 1.90 20.9
04-05 80 80 42.4 .472 .351 .750 1.4 6.0 7.4 7.2 2.21 .65 3.28 1.80 27.2
05-06 23 23 41.1 .504 .360 .793 0.7 5.2 5.9 5.3 1.57 1.00 3.48 2.60 30.7
Career 182 182 41.0 .454 .331 .759 1.2 5.1 6.4 6.4 1.88 .70 3.38 2.00 24.9
*Named 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Cavalier and youngest player to receive the award.
*One of three rookies to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in one season (O. Robertson, M. Jordan).