Lebron James Network

LeBron James has been labeled a choke artist, a narcissist and anything else that would explain his disappearing act from a plethora of fourth quarters he has played. Somehow, the last moments of the game have become the most important and nothing that he has done prior should mean a damn thing. Even when his first three quarters are atrocious, if he can manage a decent fourth quarter, nothing else matters. He is on the come-up. Give thanks to the Tim Tebow syndrome for this mental outbreak. But, watching LeBron play against the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday night was probably the most inadequate he has been all season. Despite some big moments he had against his old team, James was practically invisible. It was Chris Bosh who stepped up to the plate and ended the night with 35 pointsâ€"almost double LeBron’s point totalâ€"seven rebounds and he managed to go 14-of-14 from the line. But, still the light bounces off his monster game so that we can all evaluate what exac...

LOS ANGELES -- Part of being a marquee team is constantly being in the rumor mill for superstar players and perhaps there’s no bigger sign of how far the Los Angeles Clippers have come in the perception department than the fact Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has included the Clippers in his short list of teams he would be open to be sent to via trade or perhaps sign with as a free agent. Of course, this is nothing new. LeBron James had the Clippers on his short list before signing with the Miami Heat and the Clippers were on Chris Paul ’s short list before he was eventually traded to the Clippers and paired with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form “Lob City.” CLIPPERS' PERSPECTIVE In 10,000 season simulations the Clippers did show a measurable improvement if they traded Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan for Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson. BT - before trade; AT - after trade LAC WIN LOSS WIN% PLAYOFF DIVISION BT 37.3 28.7 56.5% 72.0% 47.5% AT 37....

US Presswire/Getty Images On the topic of LeBron James, Cavs rookies are more mature than most. There's a narrative out there that LeBron James is childish and foolish, and real deal longtime Cleveland fans could teach him a ton about what it means to be a real adult. I'm going to pick almost randomly on Joe Tait here. (So many to choose from.) Tait's the longtime and much beloved Cavaliers' radio announcer, who recently retired and, as it happens, published a book, co-written with Terry Pluto. The book is called "Joe Tait: It's been a real ball." Books by team broadcasters can be a bit saccharine, but not this one! Tait unloads on all kinds of stuff and when the topic comes to James, he is by and large even-handed. There is real respect for James in this book. But Tait entirely shuts the door to the idea that James might ever be able to offer life lessons of any value. Instead, in discussing James, he makes analogies about children, the insane, or crim...

MIAMI â€" LeBron James remains a villain in Cleveland. But to two of the city's brightest young sports figures, he's a mentor. As high school stars, Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson met James at his invitation-only camp. Ever since then, the two Cleveland Cavaliers rookies have kept in contact with James, looking at him as a source of advice. It doesn't matter that James broke Cleveland's heart, leaving the Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat . James' relationship with Irving and Thompson remains the same. "I think besides what I do individually, I think that's just what I was born to do, and that's just try to give back," James said. Celebrities: See who is courtside at the Finals "I try to give back my knowledge of the game, give back what I've learned over the years to these younger guys coming into the league. I always have like an open phone invite. I've seen it all, everything. I don't have to break it do...

MIAMI â€" LeBron James remains a villain in Cleveland. But to two of the city's brightest young sports figures, he's a mentor. As high school stars, Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson met James at his invitation-only camp. Ever since then, the two Cleveland Cavaliers rookies have kept in contact with James, looking at him as a source of advice. It doesn't matter that James broke Cleveland's heart, leaving the Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat . James' relationship with Irving and Thompson remains the same. "I think besides what I do individually, I think that's just what I was born to do, and that's just try to give back," James said. Celebrities: See who is courtside at the Finals "I try to give back my knowledge of the game, give back what I've learned over the years to these younger guys coming into the league. I always have like an open phone invite. I've seen it all, everything. I don't have to break it do...

Jan 24th 2012 AUTHOR: Sam McPhee | IN: LeBron James | COMMENTS: | Home » LeBron James » The Similar Situations of LeBron James and Arsene Wenger I bet that’s a sentence you’d never thought you’d hear, see or read. But I think that’s exactly where we’re at. For those of you who don’t know who Arsene Wenger is (I understand a majority of Americans will read this and most will not know much about soccer), he is the manager of Arsenal Football Club, one of the top teams in the English Premier League. On Sunday night Arsenal hosted long time rivals Manchester United. An 18 year old made their Premier League starting debut for Arsenal that night and by most people’s accounts, he was the best player on the field. His name is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. In England, as in football in general, fans have a much bigger influence over their club than anywhere else and any other sport in the world. If fans do not like a player they can all but force him out of the club. ...

