Sports

Basketball

LeBron James

If <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> chose the Knicks instead of the Heat, there figured to be many more people making money off his name in New York than the guys selling $10 vuvuzelas bearing his likeness outside Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
Jerseys, T-shirts, sneakers, hats, license plates, bobbleheads, the list of tchotchkes seems infinite when it comes to the LeBron brand. New York merchants are aware of how much they could have cashed in.
"Hundreds of T-shirts and hundreds of jerseys were on order," said Jim Root, vice president of Gerry Cosby Sporting Goods, which is across the street from the Garden. "It was like preparing for a world championship that didn't happen. It's been tough the last 10 years for the Knicks. Luckily, we have eight other teams in the area."
The same can't be said for <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>. Reaction there ranged from outright disgust to a woe-is-us attitude that has permeated the city's sport sentiment for years.
"Just the same old thing, everyone got punched in the gut again," said David Torquato, a manager of Champs Sports in <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>. "That's the most disappointing part."
Torquato's store, which is just outside Quicken Loans Arena, marked down LeBron's Cavs jersey 50 percent, to $40, on Saturday. He said they had been on sale since the Cavs' playoff run ended, but not to this extent. At <a href="/topics/Dick%27s_Sporting_Goods_Inc">Dick's Sporting Goods</a> in Westlake, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>, they were marked down to $29.99.
Forty dollars is highway robbery compared with the going rate on <a href="/topics/eBay_Inc.">eBay</a>. On Friday, a large Cavs No. 23 LeBron jersey could be had for $4.99. On Saturday, some up for auction were still at the minimum bid of cents.
But one man's loss is another's gain. Just ask Fermin Cabal, a manager at Midway Sporting Goods in Miami.
"We've already had about 20 calls asking for LeBron jerseys," he said. "It's all <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> right now. It's like they won the <a href="/topics/Super_Bowl">Super Bowl</a> here. It's been the only thing on the news for days."
<a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> modeled his No. 6 Heat jersey - the same number he wore the last time he was teammates with <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a> and Chris Bosh on <a href="/topics/Team_USA">Team USA</a> in <a href="/topics/Beijing">Beijing</a> - at the Big Three's coming out party at <a href="/topics/American_Airlines">American Airlines</a> Arena in Miami on Friday.
"Sales have been flat the last six or eight months," Cabal said. "This thing's going to inject some money into the city."
For the people of Cleveland, that's a tough pill to swallow. But at least there's a place they're able to drown their sorrows with LeBron's help. 
At McNulty's Bier Markt, Clevelanders can exchange their LeBron memorabilia (jerseys, T-shirts, etc.) for a free beer. The apparel is then torn up by a pair of oversized garden sheers. Those wearing the gear of another Cleveland team get two free beers.
"The way that I look at it is, it's like breaking up with your longtime girlfriend and then being forced to go on vacation with her another week," said Matt Stipe, an assistant general manager at the bar. "It really rips your guts out.
"Overall, he seemed like an upstanding guy. He's not one of those guys out getting a DUI. But what really tears me up is just the way that he went about this with a great big narcissistic prime-time special. Almost since high school, he's been deified here. He could do no wrong. So instead of quelling that anger, we wanted to ramp it up."
LeBron's Godlike status could have soared in New York. Alas, they'll have to settle for Amar'e Stoudemire. "Amar'e? He's not even a drop in the bucket compared to LeBron," Root said. "There hasn't been much to get excited about."
Well at least the vuvuzela guys made a few bucks.

New York Knicks

SPMERCH11

LeBron gear windfall in Miami, in free fall elsewhere

As <a href="/topics/William_Shakespeare">William Shakespeare</a> might have said were he chronicling modern life in <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>, "Hell hath no fury like an <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> owner scorned."
Acting out on behalf of his team's angry fans, Cavaliers majority owner <a href="/topics/Dan_Gilbert">Dan Gilbert</a> called LeBron <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> every name in the book from "coward" to "quitter" for his decision to abandon Cleveland for the <a href="/topics/Miami_Heat">Miami Heat</a> and the sybaritic delights of the South Beach lifestyle.
James announced his decision during a contrived TV special on <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> on Thursday night without giving Gilbert the courtesy of informing him directly ahead of time. That selfish act apparently lit the fuse for a blowup by Gilbert that had been building during the past two years as he indulged James' cynical machinations.
Late Thursday night after the announcement, Gilbert lashed out with a letter to Cavaliers fans posted on the team's website in which he portrayed James' move as a "cowardly betrayal," a "heartless and callous action" and a "shameful display of selfishness and betrayal."
In case anyone missed Gilbert's emphasis on betrayal, he ordered "Fathead," another company he owns, to begin a clearance sale on James' vinyl wall graphics from $99.99 to $17.41 in honor of the year traitorous Gen. <a href="/topics/Benedict_Arnold">Benedict Arnold</a> was born.
But Gilbert saved his most damning comments for an Associated Press interview in which he charged James with "quitting" in the Cavaliers' second-round playoff loss to <a href="/topics/Boston">Boston</a> this season as well as in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference finals loss to Orlando in 2009.
Describing the Cavs' loss to the Celtics in a series they led 2-1, Gilbert said: "He quit. Not just in Game 5 [a 32-point Cleveland loss in which James scored only 15 points and shot 3-for-14 from the field], but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar."
Referring to the Game 6 loss to Orlando last year, Gilbert said, "How many shots did he take?" James scored 25 points, making eight of a team-high 20 shots in a 13-point loss that sent Orlando to the NBA Finals.
Since the end of the season, Gilbert said James never returned a single telephone message or text to the Cavs, who learned of his decision only moments before the announcement in a telephone call from Rich Paul, one of James' business partners.
"It's not about him leaving," Gilbert said. "It's the disrespect. It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children? I've been holding this all in for a long time."
Gilbert, who has owned the Cavs for the past five of James' seven seasons in Cleveland, held nothing back in his letter. He poked fun at <a href="/topics/Nike">Nike</a>'s "We are all witnesses" ad campaign, calling James' "narcissistic" TV special "unlike anything ever 'witnessed' in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment. Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us."
Using capital letters to scream in print, Gilbert guaranteed the Cavaliers will "win an NBA championship before the self-titled former 'King' wins one." 
Finally, Gilbert said James' departure will lift the so-called "curse" on Cleveland sports because the bad karma stemming from his decision will follow him to <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a>.
It sounded like a prayer to the big referee in the sky to bring down Cleveland's wrath upon James.

SPGILBERT10

Bitter Cavs owner says LeBron 'quit' in playoffs

notabler alums - Gilbert - michigan state

Now that <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> has decided to play basketball in Miami, shares of <a href="/topics/Madison_Square_Garden_Inc%7CMSG%7CNASDAQ">Madison Square Garden Inc</a>., owner of the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">New York Knicks</a>, have gone south as well. 
Madison Square Garden shares had risen as much as 11 percent this month as a nationwide fervor mounted over what team the superstar free agent would pick. 
The two-time league MVP’s announcement Thursday in an hourlong <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> special that he’d leave <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> to play in Miami instead of New York, <a href="/topics/Chicago">Chicago</a>, New Jersey or any other bidding team’s cities sent the company’s stock down 94 cents, or 4.6 percent, to close Friday at $19.44. 
That was below the low reached two trading days before the start of the free agency shopping spree began on July 1. The shares had hit a two-week high on Wednesday of $21.91. 
But all hope is not lost for the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> or its owner, says Gabelli &amp; Co. analyst Christopher Marangi. 
Right after James’ announcement, the once-hopeful <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> made some last-minute swaps that should still improve the team and its owner’s financial prospects, he said. 
The Knicks traded productive center <a href="/topics/David_Lee">David Lee</a> to the <a href="/topics/Golden_State_Warriors">Golden State Warriors</a> for forwards <a href="/topics/Anthony_Randolph">Anthony Randolph</a>, <a href="/topics/Kelenna_Azubuike">Kelenna Azubuike</a> and <a href="/topics/Ronny_Turiaf">Ronny Turiaf</a>. The move means the team won’t have to pay Lee a big salary, giving it salary cap room to make additional moves this season. 
Also, the team will save millions of dollars on a luxury tax that would have been imposed had it signed James and boosted its payroll higher, he said. 
“While the Knicks won’t get instantly better, the Knicks without <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> should improve,” Marangi said. 
He noted that the Knicks finally loosened the purse strings by acquiring <a href="/topics/Amare_Stoudemire">Amare Stoudemire</a> from Phoenix and have the financial wherewithal to make other moves this season that could improve its performance on the court. 
“Earnings should go up as a result,” he said. 
The Knicks have posted nine straight losing seasons, a franchise record, in part because they gutted their roster to free up money for a player like James. 
The Knicks entered the free agency shopping spree with the most salary cap room in the league with $34.1 million — enough for two players earning the maximum salary, with about half for each. After picking up Stoudemire, it still had $17 million to spend on James. That money can now be used elsewhere. 
“We are disappointed that LeBron James did not pick the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">New York Knicks</a>, but we respect his decision,” Knicks president <a href="/topics/Donnie_Walsh">Donnie Walsh</a> said late Thursday. 
The bitterly disappointed owner of the <a href="/topics/Cleveland_Cavaliers">Cleveland Cavaliers</a>, <a href="/topics/Dan_Gilbert">Dan Gilbert</a>, ripped James in an open letter on the team’s website. 
“The self-declared former ’King’ will be taking the ’curse’ with him down south,” he wrote. 
Marangi had estimated signing James could have boosted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by $30 million to $50 million per year. The company would have benefited from increases in the MSG television network’s advertising revenue, attendance at games, and concession and merchandise sales. 
Now James takes some of that financial heat down to Miami and team owner billionaire <a href="/topics/Micky_Arison">Micky Arison</a>, the CEO of cruise company Carnival Corp., which operates its namesake, Holland America, Princess and other cruise lines.

