CAVALIERS DEFEAT THE WARRIORS 93-89 (LEBRON IS MVP)

CAVALIERS DEFEAT THE WARRIORS 93-89:

LEBRON JAMES NAMED MVP.

Source:  NBA, CNN, Youtube

******* Cavaliers win NBA championship as LeBron James has game of his life

History has been made.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Finals, defeating the Golden State Warriors 93-89 in Sunday's deciding Game 7.

This is the first major sports championship that a Cleveland team has won.

In perhaps the biggest game of his career, LeBron James had the game of his life.

James was named Finals MVP after scoring 27 points, 11 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists.

The vote was unanimous, according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Dean Smith Is Dead At 83; He Challenged JIM CROW On The NC College Basketball Court (R.I.P.)

‪#‎DeanSmith‬

R.I.P. Coach DEAN SMITH; February 28, 1931 - February 7, 2015

A Man who Challenged North Carolina's JIM CROW culture on the College Basketball court.

He sincerely cared about his Players on and off the court.

I offer my condolences to Coach Smith's family.


ARTICLE: An Appreciation Of Dean Smith’s Life

Words will come pouring forth in the next few days from those who played for Dean Smith, those who coached for and against him and from the President of the United States, who awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom a little more than a year ago.

The news of the legendary North Carolina basketball coach’s death at age 83 is hardly shocking. He has been seriously ill with dementia for several years now. Knowing him and knowing the condition he has been in for a long time now, I think I can say with confidence that for those who loved him most, this is a blessing. Dean Smith was a very spiritual man and there is no doubt if he had any say in the matter, this escape would have come long ago.

As a coach, he had many great rivals, none more intense than the one he had for 17 seasons with Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. On Sunday morning, Krzyzewski was getting gas when a text popped onto his phone telling him that Smith had died.

“I looked at it and said, ‘OH NO!’” Krzyzewski said. “Obviously, I knew he’d been sick, I knew he was in tough shape, but for some reason I never thought about him dying.” He paused. “Maybe that’s because he’s one of those people who you think is going to live forever.” He paused again and there was a catch in his voice when he continued. “Of course he will live forever. Not because of what he did but because of what he taught.”

That’s exactly it. Above all, Dean Smith was the ultimate teacher. Sure, he taught on the basketball court, all the extraordinary numbers that he produced are testament to that. But his teaching went way beyond that. He taught loyalty — by being loyal, often to a fault. He taught passion — not just about winning games, but about doing the right things in life. He was outspoken on issues that often didn’t make him very popular in the state where he lived, including the death penalty, a nuclear freeze and the Vietnam war.

The story about his involvement in desegregating restaurants in Chapel Hill in 1958 — when he was still an assistant coach — has now been told often, but for many years no one knew it had taken place. Not surprisingly, the first person to tell the story publicly wasn’t Smith, but the Rev. Robert Seymour, the minister at the Binkley Baptist Church, where Smith worshipped from 1958 until his death.

When I asked Smith to fill in details on that night, he said, “Who told you that story?” I told him it had been Seymour. He shook his head and said, “I wish he hadn’t done that.”

Surprised, I said, “Dean, you should be proud of doing something like that.”

He looked me in the eye and said, “John, you should never be proud of doing the right thing. You should just do the right thing.”

Talk about a teaching moment.

His competitiveness, even in a world filled with fanatic competitors, was legendary. He couldn’t stand losing a basketball game or a golf match or an argument. He didn’t lose many arguments because, inevitably, he was the smartest guy in the room.

He was one of the great innovators basketball has ever seen. His use of the four corners delay offense made opponents crazy, but it led to college basketball putting in a shot clock in 1985 — which was exactly what Smith wanted. As successful as he had been at slowing the game down, he knew that playing the game faster would be to his advantage because he almost always had the best players. The more possessions there were in a game, the more time there was for that talent to take control.

He wasn’t just innovative on the court. He was the first coach to insist that his seniors be recognized prior to their last home game. He started them all-- from stars to walk-ons — and if he had six seniors, they all started and North Carolina began the game with the other team shooting a technical foul free throw. No one thought to do that before Dean Smith.

Everyone who spent time with him has multiple stories about him: stories about his generosity, his dry humor, his legendary sarcasm. Smith NEVER cursed — not in practice, not in a game — never. But he could cut people down in an instant without ever raising his voice.

“In practice, he’d say, ‘Buzz, do you really think that was a good shot you just took?’” said Buzz Peterson, who was Michael Jordan’s roommate at UNC. “Before I could say anything, he’d say, ‘let’s ask your teammates what they thought. Or do you just want to tell me if you think that was the best shot we could have gotten right there.’ There was no hole deep enough to crawl into at that moment.”

All his players remember those moments, but they also remember the late night phone calls after they graduated, checking up on them or offering help when someone might be out of a job or when a marriage had gone south or a relative had been lost. It has often been said — accurately — that there was nothing Smith wouldn’t do for a member of the North Carolina basketball family.