Steve Mitchell/US Presswire LeBron is flying high for the Heat now, but will he ever rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers? On Tuesday, LeBron James and the Heat will face off against the Cavs for the fifth time since the two-time MVP left the only franchise he had ever known. The wounds have healed some for both sides, but still, a Miami versus Cleveland will always hold some more meaning than their respective records would suggest. Have we seen the last of LeBron in a Cavaliers uniform? Is Kyrie Irving the favorite for Rookie of the Year? Is Norris Cole enjoying a better debut season than Tristan Thompson? Was beating Miami was the Cavs' brightest moment of 2011? Will the Heat play the Cavaliers in the opening round of playoffs? In another edition of the Heat Index's 5-on-5 series, our stable of writers and voices play some "Fact or Fiction" with the story lines surrounding the Cavs-Heat matchup. 1. Fact or Fiction: LeBron James will be a Cavalier again. Tom Haberstr...

Kevin Garnett whispers some not-so-sweet nothings in the ear of Glen 'Big Baby' Davis. (Getty Images) "You know I'm gonna cut you into small pieces, coat you with salt, cook you in a small preheated oven for about six minutes and serve you with mustard and nacho cheese to moviegoers as pretzel bites, right, Baby? You know this, right, Baby? Li'l redhead kids named Philip are gonna eat you during 'Chipwrecked,' Baby, that's my word." All things considered, 2-of-9, four turnovers and a -12 on the night makes a lot of sense, Glen Davis. Hearing that kind of stuff from Kevin Garnett is bound to screw you up. I mean, "that's my word"? No one's said that since, what, Keak da Sneak in '05 ? That's got to mess with your head. Best caption wins KG's culinary inspiration , which I'm told are just super, super hyphy . Good luck. In our last adventure : Few professional basketball players enjoy a good from-the-rafters...

LeBron James has the talent to be among the best ever, that is indisputable, but does he have the drive? Will his immense talent translate to success? There have been plenty to scrutinize James, both for his short comings as a clutch performer, and for his dubious decisions such as "The Decision." When you spurn a home town that has supported you not just for your pro career, but for your entire career, it doesn't go unnoticed by those who value loyaltyâ€"rare as it may be in sports. But I don't want to talk about the things LeBron James has done that have caused him to be hated around the league. I don't want to dwell on how he thinks his Heat team is the sensation equivalent to the Beatles. No, that isn't important here. What is important, however, is whether we will ever be able to consider LeBron among the best ever. As I said, the talent level is there, as are the immense athletic skills. Some have commented that LeBron has the same build as K...

LeBron James has the talent to be among the best ever, that is indisputable, but does he have the drive? Will his immense talent translate to success? There have been plenty to scrutinize James, both for his short comings as a clutch performer, and for his dubious decisions such as "The Decision." When you spurn a home town that has supported you not just for your pro career, but for your entire career, it doesn't go unnoticed by those who value loyaltyâ€"rare as it may be in sports. But I don't want to talk about the things LeBron James has done that have caused him to be hated around the league. I don't want to dwell on how he thinks his Heat team is the sensation equivalent to the Beatles. No, that isn't important here. What is important, however, is whether we will ever be able to consider LeBron among the best ever. As I said, the talent level is there, as are the immense athletic skills. Some have commented that LeBron has the same build as K...

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images Many believe that LeBron burned his bridges with Cleveland, but the Cavs' rookies consider him a mentor. MIAMI -- If both LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavs had control of such things, neither would mention their past love affair and everyone would just proceed through Tuesday night’s game like exes avoiding eye contact at a wedding. The venom has run its course and there’s no reason to rehash old ground. But here’s the thing: Despite the "moving on" rhetoric, James actually continues to take an interest in the Cavs. And not like last season, when he waited for chances to take Twitter jabs at them during low moments. No, believe it or not, he’s actually rooting for them now in the sort of way an NBA player can take such an interest in another team. The Cavs' new core, the one that is designed to help them move past the James era, is actually tied to James as part of the NBA’s always tangled web of connections. Kyrie Irving, the ...

LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world. Further, if an MVP were awarded up to this point of the season, he would be it. Kevin Durant, probably LeBron's principal rival for such an award at this point, in no way does all of the things that James does. While Durant is a great first violinist, James is the master maestro. And we saw LeBron James outplay Kobe Bryant on national television just a few nights ago. The second tier of contenders for an MVPâ€"Kevin Love, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose â€"have not been as highly consistent on as high a level as LeBron James has so far this season. To wit, the more one sees his royalty “King James,” the more one appreciates him and his high maintenance of excellence. Especially the finery of his game. How he can manage a contest from end to end, bringing the ball up court, until he reaches the forecourt to direct a play; how he shrewdly roams on defense, with his roving frequently ending with a shot bl...