ny-spmsgstock

James signing with Miami deflates MSG stock

The ring, or lack thereof, was clearly the thing for <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a>, who last night made official his intentions to join fellow stars <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a> and <a href="/topics/Chris_Bosh">Chris Bosh</a> to form a dynamic trio with the <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a> Heat. 
"It's going to give me an opportunity to win," said James, who is seeking his first <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> championship, "and to win for multiple years." 
The reigning two-time NBA MVP announced his choice on an hour-long special titled "The Decision" that aired on <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a>. It was the culmination of a process that included meetings with six teams with the salary-cap space to sign James - the Heat, Knicks, <a href="/topics/New_Jersey_Nets">Nets</a>, Bulls, Clippers and Cavaliers - last week during three days of presentations in <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>. 
Newsday reported in yesterday's late editions and on its website that James, according to multiple sources, was leaning toward choosing Miami. Orchestrated by <a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Pat Riley</a>, the move brings together three of the game's top talents - James and Wade certainly are among the top three, with <a href="/topics/Kobe_Bryant">Kobe Bryant</a> - and all three could agree to take less than their maximum contract value (about $16.5 million) to allow the Heat to fill out a 12-man roster. 
The move creates a seismic shift of power in the East, with the Heat instantly becoming a championship contender, a team that should challenge the two-time defending champion Lakers. 
"I'm looking forward to it," James said of teaming with Wade, who won a championship with the Heat in 2006. James and Bosh, both from the same heralded 2003 draft class as Wade, have never won a title. All three were teammates on the United States' gold medal-winning team at the <a href="/topics/Beijing">Beijing</a> Olympics in 2008. 
The Heat now boasts three of last season's top 10 NBA scorers, with James (29.7 points per game), Wade (26.6) and Bosh (24.0). 
The Heat was working on a deal Thursday that would send forward <a href="/topics/Michael_Beasley">Michael Beasley</a> to the Bobcats in a three-team transaction in which Miami would receive a trade exception, which would open up more space under the $58.044-million salary cap. There were reports that the Heat also had a five-year, $27-million contract offer on the table for sharpshooter <a href="/topics/Mike_Miller">Mike Miller</a>, who had been a target of the Knicks. 
After seven seasons, James leaves the Cavaliers and Cleveland's long-suffering fans crushed. There was a prevailing belief that the Akron, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>, native wouldn't be able to deal with the emotion of leaving the Cavaliers, but at 25, James clearly was not ready to invest any more of his career hoping the franchise could build a winner around him. 
The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals in 2007, when they were swept by the Spurs, and since then have failed to return to the championship round. This past season, the Celtics eliminated the Cavs in the second round. 
Cleveland now goes into rebuilding mode, which will be difficult with a roster of veterans, such as <a href="/topics/Mo_Williams">Mo Williams</a> and <a href="/topics/Antawn_Jamison">Antawn Jamison</a>, who were brought in mainly as supporting role players for James. 
Reactions to the decision in Cleveland were hostile, with fans burning James' Cavaliers jersey. But James showed little emotion. 
"I can't get involved," he said. 
The Knicks come away from free agency without the biggest prize, but they still feel good about signing one of the top free agents available in Amar'e Stoudemire, who was introduced Thursday afternoon in a news conference at the Garden. The Knicks had hoped Stoudemire might be added incentive for James to choose the Knicks, but it was tough to contend with the Heat. 
"Probably a disappointment," Knicks coach <a href="/topics/Mike_D%27Antoni">Mike D'Antoni</a> said " . . . I think it's more of a challenge, and we should get our backs up and get ready for the challenge." 
The Knicks released a statement from president of basketball operations <a href="/topics/Donnie_Walsh">Donnie Walsh</a>, who said the Knicks "respect his decision . . . We will continue to move forward, getting back on track to develop into a championship-contending team." 
Two-time Knicks champion and longtime television analyst <a href="/topics/Walt_Frazier">Walt Frazier</a> watched the announcement with disbelief, not just at the idea of an NBA player having an entire show dedicated to himself, but also at James' decision. 
"I'm surprised, man, because he idolized <a href="/topics/Jordan">Jordan</a>, and I don't see that as something <a href="/topics/Michael_Jordan">Michael Jordan</a> would have done," <a href="/topics/Walt_Frazier">Frazier</a> said. "If he was in the same scenario, I think he would have accepted the challenge rather than solidify that you can guarantee winning a championship by going to where you already have two superstars. If he wins a title, they're going to take away from that and say it's only because Wade was there and Bosh was there. He took the easy way out." 
James sidestepped a question about New York as an attractive option, saying, "I was attracted to all the cities." 
After this experience, he might not be so attractive to them anymore.

SPLEBRON09

LeBron James chooses Miami Heat, joins Wade and Bosh

And you thought you hated the Heat when Pat Riley and Alonzo Mourning were its biggest stars? 
<a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> is going to <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a>. Millions of viewers heard him say so Thursday night from Greenwich, Conn. And even though Newsday reported early Thursday morning that <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> was leaning toward the Heat, it still hasn’t quite sunk in. 
After days of frenzied rumors as an entire league tried to figure out what was going on inside the head of a 25-year-old global icon wannabe, we finally have found out what kind of guy <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> really is. 
<a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> is a great basketball player, but what he did to his hometown is a little cruel. It is one thing for him to leave <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> — he’s certainly not the first person to leave the Midwest for a bigger stage and a better workplace — and it’s another thing for him to drive a stake through the heart of his beleaguered city on national television. 
One also has to wonder just how long this has been in the works. James didn’t look all that into his team during the playoff series against the Celtics this year. You can bet they are going to be talking about his lefthanded free throw in <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> for the next two decades. 
But all that is in the rearview mirror now as Team LeBron pulls into South Beach. By abandoning the team less than an hour’s drive from his Akron home, James has turned the Heat into a team like no other. It will inspire more passion — both negative and positive — than perhaps any other team in the history of the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a>. 
With superstars <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a>, <a href="/topics/Chris_Bosh">Chris Bosh</a> and James all in one uniform, the Heat is going to divide <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> fans. It will either become the team you love or the team you love to hate. It will become the Yankees of the NBA. 
Those who love dynasties and being associated with what should be a surefire winner will line up behind the Heat. Those of us who love underdogs — or are just sort of sickened by the machinations it took to build this team — will have an instant villain to focus on. 
There is going to be no neutral ground in this, no feelings of sort of liking the Heat. <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a> is going to inspire passions that haven’t been felt about a team since the Bulls of <a href="/topics/Michael_Jordan">Michael Jordan</a>. 
OK, there will be some big differences between that team and this one. The bet here is that more people will dislike the Heat than disliked the Bulls. I’m not sure everyone’s going to want to be like LeBron, unlike <a href="/topics/Jordan">Jordan</a>. I’m sure the people in Cleveland won’t. 
Also, this Heat team has more potential for disaster with three big-time players and big-time egos. This is not <a href="/topics/Jordan">Jordan</a>, <a href="/topics/Scottie_Pippen">Scottie Pippen</a> and a revolving cast of very talented role players. These are guys who spend their spare time talking about their brand, and how to best promote it. 
If there is anything that can stop this team, it’s going to be themselves. 
If they don’t stop themselves, the big winner will be the NBA, which would love to return to the halcyon days of Jordan’s Bulls. For as much as people say they like a good game, what they really like most are dynasties. It’s big stars and big wins, not close games, that get players out of the sports pages and into <a href="/topics/People_Magazine">People magazine</a> on a regular basis. 
Winning big is what it’s all about, and James apparently didn’t think he could do that in Cleveland. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Columnists

Barbara Barker

SPBARB09

LeBron's Heat will inspire passion

Cleveland's LeBron James

The King is headed to Miami, and those who would have been his minions in the Big Apple weren't happy.
A crowd of a couple hundred held vigil outside Madison Square Garden last night waiting for <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> to announce where he would be playing this coming season. Many kept their Blackberrys updated, while others listened on the radio.
As they waited - <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> was expected to announce his decision during the first 10 minutes of his hour-long <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> special "The Decision" - many stood with their fingers crossed in the air.
When <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> announced at 9:29 p.m. that he'd be joining <a href="/topics/Team_USA">Team USA</a> teammates and fellow All Stars <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a> and Chris Bosh with the Heat, boos rose from the crowd, which soon started a chant that containing expletives and "LeBron."
"I'm very disappointed," said Jesse Kass of Brooklyn. "I could understand him going to <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>. But going to Miami, it just seems like a cop-out. It seems like he's just scared."
The two-time MVP, who turns 26 in December, would have had plenty of reborn Knicks fans here in New York. With Amar'e Stoudemire's news conference just this afternoon, there was plenty of reason for optimism in the streets despite widespread speculation that <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> was headed to South Beach.
Dave Gregwolimsky of Dix Hills, who was selling (and blowing) vuvuzelas with his buddies, was dressed in a shirt that read "LeBron or Bust 2010." To say he was upset after the announcement would be an understatement.
"He could have come to the land of opportunity, New York City," he said. "This city will burn to hell tonight. Madison Square Garden will be demolished."
Marc Philosophos, a South <a href="/topics/Florida">Florida</a> native transplanted to New York who was dressed in a red <a href="/topics/Miami_Heat">Miami Heat</a> shirt, sought out Gregwolimsky in hopes of securing a Knicks vuvuzela and tooting away to throw salt in Knicks' fans wounds.
"I came here to get [a vuvuzela] to let all my co-workers know what happened tonight," said Philosophos, who was with friends from a local sales firm. "I've been rooting for the Triple Threat. They've been talking about it since the Olympics.
"We've got the real Big Three, not the old Big Three," he continued, referring to <a href="/topics/Boston">Boston</a>'s trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, which won the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> title two seasons ago.
Gregwolimsky composed himself long enough to deliver a final thought.
"I will say one thing, he's only one piece of the puzzle," he said. "There are five guys on the court. Amar'e is now No. 1 and [Eddy] Curry is No. 2."

