Lebron James Magic

LeBron James magic

Auburn Hills, Mich. -- LeBron James put on one of the most memorable playoff performances in NBA history on Thursday night.
James had dunks, fadeaway jumpers and he scored the winning basket in a thrilling 109-107 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals.
James finished with 48 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 51 minutes. He also scored 29 of the Cavs' last 30 points, including 25 straight. Cavs coach Mike Brown is glad he was a witness. "This was the single best game I've ever seen on this level and in this atmosphere hands down," Brown said. "He was absolutely phenomenal."
Despite his playoff-best performance, James was more satisfied with the victory.
"If I did everything I did tonight and we lost, it means nothing," James said. "The win is the most important thing for us, and we need one more win to reach our goal."
The Cavs are in the same position they were in last season in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pistons. This time, however, the Cavs hope for different results. The Cavs can close out the series and the Pistons' season on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in Game 6 at The Q.
"Willing my team to victory is definitely pleasing to me," James said. "This is one of the biggest wins in Cavaliers' history.
"But we have a goal. We can't dwell on this when we have another game on Saturday. We'll do our best to try to win that ball game and get where we want to be all year."
Just like last year, the Cavs trailed, 0-2, in the conference semifinals against the Pistons but roared back to win three straight. The Cavs forced a Game 7, but lost the series. Now, they're one game away from advancing to the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Cavs led by two points late in the first overtime, but Eric Snow fouled Chauncey Billups with 3.1 seconds left. Billups nailed the free throws to tie the score. Snow attempted a desperation shot at the buzzer to send the game into double overtime.
Late in the second overtime, James nailed a fall-away 3-pointer to tie the score. Moments later he scored inside on a layup for a two-point lead with 2.2 seconds left. Billups missed the final shot to end the game and James' spectacular moment.
"I feel terrible," said James, when asked how he felt physically. "I'm everything. I'm banged up, I'm winded, I'm fatigued, and I have all day tomorrow. "But it'll be tough to get some rest when you have a crazy 2-year old [his son James Jr.] running around the house. Hopefully, I can take him to one of his grandmother's house."
The Cavs struggled in the third quarter throughout the postseason. They have been outscored 10 of 14 times in the third entering Thursday's game. James also has struggled in the third (averaging 5.1 points in the postseason), but the Cavs turned things around Thursday. They outscored the Pistons, 19-18, in the third, although James still did not have a breakout third (2-of-6 for six points). However, he did enough.
The Cavs trailed by eight but a 12-4 run, capped by Anderson Varejao's layup, tied the score at 65.
Tayshaun Prince fired up the Pistons and the crowd with a reverse dunk for a five-point lead, but a James' turnaround jumper followed by a James drive and kick to Daniel Gibson for a 3-pointer tied the score at 70.
In the second quarter, the Pistons extended their lead to eight, but the Cavs went to an inside game and cut the deficit to two after Zydrunas Ilgauskas' tip-in. Varejao's dunk with 2:43 left gave the Cavs' their first lead of the quarter. James' tip-in extended the Cavs' lead to three. The Pistons tied the score at 50. The Cavs trailed at the half after two Jason Maxiell free throws.
James had 13 points at the half. Billups had 13 to lead the Pistons. Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes had three fouls each at the half.
Larry Hughes started his second straight game thanks to another shot of pain killer in his injured left foot. Hughes played well early. He nailed consecutive 3-pointers. He finished with eight points in the first quarter, but added only one point in the second half.
The Pistons, however, led, 21-15, with 4:13 left in the first. It was their largest lead of the series. The crucial moment in the quarter happened late. James made a no-look pass to Varejao, who was open in the lane. Antonio McDyess came over and clothes-lined Varejao on the layup attempt. Varejao hit the floor. James ran over but players from each side held everyone back.
McDyess received a flagrant two foul, and he was ejected. James received a technical but remained in the game.

