LeBron James News

"Saying that LeBron James is one of the top five players in the NBA isn't exactly breaking news, but that reaffirmation on Thursday was symbolic. James was named first-team All-NBA for the second time in his career, getting 117 of a possible 127 first-team votes. Last year, James slipped to the second team after what many considered was a bit of a subpar regular season after he was the only unanimous first-team pick back in 2006."

"Safe to say that every NBA team starts its defensive game plan against the Cavaliers by saying it will try to stop LeBron James. Few do. Boston has. And the Cavs simply are not good enough to overcome a team as good as the Celtics when James is not his usual productive self."

"Along the lines of the emperor having no clothes, the King currently has no clue. LeBron James retains the potential to convince us of otherwise, but what the Celtics are doing to the top scorer in the NBA at the moment is nothing short of a beat down. James is missing layups and airmailing jumpers, and most every shot he takes seems to hit the rim with the weight of a tenpin bowling ball. By late last night, James was talking to himself so much that you couldn’t help but wonder if he should have been pushing an empty shopping cart."

"LeBron James peeled back his upper lip. ''Want me to show you?'' he said to a Cavs PR representative who had asked (at my request) where he was hit on Boston Celtics guard Sam Cassell's flagrant foul Tuesday night. James then revealed the cut that he received inside his mouth as he drove to the basket. ''People think I'm diving,'' he scoffed. ''Maybe I need to get my eye poked out for people to know I'm getting hit.'' Clearly, James hears the crowd and the comments, comments that state he overreacts and draws foul calls with Shakespearean antics. The cut was proof otherwise. James does get hit, and when he does, he reacts. The crowd doesn't like it because the game is fast and the hits are hard to see live."

"LeBron James had the worst shooting night of his career in Game 1 of the best-of-seven semifinal playoff series against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, but neither James nor coach Mike Brown is concerned. History is on James' side. "He is who he is and it's as simple as that," Brown said. "He's human and he had a tough night. He hasn't had many tough nights in a row. Usually when he has a tough night, he bounces back the next game and has a pretty good game." That has certainly been the case over the years for James. He has had a knack for coming back strong after subpar games. James does not lack confidence in that regard."

"LeBron James shook his head when asked if on Tuesday night he played as poorly as he possibly could in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ sloppy, 76-72, loss to the Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden. The 23-year-old superstar said, however, that he has no intentions of letting Celtics fans catch a glimpse of the rarely-seen nadir of his game when the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals resume tonight. “Oh, no, it’s not the worst, but at the end of the day, we still had a chance to win the ballgame,” he said. “I wasn’t satisfied with the way I played but to say it was my worst game? No.”"

"Statistically, LeBron James just finished the best regular season of his career. He led the NBA in scoring at 30 points per game and had career highs in rebounds (7.9), assists (7.2) and blocks (1.1) per game. The Cavaliers were 0-7 when he didn't play, and he carried them to numerous victories with clutch fourth-quarter play. In all, it was quite a Most Valuable Player resume."

"The Eastern Conference semifinals started Tuesday night. Unfortunately LeBron James didn't. Of the many unexpected things that happened in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, James having a downright dismal offensive night had to be the most unexpected. On a night when Ben Wallace was making a fadeaway jumper and Sasha Pavlovic was brought off the shelf, James struggled. No other way to put it. ''I missed a lot of shots that I can usually make,'' James said. And even with that, the Cavs almost won, almost stole the first game. They led by two with 1:30 to go, had the score tied with 37 seconds left. They had chances. Problem is they didn't, and now they trail 1-0."

"LeBron James received one first-place vote and finished fourth in the NBA's 2007-08 MVP voting. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant won the award, his first, with 82 first-place votes. James, who finished second in MVP voting in 2006, was not surprised Bryant won. "I've always stated, since two or three years ago, that Kobe Bryant's the best player in this league," James said. "And he's been the best player in this league for five or six years. It's good he won it. His team played well and he's part of the reason why they finished No. 1 in the West." "

" One more play and a swarming defense on James made the difference as the Cavs came up short in a 76-72 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at TD Banknorth Garden. The Cavs are now 0-14 when they play Game 1 of a playoff series on the road. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is in Boston on Thursday. "

"They talked about him, knocked him down and beat him up. Friday night, in what turned out to be the game in which the Cavaliers ended the Wizards' season, he was elbowed in the jaw and hit in the groin, face and eye. These were not blatant cheap shots, mind you, just the physical nature of the game. But all showed what LeBron James dealt with the entire six-game series, a series he called ''gruesome.'' Yet his determination never wavered, not for one second. And because of that, the Cavs were runaway winners of Game 6 and able to end the Wizards' season in Washington."

