Lebron James Network

Derrick Rose was back, and the Chicago Bulls had secured Game 1 in their first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.  Fans in the United Center were cheering while heading for the exits. It was the ideal beginning for what everyone thought what was headed for an epic Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat Eastern Conference Finals showdown for the second consecutive year. Then, with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter, Rose went down clutching his knee. That quickly quieted the raucous United Center crowd. Now with Derrick Rose out for the rest of the season, only question marks remain for the Bulls. The outlook appears to be much different for Lebron James and the Miami Heat. The Heat looked unstoppable in their 100-67 annihilation of the New York Knicks in Game 1.  James finished with 32 points and the Heat forced an astonishing 24 turnovers.  With Iman Shumpert joining Derrick Rose with a torn ACL and Tyson Chandler still recovering from the flu, the Miami Heat ...

One of the goals for LeBron James this season was to take his game closer to the basket a bit more often, with less reliance on three-pointers and more use of post-ups. In Game 2 on Monday, James scored 19 points without scoring a single basket beyond 10 feet. He attempted seven long jumpers, including three three-pointers, and missed all of them. But he compensated by shooting 8 for 11 within 10 feet. Of James’ eight baskets, four were layups (including one on an alley-oop), one was a dunk and the other three were short jumpers. On many of his baskets, James either drove to the basket or received a pinpoint pass. He finished 8 for 18 from the field. Rotation changes Even during these playoffs, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotations have retained some element of unpredictability. Instead of tightening his bench, Spoelstra used 10 players in the first half of Game 2, including stints for Norris Cole and James Jones . Neither played in the third quarter. Cole wa...

By this time, all NBA playoff teams have already played at least one playoff game. It may be just one game, but we have already learned a lot. For example, we learned that the Bulls have lost Derrick Rose for the season, Rajon Rondo of the Celtics will be suspended , the Magic can win without Dwight Howard and the Grizzlies can’t hold a 27-point lead. These were all unexpected events. However, there are some players that do extraordinary things that are expected. These players have gone above and beyond to perform brilliantly for their teams during the regular season, and will continue it in the playoffs. Here are four players who will shake up the NBA playoffs. 4. Joe Johnson Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Joe Johnson ’s game has always spoken louder than his words. He is the soft-spoken leader of the Atlanta Hawks, and whether or not the Hawks advance past the Boston Celtics will largely depend on his play. Atlanta has never advanced to...

Howard Simmons/New York Daily News LeBron James (l.) and the Heat are too much for Carmelo Anthony's Knicks... again. Miami takes a 2-0 lead in the series. HEAT 104, NY KNICKS 94 MIAMI â€" Carmelo Anthony got his alright but for most of Game 2 he looked and played frustrated. He complained to refs, turned the ball over and couldn’t bail out his team when the Knicks needed him most. The postseason drought for the Knicks, as well as Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire , continued last night as the Heat once again held a lead for the entire second half and cruised to a 104-94 Game 2 victory. The Heat now leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday at the Garden. It was as close to a do-or-die game as you can get, especially since the Knicks haven’t won a playoff game in 11 years. They have now lost 12 straight postseason games, matching the NBA record set by the Memphis Grizzlies. With Dwyane Wade exploiting the loss of Iman Shumpert and the T...

Updated Apr 30, 2012 9:58 PM ET MIAMI (AP) As the Miami Heat expected, the New York Knicks were much improved in Game 2. Better, yes â€" but not good enough. HEAT VS. KNICKS LeBron, Heat dominate Game 1 Photos: Game 1 NBA Playoff Central Dwyane Wade scored 25 points, Chris Bosh added 21 and the Heat beat New York 104-94 on Monday night, sending the Knicks to an NBA-record-tying 12th straight postseason loss. LeBron James finished with 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Heat, who lead the Eastern Conference first-round series 2-0. Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points on 12-for-26 shooting for New York, which got 18 points from Amare Stoudemire and 13 apiece from Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith . The only other team to lose 12 straight playoff games is the Memphis Grizzlies , who dropped their first dozen postseason contests from 2004 through 2006. New York's last postseason win came April 29, 2001. The Knic...

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MIAMIâ€" â€" Heat forward LeBron James had little interest in addressing anything involving the flagrant foul Tyson Chandler drew in Game 1. To James, it was a thing of the past. He's already moved on from the incident. "I'm focused on Game 2," James said before Monday's game. "Game One is a wrap. Whatever happened in Game 1 is over with. I'm just trying to compete. Tyson is a great player. I love to compete against him, compete against their team, but [Game 2] is what it's about." The play surfaced again during the morning shootaround when Chandler spoke with media for the first time about it. He drew the foul after setting a hard screen on James in the first half. Get the FREE Miami Hoops iPhone and Android app It appeared Chandler leaned in with his shoulder, leaving James on the court in pain. It was originally called a flagrant2 before being downgraded. James said Sunday he was still experiencing neck sorenes...

