LeBron does New York star turn at book signing
Photo credit: Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/MCT | LeBron James pumps his fist after making a shot against the Hawks during Game 4 of their NBA Playoff series.
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LeBron James
The line wrapped around the building, from Fifth Avenue onto 46th Street. They came here Tuesday to see, as one man shouted, "The King.'' LeBron James could very well take the throne in New York as a free agent next summer, but before he contemplates signing with the Knicks, he spent 90 minutes signing copies of his new book at a midtown store.
"I'm blessed that I'm even able to have the opportunity to do this,'' said James, who is promoting "Shooting Stars,'' co-written by Buzz Bissinger, author of "Friday Night Lights.''
James, who is keenly aware of the importance of achieving global status, toured in China last month and has been a fixture in New York lately. He has appeared on "Good Morning America'' (with Chris Cuomo chanting "Knicks! Knicks!'' during the interview) and on "The Daily Show" (where host Jon Stewart presented James with an "I heart NY" mug, a burger from the Shake Shack and a supposed tyrannosaurus rex vertebra from the Museum of Natural History).
But there wasn't much campaigning done by Knicks fans Tuesday. Only one person in line wore a Knicks shirt, and several came in Cavaliers attire. Plenty represented James' favorite baseball team, the Yankees.
The Knicks are looking to take a page from the Yankees and sign major NBA stars. Donnie Walsh carved out plenty of salary-cap space last season to make a run at a marquee free agent such as James, who is expected to opt out of his contract next July. He has a standing offer of a multiyear extension from the Cavs but so far has decided to leave it on the table. (The Knicks are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday.)
So consider the book and the upcoming documentary "More Than a Game'' an opportunity for New Yorkers to get to know King James better before he could be handed the keys to the kingdom.
The candid look at James' launch into stardom as a high school phenom sold out at the bookstore Tuesday. The movie, to be released Oct. 2 in New York, Akron and Cleveland, earned positive reviews at the Toronto Film Festival last September.
James is clearly having fun with the 2010 anticipation, but Tuesday said his focus two weeks before training camps open is short-term. The Cavs are coming off a bitter flop in the Eastern Conference finals and had an underwhelming offseason, which included the acquisition of the charismatic, though aging, Shaquille O'Neal.
A book, a movie and an MVP trophy. All that's missing is a championship.
"I'm looking forward to the upcoming season; I can't wait for it to start,'' James said. "I'm preparing for it to be a long season. I'm preparing to play into June.''
