Miami Heat Gets Lebron

(CNN) -- NBA superstar LeBron James announced Thursday night that he will take his high-priced services to the Miami Heat. James, who has played forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers all his career, announced his decision during a much-ballyhooed ESPN special entitled "The Decision." The superstar free agent said a conversation with his mother Thursday morning sealed the deal. "I think I decided this morning," James said. "Then I talked with my mom. Once I had that conversation with her I think I was set." James will be playing with shooting guard Dwyane Wade and power forward Chris Bosh in Miami. "We're going to be a really good team." 'LeBronathon' was a strictly U.S.obsession Late Thursday, Wade showed his excitement about the news. "I look forward to playing alongside LeBron, Chris Bosh and our teammates, and together representing the great city of Miami. There's magic in the number 3," he said. James looked at several teams, including New York, Chicago and his own Cleveland. It came down to one thing. "The major factor was the best opportunity to win now and to win in the future." ESPN switched briefly to sports bars in Miami and Cleveland to summarize the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. A few Cavs fans wasted no time in burning James jerseys in a small fire. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert called James' decision a "cowardly betrayal" and a "shocking act of disloyalty" in a letter posted on the team's website Thursday night. He then added, in all capital letters: "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." Miami fans were elated. "I think this is the best thing since sliced bread, are you serious," said Christina Onori. "I think this is the most unbelievable thing to happen to Miami, ever." Besides the Heat, the Boys and Girls Club of America and Twitter were beneficiaries of James' decision.

New Jersey Nets Attempt To Woo LeBron James

(AllHipHop News) Mogul Jay-Z, the Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov, and coach Avery Johnson all made a presentation and pitch to LeBron James to woo the basketball sensation to the New Jersey Nets. The trio, along with several other team officials, made a 90-minute pitch to the two-time NBA MVP. James officially became a free agent at 12:01 yesterday. The Associated Press offered a detailed account of the meeting, but reports have sprouted in various media outlets. "Prokhorov left with a few members of the Nets' entourage at 12:43 p.m. Lagging a few minutes behind them was Jay-Z, a close friend of James, who was sitting in the back seat of a black sedan leaving the garage as the Knicks' motorcade - 2 sedans and 2 SUVs - pulled in," the AP wrote. Sources with AllHipHop.com revealed that Jay-Z may have had a private, albeit brief, meeting with James. Avery Johnson reportedly stated the meeting "went well." The sentiment echoed the New York Knicks views of their meeting right after the Nets.

Heavyweight Bout – Celtics and Lakers – Round 12

“An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise” – Red Auerbach

While the rest of NBA nation looks toward July 1st and the free agent class of 2010, the two most storied franchises in league history will just be doing what they do best: battling for a championship in June. For the Celtics and the Lakers there is no time like the present. These teams have split the last two NBA championships and neither is content. The Lakers are led by their sharpshooting dream assassin Kobe Bryant, coached by psychological warfare expert Phil Jackson, and are the defending league champs. The Celtics have three future Hall of Famers, all of whom are slightly past their prime, and are led by the breakout star of this year’s playoffs, Rajon Rondo. Combating injuries and age, both squads have gutted it out through this year’s playoffs in order to set up a winner-take-all showdown in a rematch of the 2008 finals, a rematch that has been a long time coming. The Celtics defeated the Lakers in ’08 and thoroughly embarrassed them in the deciding game in Boston. The Celtics were celebrating long before the game was over and made no effort to hide the fact that they were thrilled to be thrashing their west coast rivals. The Lakers play in that series, especially in that sixth game, led many to question whether Kobe could ever get it done without Shaq, or if Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom were really championship level players. Kobe was humbled. The Lakers were bitter. Phil Jackson was pissed. Sasha Vulacic vowed to never wear Green again. Luke Walton was high, probably. Jack Nicholson was high, definitely. In short, LA wanted revenge. It looked like the Lakers were going to have their chance last year, but a crucial injury to Kevin Garnett’s knee prevented that from coming to fruition. Instead the Lakers played the paper tiger that is the Orlando Magic for the title, dispatching Dwight Howard and his boys in 5 games. The Lakers had their title and the monkey was off their collective backs, but they still had not gotten payback for the 2008 Beantown beat-down. As bitter as the Lakers were after 2008, the Celtics were equally as bitter after 2009. Playing without their emotional leader and the heart of their defense, Kevin Garnett, Boston was knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by the Magic after holding a 3-2 lead in the series. Due to their age, injuries and lack of depth, the Celtics’ inability to compete at an elite level in 2009 was viewed by many as a trend that was going to continue. For their part, the Celtics were angry about this perceived lack of respect and felt as if they never had a legitimate chance to defend their title. This year both clubs will get their wish: The Big Three featuring Rondo vs. Kobe & the Zen Master All-Stars, Round Two. For the Lakers it’s about redemption. For the Celtics it’s about respect.