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James has been criticized for a lot throughout the course of the past couple of seasons, mostly for his performance in last season's NBA Finals and his ability to frequently disappear from tight fourth quarters during the season. Many of his critics feel that it is this that will prevent James from winning an NBA championship once again. However, if Saturday's Game 1 against the New York Knicks is any indication, LeBron won't have to wait much longer to get that ring that has eluded him for almost nine years now. Are the Heat unbeatable in a seven-game series if LeBron has a killer instinct? Are the Heat unbeatable in a seven-game series if LeBron has a killer instinct? Yes No Total votes: 1 LeBron showed an aggressiveness that he didn't have in the finals a season ago. James took the ball to the basket with force, and most importantly, he made shots, knocking down 10-of 14 attempts from the floo...

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Did you know that LeBron James took his mom’s last name? Gloria James gave birth to the two-time MVP when she was only 16, and James’ father Anthony McClelland wanted no part of it. So technically “The King” should go by the name LeBron McClelland. Doesn’t have quite the same ring does it? LeBron James is one of the most celebrated NBA players of the last 20 years, and he is also one of the most spoiled. He is one of, if not the most polarizing figures in professional sports today and it all can be traced back to his childhood. Growing Up Handout/Getty Images Being a 16-year-old single mom, life was not easy for Gloria. The two would bounce around from apartment to apartment in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods Akron had to offer. The first real male influence in James’ life was a boyfriend of Gloria’s. He looked up to Eddie Jackson, but a cocaine trafficking conviction tossed him in jail (via jockbios.com ). So James, embarrassed by his family...

MIAMI â€" Someone asked LeBron James yesterday if the aggressive pick Tyson Chandler slammed into him with during Saturday’s playoff opener gave the Heat star added inspiration. “I’m already an inspired basketball player,” James said. “I don’t need a hit to get me inspired.” That inspiration comes from many levels: the love of competition, the need to be a leader and the desire to be a champion. The ultimate inspiration, of course, is another trip to the NBA Finals, a journey that on paper got easier after a pair of devastating injuries during the opening round of the playoffs. LEBRON JAMES Inspired to win. The Knicks watched in horror as rookie Iman Shumpert blew out his knee during the third quarter of the Heat’s 100-67 victory Saturday in Game 1. Meanwhile, the Bulls lost the reigning MVP Derrick Rose to a season-ending knee injury in Chicago’s Game 1 victory over the Sixers. The Knicks have lost their best defender and the Bulls have l...

Marc Serota/Getty Images LeBron James earns top honors. HoopIdea wants to #StopTheFlop. To spotlight the biggest fakers, we present Flop of the Night. You can help us separate the pretenders from the defenders -- details below: Flopping in the NBA is hitting a new level with the arrival of the playoffs. Our first playoff Flop of the Night goes to LeBron James, a player who has shown a flair for the flop in postseasons past. James’s prolonged reaction to a rugged back pick from Tyson Chandler drew the most scrutiny on Saturday (and a flagrant foul on Chandler), but it’s actually the preceding play that earns James this dubious award. After deflecting a Knick pass, James tracks down the loose ball in the corner, where he is hemmed in by J.R. Smith. At first glance it seems as though Smith, in his eagerness to recover possession, nudges James to the ground. But this replay shows that it’s actually James who elbows Smith before losing his balance and falling out of bounds. Luc...

In case nobody told you, LeBron James has some issues he still hasn't sorted out. He's not only still chasing his first ringâ€"the significance of which he forever altered when he hopped aboard the USS Rileyâ€"but lately he's been hearing a lot of people say, for a variety of reasons both good and bad, that he simply isn't the royalty they thought he was.  People questioned his heart (and still do) for taking the easy road in Miami, they rejected him for rejecting the "right way" to success, and when he fell on his face in the Finals, they laughed as hard as LeBron had laughed at the intro ceremony 11 months prior.    Between the public resentment, the unfulfilled aspirations and the monumental failures, LeBron James has more demons than you can shake a pitchfork at. In order to conquer most of these demons, LeBron will have to not only avoid repeating past mistakes but also undo some of them. Winning a championshipâ€"especially on...

AP Photo Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks have their hands full with LeBron James and the Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Frankly, I’m tired of all the buzz around the NHL postseason. “There’s nothing better than playoff hockey.” Oh, really? I’ll tell you what’s better than playoff hockey: April in Paris, Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk, my wife, Toni, and the NBA postseason. Yeah, the NBA postseason. Besides, who is watching the NHL postseason? Ratings are way up this year, yet at any given time, twice as many people are watching “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion show on Bravo than watching the NHL playoffs on NBC Sports Network. Heck, most prison TVs will put “Storage Wars” on before they put on a Predators-Coyotes game. Anyway, the NBA playoffs are under way â€" my always-tainted money is on the Oklahoma City Thunder â€" and here are some of the fascinating story lines to follow: For LeBron James, the Heat i...