That said, it often went beyond that. Smith recruited Bobby Hurley when he was in high school but Hurley went to Duke, where he helped the Blue Devils win two national championships. After Hurley had played his last college game, he received a letter from Smith, telling him how proud he should be of what he had accomplished in college.

No one better defines the cliché about the measure of a man’s life being the number of lives he touched than Dean Smith. I thought about that on Sunday morning when I first heard the news that he had passed away. It occurred to me that if Dean ever sat down and started listing all the people who meant something to him during his life, I wouldn’t crack the top 1,000. And yet, outside of family and close friends, very few people were more important to me than Dean — because of what he taught me about how to treat people and how to live your life.

I first met him when I was a college junior, when I introduced myself to him after Carolina had pounded Duke in a game in Chapel Hill. I had written a column a few weeks earlier in the Duke student newspaper urging Bill Foster, who was then Duke’s coach, to look at the model Smith had built 10 miles down the road as he tried to rebuild at Duke.

“Oh yes, I read the column you wrote about Bill and how to rebuild at Duke,” Smith said — almost causing me to faint. “I thought you were very fair to us — especially for someone from Duke.”

Years later, I was sitting in his office, working in the nascent stages of the biography I had wanted to write about him for years. This was 2009 and he had finally agreed to let me write the book. Sadly, his extraordinary memory was already failing him then and it was becoming apparent to me that I had blown it — I had gotten him to agree to the project too late.

As we sat there on a summer afternoon, my cell phone buzzed and I could see that it was Lefty Driesell calling. Thinking Dean might get a kick out of talking to his old rival, I answered, told Dean who it was and handed him the phone.

“You really gonna let a Duke guy do a book on you?” Lefty — a Duke graduate — said to Dean. “You gonna trust a Duke guy like that?”

Dean looked at me and smiled. “I trust him,” he said, “because I don’t think of him as a Duke guy but as a GOOD guy.”

I never got to finish the book. But I treasure that moment. Krzyzewski had it right. Dean Smith will live forever.

Sources: ESPN; UNC; USA Today; Washington Post; Youtube

DENNIS RODMAN UPDATE: He Apologizes But It's NOT His Job To Help Free KENNETH BAE (It's Pres Obama's!)

#RODMAN


UPDATE: DENNIS RODMAN APOLOGIZES FOR HIS REMARKS & BEHAVIOR

I repeat. Dennis Rodman is NOT a Politician, Nor a Statesman.

It is Pres OBAMA'S Job to help Free KENNETH BAE, Not Dennis Rodman!



ARTICLE: "Dennis Rodman Apologizes For Kenneth Bae Comments"

Dennis Rodman apologized Thursday for comments about captive American missionary Kenneth Bae in an interview with CNN.

A day after the former basketball star sang “Happy Birthday” to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and led a squad of former NBA players in a friendly game, Rodman issued the apology through publicist Jules Feiler in an email message to The Associated Press.

“I want to apologize,” Rodman said. “I take full responsibility for my actions. It had been a very stressful day. Some of my teammates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates. My dreams of basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart. I had been drinking. It’s not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset. I was overwhelmed. It’s not an excuse, it’s just the truth.

“I want to first apologize to Kenneth Bae’s family. I want to apologize to my teammates and my management team. I also want to apologize to Chris Cuomo. I embarrassed a lot of people. I’m very sorry. At this point I should know better than to make political statements. I’m truly sorry.”

Rodman has been slammed for not using his influence with Kim to help free Bae, the missionary in poor health who is being confined in the North for “anti-state” crimes. On CNN on Tuesday, Rodman implied Bae was at fault.

Bae’s sister, Terri Chung, said his family couldn’t believe what Rodman said.

“Here’s somebody who is in a position to do some good for Kenneth and refuses to do so,” Chung told KOMO Radio in Seattle on Wednesday. “And then after the fact, instead, he decides to hurl these unqualified accusations against Kenneth. It’s clear he has no idea what he’s talking about. I’m not sure who he’s talking to, where he’s getting his information, but he’s certainly no authority on Kenneth Bae.”

The U.S. State Department distanced itself from Rodman and said it did not want to “dignify” his activities or comments in Pyongyang by commenting on them. But spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the department was open to speaking with Rodman on his return.

“We have not reached out to him. We’ve said before, if he wants to reach out to us, we’re happy to hear from him and what he has to say,” she told reporters.

Rodman dedicated the game to his “best friend” Kim, who along with his wife and other senior officials and their wives watched from a special seating area. The capacity crowd of about 14,000 at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium clapped loudly as Rodman sang a verse from the birthday song.

Rodman said he was honored to be able to play the game in the North Korean capital and called the event “historic.” Some members of the U.S. Congress, the NBA and human rights groups, however, say he has become a public relations tool for North Korea’s government.

The government’s poor human rights record and its threats to use nuclear weapons against rival South Korea and the United States have kept it a pariah state. Kim shocked the world in December by having his uncle, once considered his mentor, executed after being accused of a litany of crimes including corruption, womanizing, drug abuse and attempting to seize power.

