YAHOO.COM "At the ripe age of 26, LeBron James(notes) has won two MVP awards, he has two NBA Finals appearances, several All-Star berths, and his Miami Heat team will be the odds-on favorite to win the NBA title next week as they prepare to take on the Dallas Mavericks. He also has zero NBA titles.
At the same age, NBA legend Michael Jordan had just as many titles, just as many MVP awards, and his Bulls weren't even the favorites (despite home court advantage) as they prepared to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals.
"Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to ever play the game. I may go so far as saying LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game."
Whoa, guy. Seriously?
(And is he actually wrong?)
No, James hasn't surpassed Jordan in any meaningful way yet. He hasn't won jack, in comparison to MJ's six titles. He hasn't simultaneously won a Defensive Player of the Year in the same season he led the NBA in scoring, though that might be Dwight Howard's(notes) fault more than anything else. And because James joined the Miami Heat midway through his career, he'll never be looked at as the singular drive behind any championships he earns. After all, when Jordan won his first ring in 1991, Pippen hadn't even made an All-Star team by then.
But parsed correctly, tossing in a "might be" before "the greatest player to ever play the game," and following that with a "when all is said and done," Pip has to be taken seriously, here. James is 26, and he might be the greatest player to ever play the game when all is said and done. A lot of us have felt that for years.
Pippen, as you'd guess, has been put on the defensive. Fans are getting after him on his Twitter account, and earlier on Friday he posted this:
Ah, Scottie, you don't need to be that defensive. You may be the most versatile defender in NBA history, but you don't need to darken the mood, here. You just need to brighten, and clarify. By any reasonable standard, be they rings or Player Efficiency Ratings or "I seen 'em"-recollections, Jordan is the best ever.
But LeBron James? He has the talent and the time to surpass him. And for those of us, "watching and cheering," that obsessed over every one of Jordan's minutes in his prime? We can understand that.
It's on you now, LeBron. It's not on Scottie. Because he could be right" -YAHOO.COM
BLOOMBERG.COM- "LeBron James scored 29 points for the Miami Heat, who beat the Philadelphia 76ers 94-73 in Game 2 of their National Basketball Association playoff series.
Chris Bosh added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who never trailed at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena to take a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.
The teams shift to Philadelphia for the next two games, with Game 3 scheduled for April 21.
“We just wanted to protect home court,” James said in a televised interview. “We did what we’re supposed to and we’re looking forward to Game 3 in Philly.”
The Heat, the second seed in the Eastern Conference, outscored the 76ers 30-18 during the second quarter to open a 49-31 halftime lead. The Heat stretched their advantage to as many as 28 points during the fourth quarter and limited the seventh-seeded 76ers to 34 percent shooting.
Miami has won nine straight games against Philadelphia dating back to the 2009-10 season.
The Chicago Bulls, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, host the Indiana Pacers in tonight’s other NBA playoff matchup.
"LeBron James was a little emotional this week when the NBA announced his No. 6 jersey was the worldwide top seller.
It had nothing to do with money -- players don't directly profit from their own jersey sales -- but everything to do with perception. The jersey sales chart is generally viewed as a barometer of a player's widespread popularity.
It was the first time in seven years James reached the top spot, the last time was at the end of his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2004.
James said he sees getting back to the first position, unseating Kobe Bryant after a two-year run, as a sign there's been some thawing from fans nationally after his unpopular departure from the Cavs last summer.
"I never thought I'd get back there," James said Friday as the Miami Heat prepared to open the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday afternoon. "Maybe someday but especially this year ... it was humbling. Just getting all the attention and all the bad news about me that was out there -- it was meaningful."
Accustomed to being cheered across the league, James endured routine boos at arenas this season. He expected it in certain places, especially Cleveland, but getting it everywhere unsettled him. The news about the jersey sales gave him hope that it won't always be that way." Read Full Article -Via ESPN
Gloria James, mother of Heat star LeBron James, was released from jail Thursday after being arrested early in the morning outside a Miami hotel for allegedly assaulting a valet. Gloria, who pleaded no contest to DUI in 2006, had a strong odor of alcohol on her breath and had bloodshot eyes when officers arrived on the scene at 4:47 a.m. Thursday, police said. The valet and witnesses told police that he brought the car to the front of the hotel but turned it off after waiting 30 minutes for Gloria. When she walked out to the ramp, she started screaming profanities when she didn't immediately see her car and then slapped the valet.
"It's a sensitive subject," LeBron said after the Heat practiced Thursday afternoon. "It's a personal matter. It's being taken care of."
There was once a time when Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks brought out all the big name celebrities at home and on the road. Over the last few years though the embarrassment of losing season after losing season has not made a Knicks game a "Must Be Seen At" event for Celebrities. Now with the addition of "Mr. Big Shot" and Carmelo Anthony to assist Amare', the New New York Knicks are once again the hottest ticket in New York and in other venues. Checkout who came to see Lebron James almost come to tears as the Heat lost to the Knicks for the second straight time this season
LEBRON JAMES HAS RECENTLY SAID THAT HIS "LEBRON 8" SNEAKERS ARE BETTER THAT KOBE'S NEW KICKS!!!"“Yeah, it’s a better shoe, but we’re all one Nike family.”
When asked to elaborate, Lebron responded:
“Because it is, because it’s LeBron’s shoe. It’s got my name on it. I take pride in my shoes every year, and I’ve always taken pride in having the best shoe. So they’re going to cost a little more if you decide to wear them.” -LEBRON JAMES
THE KNICKS FANS SCREAMED SOME OF THE MOST DISRESPECTFUL THINGS AT KING JAMES.. BUT AT THE END?... JAMES HAS HIS 30TH CAREER TRIPLE DOUBLE, AND A BLOW WIN AT THE GARDEN. DOES THE HEAT FINALLY HAVE IT TOGETHER?