SPFANS09

Knicks fans upset with LeBron's decision

Statement from Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert addressed to <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> fans in the aftermath of <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> announcing he plans to sign with the <a href="/topics/Miami_Heat">Miami Heat</a>: &nbsp; 
Dear <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>, All Of Northeast <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> and <a href="/topics/Cleveland_Cavaliers">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight. 
As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> Cavalier. 
This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment. 
Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us. 
The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you. 
There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you. 
You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal. 
You have given so much and deserve so much more. 
In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight: 
“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ’KING’ WINS ONE” 
You can take it to the bank. 
If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels. 
Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there. 
Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works. 
This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown “chosen one” sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become. 
But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “curse” on Cleveland, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>. 
The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>, <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma. 
Just watch. 
Sleep well, Cleveland. 
Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day.... 
I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only: DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue.... 
Dan Gilbert Majority Owner <a href="/topics/Cleveland_Cavaliers">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> 
&nbsp;

spgilbert09

Open letter to Cavaliers fans from owner Dan Gilbert

In the wake of LeBron James' decision to play ball in Miami next year, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert launched into a vitriolic rage. Only, he did it in <a href="http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/open-letter-to-cavaliers-fans-from-owner-dan-gilbert-1.2090446">an open letter to Cavaliers fans</a> . . . and everyone else in the world. 
It is arguably the best use of the written word in years. It is also arguably the best case study of sober drunk-dialing gone awry. 
You have to admire Gilbert's work here, regardless of whether or not you agree. It was the equivalent of Darth Vader choking out one of his subordinates from across the room. 
Clevelanders predictably went wild last night in the streets, burning <a href="http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/lebron-jersey-burning-1.2090480">LeBron James jerseys</a>. But that's not enough of a statement, not in our current state of pop culture. Turn on CNN&nbsp;International or Al-Jazeera or CNN&nbsp;proper, count to 15 and you'll see wild protest in the streets. 
No, Cleveland, you need something bigger than that. So, we present "Another open letter to Cavaliers Fans." 
------------ 
Dear <a href="http://www.newsday.com/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>, All Of Northeast <a href="http://www.newsday.com/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> and <a href="http://www.newsday.com/topics/Cleveland_Cavaliers">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight, 
If you really want to express your dismay over LeBron&nbsp;James playing out the length of his contracts with the team, do not burn his jerseys in the streets. You spent your hard-earned Midwestern money on them. 
Rather, hold on to those jerseys. Save them for Miami's first trip to Cleveland and The Q. Come to the arena, bring your signs, your jerseys and your anger, but do not go in. Take a stand, fans. 
Express your disgust by not going into the arena to watch the game. That will send more of a message than any soundbyte of some fan crying and screaming and mocking LeBron on TV&nbsp;can ever do. 
Show the guts you think your "former hero" lacked. Will you really be satisfied by sitting in your seat several hundred feet away from the court and cursing?&nbsp;Think LeBron can hear you?&nbsp;I personally guarantee that he'll hear an empty arena. So will the rest of America. 
Cleveland, you already own "The Shot,"&nbsp;"The&nbsp;Fumble,"&nbsp;"The Drive "&nbsp;and now "The Decision."&nbsp;None of them are admirable monikers. But if you add&nbsp;"The Boycott" to that list, Cleveland becomes a big-market team for a night. 
Mark&nbsp;La Monica Blogger Pet Rock

Entertainment

Another open letter to Cavaliers fans

GREENWICH, Conn. - Outside the Boys &amp; Girls Club here, the first <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> fan showed up just past 9 a.m. yesterday. The first television satellite truck arrived three hours before him. 
By the time <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> finally was inside the brick-faced building and was asked the question that everyone in the sports world had been waiting for, the crowd of rubberneckers had swelled to an estimated 700. 
They were mostly Knicks fans, wearing jerseys with the names Ewing and Starks, Reed and Frazier. They had passed the time cheering "Let's Go Knicks," hoping against hope that <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> was coming. 
When the moment of truth finally came, they were in a tense, hushed silence, broken only by the sound of a policeman talking into a bullhorn. 
"He's made his decision," the policeman said. "It's the <a href="/topics/Miami_Heat">Miami Heat</a>." 
Just like that, all the energy and all the buzz was gone. The people booed, then turned around and left, disgusted and disappointed. This definitely was not the news they had come to hear. 
"You don't come to Greenwich and sign with <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a>," said 19-year-old Kyle Debussey of nearby Westport, and yet that's exactly what <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> did. 
Chris Jewett, a 31-year-old Knicks fan from White Plains, came prepared with a professionally made two-sided sign. One side read "All Hail the KING"; the other read "LeBum." 
"I'd like for him to come to the Knicks," Jewett said. "If he doesn't, we have to let it be known." 
And then there was 16-year-old Paul Mascarenhas, who was sitting on the curb donning an orange throwback Cavaliers jersey with <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>' name plastered on the back. 
Mascarenhas lives in Fairfield but said he has lots of family in Akron, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>. His grandmother doesn't live too far from James' palatial estate there, and Mascarenhas proudly said he's driven by it. 
With such a strong connection to James, he remained confident all day that James wasn't leaving. 
"Everybody in my family thinks he's going to stay," he said. "I don't think he would leave his own people, especially on national television." 
Like everyone else, he came to catch a glimpse of the self-proclaimed King. And he arranged to call his home at 9 p.m. and have his mother put the phone to the television so he could listen in. 
That's actually what a lot of people did around 9 p.m. A few had radios and blasted them as loud as they could, but most everyone else was glued to a cell phone, listening intently. 
It already had been one heck of a bizarre scene, with some people climbing a tree in hopes of watching through the windows of the gymnasium. Many others brought their own lawn chairs and sat on the sidewalk with coolers by their side. 
About the only person that people didn't see, however, was James himself. When he finally arrived just before 9, he did so with a police escort. The street already had been closed down, and fans rushed toward the cars. 
But in a matter of seconds, the cars had disappeared. And not too long later, so did all the dreams of seeing James join the Knicks. 
With Mike Gavin

SPGREEN09

Scene around LeBron's 'Club': Frenzy, then frustration

The spotlight always has followed <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a>. From his high school days in Akron, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>, to the superstar stage of the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a>, James has been a household name and face for almost a decade. 
Last night, the 6-8 forward, the prize of this year's free-agent class, took the next step in his already memorable career by announcing on live television that he will be joining the <a href="/topics/Miami_Heat">Miami Heat</a>. James ended a whirlwind and much publicized week when he kept the entire sports world on the edge of its seat awaiting his decision. 
James always has craved the constant presence of the spotlight. He was dubbed "King James" by his hometown faithful and "The Chosen One" by <a href="/topics/Sports_Illustrated">Sports Illustrated</a> before he even graduated from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. 
On a mission 
He now can focus on winning his first <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> championship, something he needs to do to join the club to which other superstars already belong. <a href="/topics/Kobe_Bryant">Kobe Bryant</a> of the <a href="/topics/Los_Angeles_Lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</a> has five, including two straight. <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a> has a title after teaming with <a href="/topics/Shaquille_O%27Neal">Shaquille O'Neal</a> in 2006 in <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a>. James did help the United States win a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics, but so did Bryant and Wade. <a href="/topics/Michael_Jordan">Michael Jordan</a>, who James is often compared to, won six titles - all for the <a href="/topics/Chicago_Bulls">Chicago Bulls</a>. 
Still, James is a superstar even among the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a>'s superstars. 
"I'm a big fan of his, obviously," Bryant told the <a href="/topics/Los_Angeles_Times">Los Angeles Times</a> last year. "I just think the world of him. Playing with him , and seeing his work ethic and what he's about, I just think he's terrific." 
James, who chose to forgo college and declare for the 2003 NBA draft, was selected first overall by <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>, ahead of <a href="/topics/Carmelo_Anthony">Carmelo Anthony</a>, <a href="/topics/Chris_Bosh">Chris Bosh</a> and Wade, who went third, fourth and fifth overall, respectively. James also signed a $90-million shoe contract with <a href="/topics/Nike">Nike</a> before ever playing in an <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> game. 
During his seven years in <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>, James was named the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, the league's Most Valuable Player in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and has been selected to the All-Star team every year since 2005. 
He led the Cavaliers to the playoffs in five straight seasons, including their first Eastern Conference final since 1992 and their first-ever NBA Finals in 2006-07. They were swept in that Finals by <a href="/topics/San_Antonio">San Antonio</a>. 
The lack of an NBA championship has not stunted James' popularity. His flair for the dramatic and game-changing skills have made him a constant rival of Bryant's for basketball supremacy. 
Perhaps last night's decision will lead to James' first NBA championship. Perhaps not. The one certainty, though, is the media's glare will be fixated on his every move, now more than ever. But James has thrived under such attention since the moment he first stepped onto the court wearing the green and gold of St. Vincent-St. Mary. 
James led the Fighting Irish to three state titles en route to being named <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>'s "Mr. Basketball" three times. He was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a junior and twice was selected to <a href="/topics/USA_Today">USA Today</a>'s All-USA First Team. He averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game during a senior year that was disrupted by an investigation and ensuing suspension for violation of the <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> High School Athletic Association's rules of amateurism. 
In 2003, James and his mother, Gloria, were investigated by the athletic association after Gloria purchased a $50,000 Hummer for her son's 18th birthday. The car was bought with a bank loan that was approved based on his anticipated future earnings. James later was accused of accepting throwback jerseys of Wes Unseld and Gale Sayers (valued at $845) from a <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> clothing store and was stripped of his eligibility. He appealed the ruling, however, and a judge suspended him for only two games. 
He finished his high school career with 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 523 assists. And on June 26, 2003, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>'s favorite son became a Cavalier.&nbsp; 
Filled with confidence 
Even at the age of 18, James, who many considered to be <a href="/topics/Michael_Jordan">Michael Jordan</a>'s heir apparent, believed he would transform the franchise and leave his mark on the game. 
"They just had an off season this year," James had said of the Cavaliers, who in 2003 tied with <a href="/topics/Denver">Denver</a> for the worst record (17-65) in the league. "They had a lot of things distracting them; maybe I was distracting them. . . . If I get drafted by the Cavs, they will be a lot better team than they were this year." 
He has since used his mass appeal to secure endorsement deals with Sprite, <a href="/topics/McDonald%27s">McDonald's</a>, State Farm and others, and in the process has made <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> a brand in itself. 
He earned $28 million in endorsements in 2008, according to the most recent information available. Last year, <a href="/topics/Forbes_Magazine">Forbes magazine</a> ranked him the sixth-highest earning athlete in the world. 
The charisma that led to those endorsements has been on display throughout his career. James has averaged 27.8 points, seven rebounds and seven assists during his career. 
Those statistics reflect LeBron's usual performances: dominating, flashy and multifaceted. 
With the big decision out of the way, LeBron now continues his quest for the one main thing missing from his resume: a championship.

