Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
LeBron James heard a countdown.
It wasn't one that prompted a shot to beat the buzzer.
It simply inspired a smile.
"I woke up this morning to the splash of my son diving into the pool outside," James said the other day during an extended interview at the Heat's practice facility.
LeBron Jr., 7, was out there with Bryce, 4.
"I heard them yelling. They were like, '3, 2, 1!' and I heard the splash of the water outside my window. They are having a great time, and I like that."
Their father is having a better time this year, in his second season with the Heat, even if it hasn't always been evident after exasperating losses, like Thursday's in Chicago.
James is having a better time largely because he feels more at ease in his second home of South Florida, and he feels that way largely because he has brought more of his first home, Akron, with him.
"I'm leaps and bounds more comfortable than I was last year," said James, who faces the Knicks in New York on Sunday. "I don't think a lot of people understand, but it was the first time for me ever leaving the state of Ohio. It was the first time for me ever leaving the city of Akron.
"Even when I played in Cleveland the last seven years, I stayed in Akron. So it was a transition for me, going into a different state, going to a different place, and then learning the city, learning the people and learning all that. It was challenging for me for sure."
It was a challenge for another reason:
His family was mostly elsewhere. His mother, Gloria, was visiting Miami often. But by the time that James, after signing with the Heat and then continuing with a summer of commitments, fully relocated to Miami in October 2010, his sons had already been in school for two months. He didn't want to pull them out, so they stayed in Akron with their mother, Savannah Brinson.
"It played a lot on my mind," James said. "I knew, after the season, that this year, they would be here."
Now all three of them are, and James and Brinson have since become engaged.
"Her mom and dad have been living with us as well," he revealed.
Together, they've learned about South Florida. James still doesn't know much Spanish - Hola! is about it - or how to get around without a GPS. And he hasn't become acclimated enough to implement his plans to get involved in the local community through philanthropy and business.
But he does know where to he can get a good lunch or dinner, and that Miami is more than its image.
"I think the thing with Miami, people hear Miami they automatically think South Beach and party life and palm trees and water," James said.
He acknowledges he assumed the same, even after all his visits.
"They don't know about the school systems, they don't know about the communities," James said.
He chose the community of Coconut Grove, where his sons - who have become close friends with the sons of Juwan Howard and Dwyane Wade - can play with neighbors, and which he often explores on his bike.
Do people find him approachable?
"I would hope so," he said. "Some people are kind of like, 'I don't know, I've heard some things about him, I don't know. But people should understand, I'm definitely approachable, I'm outgoing, I'm fun, I love being around kids. So yeah, go ahead, I'm not going to bite anybody."
His sons are getting old enough to realize that their dad is a little different than the other dads.
"They are starting to get a little bit of understanding of 'Our Dad is' I don't even want to say 'famous,' because they don't really know what the word famous is, but it's like, 'Our Dad is cool,' " James said. "And a lot of people know him."
Shielding children can be a challenge for professional athletes, especially for one as popular - and yet polarizing - as James. His kids see him on video games, in magazines, on television, in newspapers. They hear his name called, when they are out in public. James knows "it comes with the territory."
"And my kids, they like it," James said. "They get into the picture sometimes, too."
His eldest, after all, already is playing AAU basketball and has the same name.
So when someone shouts "LeBron?"
"He's looking around like, 'Oh, people want to take a picture with me?' " James said, laughing.
He appreciates being able to build memories here while keeping his roots in his hometown.
"I'm blessed to be in this position where I have a home here in Florida and a home back in my hometown of Akron, and be able to expose my kids to two different lifestyles," James said.
"When we're back there over the summertime, they love it. And when they're here during the season, they love it here, too. That's what drives me - if they smile, and they enjoy it no matter where we are, I'm happy."
Especially when he hears a splash.
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