The 52-year-old Rodman has refused to address those concerns while continuing to forge a relationship with Kim, whose age has never been officially disclosed. The government did not say how old he turned Wednesday but he is believed to be in his early 30s.

At the start of the game, Rodman sang “Happy Birthday” to Kim, who was seated above in the stands at the stadium, and then bowed deeply as North Korean players clapped.

To keep it friendly, the Americans played against the North Koreans in the first half, but split up and merged teams for the second half.

The North Korean team scored 47 points to 39 for the Americans before the teams were mixed. Rodman played only in the first half and then sat next to Kim during the second half.

“A lot of people have expressed different views about me and your leader, your marshal, and I take that as a compliment,” Rodman told the crowd. “Yes, he is a great leader, he provides for his people here in this country and thank God the people here love the marshal.”

Rodman is the highest-profile American to meet Kim. He has carefully avoided getting involved in overtly political activities, saying that he is not a statesman and instead is seeking only to build cultural connections with the North through basketball that may help improve relations between Pyongyang and Washington.

The game is a new milestone in Rodman’s unusual relationship with Kim, who inherited power after the death of his father in late 2011 and rarely meets with foreigners. He remains a mystery to much of the outside world and until recently, his birthday was also not widely known, though it was quietly observed elsewhere around the capital Wednesday.

Along with Rodman, the former NBA players included ex-all-stars Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson and Vin Baker. Also on the roster were Craig Hodges, Doug Christie, Charles D. Smith and four non-NBA players.

Smith said he and the other players did not join Rodman in singing the birthday song.

“We always tell Dennis that he can’t sing. He is tone deaf,” Smith said. “He did it alone.”



Sources: AP, CNN, Politico

2011 Presidential Medal Of Freedom Recipients: George H.W. Bush, Maya Angelou, John Lewis, Bill Russell; Congrats!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Obama Lauds Medal of Freedom Recipients


President Barack Obama recognized a former president, a basketball legend and a civil rights hero Tuesday among the 15 recipients of the Medal of Freedom.

During a ceremony at the White House, Obama said the recipients represent, "the best of who we are and who we aspire to be."

The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor, and is presented to people who have made important contributions to U.S. national security, world peace, culture or other significant public or private endeavors.

Among the recipients honored Tuesday were former President George H.W. Bush, former basketball star Bill Russell, businessman Warren Buffett and civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.

Obama praised Bush for his more than 70 years of service to his country, saying his life is a testament to the belief that public service is a noble calling.

"His humility and his decency reflects the very best of the American spirit," Obama said.

The 2010 Medal of Freedom recipients were announced in November.

Other winners include:

— Angela Merkel, German Chancellor

— John H. Adams, co-founder of Natural Resources Defense Council

— Maya Angelou, poet and author

— Jasper Johns, artist

— Gerda Weissmann Klein, Holocaust survivor and author

— Dr. Tom Little (posthumous), optometrist murdered on humanitarian mission in Afghanistan

— Sylvia Mendez, civil rights activist of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent

— Stan Musial, Hall of Fame baseball player

— Bill Russell, professional basketball player and first African American to coach in the NBA

— Jean Kennedy Smith, founder of VSA, a non-profit organization that promotes the artistic talents of people with disabilities

— John J. Sweeney, President Emeritus of the AFL-CIO.


View Larger Map


Sources: MSNBC, The Grio, Google Maps

Stolen LeBron James Pendant Worth $10,000! Police Investigate

Stolen LeBron James Pendant Center Of Police Investigation


The Akron, Ohio woman who said she bought a LeBron James pendant years ago at a yard sale and told NewsChannel5 she was threatened by one of LeBron's associates and forced to hand over the one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry is now being called a suspect in the case.

On Friday, a police report identifies 19-year-old Vaneisha Robinson of Akron as a suspect in receiving stolen property but doesn't elaborate. No arrests have been made.

Just a few days ago, Robinson said she believed her dreams were about to come true. As NewsChannel5 and newsnet5.com first reported, Robinson said she paid $5 for a pendant in the shape of LeBron James' number 23 jersey at a yard sale four years ago.

Robinson said she thought it was costume jewelry until she had it appraised and certified by International Gemological Institute, which said the diamond-studded, gold jewelry was real and valued at nearly $10,000.

The amateur boxer put the pendant up for sale on eBay, hoping to use the proceeds to open her own gym.

On Wednesday, Robinson said she got a phone call that turned her dream into a nightmare. Robinson said it was Katherine L. Powers, the mother of Maverick O. Carter. Carter is the CEO of LeBron James' marketing company, LRMR.

"[Powers] said that LeBron James was at her house and they wanted me to come over there. They were going to make me an offer that I couldn't refuse," Robinson said.

It turned out the one-of-a-kind pendant belongs to Carter, who claims it was stolen. Robinson said she and her mother went to the Wadsworth house Carter shares with his mother, believing James was going to buy the pendant and give it back to Carter.