SPPROF09

LeBron always has enjoyed the limelight

Thanks, ESPN. Thanks a lot. 
You sucked us in. You spit us out. <a href="http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/lebron-james-chooses-miami-heat-1.2089143">LeBron James is going to Miami</a>, as Newsday's Alan Hahn reported early yesterday morning. What a shock. 
But then, what else were we going to do? Watch a rerun of "CSI,"&nbsp; "Antiques Roadshow" or "Bethany Getting Married?" Hot summer night, nothing else on 500 channels. Maybe a bloated, stuffed hour of LeBronathon wasn't so bad after all. 
Maybe. 
Unless you're perhaps a Knicks fan or a Cavs one (or Nets...), LeBron James actually came off pretty well, and that was not a foregone conclusion. He was poised and determined. ESPN's Jim Gray asked the right questions. King James had the right answers. His mom guided his decision, and so did his heart. Not once did he mention that he wanted to be a billionaire. But then, he didn't have to. 
What about Cleveland, Gray wondered. 
"I never wanted to leave Cleveland,"&nbsp;James said. My heart will always be around that area." 
He actually sounded sincere when he said that. He did stumble, understandably, about whether he'd still live in Akron: "You're going to have the real friends who love me for who I am." 
Still, 'Bron, maybe time to put the Akron castle on the market. 
It was a wild media day leading up to the Event, and James' reputation did not weather the day well. The arrogance, the chutzpah to demand an hour of primetime on ESPN! People were angry. Even Katie Couric: 
"Talk about the audacity of hype," she sputtered on Thursday night's "Evening News." 
No, Katie. This was hype about the audacity of talk. Talk, talk talk, and endless talk on ESPN, which must have a hound in this hunt. More on that in a bit. 
Thursday night's special was preceded by an hour, maybe two, of conversation, analysis, disputation, and baldashery by ESPN's esteemed team of reporters, anchors and analysts. 
"We have this blanketed everywhere," Stuart Scott said. 
Yes, everywhere. 
Analyst Michael Wilbon urged caution about the Decision.&nbsp; Jon Barry said he should go to Chicago. Chris Broussard said the Heat had James in the bag. Stuart said no one in the history of sports had commanded this sort of attention, forgetting Tiger. 
Anchor Linda Cohn noted, "has it been the beaches of Miami and his two best friends all along? We'll find out in twenty minutes..." 
And then, after that, another 20 minutes. 
Long before LeBronathon began, everyone not associated with ESPN seemed inclined to blame him – an outsized ego who couldn’t simply let this all go with a simple press release. 
But maybe the larger issue - if this is even an "issue" at all - is ESPN, and the Disney empire, which has pumped this thing up for reasons almost too obvious to spell out: ABC's longtime rights contract for the NBA. 
This is called "synergy," or the importance of gimmickry and hype and hooey if it gets people to actually get excited about an important and hugely expensive program franchise even weeks after the actual season ended. Maybe, in other words, this was ESPN's idea all along, and if there is one king maybe even more powerful than James, it's King George Bodenheimer. 
What does The King think about synergy? Maybe Robin Roberts will ask him during her exclusive interview tomorrow morning. She's co-host of "Good Morning America." 
That's owned by ABC, but you knew that.

ESPN roped us in to LeBronathon!

LeBron James on ESPN

Basketball's natty puppeteer, <a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Pat Riley</a>, is back. Having pulled all the strings to sign the league's top three free agents, thereby putting his <a href="/topics/Miami_Heat">Miami Heat</a> squarely in the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> limelight, the team's 65-year-old president - already in the sport's hall of fame - is himself on center stage again. 
Furthermore, with the self-styled king, <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a>, joining fellow all-stars <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a> and <a href="/topics/Chris_Bosh">Chris Bosh</a> on the Heat roster, Riley could be a small step away from again assuming the team's head coaching duties from <a href="/topics/Erik%5D_Spoelstra">Erik Spoelstra</a>. 
"Oh, yeah," said Charles Smith, who played for Riley when he brought the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> to the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> Finals in 1994. "He's back on the bench by the All-Star break. Why wouldn't he be?" 
Riley, of course, has come out of coaching retirement before to take advantage of his own front-office moves: After drafting Wade and trading for <a href="/topics/Shaquille_O%27Neal">Shaquille O'Neal</a>, Riley - who had bumped himself upstairs for two years - pushed aside then-coach <a href="/topics/Stan_Van_Gundy">Stan Van Gundy</a> early in the 2005-06 season and won his fifth <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> title. 
Just two months ago, when asked by <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a> reporters whether he could declare unequivocally that his coaching days were over, Riley said, "I'll do whatever is in the best interest of building the team here. Period. Whatever it takes, OK? I'll let you fill in the blanks. 
"If some free agent were to say, 'I will come here but you must do this,' well, hell, if that happens that day, then I might have to give it some thought." 
Meanwhile, merely recruiting <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>, Wade and Bosh has re-established the Riley maestro vibe cultivated when he won four league titles with the <a href="/topics/Magic_Johnson">Magic Johnson</a>-Kareem Abdul Jabbar Lakers of the 1980s and took the 1994 <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a>, anchored by <a href="/topics/Patrick_Ewing">Patrick Ewing</a>, to the championship finals. 
Riley's reputation is of a driven soul. He himself has said he was motivated by "fear that somebody was going to be better than me" and that "the fresh white shirt, tie, <a href="/topics/Armani">Armani</a> suits, the image, the hair, that was the mantra: 'Look fresh as a daisy,' even though there were times after losses I felt like I wanted to die." 
But <a href="/topics/Jeff_Van_Gundy">Jeff Van Gundy</a>, the current <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> analyst who worked as Riley's assistant with the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> and later was seen by some as Riley's disciple, characterized Riley in terms of "a great deal of persistence. And he's a bright guy, a big thinker. I don't think anybody, a year ago, would have thought that <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> and Wade would have been convinced to play together." 
While Van Gundy isn't persuaded that Riley was the singular lure for <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>, Wade and Bosh - citing "the money, the chance to win championships, <a href="/topics/Florida">Florida</a>'s no state taxes, <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a> itself" - he said that Riley and Heat owner <a href="/topics/Micky_Arison">Micky Arison</a> "get a boatload of credit" for signing all three. 
"It's an incredible feat," Van Gundy said. "Incredible. Whether it's a championships feat, we'll see. I'm certainly interested in seeing where it goes." 
To Smith, now director of the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> retired players association, Riley's track record indeed was a significant factor in last night's ballyhooed TV "Decision" - as well as the earlier choice announced by Wade and Bosh. "Pat is . . . " - Smith paused - "a winner. And what I mean by that is, how many coaches out there understand the Xs and Os and understand management the way he does? 
"Pat's pretty savvy, and he's got a sense of winning arrogance about him that I can see him saying [to the three free agents], 'We're going to win if you're here. Do you think we'll win if you're here?' " 
Apparently, it was not ventriloquism when the answer came back, "Yes." Three times.