ESPN insider Stephen A. Smith is reporting that the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic have discussed a deal that would send Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler to Orlando for Dwight Howard . Smith works as an analyst on ESPN First Take and is well-known for reporting that LeBron James and Chris Bosh would join the Miami Heat one week before the two stars had announced their decisions. Smith mentioned the potential STAT-D12 trade on his radio show in New York on January 22. Here is the exact quote: * Stephen A. Smith via 1050 AM in New York : "As I told you a little bit earlier in the hour, I have some news to report about your New York Knicks. The Orlando Magic, I will preface my statement by telling you that they have categorically denied this, but my sources tell me that they have inquired about Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire going to Orlando for Dwight Howard. Let me confess to you that I'm torn. From a basketball standpoint, it would seem you do that ...

[Miami, FL] You win some and you lose some â€" even in a time machine. This past weekend, LeBron James and the Miami Heat wore colorful “throwback” jerseys inspired by the ABA’s Miami Floridians for their games against the Philadelphia 76ers (Saturday) and the Milwaukee Bucks (Sunday). The Miami Floridians were South Florida’s pro basketball team from 1968-1972, spending two of those years battling away in the ABA. While successful on the court, the team could never gain a big enough following even after changing from the Miami Floridians to simply The Floridians and playing all over the state. It was 16 years later that the Miami Heat franchise was born. And speaking of Heat, the players even got into the throwback spirit, posing for 70s-style pictures complete with Afros, groovy mustaches and boom boxes. The whole things smack of a Semi-Pro motion (you know the redunkulous ABA-basketball movie starring comedy legend Will Ferrell). The Miami Heat previously w...

MIAMI -- Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson were just a couple of high school basketball stars the first time they met LeBron James. Thompson attended the Nike skills academy in Akron, Ohio, before his senior year and Irving was even younger the first time James showed interest in him. When one of the greatest players on the planet starts calling high school kids, they generally embrace the opportunity. Only now it has evolved into something a little more complicated. As the Cavaliers prepare to face James and the Miami Heat for the first time tonight at American Airlines Arena, Irving and Thompson have been thrust into a fragile predicament. James remains the despised villain in the eyes of many Cavs fans, who never forgave him for leaving town, while Irving and Thompson are the future stars destined to replace him. The dichotomy requires a careful balance between business in the NBA and sensitivity toward Cleveland fans, but both Irving and Thompson approach it as two kids with n...

MIAMI -- Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson were just a couple of high school basketball stars the first time they met LeBron James. Thompson attended the Nike skills academy in Akron, Ohio, before his senior year and Irving was even younger the first time James showed interest in him. When one of the greatest players on the planet starts calling high school kids, they generally embrace the opportunity. Only now it has evolved into something a little more complicated. As the Cavaliers prepare to face James and the Miami Heat for the first time tonight at American Airlines Arena, Irving and Thompson have been thrust into a fragile predicament. James remains the despised villain in the eyes of many Cavs fans, who never forgave him for leaving town, while Irving and Thompson are the future stars destined to replace him. The dichotomy requires a careful balance between business in the NBA and sensitivity toward Cleveland fans, but both Irving and Thompson approach it as two kids with n...

MIAMI - He had the ball on the baseline with the Milwaukee Bucks' Mike Dunleavy defending him Sunday night. When Dunleavy leaned ever so slightly to his right . . . LeBron James took one dribble and stormed toward the basket. He soared under the rim and emerged on the other side, ripping down a ferocious dunk that left the sold-out crowd in AmericanAirlines Arena roaring in approval. James stood there for a moment in a hulking pose, admiring his work and enjoying a moment that looked exactly like so many he had for seven years at Quicken Loans Arena. As the Cavaliers prepare to face James and the Miami Heat Tuesday night for the first time this season, James is still adjusting to his new life. Last season was the complicated transitional phase, but he is flourishing this season. The Heat are 6-1 without Dwyane Wade, in large part because of James. Wade has missed the past four games with an ankle injury and is questionable for Tuesday night's game. The Heat scored impressi...

AP photo With Dwyane Wade out of the lineup, LeBron James has returned to his ball-dominating ways familiar to Cavaliers fans as he greets his old team to Miami on Tuesday night. MIAMI -- LeBron James is playing some of his best basketball since joining the Miami Heat a season ago. All it took was an injury to the superstar who helped woo him from Cleveland in the first place. It's foolish to suggest the Heat are a better team with Dwyane Wade out of the lineup -- although a 6-1 record in his absence is eye-opening. But with the shooting guard nursing a sprained right ankle, James has returned to the role in which he's most accustomed -- being his team's undisputed No. 1 option. He's dominating the ball and the running the Heat offense from the wing, something Cavaliers' fans watched for seven seasons at The Q. They will likely see it again Tuesday night as the Heat (11-5) play the Cavaliers (6-9) in American Airlines Arena. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra gave his ...