"When I got there, LeBron James was not there. It was about eight or nine other people there," Robinson said. "They pretty much accused me, they threatened me and they used their authority to they (sic) best ability to get the pendant in their possession."

Robinson said she and her mother drove to Carter's house in the 500 block of Caledonia Drive in her mother's pickup truck.

"They blocked her truck in the driveway. They told us that we weren't going anywhere until they got that pendant. I was scared for my life," she said.

Wadsworth police said they were called around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night by a woman visiting a neighbor of Powers. According to a recording of the 911 call, the woman heard loud arguing. She said she called the police at Powers’s request.

"I walked away from that. I just kept walking just in case something was about to happen," the woman told the 911 dispatcher.

A Wadsworth police spokesperson said Robinson and her mother had already left when they arrived on scene. Powers was the only one there. She had the pendant.

"Ms. Powers showed me the pendant in question and I was able to determine that it was a one-of-a-kind item and it did actually belong to Mr. Carter," said Sgt. James Elchlinger.

Elchlinger said Carter was not at the house during the incident. A receptionist at LRMR told NewsChannel5 Thursday that Carter was unavailable for comment. Powers was not home when a reporter stopped at the house seeking an interview.

The case is under investigation.

Robinson did not call police Wednesday night, but showed up at the station Thursday afternoon. Robinson said she was advised to get a lawyer.

Police are trying to determine if the pendant was ever reported stolen. But Robinson maintains she could not have had the jewelry certified by the I.G.S. if it were stolen property.

The boxer vowed her next fight will be in a court of law.

"There was no serial number on that pendant so it's untraceable," Robinson said. "That pendant is mine. It belongs to me. I want it back."

Legal perspective

Legal expert Avery Friedman provided some perspective with the case.

“It is actually Miss Robinson’s,” Friedman said. “The law says that she is an innocent purchaser for value, meaning that when she bought it at the yard sale, it is hers.”

“What happened was that she wound up getting sucker punched by part of the posse, if you will, eight or nine people basically saying, ‘if you don’t turn it over, you may not get out of here.’ So she was intimidated in being forced to turn it over,” he said.


View Larger Map


Sources: Newsnet5.com, Yahoo News, Google Maps

LeBron James Or Kobe Bryant? Michael Jordan Says Kobe (Video)

Sources: Bitten & Bound, Huffington Post, Youtube

James, Bosh & Wade: Miami's "Dream Team"! Ready To Win!

Miami Heat Fans Welcome LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh


Dressed in a white Heat uniform for the first time, LeBron James took a look at his new home crowd, folded his arms across his chest and nodded.

"It feels right," James said. "To be in this position, to wear the Heat uniform, everything is nice. We're going to make the world know that the Heat is back."

Naturally, James promised championships. Multiple championships.

"That's the only reason I'm here, man," James said.

With 13,000 fans chanting "Yes We Did!" amid an atmosphere more suited to a rock concert than a basketball game, the Miami Heat welcomed the NBA's newest trio of superstars at AmericanAirlines Arena Friday night for a celebration unlike just about any other in team history.

James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all arrived accompanied by plumes of smoke, lifted into the air on a forklift for their grand arrival.

Keys to the city were set to be awarded to each star, and Gov. Charlie Crist was in the stands.

But not all of Florida was impressed.

Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith said Friday he was surprised James went to Miami because he thought the two-time MVP was "more of a competitor."

Smith said the "great ones" do it on their own and "usually stay in one location."

It was rare public criticism from the usually coy Smith and perhaps a move to motivate his Magic.

Asked if James' move to Miami will cause a power shift in the NBA, Smith responded, "Is Kobe retiring?"

"He's proven he can do it on his own," Smith said of Lakers star Kobe Bryant, smiling over the comments. "Oops. My bad."

Smith also said the Magic "still hold the crown" as the best in the Southeast Division, having won three straight titles.

Meanwhile, Cleveland continued to fume over losing its former hero. The sports memorabilia business Fathead Inc., a company owned by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, offered LeBron James wall graphics online at price reduced from $99.99 to $17.41. The significance? Benedict Arnold was born in 1741.

"He quit," Gilbert told The Associated Press on Thursday night after roasting James in an open letter online. "Not just in Game 5 (of the Cavs' second-round loss to Boston this year), but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar. ... People have covered up for him for way too long."

BULLS
A person familiar with the situation says Kyle Korver is following Carlos Boozer from Utah to Chicago after agreeing to sign with the Bulls, reportedly for $15 million over three years.

SPURS
Matt Bonner reached a tentative agreement to return to San Antonio.

WIZARDS
No. 1 draft pick John Wall was held out of practice Friday morning with a groin injury from Thursday night's session, but returned for the night session.



View Larger Map


Sources: ESPN, NY Daily News, Google Maps

LeBron James Is No Longer A Slave! Miami Is Right Decision

LeBron James, King His Own World


LeBron James is a grown man who made a grownup decision to take his massive basketball-playing ability from Cleveland to Miami in a desire to get the one thing every true baller desires: the opportunity to call yourself a champion.

