January 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
LeBron James balked at the implication going in, that this somehow was himself vs. Kobe Bryant, even with Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade again sidelined by a balky right ankle. James then nearly made the debate moot when he missed the morning shootaround with flu symptoms. Ultimately, James found himself with ample support, in a 98-87 victory Thursday night over the Los Angeles Lakers that lifted the Heat to 5-0 in Wade's absence this season and 10-4 overall. "I just wanted to be there for my teammates," he said, after finishing with 31 points, eight rebound and eight assists."
January 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist David Hyde
"
There was this fascinating scene at the end of the first half that spoke of the larger night and, beyond that, to the season the Heat wants to play out. LeBron James was guarded by Kobe Bryant, just as you'd want, as the night asked. Bryant recently said only Chris Paul and Derrick Rose were clutch players in his mold. That's not the stage LeBron wants a debate to be on just now. Kobe has a career portfolio for winning big moments. LeBron is defined by his Dallas disappearance until the next Finals."