Video - LeBron James takes over Game 5!

Will Cleveland Trade Keep LeBron Around?
Mind Rite Sports -- Quality, diverse sports coverage — Some NBA superstars demand trades when they feel like their team is inadequate. Some stay with their team against their will but phone in games . Others, who often get compared to larger-than-life deities , simply step up and proceed to carry their team to the NBA Finals. For the superstars who prove they can single-handedly take their team to the “promise land,” teams find it in their best interest to go out of their way to stockpile as much talent as possible. In Cleveland, general manager Danny Ferry has but one goal, and one goal only : keep LeBron James happy. A player like James comes once in a lifetime; with his ...

Ball Movements 2.26.08
Hardwood Paroxysm — Reasons to Watch the Games of the NBA Tonight: Nothing Says "Magic" Like New Jersey: Well, then. Here's a nice little recipe. Let's take the team that lost it's franchise point guard and got back an injured youngster point guard, a behemoth underneatoth, and some bits and pieces. Then let's put on the other side a team that has the consistency of a malt with jello chunks in it. Tasty! Now let's put them in a game heading into the playoff stretch run while the rest of the East has improved via trades. Bake for 48 minutes at 500 degrees. Sprinkle with basil, paprika, and half-man, half-season for taste. ...

Does the Silence of Athletes Speak Volumes?
The Big Lead — Yesterday, we briefly mentioned that we attended a sportswriter forum last weekend. One of the hot topics was this column that ran in the New York Times Saturday. In summation: Should athletes speak out about Civil Rights issues? They certainly have the platform to potentially make a difference. Michael Jordan never did. Either has LeBron. Should it matter? Anytime this topic arises, we think of Charles Barkley’s commercial: “I am not a role model.” Our days of hero worship for athletes are long gone; posters of Don Mattingly and Magic Johnson that adorned our bedroom walls in elementary school have been ...

Tayshaun Prince Realizes Running Away From LeBron Might Not Be Best Way to Stop Him
FanHouse — Filed under: Cavaliers, Pistons, NBA Videos I know that I'm being overly sarcastic here (even for me), but I couldn't resist when I heard Tayshaun Prince say that the players went to the coaches with some suggestions on how to better defend LeBron James. I mean, this is the same guy who can be seen literally running out of LeBron's way (:24 into the clip) late in Game 5 of last year's Conference Finals. So Tayshaun, just to clarify, you figured out that there's a better way to guard LeBron than by running off the court ...

King's Court: pre-Postseason Edition
Le Cavs! A Cleveland Cavaliers Blog — This one is for Ori - we're ditching the card rankings and just using fancy numbers. What I'm doing here is listing out the players that are most important to the Cavs in terms of giving us a chance to win it all. For instance, let's say I figure we have a 50% chance of winning a championship right now. But if you take away Lebron, we're hopeless, so Lebron has added that 50% chance. In reality, I'd put our chances of getting out of the first round at 50%. Low, yes, but look how we're playing. Washington isn't playing great, but it's a close match any way you look at it. I think Lebron will put us over the top, breaking his back ...

Team USA: No Kidd'ing? Vote
Brew Hoop — With the Bucks' 2007-08 season officially over, we (as Bucks fans) are left with the dilemma of wondering what to do, other than scrutinize potential draft picks that are no longer playing and make a list of top coaches for the coaching vacancy. We could pick a team that had the audacity to actually make the playoffs, since there is a lot of good basketball scheduled in the next couple months. The Hornets are a logical choice, given they overcame Hurricane Katrina in style, have Chris Paul, are the least respected number two seed ever, and the fact that over the winter there were rumblings of Bucks fans considering ...

DeShawn Stevenson: Will keeping it real go wrong?
Truth About It - Washington Wizards Blog — Charles Barkley threw the Wizards through a plate-glass window and spit on them like a little girl when he called Washington the "dumbest franchise in the history of civilization." ...

LeBron James and YouTube
CelticsBlog — I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of LeBron James. In fact I launched an ill-fated campaign against him when he wore a suit to a preseason game against the C’s back in 2006. However, as someone who enjoys basketball in general, I do respect what he brings to the table. But now is not the time to talk about his ability to drop a triple double ...

Worthy of Your Attention
SLAM Online — by Marcel Mutoni Boston Celtics fans are nervous about this series, and justifiably so. The shocking dogfight with the Atlanta Hawks gave everyone who cares about the Green & White an uneasy feeling, and now they must deal with LeBron and the James Gang. On paper, the C’s have an infinitely better team than the Cavs; but the games aren’t played on paper, and LeBron has shown a frightening ability to conquer superior teams nearly by his lonesome. Tonight, the series tips off in Beantown, and the Celtics will be looking to get off on the right foot since the road hasn’t exactly been ...

The games I'd most like to attend
Forest City Fanatics — I've seen a few articles recently where writers have selected the best games ever, the best they've personally viewed, or the historical games they would most like to attend if time travel was possible other than via relativistic speeds. The first I saw was Bill Simmons picking his top three a while back - I can't find the link, but I remember one of them was a boxing match so, thanks for the good idea at least, I guess. Sports Illustrated's writers have been recapping the best game each of them ever saw ...