AP Photo Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks have their hands full with LeBron James and the Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Frankly, I’m tired of all the buzz around the NHL postseason. “There’s nothing better than playoff hockey.” Oh, really? I’ll tell you what’s better than playoff hockey: April in Paris, Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk, my wife, Toni, and the NBA postseason. Yeah, the NBA postseason. Besides, who is watching the NHL postseason? Ratings are way up this year, yet at any given time, twice as many people are watching “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion show on Bravo than watching the NHL playoffs on NBC Sports Network. Heck, most prison TVs will put “Storage Wars” on before they put on a Predators-Coyotes game. Anyway, the NBA playoffs are under way â€" my always-tainted money is on the Oklahoma City Thunder â€" and here are some of the fascinating story lines to follow: For LeBron James, the Heat i...

Derrick Rose is out, which means the path to an NBA title has never been clearer for  LeBron James and the Miami Heat . Chicago still has what it takes to contend, and there's always Boston to consider, but the soon-to-be league MVP and his team are officially in the driver's seat. The Heat are fresh off a romping of the New York Knicks , and arguably for the first time all season, appear genuinely interested. That's because the postseason has arrived, a time when Dwyane Wade becomes intrigued and James has an additional slew of critics to go up against. And make no mistake, the Bulls , more so than the Celtics , Knicks, Thunder and Spurs , were the greatest obstacle standing between the Heat and championship. Miami split the season series with Chicago. Though the Bulls have proven to be a scrappy team without Rose on the floor, their chances against a LeBron-led Heat over a seven game series are less than favorable. James is locked in, seemingly prepared...

Howard Simmons/New York Daily News The Knicks (l. to r.) Landry Fields, Jeremy Lin, Jared Jeffries and Amar'e Stoudemire take the practice court. Lin is not yet back from a knee surgery, but it's hard to imagine he could help the Knicks beat the Heat in round 1 of the NBA playoffs. MIAMI â€" A day after they scored 67 points and were outclassed in every way imaginable by the Miami Heat in their playoff opener, the Knicks allowed Jeremy Lin to speak to the media. Whether it was really the best time for Lin to tell the world what is going on with his surgically repaired left knee or merely a diversionary tactic to move the spotlight away from the Game 1 debacle, that is really the secondary issue here. The primary issue is Lin’s status and whether he’ll try to play in this series. Check that. The primary issue is why he would even want to play in this series. In February, the Heat made Lin look like he didn’t belong in the NBA. What makes anyone think Miami wo...

Mike Miller’s daily shooting drills are legendary around the NBA. When a practice or pregame shootaround is over, Miller is really just getting started. He heads back out onto the court after everyone else is finished and runs through a shooting session that includes hundreds of three-point shot attempts. If he misses two shots in a row, he has to start that portion of his routine all over. It’s not uncommon for him to make 15 to 20 three-pointers in a row. For Miller, his exhaustive shooting habit was the backdrop for a bit of self-effacing humor during the regular season. Miller would launch hundreds of three-point attempts during practice, but in games sometimes only attempt one or two shots. “A lot of work for two shots,” Miller would say with a smile. “Gotta make them count.” Miller sometimes joked about his limited role during the season, but in reality he knew his exhaustive individual shooting drills were more about preparation for the postseason than ...

As a longtime fan of the New York Knicks , I take their playoff losses hard. The 100-67 thrashing in Miami was no exception. But what really irked me about this game was the blatant flopping by Miami Heat forward LeBron James . I understand that players look for every possible advantage in NBA playoff games. But flopping is categorically unsportsmanlike. Look at how flopping has hurt international football . Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best footballers in the world today. But he is also one of the best divers . Diving is such a problem in football that they penalize players for doing it. Intentionally flopping to deceive a referee is a misconduct. Is this where professional basketball is heading? Look at this ridiculous flop by James in the first quarter of Game 1: video . James deflected a pass and gained possession in the corner. He was met by Knicks guard J.R. Smith. After very light contact, James ended up six feet out of bounds. Preposterous. Minutes later, James...

As the Heat began building on what would be an insurmountable lead over the Knicks late in the second quarter, New York nearly lost star center Tyson Chandler for the rest of the game due to an ejection.. not that it would have mattered. With the Heat up by 14 in the final minutes of the half, LeBron James played a one-man full-court press and guarded Iman Shumpert beyond half court. But the two-time MVP didn't see Chandler setting a screen behind him, a very hard screen. Chandler leaned in on the pick and hit James in the back, completely blindsiding him (After all, it's the playoffs). The referee called the ...