Cavs Bounce Back, Rout Spurs

LeBron James set the tone by scoring 18 first quarter points and he finished with 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers ended their two game losing streak by beating the San Antonio Spurs 101-81. Delonte West and Mo Williams added 22 points each, mainly by draining open looks after the Spurs were forced to double team James lest he score 50 or 60 points. Only three other Cavs scored but the Cavs held the Spurs to .392 field goal shooting and won the rebounding battle 44-34. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 24 points but former Cav Drew Gooden (15 points) was the only other Spur who scored more than eight points; Tim Duncan had just six points on 2-7 field goal shooting, while Manu Ginobili scored four points on 2-9 field goal shooting.

The three foundations of Cleveland’s success are defense, rebounding and the individual brilliance of LeBron James and all three of those elements played crucial roles in this win. Cleveland’s defense and rebounding versus the Spurs are even more impressive considering that the Cavs were without the services not only of Ben Wallace (broken bone in his right leg) but also Anderson Varejao, who was a late scratch due to a wrist injury; it is not clear exactly when/how Varejao got hurt or when he will return to action.

Like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, James often eases into a game, involving his teammates early and then shouldering the scoring load late–but following disappointing losses to Washington and Orlando, James decided to be very aggressive right from the start versus San Antonio. He shot 6-9 from the field and made all six of his free throws in the first quarter. Four of those six field goals were midrange jumpers, including three from the left wing and a turnaround shot from the right elbow, the shot that became a trademark move for Jordan during the latter stages of his career. James is still an erratic midrange shooter but this game provided a glimpse of just how good he could become if he starts to consistently connect from that area; basically, he can be a “supersized” version of Jordan or Bryant, because there is no defense for a player who goes to the hoop as powerfully as James does and who can make the midrange shot. It remains to be seen how long it will take for James to fully and completely develop that aspect of his game but what he did on Sunday has to send a shiver up and down the spines of the other 29 NBA coaches.

After James’ 18 point first quarter, the Spurs began to “blitz” (double team) him as soon as he caught the ball, sometimes even sending that second defender toward him while the pass was still in the air. James is a very poised and unselfish player who instantly reads situations and makes the right pass; in other words, he does not hold the ball or even just make a generic pass out of the trap: he zeroes in on who has been left open in shooting range and delivers the ball right in that player’s shooting pocket, which is why West and Williams not only had big games but shot 10-15 and 9-15 from the field respectively.

It is interesting to note that even with James’ early scoring outburst the Cavs only led 28-27 after the first quarter. Cleveland broke the game open in the second quarter as their reserves outplayed San Antonio’s reserves. As San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich said after the game, “When we subbed in the second quarter is when everything went south–and he (James) wasn’t on the court.” There is a misconception in some quarters that James does not have as much help as, say, Kobe Bryant does with the Lakers, but the reality is that the Cavs are at least 10 deep with veteran players who have playoff experience and can be productive for at least 15 minutes per game if necessary: Wally Szczerbiak is a former All-Star, Sasha Pavlovic started for the Cavs in 2007 when they made it to the Finals, Joe Smith is a former number one overall draft pick, Daniel Gibson hit many big shots during the 2007 playoffs and Varejao–who has been starting only since Ben Wallace got hurt–is an excellent defender, rebounder and screener. Even young players such as J.J. Hickson, Darnell Jackson–who started on Sunday for Varejao, contributing four points and five rebounds–and Tarence Kinsey have been productive during spot duty throughout this season.

Cleveland Coach Mike Brown was understandably pleased with how his team responded to the mini losing streak. In his postgame standup he said, “I thought that at the beginning of the game we had a few breakdowns defensively but as the course of the game went on, our guys’ focus, energy and effort got better and better. That was great to see. Defensively, we have gotten hurt in transition the last two games, so it was good to see us get back and not give up any easy (baskets).” Brown made an adjustment to his normal rotation by playing West and Williams together with the second unit in order to have multiple players on the court who can create shots for themselves and for their teammates.