Forget all the nonsense about him "owing" his hometown and how his legacy could have been cemented had he stayed in the Midwest and continued to try to win a title in Cleveland. LeBron had the absolute right to pick up his things and go where he thought it was best to win, and he did it.

Enough with all of this ridiculous chatter that he's a selfish, spoiled basketball prodigy. LeBron was an employee of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had no ownership stake and no control. Everyone talks about what his presence meant to the Cleveland economy. Did he own any of those businesses? No. But he made them, and the Cavaliers, richer by his play.

There is undoubtedly a tradeoff, because being a star athlete is a two-way street.

You become richer by virtue of folks coming to see you play, and the league, team, marketers and surrounding businesses get to piggyback off of your success. LeBron gave them a solid seven seasons, and everyone enjoyed the ride. Say thank you for the LeBron gravy train, and now, like any smart business owner, you need to figure out your next revenue stream.

Now, let's deal with the fans.

I read with fascination about how LeBron "owed" the fans. Really?

What exactly did he owe them?

We need to stop with this belief that fans in a city "own" a particular player. We get to sit back and enjoy the skills of these modern-day gladiators in our gleaming new Coliseums, while they bust their butts, play injured and have to take all of the criticism when things go bad.

As fans, we justify it all by saying, "Well, he's getting millions to play, so he should shut up."

We need to grow up and realize that once his playing days are over, we will say, "Thanks, LeBron, now move over so we can worship the next stud." In fact, when a particular athlete has overstayed their welcome, the fans are the loudest in telling him to leave the court.

To me, there is a huge difference between a player like LeBron James and Albert Haynesworth of the Washington Redskins. Albert has pocketed nearly $40 million and has refused to show up at training sessions with Washington because he doesn't like the defensive scheme. That is dumb.

LeBron showed up and did his part, and when his contract was up, he exercised his free will to do as he pleased and shop his talents. He did what every single American wants: to go to a new job where the desires you always wanted can be fulfilled. So how is that wrong?

No one -- athlete, stockbroker, Wal-Mart greeter, grocery store clerk, secretary, journalist -- wants to be treated like they are a piece of property. We all desire the freedom that comes with making our own choice as to where we want to work and achieve the goals in life that we all set.

I can identify with that. In 1993, I decided to leave the Austin American-Statesman, where I was the county government reporter. The then-city editor sat across from me and said, "I felt like it was a punch in the gut when told you were leaving." He had an indignant, paternalistic tone that I found offensive.

See, I was making $24,000. When the Houston Chronicle pursued me for a job a few months earlier that would be around $27,000, I was told I was talking myself out of a job in Austin. So when the Fort Worth Star-Telegram offered me a gig at $32,000, I didn't even bother seeing whether Austin wanted to counter. The new job allowed me to go to a bigger market and have the upward mobility I desired, so I took the job.

So I told the city editor, "Look, you didn't take some kid off the street, teach him how to talk, write and dress. You paid me for a service, and I delivered. Now I'm choosing to take my skills elsewhere." I then got up and left the meeting.

It was offensive to me that my bosses at the paper felt like I was being an ungrateful employee. I wanted to do more with my talents, and I refused to allow someone to make me feel bad about my decision. It's my life, my career, my choice. So how is that bad?

Now I get folks who didn't like LeBron having a one-hour special to announce his decision. But we are all used to the hype in sports. Do we really need a six-hour pregame show for the Super Bowl? Can't we play the NBA All-Star Game without all of the side attractions? Would boxing be boxing without the wild and crazy news conferences? Hype and sports go hand-in-hand.

That's why I found the letter written by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert so pathetic. Here is a man who was enriched by the play of LeBron James; according to Forbes, the value of the franchise increased by $100 million with his on-court performance.

Yet instead of being a gracious owner and simply reaffirming his commitment to the fans to put a winning team on the court, Gilbert ripped LeBron to shreds, calling him "narcissistic" and his decision to leave a "cowardly betrayal" and "a shameful display of selfishness."

Gilbert even went on to trash all athletes by saying, "It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions. Is this the way you raise your children?"

In an interview, Gilbert later said LeBron quit on the team in the playoffs the past two years.

Really? So if he was all of that, Dan, why did you want to re-sign him? Who wants a quitter on his team? If LeBron had chosen to stay in Cleveland, rich boy Dan would have been all smiles, slapping his back, getting ready to count the money he could make off of the back of LeBron. So who would have been the real selfish, narcissistic individual, Dan?

Gilbert now says it's time to speak out against LeBron, yet as long as James made him richer, he would have kept quiet. Sorry, Dan, you've pimped LeBron long enough.

LeBron showed Dan Gilbert that only LeBron owes LeBron an explanation. No owner, CEO or boss has the right to demand that someone stay as an employee. The employee has a right to live their life as they see fit.

