I guess it’s time to voice my opinion on the matter.

First, I have to give props to Joakim Noah for calling James out recently for his in-game antics. Not many people stand up to him, and Noah ultimately decided that enough was enough. Ahead by 19, James continued to dance along the sidelines whenever the Cavs scored a basket. Noah basically said, “Man, that’s cold. You’re up by 19 and your dancing like it’s a joke.” (Those are my words, not his.)

While I do think that it was “cold” for James to dance and essentially rub a little alcohol in the wound of the Chicago Bulls, I also think that he was just having a little fun. Think about it. James is in the last year of his contract. He’s just making the most of his final season with the Cavs.   After all, it is just a game. It is what it is. If everyone injected a little lighthearted humor into their professions day in and day out, there would be a lot more happy people in the world.

I don’t think that having some fun now and then inhibits James’ competitive side. He still wants to win. He just wants to have some fun while doing it. I should also point out that James is still relatively young. Yes, he’s been in the league for six years already but he’s only 24 years old. Kobe Bryant did a lot of  “childish” things when he was younger. Honestly, I hope that James never loses his fun and goofy side. It’s part of his charm. It’s one of the reasons why I’m more of a Lebron fan than I am a Kobe fan. Kobe takes himself way too seriously.

I digress.

Do I think that James needs to grow up? Maybe just a little. But come playoff time, I think you’ll see far less dancing.

In the meantime, enjoy this clip of him dancing during a timeout (courtesy of YouTube):

Post from: EveryJoe

Does LeBron James Need To Grow Up?

Swish.

A four-point game became a seven-point contest and the Thunder were never competitive again. (You can see video of the Mo Williams halfcourt shot at the end of this article.)

Williams finished the game with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists. LeBron James, per usual, led the way for the Cavs. The King scored 44 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out six assists and swiped four steals.

The Thunder put up a good fight for most of the game thanks to Kevin Durant’s 29 points and Jeff Green’s 26 points. After Williams’ prayer hit all net, the Thunder only scored two more points the rest of the way.

With the win, the Cavs improved to 17-7. The Thunder dropped to 12-10 with the loss.

Post from: EveryJoe

Video: Mo Williams Halfcourt Shot Sinks OKC

We already know that the free agent class of 2010 is going to be ripe with talent. But Dwyane Wade doesn’t necessarily want to be a part of it. He told Yahoo! Sports that he’s willing to stay in Miami, but he wants to make sure that he has enough players around him to get the Heat back to another NBA Championship.

“I’m 28 years old and I’m all about winning,” Wade said on Yahoo! Sports.com. “I have to make sure that we are about winning as a franchise. I’m not saying anything other than we need to continue to beef the team up. I love my teammates. We have some great things going. But we need more. I just want to make sure we get that.”

In other words, the Heat execs can use the free agent market to sign key players instead of losing Wade to another team that already has key players in place. The Heat certainly have enough money to sign him for an extended contract, but it’s how they use the leftover money that will matter the most. With Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and a handful of other talented free agents available this summer, the Heat will have plenty of players to choose from.

Don’t be surprised if Wade waits to sign a contract extension until he knows who else is coming to Miami. I fully believe that if they aren’t up to his standards, he won’t sign with the Heat — guaranteed.

Enjoy these Dwyane Wade highlights, courtesy of YouTube:

Post from: EveryJoe

Dwyane Wants To Stay In Miami

“His basketball IQ is phenomenal,” O’Neal said on ESPN.com. “He could coach in the NBA right now.”

It’s obvious that James has been quick study of the game. After all, he entered the league at the tender age of 18, yet he played and acted at least 10 years beyond his age.  James considers himself a “student of the game,” which means he continues to study every aspect of basketball, including offense, defense, strategy, passing, shooting, positioning and more.

Raw talent will only get you so far. It’s raw talent that got James into the NBA, but it’s his willingness to continue to learn and grow that makes him one of the top players in the league consistently, year after year. It doesn’t take a genius to see that.

Just ask Shaq.

Here’s a throwback to James in his early NBA days.  The talent was always there, but his game has certainly evolved since then.

Post from: EveryJoe

Lebron James: NBA Coach?

According to ESPN.com, assistant coach Tom Barrise took over the team last night against the Los Angeles Lakers, while general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said team officials would meet after the squad returns to New Jersey and discuss who will coach for the rest of the season.