After Parker’s big first quarter, James often had the defensive assignment against the super quick point guard. Coach Brown explained, “We’ve done that in the past. We did it in the (2007) Finals. We just knew going into the game that first we were going to play our traditional defense, then if that hurt us we were going to play Tony soft and give him the jump shot coming off (screens) with a late contest and then if he knocked down those shots we were going to put a bigger body on him, which is LeBron. Our pick and roll defense was getting hurt initially and then Tony started hitting jump shots, so we continued playing Tony soft but just put a bigger body on him so that when he came off and we got a late contest maybe he will see that body more than when we play him with a guy his size.”

While the Cavs have been a dominant defensive team this season, the Spurs have had a subpar year–at least by their lofty standards–at that end of the court; the Spurs rank just 10th in defensive field goal percentage, the statistic that Coach Gregg Popovich looks at first when evaluating his team’s performance (see Notes From Courtside). Although 10th in a league of 30 teams may not seem that bad, the last time that the Spurs ranked lower than fifth in this category was the 1996-97 season, when Popovich fired Bob Hill after a 3-15 start and took over as the head coach. Under Popovich, the Spurs have led the league in defensive field goal percentage three times and ranked in the top three seven times in the past 11 seasons.

*****************************
Notes From Courtside:

During Coach Popovich’s pregame standup, he said that the Cavs are “a significantly better team” than they were in 2007, when the Spurs swept them in the NBA Finals. “We definitely caught them at the right time (in 2007). They understand Mike’s system much better (now). They are a deeper team–the pieces fit better and there is more talent. The most important ingredient, LeBron, has really matured. He’s worked on his game. He is sharing with his teammates, he is depending on them more, the way that Kobe depends on his teammates more. He has worked on his shooting. He is a much more confident player in that respect. For all of those reasons the improvement is obvious and that is why they are a top contender to win the championship this year.”

I asked Popovich, “What specific improvements have you seen with LeBron defensively? What do you notice that is different from earlier in his career?”

He replied, “I’m glad that you mentioned that. I think basically he is just taking more pride in it and playing it with more purpose, understanding when stops might be very important and taking it upon himself to set that kind of an example. That’s important–when your best player sets a standard, at either end of the court, everybody else follows and it’s infectious. I think that he has done that to a much greater degree than he did a couple years ago.” In response to a followup by USA TODAY’s Chris Colston, Popovich said that the Olympic experience was good for James and many other members of Team USA, because the players learned by “osmosis” the importance of unselfishness and defense. The crucial role that Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd played in emphasizing those things cannot be stressed enough; this not only helped to bring the gold medal back to the United States, but elevated the games of James and other young stars who proved to be eager and enthusiastic students.

I then asked Popovich, “When you evaluate your team, either after a game or after a series of games, what are one or two statistical areas that you particularly look at?” Mindful of Popovich’s tendency to sometimes answer questions sarcastically–though I felt that I was on safe ground because I was not asking the sort of banal and/or stupid questions that bring forth sarcastic replies from him–I added, “Other than the final score, of course–the sarcastic answer.” At that point, Popovich reassuringly said, “Sure,” making it clear that he did not intend to give a sarcastic reply, and I concluded, “What categories do you look at to see if your team is on target or not?”

Popovich answered, “The first thing that I always look at is field goal percentage defense. To me, that tells a lot about how things are going. At that point, I just look for aberrations–have we been getting our clock cleaned on the offensive boards or did we have an inordinate amount of turnovers, that sort of thing. Field goal percentage defense is what I look at. Offensively, I don’t look at much, because it is obvious–either you shot well or you didn’t. Either you made your free throws or you didn’t. Those aren’t very controllable but rebounds are more controllable, turnovers are more controllable. Defense is controllable. So those are the things that I look at.”

I asked Popovich what his defensive field goal percentage goal is but he said, “I don’t have a number in mind. It changes year in and year out based on possessions and competition but it’s usually going to be in the low 40s–difficult to do, but that’s what you’d love to have. I don’t know what Cleveland is right now–I think that they are number one or number two in field goal percentage defense.”