As the CEO of LeBron James Inc., he did what's in the best of interest of him. And as the most important shareholder, isn't that what he's supposed to do?

I'm sorry, folks, but the loyalty that used to exist from teams and companies is gone. Some still believe in it, but for many of us, we're simply a dot on the spreadsheet. Business is cutthroat, and we have to accept that reality.

So, King James, go to Miami and do your thing. Grow your corporation to be as big as you want it to be. And never look back at the haters who are mad you chose not to act like a highly paid indentured servant or 21st-century slave, held in place by the invisible shackles dressed up as loyalty to a city, owing the fans and satisfying someone who is clearly an ungrateful owner.








James' Show Draws Critics, But His Decision Will Bring Championships


LeBron James has redefined himself with his widely anticipated, and nonetheless, shocking decision to join the Miami Heat. In years to come, he promises to play less like Michael Jordan and perform more like an open-floor version of Magic Johnson, as he creates plays for Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

He has chosen to play basketball of the highest level, and to do so at the personal expense of rejecting the larger markets of New York and Chicago. Most of all, he has signaled that he is no longer seeking to be universally popular. He is not going to be all things to all people anymore.

He turned a lot of people against him by showcasing his choice to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, situated less than an hour north of his hometown of Akron. The way he announced his decision is going to be more important to many people than his reasons for moving to Miami. Those reasons are understandable; some will call them laudable.

But this threatens to go down as a case of What You Say vs. How You Say It. How he said it drowned out the meaning of his words. If he was going to divorce himself from the fans who viewed him as one of their own, as a savior to their depressed region, then wasn't there a less painful way to do so? His former fans will make the argument that James was so concerned with the pursuit of his celebrity that he ran them over with this self-empowering TV special. A lot of people will be cheering against him now.

"Our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier,'' wrote team owner Dan Gilbert in a bitter open letter to Cavs fans Thursday night, in which he referred to James as "narcissistic, self-promotional" and "cowardly."

"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 ... But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called 'curse' on Cleveland, Ohio.

"The self-declared former 'King' will be taking the 'curse' with him down south. And until he does 'right' by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma."

James surely turned many in his hometown against him. But other fans around the country can be reclaimed by simply winning in a big way. The amazing revival of Kobe Bryant's popularity had everything to do with triumphing in the last two NBA Finals, and James has now set himself up to do the same on terms that cannot be considered selfish. He has chosen to score fewer points, to adapt his MVP style of play, to accept not being the No. 1 player on his team every night and to leave money on the table by accepting a five-year deal (worth at least $30 million less than he would have earned in Cleveland) in which he'll share Miami's cap space with Wade and Bosh.

James repeatedly said that he wasn't looking to leave Cleveland, but then he belied those statements when he began to discuss the NBA's leading partnerships of the last 30 years. He worked his way through a number of championship teams while pointing out that Magic had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, that Larry Bird had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson, that Isiah Thomas had Joe Dumars and on and on. "You become a superstar individually, but you become a champion with a team and I understand that," he said. "I understand the history of the game."

In other words, he never was supplied with a star in his prime. After seven years in Cleveland he was lured to Miami by the promise of playing with talented teammates. The natural concerns that he and Wade will struggle to play together are of no concern to him, James insisted.

"The only thing that may change is the points per game," said James. "The way you see me and D-Wade approach the game every night and have that never-say-die attitude will not change. We don't have to have the pressure of scoring 30 every night or shooting a high percentage or logging long minutes and worrying about our team suffering because of that. The way we approach the game -- the same demeanor, the same grit, the same swagger to our game will not change, and that's the same thing with Chris also."

What became clear from James' televised interview is that he, Wade and Bosh had shared conversations in which each talked of the burdens of carrying a team on his own, as each has tried to do to ultimately disappointing results in Cleveland, Miami and Toronto, respectively, over the last few years. The downside of this new AAU era is that these rival players are friends in a way that Magic, Larry and Isiah never could have been in their day. The upside is that James, Wade and Bosh have shown that they -- as friends -- are more concerned with winning than with their individual stats or with boasting the biggest salary.

Two other conclusions can be drawn. One is that this partnership was in the works years ago when all three agreed to shortened contracts enabling them to become free agents simultaneously, in the final summer before the anticipated 2011 lockout and the likelihood of smaller, shorter contracts. It may not have seemed likely a few years ago, but it surely was a goal.

The other conclusion is that Heat president Pat Riley dominated this free-agent market. He was better networked and a much more informed and charismatic recruiter than any of his rivals, and that's why he won at their expense.

So where does this leave Miami? James and Wade have insisted that Erik Spoelstra will remain as coach with Riley continuing to serve as his highly demanding mentor. Much of Spoelstra's success next season will be determined by Miami's ability over the remaining summer to fill out the roster with role players on veteran minimum contracts. Now that forward Michael Beasley's $5 million salary has reportedly been moved to Minnesota for a second-round pick in a move to clear further cap space, the Heat could have additional funds to pursue the following in addition to their three stars and point guard Mario Chalmers -- a starting center, two backup big men, a backup small forward and at least two guards, one of whom may need to start at the point. All of this to fill out the rotation, with at least two more players needed for the end of the bench. The quality of these acquisitions is almost impossible to predict because the Heat will have to wait and see which players are left unsigned through the end of the month.