"It was Washington, D.C. vs. LeBron James, and it was fun while it lasted, wasn't it? Nothing like a good hate to get the juices flowing, and by game time last night at Verizon Center, Wizards fans had the blood of hate and injustice rushing through their veins. By the end of the 105-88 beating at the hands of the Cavaliers, eliminating Washington from the playoffs, that blood still flowed. Hate and injustice were still the only reasons to care after the Wizards' disappointing performance in such a key home game."

"Congratulations to the NBA. It received the outcome it wanted in Tony Cheng's neighborhood last night. With LeBron James receiving hugs and kisses from the NBA earlier in the day, if not a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates stamped with the Jerry West logo, the Cavaliers played with poise and confidence in defeating the Wizards 105-88 in Game 6. This is one part of the marquee matchup the person behind the NBA curtain desperately wants: the Cavaliers vs. the Celtics in the second round."

"Afterward James said he believed two things. Yes, he was fouled. No, the no-call wasn't why the Cavs lost. In fact, James ignored his 34 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and took the full blame just as he usually gets the full credit. He was more upset at some of the decision-making when the Cavs were ahead by five points with the ball with a minute a half left and couldn't finish. ''There was a lot of contact, but I'm supposed to make that; I've made more difficult shots,'' James said."

" The Terminator went down the lane, and the crowd rose like believers about to be delivered from defeat and doubt. As LeBron James crashed into Washington's Darius Songaila, his 4-foot shot banked off the backboard and struck the rim. It was the death rattle for Washington's season. Except it bounced out with no time left. "I said to LeBron before the play, 'Make it an interesting series and go back to Washington,' " said the Wizards' Caron Butler, who scored 32 points to James' 34. "

"Already tempestuous, the Wizards-Cavaliers series climbed higher in disrespect when Washington center Brendan Haywood mocked LeBron James by saying in a whiny voice, "Awww, they are trying to hurt me.""

" According to witnesses, the disc jockey announced a new song by rapper Jay-Z. When the song played, the lyrics were critical of the Wizards and player DeShawn Stevenson, who has a feud with Cavs superstar LeBron James. Jay-Z and James are good friends. More witnesses said Cavs guard Damon Jones also joined in the fun when he made some disparaging remarks about the Wizards over the microphone. "

"After all the overrated chants and LeBron fouls and rapping wars and league fines, the Cavaliers reminded everyone of one small fact before today's Game 5 in this best-of-7 series."

"So Brendan Haywood has joined the trash-talking fun by calling LeBron James a crybaby, which is an accurate enough description of someone who believes the Wizards are torturing him with all kinds of medieval devices."

"The Cavaliers are one victory from ending the Wizards' season for the third year in a row with Game 5 set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena. James, who is averaging 29.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists this series, is confident that it is not a matter of if but when Cleveland will eliminate the Wizards."

"It seems the difference between being praised for playing with poise and criticized for being a crybaby depends on the color of your uniform. LeBron James has dealt with a unique time in his career this postseason. He has faced an onslaught of negative comments from his opponent and a heavy dose of hard fouls with a vigor he has never before dealt with as a professional."

"LeBron James on Sunday was unfazed by the braying chorus of the Wizards' fans, the Washington players' hard fouls, and the malevolent presence of Blackbeard the Pirate, as played by DeShawn Stevenson. The latter has done everything but hit James with a belaying pin. With the apparent blessing of coach Eddie Jordan, Stevenson whacked James in the head Sunday in drawing a flagrant foul."

"One of the many reasons Charles Oakley wanted to make a comeback this season, even at age 44, was to help provide some "protection" for LeBron James, as he did many years ago for Michael Jordan in Chicago."

"The feud between LeBron James and DeShawn Stevenson had a moment in the first half when Stevenson committed a flagrant 1 foul on a James drive. James and Stevenson walked toward each other, but they were quickly separated."

"The Cavaliers' superstar capped off another superior playoff effort with a whip pass to West, who calmly drained the deciding basket, a 3-pointer from the corner, with 5.4 seconds left to provide the difference in the 100-97 Game 4 victory."

"The past month has been filled with plenty of talk, hand signals and even dueling rappers when it comes to the hard feelings between LeBron James and DeShawn Stevenson of the Washington Wizards. In Game 4 on Sunday, it got physical."

"One year ago, LeBron James made the same play in a playoff game in Detroit. Drive, draw the defense, pass. In that game, James was criticized when Donyell Marshall missed an attempted game-winner."

"LeBron James, the 6-foot-8 rock of a physical specimen, has nothing on LeBron James, the mentally superior athlete whose annual rite of spring is to psychologically crush the Washington Wizards in their own building."

"When you read the statistics from the Cleveland Cavaliers' 100-97 win over the Washington Wizards yesterday, you will see points, assists and rebounds. What you will not see is FOL — Fear of LeBron — points, the scoring by his Cavaliers teammates that results from an opponent's terror when LeBron James has the ball."