Vacationing Up North
Around the Oval — I'm going on a vacation starting tomorrow for about a week to that state up north for some quality boating and whatnot. I finally got around to picking up a Big Ten preseason mag, so I'll finally be able to do a bang up review when I get back. Sean will still be around here. In honor of this vacation, here are videos of people from Ohio doing great things in the state of Michigan. ...

Ballin’: LeBron’s Ascension To The Throne
BallerBlogger.com — On May 31, 2007, LeBron James put on one of the greatest shows in playoff history. James scored the Cavs final 25 and 29 of Cleveland’s last 30 points in a 109-107 double-overtime victory. [Note: RSS readers, there is a video within this blog]

DBB Countdown: 48
Detroit Bad Boys — There are 48 days left until the Pistons kick off the 2008-09 season. Speaking of 48, Ben Wallace turned down $48 million from the Pistons[1] two summers ago to accept a $60 million deal from the Bulls. Given Wallace’s downward spiral ever since, some might say it’s easily the best $48 million Detroit never spent. His numbers have declined across the board, a trend that actually started his last few years in Detroit, and he’s left a path of destruction across the Central Division. Signing Nazr Mohammed to replace him didn’t exactly work out, but as we saw last year, it’s a lot ...

Worst of the Night: December 10, 2008
Basketbawful — Today's picture was provided by Shayan of Time Intact. The Indiana Pacers: Indy entered last night's game with a 7-13 record, which didn't seem too bad considering that their previous five games were against the Magic, Celtics, Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics again. That's a pretty tough five-game stretch, no? But things didn't improve with them finally facing a non-division leader. They shot 34 percent as a team, thanks in part to Danny Granger's 9-for-25 performance, which included a ridiculous 3-for-11 from three-point range. (For comparisons sake, the Raptors attempted 16 threes as a team.) ...

Save LeBron - Cleveland Fans Organize to Give LeBron James Reasons to Stay in Cleveland
Midwest Sports Fans — (Photo Art by Midwest Sports Fans. Click on image for full-size view.) The biggest story in the 2008-09 NBA season has had nothing to do with the actual play on the floor. Sure, the 21-2 start by the Boston Celtics as they defend their title has been nice. Derrick Rose has given Chicago Bulls fans legitimate hope for the future of the franchise. And Mo Williams has provided a tremendous boost to the Cleveland Cavaliers offense in the Cavs’ impressive start to the season. But the biggest story so far this year has been about 2010, and specifically the amazingly loaded free agent class that is ...

Day 107 of 170: Stephen Jackson Almost Had A Quadruple-Double
Give Me The Rock — Image via Wikipedia Okay… not really. But he did have the Line of the Night. Line of the Night: Stephen Jackson (1.66) was 6 threes and 4 rebounds short of the quadruple-double. But, he still had 35 points, 6 rebounds, 10 boards, and 4 threes with ...

Point/Counterpoint: The Detroit Pistons would be best served by * gasp * not making the playoffs
It's Just Sports — With three straight losses to the Grizzlies (!), Mavericks and Rockets, the Pistons find themselves a below-.500 team and sitting in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Their best (albeit flawed) big, Rasheed Wallace, has a calf injury ...

Pistons-Cavs Game Thread
Detroit Bad Boys — Blargh… Game starting at 6p CST. Phooey on that… Is there a national epidemic of 9 o’clock bedtimes or something? Seriously…. I’ve got nothin’, except for this. Watch and seethe. ...

Ballin’: At This Rate, the Lakers Would Rather Face the Cavs in the NBA Finals Than the Bobcats
The Big Lead — LA Lakers 84, Charlotte 94: NBA mysteries, for $800, Alex. “Why the hell have the Lakers lost six of seven to the lowly Bobcats - including getting swept this season?” The Bobcats - one game back of the eighth playoff spot (!) - got 12 assists from Boris Diaw, shot 51 percent, and forced Kobe to take 28 shots to get 25 points. Detroit 73, Cleveland 79: Anytime we see Pistons-Cavs highlights, all we can think of is Game 5 in 2007. It’s gotta rank up there among the greatest athletic achievements we’ve witnessed. Besides finishing with 48, he ...

Blowing Leads
Detroitable — The Pistons just could not hold it together near the end. They played great for 95% of the game but when it mattered most they fell apart. I don't know how many times I have seen that happen this year, but it has been a lot. This game was one of many where in the final minutes I am gritting my teeth. I look at the score and see Detroit with the lead...but I just know that it is not safe. This season more than any other I ask myself during the end of games "how are we going to let this one slip away?" I want to believe, but they are making it hard. "Tonight just sums up the way we have been playing the whole season," Antonio ...

Did Somebody Say NBA Playoffs?
Intentional Foul — And now the NBA goes from “fantastic” to “amazing” thanks to the start of the NBA Playoffs (tomorrow afternoon). This year, however, could be one of the more anti-climatic road to the Finals as there are two teams head and shoulders above the rest of the playoff group. Obviously, I’m talking about Cleveland and Los Angeles — or Kobe and LeBron if you wish. In the Eastern Conference, it’s, thanks to the troubled knee of Kevin Garnett, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the rest of the gang. Thanks to injuries, the two teams — Orlando and Boston — that would be in the ...