I informed him that Cleveland is holding teams to right around .420-.430 field goal shooting and he said simply, “That’s good.”

Popovich has a very high opinion of Mike Brown, who was a member of San Antonio’s staff during the 2003 championship season: “The basic qualities that make Mike a wonderful coach are, number one, he has a game plan that he believes in. He knows what he wants to coach and teach. That’s the first step. A coach has to feel very confident in what he is teaching and know it inside and out. I think that secondly he understands that no team wins championships without being a hell of a defensive squad. He has done that consistently, been persistent, has demanded year in and year out, practice to practice, game to game that everybody understands that. A lot of coaches give in but he hasn’t, so his overall system and the emphasis on defense are what are really important basically to go after an NBA championship. After that, I think that he is a great people person. He is willing to talk to players, he’s willing to listen, he has a sense of humor–all of those things are important in an 82 game season. He added to our defensive philosophy (as an assistant coach in San Antonio). I put things in the program that he initiated…Some people just have it and he’s got it.”

When I recently asked Coach Brown what he thought about Houston’s reliance on basketball statistical analysis, he replied, “Not to knock that, because I think it is great to use if you have some solid information, but how many championships has that gotten them?” Naturally, I sought out Popovich’s take on this issue as well: “Did you see the article in the New York Times about how Houston uses ‘advanced’ statistics both in how they evaluate players and how they game plan?”

He answered, “I know about it.”

I then asked, “What is your opinion about that kind of use of statistics? How much do you rely on that kind of thing versus the eyeball test?”

He said, “I think it’s just a common sense thing–by the seat of the pants, eyeball, ‘feel,’ is very important. Stats can be important. Both can be taken to the point of diminishing returns. So it’s a common sense thing that works.”

I told Popovich, “Coach Brown said that when he was on your staff that you very much went by feel but that P.J. (Carlesimo) was much more stat oriented and he kept telling you about this number and that number.”

“That would be an accurate statement,” Popovich replied.

“So you are more of a ‘feel’ coach in general, even though you said that it can be done either way?” I asked.

“Yes. I would depend more on what I see and feel than on overdosing on stats.”

***

Before the game, I approached San Antonio defensive specialist Bruce Bowen–a five time All-Defensive First Team member–but he told me that he only talks to the press after the game. This kind of thing annoys some media members and probably is not permitted under a strict interpretation of media availability rules but I understand and respect that every player has his own way of getting mentally and physically prepared to play. On the other hand, the reason that I try to talk to players before games–particularly when my questions are of a general nature and not specific to a particular game–is that if their team gets blown out or they get ejected or something else goes awry then they may either not be available after the game or may not be in a mood to say much of substance. Bowen scored two points on 1-4 shooting and had a -17 plus/minus number in 17 minutes of action, so you can imagine how he must have felt after Sunday’s game. I went up to him in the locker room and reminded him gently that he had promised to talk and I noted that I only had a few questions about the general subject of defense. Understandably, he was hardly enthusiastic, but he did not shoo me away, either, so I asked my first question: “Are you familiar with the New York Times article about how the Rockets use statistical analysis to decide how to play defense, particularly in terms of trying to force Kobe to certain areas of the court? Did you see that article or hear about it?”

Bowen replied, “I haven’t. Didn’t see it or hear about it.”

I then asked, “When you play against Kobe or LeBron, do you look at that kind of stuff, like how they shoot from certain areas of the court? How do you decide how to guard players like that?”

Bowen said, “Nine times out of 10, it’s what the coaches want. You get the game plan from the coaches and you go from there. I don’t think that you can force anybody in this league to go to a certain particular point to shoot the ball or anything like that. They are All-Stars for a reason, because they are able to do things on the floor that others can’t. I don’t know about all that mumbo jumbo.”