Key Matchups

Point Guard: Rajon Rondo v. Derek Fisher

This is probably the biggest mismatch out of any of the positional battles. Rondo is younger, faster and is playing with the confidence of a superstar finally coming into his own. Derek Fisher is feisty and still a very tough player, especially mentally, but he is not going to have the legs to keep up with the youngster. He is also not going to be able to get away with breaking Rondo’s nose like he did Steve Nash’s; Boston is not a soft team and they won’t stand for it. The Lakers will probably have to send different defensive arrangements to contain Rondo, and the Celtics will have to be looking for the mismatches those adjustments create. D-Fish cannot take him one on one. Advantage - Celtics

Shooting Guard: Ray Allen v. Kobe Bryant

These two have a history together. Before being traded to Boston, Allen was a longtime member of the now defunct Seattle Supersonics. The Sonics and Lakers would play each other quite regularly and Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant had more than enough time to get to know each other. Bryant typically has gotten the better end of this matchup and, given the way he’s been playing lately, that will most likely remain the case. Kobe is the best individual player in the series and also the most cold-blooded. He has the edge on Ray on both ends of the floor and is playing like a man on a mission. Allen is going to have to rely on his teammates’ help and not let Kobe’s scoring deflate his own offensive production, which the Celtics will surely need. Advantage - Lakers

Small Forward: Paul Pierce v. Ron Artest

Will the real Ron Artest please stand up? This is Ron’s first year with the Lakers and it has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride. However, it has been his play, not his mental state, which has been up and down. Artest has the capacity to be a great scorer and is usually a great defensive player, but he has mental lapses and is very emotional. He’s exactly the kind of player Paul Pierce has been exploiting up to this point. The Celtics captain is having a vintage season and has done a good job of keeping his own volatile emotional state in check up to this point. He’s one of the best pure scorers in the game and has vastly improved his three point shooting. Pierce, an LA native, can also still get after it defensively and loves the spotlight. This is Ron Artest’s first NBA Finals and there is no doubt Paul is going to let him know about it. It will be interesting to see how the combustible Artest deals with it. Advantage - Celtics

Power Forward: Kevin Garnett v. Pau Gasol

Two years ago this would have been a no brainer. When these guys faced off in 2008 KG was a force and was playing like a man possessed, while Gasol was just trying to get out of the way. Now things are different. Garnett has had major knee surgery and Pau has had the experience of being a major contributor on an NBA Finals winning team, shedding his “soft” label in the process. It remains to be seen whether the label will stay gone. In the past two rounds, Garnett has fed Antawn Jamison and Rashard Lewis their respective lunches. With his knee healthy, Kevin has been tenacious on defense and been making his patented jumper with regularity. Gasol is certainly a cut above either of those players and is also much bigger, but he still hasn’t shown whether he has truly shaken the ghosts of 2008. Garnett is insane in a good way and it is hard to imagine him letting himself be dominated or even out-played by a European, and in his eyes inferior, player. Advantage – Gasol of 2008,  Celtics Gasol of 2009,  Lakers Gasol of 2010, ?

Center: Kendrick Perkins v. Andrew Bynum

This is probably the positional battle with the least amount of sizzle. Both of these players are extremely important to their teams but neither one has really been on the floor enough to make much of an impact. Perkins is in constant foul trouble and is one technical away from being suspended for a game. Bynum has been having knee problems and will need offseason surgery before he is back to full strength. If both players were fully healthy, Bynum would have the edge because of his superior offensive talent, but as it is there really isn’t too much that differentiates the two. Both are solid defenders and good defensive rebounders and whoever is able to stay on floor longest probably has the advantage. Perk needs to watch his temper. Advantage - Draw

Bench: Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, etc v. Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, etc

This may be the most important matchup in the series. Injuries, fouls and suspensions are all big parts of NBA basketball and sometimes reserve players are called upon for major minutes. A prime example of this is Lamar Odom, who was forced to start for much of the regular season because of injury and was a very serviceable fill-in. Another example of this is Rasheed Wallace, except in the other direction. Sheed was called upon to play important minutes during the regular season and rarely answered the bell. He has been markedly better in the playoffs, and it will be essential for him to continue that in the Finals. Besides Odom, Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar are both going to have to step up because of the shakiness of Derek Fisher and their quicker legs. Nate Robinson has been showing signs of life for Boston and would be a great trump card if he can maintain some consistency.  Glen Davis needs to continue to keep playing under control and not try to do too much.  Since they have Lamar Odom, the Lakers boast the biggest gun off the bench but the Celtics probably have more firepower overall. Which group steps up? Advantage - Draw