SPRILEY09

Heat's Riley is as slick as ever

51651161

Miami and New York have shared a longstanding rivalry. It was triggered by <a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Pat Riley</a>, who left New York to coach the Heat; it was driven by four consecutive playoff series in the late 1990s; it was rekindled by <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron</a> <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>'&nbsp; announcement that he was spurning the Knicks in favor of South Beach; and now, it opens in 2012 with the Knicks reeling, and the Heat rolling. 
 Here are the top moments between the two teams: 
 1995-96:&nbsp;<a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Riley</a> heads south 
 With Michael&nbsp;<a href="/topics/Jordan">Jordan</a> out of the league, Pat&nbsp;<a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Riley</a> brought the Knicks back to the forefront of the Eastern Conference. With a trip to the finals -- albeit an empty-handed one -- in 1994, it looked like New York City had a shot at, once again, being the center of basketball. 
 However, after failing to make the '95 finals, <a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Riley</a> left town to take over in Miami as president and head coach. The Knicks eventually received a first-round pick out of the deal. Unfortunately, it was <a href="/topics/Walter_McCarty">Walter McCarty</a>. 
 1997 Eastern Conference semifinals: Heat dethrones the Knicks 
 With <a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Riley</a> on their side, the Heat went from Eastern Conference joke to true contender. Featuring Alonzo <a href="/topics/Alonzo_Mourning">Mourning</a>, Miami took the Atlantic Division from the Knicks. 
 The two teams went on to meet in the postseason, where it looked like it was the same old story, as the Knicks jumped out to a 3-1 lead. However, Miami managed to come back and take the series in 7 -- largely thanks to a plethora of suspensions, including <a href="/topics/Patrick_Ewing">Patrick Ewing</a> in Game 6, stemming from a P.J.&nbsp;Brown-fueled brawl. The Heat lost to the Bulls in five in the Eastern finals. 
 1998 Eastern Conference first round, Game 4: Van Gundy takes on 'Zo 
 The miniscule, nerdy Jeff&nbsp;Van Gundy hanging from Mourning's leg:&nbsp;That's an image that will forever be ingrained in the minds of Knicks fans, both for its humor and as a representation of the fierce Knicks-Heat rivalry. The fight started between <a href="/topics/Larry_Johnson">Larry Johnson</a> and Mourning, and like '97, resulted in suspensions -- this time, <a href="/topics/Larry_Johnson">Johnson</a> and 'Zo. 
 1998 Eastern Conference first round, Game 5: Knicks upset Heat 
 Without Mourning, the Heat couldn't get past the seventh-seeded Knicks, as New York managed an upset of the East's second-seed in five games -- at the time, the maximum a first-round series could go. New York lost in the next round to <a href="/topics/Reggie_Miller">Reggie Miller</a> and the Pacers. 
 1999 Eastern Conference first round: The beginning of the run 
 Seeded eighth in the strike-shortened series, it looked as though the Heat were the new kings of the East, and the Knicks were just hanging on. Despite all odds, though, the Knicks managed to win the series -- again, in five games -- and make a run through the playoffs that concluded with the team's last appearance in the finals. New York lost to <a href="/topics/David_Robinson">David Robinson</a>, <a href="/topics/Tim_Duncan">Tim Duncan</a> and the Spurs. 
 2000 Eastern Conference semifinals: Knicks end an era with a 'W' 
 The last time both New York and Miami managed legitimately competitive teams in the same season, they met in the Eastern semis. The series was tight, going the distance for the fourth consecutive year, and resulted in a Knicks win. <a href="/topics/Indiana">Indiana</a> took out New York in the Eastern finals in six. 
 January 2007:&nbsp;Crawford scores 52 
 Twenty of 30 from the field, eight three-pointers, four free throws, and 52 points. <a href="/topics/Jamal_Crawford">Jamal Crawford</a>, the Knicks' streaky shooting guard, looked like an all-time great for a night, scorching the Heat for New&nbsp;York's fifth-highest scoring output in franchise history. New York won the regular season match-up, 116-96. 
 February 2009:&nbsp;Don't elbow D-Wade 
 "When I'm angry,&nbsp;I attack." Wade's words were a reference to an elbow he received to the face from <a href="/topics/Danilo_Gallinari">Danilo Gallinari</a> with the Heat trailing 103-88 against the Knicks. Upset over being elbowed by the freshman, and perhaps even more bothered by the lack of a foul call, Wade came back on a mission, scoring 24 fourth-quarter points -- helping him to finish with 46 total -- en route to a remarkable comeback victory for Miami. 
 April 2009:&nbsp;Wade drops 55 on Knicks 
 Maybe Wade hadn't forgotten the elbow? No. 3 scored 55 against the Knicks -- one short of the Heat team record -- again in Miami, easily taking care of the Knicks. <a href="/topics/Mike_D%27Antoni">Mike D'Antoni</a> called the performance "unbelievable,"&nbsp;and said, "I was shaking my head, [saying] you can't be this good." 
 Summer of 2010:&nbsp;<a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron</a> renews a rivalry, chooses Heat 
 Two seasons of embarrassment, salary cutting, draft-pick trading, promises to fans, preparation, anticipation ... and nothing to show for it. <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> broke the <a href="/topics/Hearts_FC">hearts</a> of New Yorkers, choosing to head to South Beach to play with <a href="/topics/Chris_Bosh">Chris Bosh</a>, Dwyane&nbsp;Wade, Pat&nbsp;<a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Riley</a>, and the <a href="/topics/Miami_Heat">Miami Heat</a>. 
 December 2010: Big Three take two 
 The Heat, led by James, Bosh and Wade, took two games in an 11-day period from the Knicks. The first win, James' first trip to MSG since he signed with the Heat, saw the Heatles combine for 84 points in a 113-91 win on Dec. 17. On Dec. 28, it was the <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a> show; the shooting guard finished with 40 points in a 106-98 win in Miami. Both James and Bosh scored 18. 
 February 2011: Mr. Big Shot's coming out party 
 In the Knicks' third game after acquiring <a href="/topics/Carmelo_Anthony">Carmelo Anthony</a>, it was his sidekick, <a href="/topics/Chauncey_Billups">Chauncey Billups</a>, that stole the show. Billups drained a three with 1:01 remaining, the exclamation point on a 7-0 run that gave the Knicks an 85-84 lead and silenced the Miami crowd. <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> had an opportunity with seconds left to put Miami on top, but Amar'e Stoudemire rejected his shot, and the Knicks held on to win, 91-86.

ny-spknix-heat

Knicks-Heat rivalry over the years

This was a bittersweet day for the Knicks, who were thrilled to officially introduce Amar'e Stoudemire as their newest star but melancholy about their loss in the <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> Sweepstakes. But the message that was sent - and consistent throughout yesterday's news conference right on the Garden floor - was that it takes a certain kind of person to handle the New York stage. 
And maybe those who opted not to sign with the Knicks this summer - ahem, LeBron - aren't up for the challenge. 
"It takes courage," team owner <a href="/topics/James_Dolan">James Dolan</a> said from the podium, "to play where the lights shine the brightest." 
The Knicks celebrated Stoudemire, a three-time All-<a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> second-team selection, as the kind of player they want: one who wants them and wants everything New York has to offer, good and bad. 
"I do think that's a reality; it's a big stage and not every single player, when you really get to it, wants that stage," <a href="/topics/Donnie_Walsh">Donnie Walsh</a> said. "We want the ones that do." 
In Stoudemire, they at least have one who does. The concerns about his left knee (microfracture surgery in 2005) are countered by the fact that he is a diet and fitness fanatic who goes to great lengths to keep the muscles around the knee strong. He is extremely disciplined - a year ago, Stoudemire had to lie facedown for 22 hours in a dark room after surgery to repair a detached retina - and, as evidenced by ferocious games against some of the top forwards in the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a>, he doesn't avoid competition. 
"It may be daunting for some people, but that's what I like about Amar'e; it's not daunting to him," <a href="/topics/Mike_D%27Antoni">Mike D'Antoni</a> said. "Amar'e won't back down from this challenge." 
The Knicks knew that they were selling an unfurnished home here and hoped to find at least one player - preferably two - who were willing to be the first pieces of a long-awaited rebuilding project. 
Other teams had more to offer James - the Bulls have <a href="/topics/Derrick_Rose">Derrick Rose</a>; the Cavaliers have a team that won 61 games last season; the Heat has, well, <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a> and now <a href="/topics/Chris_Bosh">Chris Bosh</a> - but the Knicks possessed their own icons they thought would entice LeBron: the Garden stage and New York City. 
"When I come down the Hudson [Parkway], I'm like, 'Give me a break. This is the best place to be,' " D'<a href="/topics/Mike_D%27Antoni">Antoni</a> said. "It's exciting, the resources are here and we're ready to roll." 
Now they have to roll in a different direction. The next step could involve a sign-and-trade that sends <a href="/topics/David_Lee">David Lee</a> to the Warriors for a few players, mainly 6-11 forward <a href="/topics/Anthony_Randolph">Anthony Randolph</a>, whom the Knicks have coveted since the 2008 draft, and forwards <a href="/topics/Kelenna_Azubuike">Kelenna Azubuike</a> and <a href="/topics/Ronny_Turiaf">Ronny Turiaf</a>. 
Of course, the more critical area of need is at point guard. Stoudemire flourished in <a href="/topics/Phoenix_%28musician%29">Phoenix</a> while playing with two-time MVP <a href="/topics/Steve_Nash">Steve Nash</a>. There isn't a point guard of that caliber on the open market or available by trade. The closest thing would be <a href="/topics/Tony_Parker">Tony Parker</a>, whom the <a href="/topics/San_Antonio_Spurs">San Antonio Spurs</a> are not yet ready to deal. 
The Knicks are more likely to look at free agents such as <a href="/topics/Raymond_Felton">Raymond Felton</a> or <a href="/topics/Luke_Ridnour">Luke Ridnour</a>, but neither is at the level that would suggest this to be a playoff-caliber team, even with Stoudemire. 
Of course there's always the less aggressive approach, one in which they would maintain cap flexibility and perhaps make a run at Parker or <a href="/topics/Carmelo_Anthony">Carmelo Anthony</a>, who are scheduled to be free agents next summer. Then there are <a href="/topics/Chris_Paul">Chris Paul</a> and <a href="/topics/Deron_Williams">Deron Williams</a> in 2012. But pose that to D'<a href="/topics/Mike_D%27Antoni">Antoni</a>, who signed a five-year contract in May 2008, and you get a frown. 
"I've been waiting a while," D'Antoni said. "I'm about tired of waiting." 
The Dolan family owns controlling interests in the Knicks, MSG and <a href="/topics/Cablevision">Cablevision</a>. <a href="/topics/Cablevision">Cablevision</a> owns Newsday.