I asked Bowen to describe the similarities and differences from his perspective regarding playing defense against Kobe Bryant and LeBron James but he said, “I haven’t put too much thought into that right now, so it would be hard for me to give you a sufficient answer about that.”

***

Ben Wallace–who is still on the inactive list–warmed up on the court prior to the game. He wore a black protective covering on his lower right leg and noticeably favored that leg as he shot from various midrange areas, including the free throw line. He jogged through some basic sets with an assistant coach, setting screens and then popping out to shoot jumpers. He tended to shoot well on his first few attempts but then miss wildly the longer he shot from the same spot. For instance, he hit seven of his first nine attempts from the right baseline but ended up making 11 out of 20 from that area. He shot 10-17 on midrange jumpers from the left baseline. Wallace shoots a better percentage on practice jumpers then you might expect from watching him shoot during games but it is important to keep in mind that great NBA shooters typically shoot 80% or better on uncontested practice shots from midrange areas, so making more than half of those shots is not a tremendous percentage, even if the casual fan might be surprised that Wallace can do that in light of his dismal free throw percentage.

***

Eric Snow, who was technically still on Cleveland’s roster but did not appear in a game this season and has been working as a commentator for NBA TV, was formally released by the Cavaliers on Sunday due to medical reasons. The knee injury that he suffered prior to the 2007-08 season ultimately ended his career.

Where Will Amazing Happen This Year?

LeBron James: Where Will Amazing Happen This Year?

With the 2009 NBA Playoffs almost around the corner, the NBA released 14 different commercials that capture some of the amazing plays of the 2008 playoffs. These commercials are in black and white and meant to capture viewers emotions with the caption “Where Will Amazing Happen This Year”.

I keep watching these commercials over and over and I love most of them. However, as a Cavaliers fan, my favorite is Lebron Jame’s dunk on Kevin Garnett during the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Which one is your favorite?

Manu Ginobili

[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVjQLhH5OSw[/youtube]

LeBron James dunk on Kevin Garnett (Eastern Conference Semifinals 2008)
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYa5u-lPS8c[/youtube]

Kobe Bryant’s shot vs Phoenix Suns (2007):
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac4HOTcbf2o[/youtube]

Chris Paul’s shot vs Spurs:
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHI3lGRipEI[/youtube]

Kevin Garnett dunk against the Pistons (Eastern Conference final 2008)
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEmtB2y_6OY[/youtube]

Paul Pierce dunk against the Cavaliers (Eastern Conference Semifinals 2008)
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eIMPyAFD0o[/youtube]

Joe Johnson 3-point shot against the Celtics (First round playoffs 2008)
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4frVnKRNR5U[/youtube]

Tayshaun Prince blocked Reggie Miller shot 2004
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-u5VK-zS2o[/youtube]

Dwyane Wade shot against the Pistons
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeArg1v4Hck[/youtube]

Tim Duncan shot against the Phoenix Suns
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5d_9k7AjuY[/youtube]

Carmelo Anthony dunk against the Spurs (2008 Playoffs)
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCAgUnTOoqQ[/youtube]

Andrei Kirilenko dunk on the Rockets
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwnukimHW7k[/youtube]

Yao Ming shot against the Utah Jazz
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVhvFb5ls0M[/youtube]

Richard Hamilton shot against the Celtics
[youtube width=”400″ height=”215″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKaEhG7K-fw[/youtube]

Cavs winning streak stopped by the Wizards

The best team in the Eastern Conference and the League (61-14) played the worst team in the Eastern Conference (18-59) on Thursday night. The results were not what anyone would expect. The Wizards came to the game with more energy and defeated the Cavaliers (109-101).

The Wizards were the healthiest they had been all season. For the first time this season the Wizards had Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood in the starting lineup. It was the second game of the year for both. The Wizards fed off a sellout crowd Thursday night and ended the franchise-record 13-game winning streak of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers are 0-2 this season at the Verizon center. The Cavaliers have lost four straight and eight of nine in Washington. Also, only two teams have two wins against the Cavaliers so far this season, The Lakers, Celtics, and now the Wizards.