Coach: Doc Rivers v. Phil Jackson

Doc Rivers has proven himself to be one the best coaches in the NBA. Traditionally known as an X’s and O’s guy, this year he had the tough task of presiding over a team that was struggling with a changing of the guard. The Celtics had no choice but to turn over the reigns of the team to Rajon Rondo and some of the veteran players had a lot of problems with it. Rivers kept the peace and got his team peaking at just the right time. On the other hand, Phil Jackson has ten championship rings and there is just no way to argue with that kind of hardware. Jackson is a master manipulator and will no doubt find a way to use the rumors about him bolting to Chicago with Lebron to his benefit. The same rumor is also swirling about Doc but he’s just not Zen enough to capitalize. Advantage - Lakers

Prediction - Celtics in 6

The Lakers have the best player in the series but so did the Heat, Cavaliers and Magic. The Celtics play as a team and have proven that they can have success even while letting the other team’s star player go for 30. Boston is great at blackening the eyes of the “faces of the NBA” because they stick together and play extremely well on the road. They are confident (almost to a fault) and feel that when they are on their game, there isn’t a team in the league, including the Lakers, who can beat them. Their swagger has exposed the soft underbelly of a number of All-Star players - Jermaine O’Neal, Mo Williams, Vince Carter – during this year’s playoff run. Gasol and Odom look like prime candidates for the same treatment. (By the way is there a more overrated “superstar” than Vince Carter? “Vinsanity” is the poster boy for what’s wrong with the NBA’s hype machine. Sure he’s got some talent, but Vince is far more recognized for his commercials, his shoes, and his dunks on SportsCenter. He’s all smoke and no fire and the C’s exposed him. Beware Lebron. Don’t let this be you.) History is also not in the Lakers favor. Although the teams have previously faced off in the Finals a record 11 times, the Lakers have only won twice. That means that more than half of the Celtics’ 17 championships have come at the expense of the purple and gold. As strong as the hardwood history in LA is, Boston’s is even stronger. The veterans on the Celtics know that they have a chance to entrench themselves in the lore of the NBA’s most fabled city and they also know they may not get another shot. They also are aware of what it will take to beat Lakers team that is centered around Kobe, because they did it two years ago. It’s been said that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. If the Celtics play their game, they won’t need any.

A King’s Ransom: Is Lebron’s ego big enough to keep him in Cleveland?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have the best basketball player in the world on their roster in Lebron James. For now. This season, they surrounded James with a future Hall of Famer (Shaq), a number of seasoned veterans (Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Delonte West), role pleayers (Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon) and some nice young talent (JJ Hickson and Anderson Varejao). Ok, Varejao might not have that much “talent”, but his hustle more than makes up for his lack of skills. He is a great flopper, though. Not only did the Cavs bring in these players to appease Lebron, but they also gave James the advantage of being the Leagues only player/coach. Maybe not officially, but if you really think that Mike Brown was running the show this year than you’re clearly kidding yourself. Sure he's a nice guy, but Brown couldn’t coach his way out of a Brown paper bag and clearly lost his grip on the team. Just look at the end of the Cavs game 6 loss to the Celtics. While the game was still slightly within reach, "Coach" Brown was screaming for Cleveland to foul. They didn’t. The reason: Lebron, their real coach, decided not to. Apparently, he had had enough. Hands down, the Cavs are Lebron’s team. Only time will tell if that will remain to be the case.