News

SPHAHN09

Hahn's analysis: Knicks start with Amar'e as they try to build a winner

&nbsp;When you're desperate, you try anything. So when the Knicks were getting frustrated with the lack of feedback from LeBron James and his people about his decision -- Basically:&nbsp;are ya comin or not? -- Isiah Thomas offered to help. 
The former Knicks president and coach has a connection with some of LeBron's inner-circle and made an attempt to reach out to see what information he could get. Thomas wasn't going to talk to LeBron or LeBron's business partner, Maverick Carter, but another member of the group. So he went to Cleveland on Wednesday to make a last-ditch effort for the Knicks. 
"He took a shot," a person with knowledge of the situation said. "Isiah was an in." 
It did not result in anything definitive, so the Knicks went into today's press conference to introduce Amar'e Stoudemire talking as if landing LeBron was still a possibility, but deep-down reality was starting to set in. 
Walsh said during his meeting with LeBron last Thursday he "didn't get any sense" from the player if he had any interest in coming to New York, or not. Walsh said he didn't plan to watch James' TV special. Mike D'Antoni won't, either, because he'll be on a cross-country flight to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League. 
Thomas was replaced by Walsh as team president in April 2008 and then was replaced as coach by D'Antoni the next month. He stayed in the organization for one season before he left to coach at FIU. But he has remained in touch with the team and was included by Walsh at today's press conference among a list of people he wanted to thank for their effort in landing Stoudemire. 
&nbsp;

Isiah offers an assist on LeBron

Cavaliers Scott Free Agency Basketball

This may be the point where sports observers, with no connection to the sappy New York City wooing campaign and with only passing interest in <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> free agency, are moved to shout, "C'mon, LeBron!" 
An hour television special for LeBron <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> to announce where he intends to play ball next season? "Pure ego," a majority of voters in a <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> online poll declared yesterday. (By contrast, only a tiny percentage - 4.5 - called it a "wise business move.") 
"My instinct," said NYU sports management professor Robert Boland, "is that I'm a little appalled by this. I think this is a little too much. God knows what the hour is going to contain." 
Then again, Boland said, "I'm probably going to have to watch" when <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> TV replaces regular <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> programming Thursday night from 9 to 10. (Originally scheduled in that time slot was a second hour of "World Cup prime time.") What potentially could stir a sense of civic betrayal in <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>, should the two-time <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> Most Valuable Player choose to leave his professional home of seven years, nevertheless is evidence of <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>' enormous leverage. 
"Every athlete has a limited period of time to cash in and maximize his income," said Boland, a former sports agent. "I'm not sure LeBron has been the best player of his era, but he's the first one to get a prime-time special. He's been, at all times, about marketing and the manipulation of his public image, and this clearly is an extension of that." 
However stage-managed the event, even <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> fans like attorney Peter Pattakos, who runs the "<a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> Frowns" website, admit to being drawn to it. "Why wouldn't this announcement be televised (who wouldn't watch?)," Pattakos wrote in an e-mail to Newsday. "And why shouldn't LeBron want and have every say in controlling his message and the resulting proceeds?" - which are going to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. 
"I'm glad I know what time the announcement is coming. I'm glad I can watch it on TV," Pattakos said. "And in the extremely unlikely event that LeBron does use the TV special to put a knife in the heart of Cleveland? Hell, we've waited this long and hard already. It will be hard for me to be any more upset about it because he took another hour to complete it on TV." 
To reputation management expert Mike Paul, there is the danger that <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> hasn't thought long-term about reaction to his decision - if James re-signs with Cleveland, for instance, Paul expects a response along the lines of, "All this hubbub for what? You're staying?" 
But Paul, the self-styled "Reputation Doctor," is convinced "everybody will watch" and argued that a TV format for such a long-anticipated decision is inevitable in an age when high-profile athletes put a priority on "branding, marketing and television. 
"If he were my client," Paul said, "I would say, 'The entire world is now your oyster and they're looking at you.'" 
Boland agreed the show, while it "has all the drama of a contract signing, probably will be the most watched non-sporting event since <a href="/topics/Tiger_Woods">Tiger Woods</a> apologized to his wife." But he noted that the James-<a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> synergy presents the network both with a control of the news and a journalistically awkward relationship with the player. "<a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> should be covering this athlete sort of at a distance," Boland said, "but the fact they're conjoined as a TV project, they'll get a highly watched prime-time broadcast. 
"Will <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> be critical of LeBron James, no matter the outcome? Like: 'What a dummy!' if he goes to <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a> for less money?"

SPMEDIA08

Must-see TV risks hurting LeBron's reputation

The mere hint of <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> coming to <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a> has already made the Heat winners — at the box office. 
Season-ticket sales for the coming Heat season were suspended Thursday afternoon after the entire supply of available seats sold out. 
That doesn’t mean all 19,600 seats are gone for the 41 home games. Not every seat has been released for sale and some will be held back for single-game purchases. 
By mid-afternoon, a message was posted on the Heat website inviting fans to call the team ticket office directly for purchase-related questions. Earlier Thursday, season packages were available starting at $4,300, and the auction sites like <a href="/topics/eBay_Inc.">eBay</a> had some packages offered for as much as $18,500. 
The Heat declined comment, although it’s expected that on Friday — whether James picks <a href="/topics/Miami">Miami</a> or not — more tickets will be available. Heat fans have been encouraged to buy them for months, even getting told during in-game announcements last season that prices would go up as the 2010-11 campaign drew nearer. 
Meanwhile, the <a href="/topics/Florida_Panthers">Florida Panthers</a> couldn’t resist getting in on the ticket frenzy. 
South <a href="/topics/Florida">Florida</a>’s <a href="/topics/National_Hockey_League">NHL</a> team, which plays its games about 30 minutes north of the Heat home in downtown Miami, offered James a nod with a “Seats Fit For A King” promotion. Through Monday, <a href="/topics/Pittsburgh_Panthers">the Panthers</a> were selling season tickets with a per-game price of $23 — King James’ former jersey number — in their lower bowl, and for $6 — his new jersey number — in the upper bowl. 
“Based on the hype surrounding rumors of a new King headed to South <a href="/topics/Florida">Florida</a>, we wanted to remind our fans that we want them to feel like royalty,” said Panthers president and chief operating officer Michael Yormark. “Certainly, it’s an exciting time to be part of the South Florida sports industry.”

ny-heat0709

As LeBron rumors swirl, Heat ticket sales flying

<a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a>' host Thursday night at the Greenwich Boys &amp; Girls Club never quite made it into his famous guest's tax bracket or A-List status. Still, people who know Bob DeAngelo -- executive director of the club -- consider him a hero. 
DeAngelo is a retired Navy fighter pilot who served on the USS Independence in the late 1970s. He was on station during the <a href="/topics/Iran">Iran</a> hostage crisis, which never required a combat mission. After he left the military, he traveled the world for <a href="/topics/Texas_Instruments">Texas Instruments</a>, having achieved a master's degree in international business from <a href="/topics/George_Mason">George Mason</a> University. 
He ultimately decided he wanted to do something else and decided in the late 1990s to come home and lead the Boys &amp; Girls club, which welcomes 350 young people every day. "A lot of the pressures they face are more acute," he told veteransadvantage.com, comparing current youths to his peers when he was growing up. "They are over stimulated by television and the Internet. Many of them are shuffled from one play place to another" 
When he was young, he used to cross the railroad tracks in Greenwich to the club from the three-family apartment house in which his family lived. The club left an impression with him. "I learned to get along with others, to have respect for others," he told the website. 
DeAngelo has a long record of helping charities, aside from his full-time work at the Boys &amp; Girls Club. He also has a workout regimen that <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> would admire: He has competed in numerous ironman triathlons. Recently, he completed a cross-country fundraising bike ride from <a href="/topics/San_Francisco">San Francisco</a> to Greenwich (www.buddyupbikeride.net). 
Long Islanders might have seen him riding in the Montauk Century bike ride to help <a href="/topics/Pat_LaFontaine">Pat LaFontaine</a>'s Companions in Courage Foundation.