“The Wizards are all too familiar with LeBron James and the Cavaliers. People unfamiliar with this rivalry probably can’t fathom how a team that trails Cleveland by 44 games in the standings can play them so competitively” Michael Lee of the Washington Post said. “Well, it’s history. As interim Coach Ed Tapscott said afterward, the Wizards get fired up to play Cleveland like no other team in the league.”

“No matter when we play, if we have three players, 12 players, when we have to play Cleveland, we get up for it,” Arenas said. “It’s been a rivalry since Larry Hughes decided to go there. It’s always going to be a good game.”

“Every team that we’ve played for some odd reason everyone is healthy, then it seems like you watch a few games later and four of their guys are out,” James said. “Everyone wants to put on a show and play their best when they play us.”

James on “60 Minutes” update:

James’ appearance on “60 Minutes” on Sunday was the highest rated segment of the CBS newsmagazine. It drew a 10.7 rating (17,354,000 viewers), a rating 26 percent higher than the rest of the show (8.5 rating), according to Nielsen Media Research.

A Fantastic March for the Cavaliers

The Cavaliers defeated the Pistons last night for the third straight time this season. With the Pistons struggling, they have beaten all five of the NBA’s division leaders on the road except for Cleveland.

  • The Cavaliers now held their ninth straight opponent under 100 points, that is the longest streak in the NBA.
  • The Cavaliers improved to an astounding 36-1 at home and are now one short of the club record for home wins, set in 1988-89 season.
  • The Cavaliers are now 61-13, best in the NBA and three games ahead of the Lakers.
  • Cleveland went 16-1 in March, tying the NBA record for wins in one month. Five previous teams won 16 games in a month, most recently the Spurs in March 1996 (16-0). Remember, the Cavaliers won 17 games all season before they drafted Lebron James in 2003.
  • LeBron James finished March with 479 points, 152 rebounds and 143 assists. The only other player in NBA history to reach each of those totals in one month is Oscar Robertson, who did it in eight separate months, most recently in January 1965.
  • Zydrunas Ilgauskas played in his 700th career game on Tuesday night. He is now just the third Cavalier to play in 700 games.

Numbers Adding Up Quite Nicely for the Cavs

cavaliers_pregameThe most important number for the Cavs is their league leading 61-13 record, a mark that all but assures that they will have home court advantage throughout this year’s playoffs (barring an unimaginable collapse in the final eight games). However, there are some other numbers that are also quite impressive and that bode well for the team as LeBron James and company attempt to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in three years and try to win the franchise’s first championship (not to mention Cleveland’s first major professional sports title since the Browns ruled the NFL in 1964).The Cavs own a 36-1 home record, so if they win their last four games at the Q they will tie the mark for the best home record in NBA history, set by the NBA Champion Boston Celtics in 1986. In those 37 home games, the Cavs have outscored their opponents by 14.3 ppg and held them to .414 field goal shooting. Although some pundits question Cleveland’s ability to win on the road in the playoffs-they apparently are unaware of LeBron James’ game five exploits versus Detroit in 2007 or the fact that in the past three years the Cavs have won 10 road playoff games-the Cavs own the league’s third best road record (25-12), ranking just behind the Lakers and Magic in that category. The Cavs are certainly capable of winning at least one road game in any playoff series, which would mean that their opponents would then have to beat the Cavs twice at the Q in order to advance.

The Lakers held the top spot in the NBA for longer than any other team this season but the Cavs roared past them by going 16-1 in March, tying the league record for most wins in a calendar month. The Cavs are currently riding a 13 game winning streak, the longest in franchise history. While the Cavs are peaking heading into the playoffs, last year’s NBA Finalists are not doing nearly as well. The Lakers went 10-5 in March, though to be fair it must be noted that they played 11 games on the road, closing out the month with the first six games of a season-long seven game East Coast swing. The injury-riddled Celtics went 9-7 in March; it is not clear when defensive anchor Kevin Garnett will be fully healthy and the Celtics hardly strengthened their bench by signing point guard Stephon Marbury, who has averaged just 3.2 ppg on .314 field goal shooting since joining the team. Although the Orlando Magic are certainly closing the season on a strong note (12-2 in March, including their current six game winning streak), considering their lack of deep playoff experience it is difficult to believe that they would beat the Cavs in a seven game series.