Would you listen to this guy? He's like the vulture from Bugs Bunny. As most casual sports fan know, this is the super Free Agent Summer of 2010 in the NBA. This summer has been talked about for years, achieving an almost mythical status that it likely cannot reach. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire and Dirk Nowitzki are just some of the big names that could be on the move. Bad teams (New York, New Jersey, Chicago) have spent the past couple of seasons shedding players and bad contracts in the hopes of luring one of these elite players to help revive their struggling organizations. For fans, this is supposed to be the summer when all of their support and suffering will pay off, when those expensive tickets and 9 dollar beers will finally be worth the ridiculousness. Unfortunately, for the most part, they will be soundly disappointed. It sounds like Dirk is staying in Dallas. D-Wade plays in Miami and it would be pretty tough to entice him to leave South Beach and all those intangibles (immaculate weather, immaculate women). Amare received a vote of confidence from the Suns during the season and now they are finally in the midst of a playoff run –- meaning he'll likely stay put as well. That leaves Bosh, Johnson and Boozer, none of whom have the same talent, prestige, or marketability as the last man on the list -– Lebron. They are all at best Robin and to his Batman. And everyone wants Batman. Much like the caped crusader, James has yet to reveal his true identity or intentions to the masses. Lebron will not confirm what he has planned this Summer. Every statement made to the media has been analyzed, argued, and dissected to the Nth degree despite the fact that he hasn’t tipped his hand too much in any direction. In my opinion, he wanted to see how this year finished. If he was able to bring the city of Cleveland a championship, he would have left. Since he didn't win the chip, Cavs fans need to pray that pride will force him to stay. All of the most recent true superstars (Jordan, Kobe, Duncan, Bird, Magic, Hakeem, even Wade) won championships with the team that drafted them. They were good enough, committed enough, and had big enough balls to put their respective franchises on their backs and carry them to glory. They had loads of help no doubt, but these guys were all indisputably the best players on their respective teams. Yes, you can argue that Shaq and Kareem were the Lakers' best option -- but I’d still take Bryant and Magic. They didn’t have to jump all over the league in order to find a situation that was custom built for them to succeed. Instead, all of the players above allowed help come to them. If James leaves town ring-less, he will never reach this elite plateau. Cleveland fans need to pray his ego can’t handle that. And ego is definitely a major factor. James has been in the League for seven years and already the term "legacy" is repeatedly tossed around in reference to him -- and he’s more than cool with it. Unfortunately, his skills as a basketball player and a team leader haven’t grown at the same rate as his opinion of himself. He’s an icon, a brand, a symbol, but still not a champion. The guy has never won an NBA Finals game, but he is totally OK with having puppet commercials of himself on TV. Make no mistake, he loves being on Sportscenter, loves all the hype that his “decision” has created and was also quite happy with all of the “Elbowgate” coverage that went on over the past few weeks. James created the "controversy" himself when he decided to shoot a free throw left handed during the closing minutes of a close game. Now I’m not saying his elbow was perfectly healthy but I highly doubt that it was bothering him enough to force him to shoot that way. He played a ton of minutes that game and just wanted to do a little bit of showing off at the end when he knew all eyes were on him……kind of like this guy:

Too bad Lebron missed. (By the way, can just about anything get a “gate” thrown on it nowadays? Watergate was one of the biggest political scandals in American history. Now “gate” is tossed at the end of anything that is mildly newsworthy. How is an elbow controversial at all? But I digress.) Much like that moment at the line, James is going to milk his “decision” this summer for all it’s worth. The level of hype surrounding the situation is already ridiculous and will only worsen. Where will he go? To the bright lights of New York? To Brooklyn with his buddy Jay-Z? Or will James’ ego force him to put his legacy before the dollar signs and return to his loyal subjects in Cleveland? If Lebron stays and is able to win a championship with Cleveland it will be the ultimate story of the local boy making good. He is from Akron which is only 45 minutes outside of Cleveland. He is already best player in Cavalier’s franchise history. He is one of the most celebrated sports figures in the entire history of the city. Oh yeah, the Cavs have never won a championship and you know Lebron would love to be the man who brings the city its first. It would be King James' crowning moment. He would be the savior. The One. The guy who finally carried the Cavaliers to the Promised Land. And then, having fulfilled his egotistical obligation becoming the ultimate hometown hero, he would allow himself to leave as The King with a ring. Lebron fancies himself a peer of the the game's greatest players. Although his leadership skills need a ton of work, talent-wise at least, he is. However, in the scope of basketball history, he won’t really be able to “follow in their footsteps” unless he can win a championship in Cleveland. For their sake, Cleveland fans should be happy that he couldn’t do it this year because if he did he would be gone for sure. Lebron is a calculating guy and you can bet that he is going to put fans through the ringer over the next month or so while he weighs his options. Only he knows if he is more Batman (hero, honor) or Bruce Wayne (money, prestige). If the Cavs do get Lebron to sign a maximum extension, then Cleveland needs to clean house, and bring in some serious talent. With Lebron in the fold, the Cavs will remain a perennial title contender and likely win a couple. He is too good to be kept out of the winner’s circle for much longer and Cavs fans should pray his pride won’t let him leave Cleveland without a ring. Then the question will be how many rings will he have before he leaves? Had he won this year, that question would have an answer... One.

Apparently elected officials in Ohio have as much to do during the day as I do. Scary.

King James the MVP

LeBron James is the NBA's Most Valuable Player. James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a team-record 66 regular-season wins and the top overall seed in the playoffs, will receive the award Monday, a person with knowledge of the choice told The Associated Press. James chose Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, his alma mater, for the presentation, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made. AP