SPLSIDE09

LeBron's Greenwich host has own decorated history

After more than two years of planning and preparing, of salary dumping and cap-carving trades and wishful thinking, the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> may well find out that it was still not enough to land <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron</a> <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>. 
According to multiple <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> sources, the two-time MVP Thursday night is expected to choose the Heat, where he would join fellow All-Stars <a href="/topics/Dwyane_Wade">Dwyane Wade</a> and <a href="/topics/Chris_Bosh">Chris Bosh</a>. The two Wednesday announced their commitments to the Heat and neither Wade nor Bosh had agreed to terms, which suggested they were waiting on <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> as the third piece. 
<a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> officially will announce his choice during his hour special, "The Decision," on <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> at 9 p.m. He will make his selection from a group of six teams - the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a>, <a href="/topics/New_Jersey_Nets">Nets</a>, Heat, Cavaliers, Bulls and Clippers - that met with him last week during a three-day period of presentations and sales pitches. 
Donnie <a href="/topics/Donnie_Walsh">Walsh</a> Wednesday afternoon told Newsday that he has been given no indication either way about the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a>' chances with <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>. Reports from national media outlets such as <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> have all but written off the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a>, but Walsh had enough of following rumors. Those have dominated a weeklong LeBronathon that started last Thursday when the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a>'s free-agency period began and the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> and <a href="/topics/New_Jersey_Nets">Nets</a> separately met with the two-time MVP and his representation in <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a>. 
"I've heard everybody else talk," Walsh said, "but I've never heard the kid talk." 
The show will be staged at the <a href="/topics/Boys_%26_Girls_Club">Boys &amp; Girls Club</a> in Greenwich, Conn. Proceeds for the show will go to the Boys &amp; Girls Club of America, a charity that is special to <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>. The significance of location certainly seems favorable for the <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> because their Westchester practice facility is minutes away and <a href="/topics/Manhattan">Manhattan</a> is just a 45-minute drive from there. 
But it is not believed to be any indication. The <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> certainly were prepared to go ahead with business by holding a noon news conference Thursday at the Garden to officially introduce Amar'e Stoudemire, who on Monday agreed to terms on a five-year, $99.7-million contract. 
A person close to Stoudemire told Newsday that the five-time All-Star was "reaching out to <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron</a>" over the last few days to try to persuade him to join him in New York. The <a href="/topics/New_York_Knicks">Knicks</a> hoped the addition of Stoudemire, an All-<a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> second-team power forward, would be the clincher. Now it appears he will be their biggest free-agency signing of the summer, which is still significant for a team that went 29-53 last season. 
The Bulls, who already boast <a href="/topics/Derrick_Rose">Derrick Rose</a>, also added another piece to their roster when they came to terms with forward <a href="/topics/Carlos_Boozer">Carlos Boozer</a> on a reported five-year, $80-million deal. 
The Knicks are prepared to act quickly if <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> decides not to come to New York. According to multiple NBA sources, the team has several scenarios on hold that will be activated. One scenario involves the team sending <a href="/topics/David_Lee">David Lee</a> to the Warriors for <a href="/topics/Anthony_Randolph">Anthony Randolph</a>, <a href="/topics/Kelenna_Azubuike">Kelenna Azubuike</a> and <a href="/topics/Ronny_Turiaf">Ronny Turiaf</a>. 
The team also will get to work on looking for a point guard, with <a href="/topics/Raymond_Felton">Raymond Felton</a> and <a href="/topics/Luke_Ridnour">Luke Ridnour</a> as the main targets. It's certainly not a blueprint for a championship-caliber roster, but with the right kinds of contracts, the Knicks still could have more cap flexibility next summer, when players such as <a href="/topics/Carmelo_Anthony">Carmelo Anthony</a> and <a href="/topics/Tony_Parker">Tony Parker</a> are scheduled to be free agents. 
The Knicks have inquired about both players and have been told neither is on the block. Parker and Stoudemire have talked about teaming up with the Knicks, and a person close to Parker said he and his wife, actress <a href="/topics/Eva_Longoria_Parker">Eva Longoria</a>, are very interested in coming to New York. 
Anthony has a three-year, $65-million extension on the table from the Nuggets, who expect he will sign it. But Anthony, who will be in New York City Saturday for his wedding, is believed to be hedging because he is unsure about the future of the Nuggets. 
Anthony and Parker, however, are wary of not having a contract next summer and being stuck without one as the current collective-bargaining agreement expires. 
If the Heat is, indeed, the choice, <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>, Wade and Bosh would form an unprecedented superstar trio that would instantly challenge the two-time defending champion Lakers for the NBA title. There has been talk that Pat <a href="/topics/Pat_Riley">Riley</a> would return to the bench to lead this star-studded team in search of his sixth NBA title as a coach. Riley won one with Wade and the Heat in 2006. 
The Dolan family owns controlling interests in the Knicks, MSG and <a href="/topics/Cablevision">Cablevision</a>. <a href="/topics/Cablevision">Cablevision</a> owns Newsday.

SPLEBRON08

Sources: LeBron James leaning toward choosing Heat

AKRON, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> - The end is in sight, but all of the folks around <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a>' Nike camp were just as curious as the rest of the world as to where <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> will be playing basketball next season. 
"I just want my palms to stop sweating," said <a href="/topics/Jamario_Moon">Jamario Moon</a>, <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a>' Cavs teammate, as he entered the James Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron to work out with James and several other Cavs players, including North Babylon's Danny <a href="/topics/Danny_Green">Green</a>. 
James' Skills Academy finished up here in his hometown yesterday, with word out about James' <a href="/topics/ESPN">ESPN</a> live broadcast of his decision Thursday night. LeBron arrived just before 10 a.m., driving a white Range Rover and sporting his usual Yankees cap. 
He signed several items while watching the high-school players go through drills, stopping to jump in with some of the players to demonstrate a drill that former St. John's coach <a href="/topics/Fran_Fraschilla">Fran Fraschilla</a> was instructing. 
James then disappeared inside the arena for several hours, apparently to film an interview for his website, lebronjames.com. 
James also was filming segments for the web site interview around Akron Wednesday afternoon. 
New Cavs coach Byron <a href="/topics/Byron_Scott">Scott</a> showed up to watch James and the Cavs players work out and made a lip-zipping motion when approached by reporters as he left Rhodes Arena. 
"You know I can't talk right now," said Scott, who did not talk to James during the 45 minutes he watched the workout. Asked if he were still hopeful, Scott said, "I'm always hopeful." 
The high-school players were excited to meet James and just as intrigued as everyone else. 
"I mean, I'm focused on what I have to do here, but I understand the whole world's freaking out about this," said rising senior guard Myck Kabongo, a <a href="/topics/Toronto">Toronto</a> resident who attends St. Benedict's in <a href="/topics/Newark">Newark</a>, N.J. 
"He's been planning this for four years. He wants it to be something special." 
Moon, who has been at the camp since it opened Monday, said he hasn't made any recruiting pitches as the hours dwindle down and it seems that James has his mind made up. 
"I know the state of <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> wants him to stay," Moon said. "We had a great year here and I think we can win with the guys we have." 
Green saw all the media hovered around James' Range Rover and laughed. "It's definitely a circus around here," he said. 
The circus dissipated around 3:30 p.m., when James emerged from the arena, got into his car with former teammate <a href="/topics/Damon_Jones">Damon Jones</a>, who is currently not on an <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> roster, and sped off. About two dozen well-wishers joined the crowd of two dozen reporters who watched as James left without saying a word. 
He's saving that for Thursday night.

SPCAVS08

LeBron decision has Nike camp players on edge

&nbsp;Multiple sources told Newsday that LeBron James' one-hour special on ESPN, called "The Decision", will be broadcast from a studio in Greenwich, Conn. 
The show will air at 9 p.m. on Thursday night on ESPN and James will announce his destination of choice. There was a belief that James would make the announcement from his hometown of Akron, Ohio, which would lead to speculation that he would almost certainly choose to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The fact that this announcement will be made at a neutral site -- though extremely close to the Knicks' practice facility in Westchester and less than an hour from Manhattan -- adds to the intrigue.&nbsp; 
The Knicks, who have put two years into preparing to lure James to New York, are believed to be very much in the running. The Nets are also among James' choices, along with the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and, of course, the Cavaliers. 
Free agents Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh both committed to the Heat today on ESPN, but said neither one has worked out contract details yet. The two left the door open for James to join them in South Beach for a new, more formidable version of Boston's Big Three. 
Meanwhile, the Bulls and Nets are said to be hotly pursuing free agent Carlos Boozer to add to their rosters as a last-ditch effort to catch James' attention. 
The Knicks came to terms with Amar'e Stoudemire on Monday. He will be introduced officially Thursday afternoon at a news conference at the Garden.

Sources: LeBron to announce decision in Conn.

LeBron will make announcement in Greenwich, Conn.