After James eye Surgery

James sees better than ever after eye surgery

LeBron James took another step toward improving his game last week, undergoing Lasik eye surgery in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The procedure, performed by Dr. Kerry K. Assil, is designed to improve vision and assures a faster recovery. James' vision has improved to 20/15, according to Assil, and he has already been cleared to resume workouts.
Lasik, which typically takes 10 to 15 minutes, involves a surgeon creating a corneal flap. The flap is then peeled back and a laser is used to reshape the cornea. Once the cornea is reshaped, light rays coming into the eye will properly focus on the retina for clearer vision.
James recently led the United States team to a gold medal in the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas, which qualified them for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
He is scheduled to host the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" from New York on Sept. 29. On Oct. 2, James and the Cavaliers open training camp and defense of their Eastern Conference championship.

Nike sticks with LeBron James puppet for Finals

Elimination beckoned, and we all figured we knew what that meant. The run was over, here comes summer vacation, it's time to go fishing.

Except the Nike puppets didn't go away.

Even without LeBron James in the NBA Finals, Nike continues to run ads with the LeBron and Kobe Bryant puppets, playing on the theme that Kobe made the Finals and LeBron has to stay home baby-sitting the little kid next door, Lil Dez.

In fact, the new ads have proliferated like rabbits, becoming YouTube staples and reaching the anchor desk on ESPN's "SportsCenter," with puppet LeBron and puppet Kobe plugging two brand names at once.

"It really wasn't about pitting Kobe versus LeBron in the Finals for us," Nike spokesman DeJuan Wilkins said. "If you look at the seasons and careers that both Kobe and LeBron have had, they're quite impressive.

"We felt this was a time when a lot of people would be paying attention to basketball [at] the largest stage during the playoffs. This was a moment for us to celebrate that, what these guys have accomplished.

"For us, the strategy has always been to show the strength of those two guys together. With LeBron and the [Cleveland] Cavaliers being eliminated from the playoffs, our goal was to continue to showcase both Kobe and LeBron."

The commercials, created and produced by Wieden and Kennedy, play off a consistent theme: One puppet trying to annoy the other/others into submission. Lil Dez is so hyper that when he finally shuts up, overwhelmed by long rows of Nike shoes, he reaches for an inhaler.

The puppets earned enough attention that they served as motivation for the Orlando Magic during the conference finals. Members of the Magic said the commercials assumed the Lakers and the Cavaliers were both Finals-bound, that their chances were being ignored.

When Orlando ousted the Cavaliers, some media types wondered whether Nike would quickly bring out a Dwight Howard puppet. Not a chance -- Howard represents Adidas.

Wilkins said the company has heard that while the LeBron puppet bears a passable resemblance to the real James, the Kobe puppet, sporting a goatee, does not look like the real Bryant.

"You know, he's gone back and forth, you look at old pictures, he definitely had a goatee," Wilkins said. "I think he's at a stage now where he doesn't wear it that often, and when he does, its very, very light."

Howard, meanwhile, settled in with a Vitaminwater commercial that spoofs the Kobe-LeBron ad that the company ran during earlier playoff rounds.

So regardless of what happens on the court the rest of the way, Howard at least gets the last laugh somewhere.