Larry Frank, head coach of the New Jersey Nets, has been "relieved" of his coaching duties.

What coach could possibly want the job? They would be inheriting one of the worst teams in NBA history. On the other hand, winning a game here or there would be seen as a serious improvement. You can’t do much worse, except maybe 0-18.

But even the “Zen Master” himself, Phil Jackson would have a hard time remaining calm with this team. There’s no structure, and nothing to build on at the moment. They don’t seem to have a reliable fan base, or a standout player who can give the team some visibility and elevate them to another level.

Perhaps LeBron James can help?

Image: Zuma Press

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Nets Fire Larry Frank

On Saturady night, the Dallas Mavericks certainly knew his name. Williams finished the game 7-for-7 on three-pointers and score 25 points overall as the Cavs beat the Mavs by a final score of 111-95.

LeBron James chipped in with 25 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Delonte West had 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Anderson Varejao had 15 points and nine rebounds while making all seven of his field goal attempts.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with 27 points and nine rebounds. Jason Terry had 25 points off the bench. Defense was the problem for Dallas, as Cleveland scored 68 points in the first half.

Following the game, both teams had a record of 12-5.

Mo Williams - Cleveland Cavaliers (Image: Zuma Press)

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Mo Williams Shoots Down Mavericks

How did LeBron get injured?

By dunking it too hard. Yeah, the Average Joe isn’t going to shed a tear.

Explained LeBron: “I hit it pretty bad on the rim. It’s like you hit your funny bone, but it’s not funny at all.”

LeBron finished the game with 34 points, nine assists, two rebounds, two steals and six turnovers. He didn’t get much help on the night. Shaquille O’Neal missed the game due to an injured shoulder and none of the other Cavs scored more than ten points.

The Wizards, on the other hand, had a lot of players step up. Antawn Jamison, who was playing in his first game of the season, scored 31 points and ripped down ten rebounds. Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas had 19 and 18 points, respectively.

The win dropped the Cavs to 8-4, while the Wizards improved to 3-7 with the win.

LeBron James got injured on a dunk. Poor LeBron (Image: Zuma Press)

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LeBron James Injury Update on Dunk Mishap

Imagine LeBron James and Dwayne Wade on the same team...

The latest twist in the King James free agency story is that the execs over at the Miami Heat front office are scrambling to find a way to get him to Miami. Imagine Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron all in the same uniform. It’s almost as daunting of an image as LeBron and Kobe Bryant on the same team.

The thing of it is, it could happen. The players themselves have already discussed such possibilities. It basically comes down to LeBron himself. He’ll have the ability to go wherever he wants to go. And you better believe that whatever team he chooses will bend over backwards to get him. He could end up in any uniform. The options are endless and there’s no scenario that is out of the realm of possibility. All we can do is wait to see what happens.

Until then, speculating is just a means to an end.

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

LeBron Speculation Wheel Keeps Turning

As is always the case, LeBron James led the way for Cleveland. He had 36 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 39 minutes. He hit 13-of-23 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws. Mo Williams, who joined James in the All-Star Game last season, had 28 points and six assists.

Vince Carter was the lone bright spot for the Magic. He had 29 points and five rebounds in 35 minutes. Howard, who dominated the Cavs last year in the playoffs, was limited to just three field goal attempts on his way to 11 points and seven rebounds.

With the win, the Cavs improve to 5-3. The loss dropped the Magic to 6-3. The two teams play again on Feb. 11 in Cleveland.

LeBron James and the Cavs got revenge (Image: Zuma Press)

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Cavs Smash Magic in ECF Rematch

Some NBA analysts speculate about New York, arguing that James belongs in a big city where he can take advantage of off-court opportunities. The same could be said about Los Angeles. It would be a better fit for him for two main reasons:

1. Kobe Bryant.
2. Hollywood potential.

James could easily break into the entertainment industry while living in L.A., and he’d be teamed up with the best basketball player in the world.

LeBron James + Kobe Bryant = Trouble for the rest of the NBA.

When you weigh in those two factors, New York doesn’t seem so appealing anymore.

The only issue that could possibly arise is money. Do the Los Angeles Lakers have enough extra capital to sign James? Interestingly enough, we found on on Monday that Jordan Farmar and Adam Morrison weren’t given contract extentions. That’s a few million dollars in the bank right there.

Could the Lakers be clearing their roster for a new arrival? Think about it.

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

LeBron And Kobe On The Same Team?