Lebron James main

At <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a>' soon-to-be-unveiled website, his fans are asked to enter their name, e-mail and cell phone number. Once they hit submit, a new page appears with a brief but curious message. 
"You'll be the first to know." 
Whoa. Does that mean these registered fans will be the first to know when James' website goes live? Or should we dare to wonder whether James might actually announce his plans here? 
In a brief telephone interview Tuesday, James' publicist, Keith Estabrook, said only, "That's part of promotion and marketing." 
The intent of the message is ambiguous, and perhaps intentionally so, considering how James and his small inner circle have appeared to revel in creating mystery behind his decision. 
One of the most polished and affable speakers in the game, James hasn't talked publicly since the Cavaliers were eliminated in the second round of the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> playoffs, except for an interview at his home with CNN's <a href="/topics/Larry_King">Larry King</a> last month. 
James' extended silence combined with the insatiable interest in his plans are the main reasons why there was incredible buzz in the sports world Tuesday over James' sudden decision to join Twitter, the social media networking service. 
<a href="/topics/Chris_Paul">Chris Paul</a> of the <a href="/topics/New_Orleans_Hornets">New Orleans Hornets</a>, who scrimmaged with James during a surprise appearance at his camp at the University of Akron on Monday, said in a tweet Tuesday that he "couldn't convince [James] to tell me which team he's going to but convinced him to join twitter." 
And then Paul revealed James' handle - @KINGJAMES. This was just before noon, and by the time James tweeted for the first time at around 5 p.m., he already had 100,000 followers. 
"Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building "Finally." My Brother @oneandonlycp3 gas'd me up to jump on board so I'm here. Haaaa." Paul's handle on Twitter is @oneandonlycp3. 
Tuesday, James - the "King of Akron," according to his bio on Twitter - attended the second day of his basketball camp for top high school and college players at the University of Akron. He again refused to comment to the media, just like he did Monday as well as all three days last week in which he held meetings with prospective teams, including the Knicks and Nets. 
James' decision is not expected until at least after the camp ends this evening, and maybe even later. But in what form it will come, no one yet knows. 
When <a href="/topics/Michael_Jordan">Michael Jordan</a> announced he was returning to the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> in 1994 after his brief foray into baseball he did so with a two-word statement - "I'm back" - through agent David <a href="/topics/David_Falk">Falk</a>. Last week, in an interview with The <a href="/topics/Washington_Post_Company">Washington Post</a>, Falk said the potential ramifications of James' decision reminds him of the impact <a href="/topics/Jordan">Jordan</a> had on the league two decades ago. 
"The onus is now on LeBron to raise the bar again," Falk said. "We want to see how's he going to raise the bar and change the game for the next 25 years. The decision for him is picking the right place for his legacy." 
With Arthur Staple

SPLSIDE07

LeBron joins Twitter, but keeps up mystery

DEC. 30, 1984 
<a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron</a> <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> is born in Akron, <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>. 
AUG. 24, 1998 
Makes his first appearance in the <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> Plain Dealer for scoring 21 points to lead the Northeast <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> Basketball Association Shooting Stars to a 13-and-under title at a tournament in Orlando, Fla. 
FEB. 18, 2002 
Only a 17-year-old high school junior, <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> appears on the cover of <a href="/topics/Sports_Illustrated">Sports Illustrated</a> under the headline, "The Chosen One." He is referred to in the story as an heir to <a href="/topics/Michael_Jordan">Michael Jordan</a>. 
MAY 22, 2003 
The hands-down top pick in the upcoming <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> draft, <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> receives an endorsement deal with <a href="/topics/Nike">Nike</a> estimated to be worth about $90 million. 
JUNE 26, 2003 
A three-time "Mr. Basketball" as <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a>'s best high school player, <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> lands with his hometown <a href="/topics/Cleveland_Cavaliers">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> with the first pick in the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> draft. 
MARCH 27, 2004 
On his way to becoming the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a>'s Rookie of the Year, <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> scores 41 points in a 107-104 victory over the <a href="/topics/New_Jersey_Nets">Nets</a>, becoming the youngest player - at 19 years, 87 days old - to score at least 40 points. 
JULY 12, 2006 
After averaging a career-high 31.4 points, James signs a three-year extension through the 2009-10 season. He could have received more years, but he tells the Cavaliers' website that a shorter contract made the "most business sense." 
MAY 31, 2007 
James scores 29 of the Cavs' final 30 points in a 109-107 double-overtime victory over the Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Cavs are eventually swept in the <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> Finals by the <a href="/topics/San_Antonio_Spurs">San Antonio Spurs</a>.

SPLBJTOCK04

LeBron James timeline

Never has so much been made by so many for so long over so little. The <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">LeBron James</a> free-agent guessing game — “LeBronaggeddon,” “The King and His Courtship,” “LeBronathon” — has been spewing even longer than the Gulf oil spill, with just as unknowable a conclusion, yet roughly as much public attention. 
It is harmless enough, in the parallel universe of fun and games, that bloggers, commentators and politicians would weigh in on the future of a 25-year-old multimillionaire who earns his living performing publicly in his underwear. And big money is at stake well beyond <a href="/topics/LeBron_James">James</a> and his <a href="/topics/National_Basketball_Association">NBA</a> suitors. 
But the real indication of sports’ increasingly overblown importance in modern society is the hemorrhaging passion that goes along with the wall-to-wall coverage of James’ potential decision. When <a href="/topics/Pulitzer_Prize">Pulitzer Prize</a>-winning <a href="/topics/Cleveland">Cleveland</a> columnist Connie <a href="/topics/Connie_Schultz">Schultz</a> wrote, “I’d hate for Cleveland to lose , but we can’t hinge our happiness on the career of a man who’s entitled to his youthful ambitions,” <a href="/topics/Ohio">Ohio</a> lawyer Peter Pattakos became absolutely apoplectic on his “Cleveland Frowns” website. 
“LeBron’s decision isn’t just about LeBron,” Pattakos wrote. “It’s about all of us.” Pattakos professed his love for the area’s towns and teams, declaring he “is tired of them being crapped on.” 
Such an outsized flap, featuring pleas by pols and celebrities for James’ services, including a cheesy “C’mon LeBron” video featuring Big Town’s <a href="/topics/Michael_Bloomberg">Michael Bloomberg</a>, strikes former sports journalist <a href="/topics/Robert_Lipsyte">Robert Lipsyte</a> as “unsettling.” 
<a href="/topics/Robert_Lipsyte">Lipsyte</a>, now an author and jock culture correspondent for the site Tomdispatch.com, e-mailed: “We always seem to be hungry for heroes when things are turning sour; the wars, the economy, the assaults on the environment are all bringing out this need to be inspired by people who don’t really challenge us in any way to be heroes ourselves, to make sacrifices, demand justice, call for reform.” 
Elite athletes are “almost cartoons,” Lipsyte said. “LeBron is one of those star-from-another- planet talents who have no relation to our skills. And we don’t know anything bad about him yet (at least I don’t) . . . Jock culture has always supplied these kinds of heroes who give us a quick jolt of ennoblement.” 
In strict NBA terms, and probably pro sports in general, the James saga is unprecedented, veteran NBA journalist Dave D’Alessandro said, because James, at the peak of his skills at 25, is “the most perfect specimen available to the highest bidder”; because “teams are gutting their rosters at an absurd, frenzied pace” to afford the likes of James and possibly a second top free agent, and because the confluence of those factors has created “the opportunity to rebuild your franchise in one easy move, which beats the hell out of doing it the honest, old-fashioned way — bottoming out and rebuilding through the draft.” 
The problem, D’Allesandro recently detailed in a piece for Slam magazine, is that free agency “is almost always the greatest anticlimax on the NBA calendar” and has produced “only two signifcant, franchise-making, league-altering free-agent signings . . . in the last decade: <a href="/topics/Chauncey_Billups">Chauncey Billups</a> in 2002 and <a href="/topics/Steve_Nash">Steve Nash</a> in 2004.” 
That hasn’t curtailed the excessive attempts, from so many corners, to nourish James’ ego, causing Cleveland columnist Schultz to declare, “All this hand-wringing in Cleveland and gleeful fist-pumping everywhere else because our star basketball player may dump us after he becomes a free agent makes my head hurt.” 
The whole affair feels like the Hot Stove League on steroids — a breathy anticipation of acquired talent applied to some far-off competition — that seems to characterize the soul of the 21st-century fan. 
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Lipsyte said, “and wonder if it’s really ‘anticipation’ anymore, which would suppose waiting periods between seasons. 
“That’s gone. It’s one continuous season now, the postseason flowing seamlessly into the next preseason because we want — need — this sports soap opera to go on every day, to fill out those empty black holes caused by all the unpleasant, enervating news. Keep me excited, in suspense, something to think and talk about that’s not covered in oil or blood.”

SPJEANSONNE04

Jeansonne: Not everyone is enamored of the LeBron free-agency phenomenon

LeBron James and the Miami Heat

Newsday

More NBA news

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Giannis Antetokounmpo says chemistry issues may be contributing to the Milwaukee Bucks' recent penchant for lopsided losses.

Antetokounmpo says lack of chemistry has contributed to Bucks' recent blowout losses

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 40 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds as the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder withstood multiple injury-related absences to trounce the Milwaukee Bucks 122-102.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores 40 points as short-handed Thunder roll past Bucks 122-102

Scottie Barnes scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter and the Toronto Raptors beat the Sacramento Kings 122-109.

Barnes, Raptors heat up in third quarter to beat Kings 122-109

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers says Kevin Porter Jr. is "not going to play anytime soon" from an oblique strain that made him unavailable for a Wednesday night game with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bucks coach Rivers says Kevin Porter Jr. 'is not going to play anytime soon' due to oblique strain

Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 15 rebounds and a key basket in the closing minute as the Atlanta Hawks used a fourth-quarter burst and held on to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 124-122.

Jalen Johnson has 32 points, 15 rebounds to lead the Hawks to a 124-122 victory over the Grizzlies

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The Jericho native and top defenseman's absence has shown itself in numerous ways.

Data analysis: Rangers really miss Fox, and not just on the power play

The Islanders went 1-for-7 — scoring on their first chance — on the power play in the loss to Seattle and finished their road trip with a 3-3-1 record.

Isles end long trip with loss to Kraken, drop to third in Metro Division

Kevin Abrams' dismissal is part of organizational restructuring, and it's likely more shakeups could come.

Giants begin making changes to staff in wake of Harbaugh hiring, source confirms

Wednesday night's margin of victory was the largest in franchise history.

Barker: Knicks take out their frustrations on Nets in 54-point rout

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