LeBron James meets with President Barack Obama

Silver Spring, Md.- LeBron James visited the White House and attended a movie premiere on Monday in his first public appearances since undergoing surgery to remove a benign growth on his jaw on June 1.
The Cavaliers star looked happy and subdued, and a little self-conscious about the noticeable scar around his right ear, as he walked the red carpet before the premiere of "More Than a Game," the documentary about James and his high school basketball buddies at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. The premiere kicked off the Silver docs Film Fes tival in Silver Spring, Md.
James ar rived at the premiere with high school teammates Dru Joyce III, Ro meo Travis, Willie McGee and Sian Cotton, former coach Dru Joyce II, Maverick Carter, the CEO of James' LRMR Marketing, and Akron native and the filmmaker Kristopher Belman.
James, wearing a blue pinstripe suit with no tie and his trademark sunglasses, posed for pictures with his friends and teammates. A large number of former teachers, administrators, classmates and alumni from St. Vincent-St. Mary were on hand, and when James and his teammates arrived a band was playing the school's fight song.
"We had a lot of fun with this because these are my best friends," James said. "This was all about friendship for us and it is great to share this."
Despite the large scar behind and on the side of his right ear, James showed no other effects from the surgery. He answered a few questions about the film, but did not answer questions about the surgery or reports that the Cavaliers are trying to acquire Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal.
James visited the White House on Monday afternoon in an appearance that was off the public schedule. He said hello to President Barack Obama (the two know one another from the campaign trail, and the president is a huge hoops fan) and got a tour of the West Wing.
It was unclear whether King James upstaged the other VIP at the White House Monday afternoon - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

King Lebron

LeBron James hosts his annual King for Kids Bike-a-thon in Akron

Name a sporting event that doesn't keep score but has 1,100 winners and LeBron James.The NBA draft would be a bad guess.
But if you picked James' own King for Kids Bike-a-thon in Akron on Saturday, you can sit in the winners' circle with the 1,100 bikers who rode for charity.
And maybe Akron itself was a winner, too. Mayor Don Plusquellic certainly thought so.
In the past 20 years, the city's downtown has gone from the world's largest vacant lot to a vibrant urban center that gleams and teems with a splendidly intimate ball park and myriad destination restaurants.
The mayor was pleased because James burnished the city's luster when he let it slip out that he was committed to maintaining the bike-a-thon as an annual event no matter what.
But Mahogany Gibson didn't come to dine or take in a game. And neither did Christopher Beard.
They were among the first heat of riders, ages 9 through 14, who formed up in ranks and files like horse cavalry to charge around a one-mile course.
As they and the others waited, volunteer chaperone Dennis Leonard walked along his 11 charges like an unusually genial sergeant, adjusting helmet straps and checking for seat adjustment.
Before they took off, James took the stage and told everyone that he doesn't talk much, "but I'm real excited about this. My whole passion is about inner-city kids."
Plusquellic said that the King "loves to give back" and that his combination of generosity and talent is what elevates him above other NBA stars.
The young riders were also givers. Their participation was in recognition of their efforts in the community and in school.
But they weren't the only competitors. Deaveon Sharpe, 7, was among many scrambling for autographs. She asked a reporter for his and stopped when he said, "I'm nobody." "Yes you are," she protested. "You own the Cavs."
She was directed across the street to Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry, who doesn't own the team, either, but knows who does.
A relative said she'd already scored the signatures of Mo Williams, Cavs coach Mike Brown and "America's Got Talent" host Nick Cannon.
Brett Cavallaro and his son, Noah, 8, came up from Columbus for the family event, a three-mile course. Noah said the biggest challenges were "the hills." Dad said they'd be in the eight-mile main event next year because Noah lamented that the family course "wasn't long enough."
There was no final score on how much was raised for charity, but last year's event funneled $50,000 to the Akron YMCA and the Urban League, through the LeBron James Family Foundation. The mayor's office estimates that a total of 3,000 were downtown for the race, including spectators.
But there were other, less tangible achievements, too.
The best trophies are the ones that are deserved but unexpected, and 11-year-old Andrew Petrisko of Elyria got just such a prize Saturday.
No one may have noticed as he queued up in the first rank for the kids' one-mile event. His presence itself was the trophy.
Andrew has focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, an ailment that placed him in end-stage kidney failure.
His father, Scott, said that as late as a month ago, his son's health made it appear impossible for Andrew to enter. He'd been prepared to ride in a Carebike, a combination wheelchair and bicycle powered by someone else.
But he responded with unexpected speed to an experimental new drug treatment at Akron Children's Hospital.
After the race, Andrew told his dad, "That was awesome."
Andrew's next words were "Can we leave now?" because he had a baseball game in Elyria.