Quick Tuesday NBA Hit No. 2: LeBron James and Motown
ESPNtheMag.com - MagDaily — If you had to choose from the following categories to describe a Detroit basketball fan's view of LeBron James, would you pick (a) "begrudging respect;" (b) "animosity;" (c) "ignorance;" or (d) "really hoping he somehow gets lured to the 'Stons in 2010?" We think it's a mix of all four, honestly. We're sorry, but we can't ever think of Bron and the Pistons within four seconds of each other without linking this up. That was a spectacular performance. (If you live in the D and want to tell us your thoughts on James, e-mail us.)

NBA Fan Evolution: Part 1 - Fan Eras
Full Court Pest — - Most of that era's players actually learned to play with soccer balls - the talent pool they came from was literally 1000's of times smaller - the league was so bad defensively that a player could average 50 points, a triple double or 20 boards for a whole season - Players didn't really know how to box out and rarely did, even on foul shots - In 10 years from 1966 to 1976 the size of the league more then doubled from 9 to 24 - teams allowing way more scrubs who had never once played at that level into the league to get beat up on by the pros - At the same time as that expansion the ABA opened it's doors. 3 years later NBA owners voted 14-3 to let them ...

You Pick: Last Night vs. LeBron’s 48 in 2007
Dime Magazine — LeBron scored 29 of Cleveland’s final 30 points that night at the Palace almost exactly two years ago. He scored or assisted on 32 straight points last night. Against Detroit in ‘07, he went 18-33 from the floor (2-3 3FG), 10-14 FT for 48 points, 9 boards, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 TO’s. Last night’s point total wasn’t quite as gaudy, but he was just as unstoppable down the stretch: 11-24 FG (0-2 3FG), 15-19 FT for 37 points, 14 boards, 12 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 TO’s. You can hear it in Marv’s voice - James’ domination in ‘07 was met with incredulity. When he breaks Jason Maxiell’s ankles and smashes a dunk through, Albert was damn ...

The Infinite List of Cool Things About the NBA
Basketball Fiend — Jordan is one of the coolest things about the NBA. The NBA is filled with all kinds of cool things. In fact, so many cool things that it’s virtually impossible to document them all. But I’m damn sure going to try. Below you’ll find a list of the things that I think are cool about the NBA (ranging from past to present, from on the court to off-court) in no particular order. The reason I call this an infinite list is that I want it to be a living document, meaning I hope you’ll continue to add to it by leaving comments in the section below or sending tips to me by e-mail at pecrawley@gmail.com ...

LeBron James: NBA’s Best Player
LeBrownsTown — While they will not offically air until Sunday night, the annual ESPY awards were held last night and King James won the award for best NBA player. Here is a more detailed article and list from ESPN and a look at some of the plays that make James King. The famous chase downs… Top 10 LeBron dunks Top 10 plays of the year And finally the best performance by an athlete ever…

NBA Decade 2000s: Players
The Painted Area — When David Stern memorably handed over the Larry O’Brien Trophy to "Lakers Alternate Governor" Joey Buss back in June, he effectively closed the book on the decade of the 2000s in the NBA, as the next championship will be won in 2010. With that in mind, we wanted to take a look back at some of the highlights of the NBA decade. In the first installment of this series, we discuss the best players of the decade. [Note: We also encourage you to check Kevin Pelton’s Bill James-style review of the decade as well as Kelly Dwyer’s tour-de-force series on the NBA decade.] MVP: Tim ...

Athletes of The Decade - #5 LeBron James
Randall Simon's Sausages — Our #5 Athlete of the Decade may not have that title yet, but he has just about everything else. The argument can be made that he has been the most transcendent athlete this decade though. He shot on the scene out of a cannon straight from high school and the constant speculation ...

Decade’s Top 10 NBA Players
SLAM Online — Putting it to a democratic vote a la this summer’s SLAMonline Top 50, the order was delivered and the dix were down. The final tally proved it wasn’t even close. Sorry to Melo and Truth, but these cats were the best in show. No ifs, ands or buts. Try guessing the Decade’s Top 10 without reading on. You can do that. But putting their accomplishments into words? Good luck. Here’s our best shot at it…. No. 10: Jason Kidd by Brad Graham Understanding why Jason Kidd is one of the decade’s best is easy, especially because his recipe for success is ...

Decade’s Top 10 NBA Players
Triviality of Basketball — Putting it to a democratic vote a la this summer’s SLAMonline Top 50 , the order was delivered and the dix were down. Sorry to Melo and Truth, but these cats were the best in show. The final tally proved it wasn’t even close. Try guessing the Decade’s Top 10 without reading on. You can do that. But putting their accomplishments into words? Good luck. Here’s our best shot at it…. No. 10: Jason Kidd by Brad Graham Understanding why Jason Kidd is one of the decade’s best is easy, especially because his recipe for success is straight out of a Rachael Ray cookbook… you take Hobble’s vision; a master chess player’s decision making; Jedi Knight ...