Until we know more about the rest of the team, the Heat cannot be rated ahead of the Eastern champion Celtics or conference finalists Magic. But within a year or two, this surely will be a championship contender with the promise of a long run at the top.


<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=8f0fcea2-31ca-4aa8-a4d0-2495b7a7de8d&amp;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" target="_new" title="LeBron Tracker: Cleveland enemy No. 1">Video: LeBron Tracker: Cleveland enemy No. 1</a>



Cavs Owner Rips LeBron's "Betrayal"


Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert posted this letter on Cavs.com after LeBron James decided he was leaving for the Miami Heat:


Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers 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 Cleveland 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 NBA 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, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (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
Cleveland Cavaliers



View Larger Map


Sources: CNN, ESPN, Fox Sports, MSNBC, Roland Martin Blog, Sports Illustrated, Google Maps

LeBron James Becomes Cleveland's Worst Enemy! Jealousy!

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=8f0fcea2-31ca-4aa8-a4d0-2495b7a7de8d&amp;from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_articles" target="_new" title="LeBron Tracker: Cleveland enemy No. 1">Video: LeBron Tracker: Cleveland enemy No. 1</a>







Cavs Owner Rips LeBron's "Betrayal"


Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert posted this letter on Cavs.com after LeBron James decided he was leaving for the Miami Heat:


Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers 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 Cleveland 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 NBA 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, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (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
Cleveland Cavaliers



View Larger Map


Sources: CNN, Fox Sports, MSNBC, Google Maps

LeBron James Gets Drafted By Cleveland (2003) Video

View Larger Map


Sources: ESPN, Youtube, Google Maps

LeBron James Sued By Man Claiming To Be His Father

Lawyer Sues Basketball Star LeBron James, Alleging He Is His Father


A Washington lawyer has filed a lawsuit in federal court, claiming he is the father of basketball star LeBron James.

Leicester Stovell alleges that the athlete and his family have been involved in a cover-up to deny paternity by committing fraud and misrepresentation.

In the complaint, filed June 23, Stovell says, "I recently have concluded that a comprehensive, sophisticated and well-funded effort might well have been underway for quite some time, perhaps beginning in its present form as early as when defendant LeBron James was in high school, to frustrate identification of his real father, and that there is a likelihood that the father in question is me."

He stopped short of saying he is certain he is James' father. "I don't want to make such a definitive statement in the absence of corroborative evidence" such as DNA, he said.

Stovell said he filed the suit two weeks ago because a statute of limitations was about to expire. "I have some limitation considerations that caused me to want to file the suit before the end of June," he said.

He denied the timing had anything to do with the current LeBron mania.

James is scheduled to announce Thursday evening the team he has chosen to play for next season, a deal worth perhaps tens of millions of dollars or more. He currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Stovell said it never occurred to him that he could be James' father until 2006, when a colleague asked him if he was sure he didn't have a (different) son at Cornell.

"That's when I delved systematically into all of my recollections into prior relationships, and retrieved the relationship with Gloria James," he said.

The lawsuit claims Stovell met James' mother in a Washington bar and restaurant in 1984, where she was visiting from Ohio. She was 16 at the time, Stovell says, and they had sex only once.

He says he was informed by Gloria James months later that she was pregnant. He claims she told him the child would be named LeBron, similar to Leicester Bryce, Stovell's first and middle names.

Stovell says he has been trying for three years to establish paternity. The lawsuit is seeking $4 million in damages.

He is a solo legal practitioner in the District of Columbia, and filed the lawsuit on his own behalf.

A call to LeBron James' attorney, Frederick Nance of Cleveland, Ohio, was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit had been filed without much initial publicity, but was reported by the TMZ celebrity website Wednesday.

Public records show Stovell is a former government attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He filed a lawsuit in 2002 against the agency, alleging racial discrimination. Federal court records show the case was settled when the commission paid him $230,000, while not admitting fault.


View Larger Map


Sources: CNN, Google Maps

LeBron's Decision: Miami Heat! $30M More Than Other Teams

"King" LeBron James has just announced live on ESPN from Greenwich, CT that he's going with Miami Heat.

He wants to win a championship and felt Cleveland wasn't the place for him to achieve that goal.

Congrats!





LeBron Says He'll Sign With Miami Heat


LeBron James is headed to South Beach.

Months of speculation about James' NBA future ended Thursday when the two-time MVP announced his intentions to play for the Miami Heat during a one-hour television special.

James will join a superstar trio in Miami that includes Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

ESPN televised James' decision live from a Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn., a group with which James has a relationship.

Ten days ago, FOX Sports Radio's Stephen A. Smith reported that James, Wade and Bosh would all end up together in Miami.