"When Delonte West drilled his 3-pointer in the corner to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to a Game 4 victory yesterday, it was an all too familiar scenario for the Washington Wizards and their home crowd. In the three years the Wizards have faced the Cavaliers in the playoffs, if James hasn't come up with a demoralizing shot, he has a teammate to come up with the dagger."

"On Friday night, James, who compared himself to Jay-Z, played host to a party at Love night club in the District and had the staff play a freshly cut track by Jay-Z. In the song, the hip-hop king dissed Stevenson, saying among other things that the Wizards had overpaid him and that Stevenson would have to star in 20 movies to equal James' financial status."

"Add another chapter to basketball meets rap music or what has become the LeBron James/Jay-Z vs. DeShawn Stevenson/Soulja Boy rivalry in this playoff series."

"After watching LeBron James drive into the lane repeatedly, racking up demoralizing dunks or drawing fouls and converting three-point plays, the Washington Wizards appear to have found a way to contain him."

"LeBron James doesn't think the Cleveland Cavaliers will have to do anything special to get a win in Washington during this series. He won't have to invite his good friend, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, so that it will inspire his teammates the way the presence of one-hit wonder Soulja Boy seemed to fire up the Washington Wizards during the Cavaliers' 108-72 loss on Thursday night."

" LeBron James is gearing up for today's Game 3 against the Washington Wizards by preparing for the worst: more hard fouls, more back-and-forth talk about all those hard fouls, and lots of Soulja Boy echoing throughout the Verizon Center. "If they hit us with a punch, we have to be able to counter their punch," James said Wednesday. He paused, grinning at his choice of words. "Not literally. Let me change the wording. If they make a few shots, we have to counter their attack." "

"Asked if the brass-knuckle tactics of the Washington Wizards were responsible for his shooting most foul at the free-throw line, LeBron James said, affably: "I've been a bad free-throw shooter since I came into the NBA.""

"Before Monday's game, LeBron James joked that the Washington Wizards have instituted a "Hack-a-Bron" strategy through the first two games of this best-of-seven series. "

" The series between the Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards might have been decided if the NBA suspended center Brendan Haywood because of his flagrant 2 foul on LeBron James during the third quarter of Game 2. But Haywood and the Wizards will live for another day. His suspension could have made the difference between another loss or a Cavs win. "

"Wizards center Brendan Haywood apologized through reporters yesterday to Cavaliers forward LeBron James for his hard foul on James in the third quarter of Game 2 Monday night. Haywood was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected from the game after the play."

"The Washington Wizards might have established their version of "Hack-a-'Bron" when it comes to fouling LeBron James hard enough so he won't score, instead sending him to the line. The Wizards don't want James to score easy buckets without a body check."

"With the design of their road uniforms, few are going to refer to the Washington Wizards as fashion trendsetters. But they might, indeed, have started a new way to deal with LeBron James."

"The Washington Wizards were reminded, rather rudely Monday night, of the enormous difference between an all-star and a superstar. The Wizards have three all-stars but put together they don't come close to equaling the one transcendent iconic player Cleveland has in LeBron James. Yes, in NBA math three can be less than one. "

" The series between the Cavaliers and the Wizards began with plenty of trash talking, and that spilled onto the court in Game 1 with hard fouls, especially on LeBron James. James was knocked down on several occasions, and he went to the line 14 times. James expects more of the same tonight. "

"Wizards coach Eddie Jordan told the media after the Cavs' Game 1 victory that he wanted his team to be very physical in defending the basket, a tactic that was obvious at times when various Wizards hammered LeBron James on drives."

"When LeBron James walked on the court for Game 1 of the Cavs' playoff series, he did not greet any of the Washington Wizards. He did not shake a hand, did not give a hug, did not give a point to his friend Gilbert Arenas on the Wizards bench. Significant? Better believe it."

"The plan entering the first-round playoff series against the Cavaliers was to make LeBron James earn his points. In Saturday's 93-86 loss, the Wizards feel that they accomplished their goal -- for the most part."

"Washington Wizards shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson knowingly put himself in the bull's-eye when he said last month that Cleveland star LeBron James was overrated, and he stoked the flames as he continued to challenge James and the Cavaliers leading up to Game 1 of their playoff series."

"The way Gilbert Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson see it, they didn't have anything to prove Saturday. What indignant Cleveland fans don't realize, according to the Washington guards, is that they were just doing their jobs - continuing a conversation that began years ago, and trying whatever they can think of to take LeBron James out of his game."

" LeBron James said his entire post game oratory could simply be summed up as "93 to 86." "It's never going to be about the individual with me," said James, who, after being called "overrated" by DeShawn Stevenson after the last regular-season installment of the Cavaliers-Wizards rivalry, scored 32 points Saturday afternoon. "

"Usually, LeBron James prides himself as being a player who does not get involved in trash talk with the opposition. That wasn't totally the case Saturday in the Cavaliers' Game 1 victory over the Washington Wizards. James allowed the feelings of the rivalry and the Wizards' physical play to get to him a little."