Lebron Is Content to Do ‘Whatever They Need From Me’

Lebron banked a 40-foot shot at the end of the first half of the United States’ 113-76 victory over Brazil on Sunday.

James’s teammates rushed to bump chests with him to celebrate the just-inside-of-half-court shot that gave the United States a 19-point lead.

Lebron is doing what he usually does and being the energy man for his teammates. After a lethargic first half against Mexico, James took over in the second half and score 15 points including three three-pointers in the first seven minutes of the third.

“Whatever they need from me,” said James, who averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in the first five games of this Olympic qualifying tournament. “This is about the team.”

“I want to try to be as aggressive as I can on the defensive end and that’s one aspect of the game that I’ve gotten better at,” James said. “Being a leader on the court, I’m going to let my game speak for itself but I’m going to go out there and try to help us communicate the best we can on defense.”

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Can We Dream

lebron-redd-night-ships.jpgWhat if? Michael Lee reminds us that LeBron James and Michael Redd are another great “what if” scenario on display in Vegas. In 2005, Redd was heavily recruited by the Cavs as a free agent. But he chose to show some loyalty (and a love of money), and in doing so might have cost Cleveland a dynasty. Redd is the ideal complement to LeBron: An unselfish scorer, accurate shooter, and enough of a vet to deal with the second fiddle role.

Redd hails from Columbus and starred at Ohio State, so the temptation was great. However, in the end the Bucks’ six-year, $91 million offer won out over the Cavs’ five years and $70 mill. Lee also points out that, had Redd made the move, Larry Hughes would likely have stuck around in Washington. This may or may not have been a good thing; Hughes/Gilbert Arenas backcourt was thrilling, but Caron Butler is probably a safer and more useful sidekick.

The Cavs offered Redd the best they could, and he wanted more. You can’t fault him for that.

Source: AOL SPORTS

Team USA II

If anyone should have been intimidated by the idea of playing against a bunch of NBA superstars, it was Romel Beck.
Beck followed the NBA religiously while growing up in San Bernardino, Calif. He dreamed of one day playing alongside Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, the former UNLV guard found himself playing against Bryant on Monday in the second round of the FIBA Americas Championship.
But as has been the case every night in the tournament, Bryant and his Team USA buddies got the last laugh as they took care of Beck and Mexico.   After playing their worst 10 minutes of basketball in the tournament so far, they were searching for something to spark them. Then LeBron James told his teammates, “The energy man has awoken.”  James, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar, went out and backed up his words, scoring 16 of his 19 points in the third period as the U.S. overcame an unusually sloppy first half to defeat Mexico 127-100.  It was the most points scored by the Americans in the tournament, but also the most Team USA has allowed.
Unlike Sunday’s game against Brazil, which attracted the largest and loudest crowd of the tournament (9,293), Monday’s docile crowd of 4.028 was the smallest of the event’s six days. It would be up to the USA players to generate their own energy.
“I think everyone was at the craps tables after work,” Bryant said kiddingly.

Source:  Review Journal

Team USA

The United States and Argentina emerged from the first round of the FIBA Americas 2008 Olympic qualifying unbeaten Sunday, but not without a fight. 

While the United States posted another lopsided-looking victory with their 113-76 victory over Brazil, the South American squad that included Phoenix Suns speedster Leandro Barbosa offered the strongest challenge yet to the US roster of National Basketball Association stars.  “Their goal was to drive to be basket and they did that in the beginning,” Team USA guard Chauncey Billups said. “We made adjustments after the first quarter and did a much better job.”

However, after Barbosa sat with three fouls the United States took control, closing the half with a 28-11 run that included a 35-footer from Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James at the halftime buzzer.  “We had some adversity tonight,” United States coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “There was a lot going on in the first half, but the guys responded very well.”James and Carmelo Anthony each scored 21 points and Kobe Bryant added 20 as the United States.

Source:  Inquirer 

Mark Cuban Will Try Dancing

Can’t win an NBA trophy, Mark Cuban is going to try to win the “glamorous” Dancing with the Stars trophy instead.

Cuban is the latest cast member to join the wildly popular ABC reality show, which will also reportedly feature former 90210 star Jennie Garth, former Spice Girl Melanie Brown and singer Wayne Newton.

The seventh series of Dancing With the Stars airs September 24.

James Posey Agreed to a Two Year Contract With The Celtics

James Posey will be playing in Boston next season alongside Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

“He was a free agent,” team spokesman Jeff Twiss said Sunday. “He was available to be signed and he decided to sign with us.”

Posey will make between $7 and $7.5 million over the course of the deal, although the second season is a player option. The Celtics used most of the remainder of their mid-level exception to sign Posey, who spent the past two seasons with the Miami Heat.

Source: ESPN.COM 

James Posey Considering Offers From Nets and Cavaliers

The Nets are working an offer to land the small forward James Posey. His agent was hoping for an offer last night but said it might go into the weekend before Posey makes his choice.

“We’ve been talking and talking for a while,” Posey’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed yesterday. “And while it’s hard to get into specifics, yes, the Nets are in the running. I would think there will be a decision soon.”

Posey is also considering offers from the Cavaliers and the Celtics. The Nets are at
a financial disadvantage and have the biannual exception, $1.8 million, unless they can work a sign-and-trade with the Heat. While Boston has $3.6 million of its mid-level exception remaining while the Cavaliers has $5.3 million.

Source: NYPost.com 

Reggie Miller Will Not Make a Come Back

Reggie Miller decided not to come back to the NBA and play with the Celtics or anybody else.

After two weeks of pushing his body to see how it might react to the punishment of an NBA season, Miller called the Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge earlier Thursday evening to tell him the news.

“That’s it,” he said by telephone from his home in Malibu, Calif. “Physically, I know I could have done it. But mentally, when you do something like this, you’ve either got to be all in or all out. And I’ve decided I’m all out.”

 

“Earlier today (Thursday), I was ready to come back. I was going to do it. But then I flew back here, I thought about it, I talked to a lot of people, and honestly, most people told me I should come back. Charles (Barkley), Mark (Jackson), Doug (Collins), they all said I should do it. And when I was back in Indy this week for the Peyton (Manning charity bowling event), people on the streets, they’d tell me to do it.”

 Source: IndyStar.com