“You’re only as good as your sources, as a journalist, and from what I’m being told, after hearing what everybody has to say, LeBron James will agree to team with Dwyane Wade, he’s going to South Beach," Smith said at the time. "LeBron James and Chris Bosh are going to South Beach; they are going to play for the Miami Heat.”

In the hours before his choice was revealed, the sports world spun out of control with speculation and rumors.

James, in a T-shirt and shorts, showed up at a tournament of high school stars at Cleveland State University in midafternoon with former teammate Damon Jones. James nervously chewed his fingernails while watching some high-schoolers play. He stayed a little more than an hour before heading off in a white Bentley, presumably on his way to the airport.

He did not speak to a reporter, but said "thank you'' to some coaches in the stands who wished him luck.

In Greenwich, fans and media set up their own camp across the street from the Boys and Girls club more than five hours before the announcement. More than 15 satellite trucks lined the streets, and about two dozen fans with beach chairs and coolers settled on a patch of grass, hoping for a glimpse of James.

By 6:30 p.m. more than 100 people had gathered.

Dustin Dobbs wore a James jersey and carried a small radio to listen to the announcement — one he said merited all the hype.

"He's the face of basketball today,'' the 18-year-old from Westport, Conn. said. "This is all worth it.''

Knicks president Donnie Walsh, an executive with nearly 30 years in the NBA, understood all the fuss.

"It's something new, but we're in new age,'' he said. "I don't remember Michael Jordan ever becoming a free agent. I don't remember Larry Bird becoming a free agent. I don't remember Magic Johnson becoming a free agent. It would've been the same back then if they had, but that never happened.''

The Cavaliers, a franchise that was in ruins before winning a lottery drawing and bringing James up Interstate 77 from his Akron home, have had the upper hand — until now. They were able to offer him more money — $30 million more — than any other team.

But because they have overspent while trying to please James and win the first title by any of Cleveland's three pro sports teams since 1964, the Cavs are strapped with a few big contracts that have eaten up salary-cap space and prevented them from making roster moves to improve the team.

They've come close to winning it all with James, who at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds has the quickness of a point guard and brute force of an NFL defensive lineman.

With the possible exception of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, James is the NBA's premier player, but his legacy cannot be fulfilled until he wins a championship.


View Larger Map


Sources: ESPN, Fox Sports, MSNBC, Google Maps

New York City Rolls Out Red Carpet For LeBron James (C'mon Lebron!)

New Yorkers Roll Out The Red carpet For LeBron James


What will New Yorkers give to lure LeBron James to come play in New York?

Let me count the ways - er, gifts.

Donald Trump offered to squire James around New York. Bo Dietl offered a regular seat at Rao's, which happens to be booked for the year.

The producers of "Chicago" offered him a part.

The chief cook of Smoke in Da Eye offered LeBron unlimited barbecue. Bob Bertrand of The Original SoupMan pledged free soup for life, without the "Nazi" rules made infamous on "Seinfeld."

And Samantha Choi of the Classic Car Club Manhattan offered LeBron an annual membership worth $10,000 that would let him drive all over town in a Lamborghini or Ferrari.

This outpouring of gift offers to get James to play here - at the behest of the Daily News, of course - came after Gene Lemay, the CEO of Moishe's Moving and Storage, parked a trailer outside Madison Square Garden yesterday so fans could fill it with gifts for LeBron.

The gifts everyday New Yorkers offered - T-shirts, stuffed animals and toys - paled in comparison to what guys like Trump and Dietl promised, but Lemay will deliver them to LeBron in Cleveland, where James plays for the Cavaliers.

The magicians at Bliss Spa want the 25-year-old James to feel pampered the minute he gets here.

"We have our Jet-Out aromatherapy rub of pine, rosemary and eucalyptus," said Bliss' Stephanie Gerard. "We would do our longest, deepest Deep Tissue Sports Blissage with six hands - three therapists. "

When he gets hungry, the Palm Tribeca invited him to come down for their famous hickory-smoked ribeye steak with jumbo Nova Scotia lobster for two, paired with California Cabernet.

He's a big guy - can he have seconds? "LeBron can have whatever he wants!" Palm manager Christina Cates offered helpfully.

Then it's over to the Ambassador Theatre, where LeBron can act in "Chicago," courtesy of producers Fran and Barry Weissler.

"After seeing him on 'SNL,' we know he's got great performance chops," said Jeremy Schaffer, the musical's spokesman.

When he gets tired, LeBron can stay free at one of New York's most exquisite boutique hotels. If he's in a downtown mood, hotelier Andre Balasz has offered LeBron a loft suite at his Mercer Hotel in SoHo. Uptown, he can crash at the newly renovated Mark Hotel.

And to top it off, Alexandre Petrossian will send over a snack of Royal Ossetra caviar sandwiches.

C'mon LeBron! you know they don't have caviar sandwiches in Cleveland.


View Larger Map


Sources: C'mon LeBron.com, Huffington Post, NY Daily News, Youtube, Google Maps