The Cavs lead the NBA in points allowed (90.9 ppg) and point differential (9.4 ppg) while ranking a close second to the Celtics in defensive field goal percentage (.429). LeBron James attracts a lot of media attention for his scoring and passing-and he fully deserves the praise that he is receiving-but many people are missing the important fact that the Cavs are a dominant defensive team. Of course, James plays a big role in Cleveland’s defense, ranking second on the team in blocked shots and sixth in the league in steals. Those numbers only tell part of the story, though; like many young players, when James first came into the league, he did not understand how to play effective defense either in a one on one sense or from a team defensive standpoint-but now he understands both concepts very well, he accepts the challenge of guarding the other team’s best player on key possessions and he sets a tone that makes it clear to everyone on the team that defense is a top priority. He certainly deserves to be placed on the All-Defensive Team this season.

Last month, I wrote that LeBron James “had a short ‘to do list’ prior to this season.” He has obviously made great strides on defense and he is shooting a career-high .770 from the free throw line. The third item on the list was his perimeter shooting. James is shooting .336 from three point range this year, the second best percentage of his career, but after hovering around the .300 mark until January he shot .400 from long distance in February and .386 in March. At this point, his three point shooting is adequate and certainly seems to be continuing to improve. The one and only weakness remaining in his game is his midrange shot. As I mentioned in the above article, the NBA.com “Hot Spots” charts list red hot, lukewarm and cold zones; James’ only hot zone is still the paint, while he is cold in the midrange areas immediately on either side of the paint. He is actually cold on the entire right side of the court, which may be partially the result of a smaller sample size since he shoots much more frequently from the left side of the court and the top of the key area.

The defensive game plan for elite teams in a seven game series versus Cleveland will continue to be to build a wall around the paint to keep James out and thus try to force him to shoot contested two point jump shots in the midrange area. If James can either make a reasonable percentage of those shots and/or wear down the opposing team by bulling his way into the paint despite their best efforts to contain him, then there is likely no way to beat the Cavs in a playoff series, because they have proven that they will rebound and defend on a nightly basis and their role players have demonstrated that they can consistently be at least adequately productive. Also, the important addition of Mo Williams means that the Cavs have an All-Star level player who can create shots for himself and others; he is a very accurate outside shooter, so his presence will force the defense to spread out and make it much more difficult to keep James out of the paint.

Lebron James leads the MVP Polls

Lebron James leading Kobe Bryant for the MVPWith less than a month left, the race to the MVP seems to be favoring Lebron James according to a recent poll by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

A survey conducted this week among a diverse group of MVP voters hints that with three weeks to go, James is leading by a significant margin.

The sample included national media members based on both coasts as well as beat writers and broadcasters split evenly between Eastern and Western Conference cities. Of the 20 who gave their opinion, James got more than 80 percent of the vote.

“Kobe has been the best player, LeBron has been the best teammate, Dwyane Wade has been the best highlight,” TNT analyst Kenny Smith said. “Overall, it’s either the best player or the best teammate. [Bryant and James] have elevated their games. I would have to go with LeBron because I don’t think he has as much talent as the Lakers have.”

“I love Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant has been the best player for a while and we did not award him with the MVP until his team had the best record or one of the best,” TNT analyst Charles Barkley said. “Dwyane is having a fabulous year, but you can’t change the criteria. It’ll be LeBron or Kobe because their teams will have better records. We reward winning.”

Dan Gilbert gets rowdy in a Bar Mitzvah

Dan GilbertIn a Bar Mitzvah event that took place last Saturday, it’s being reported that Dan Gilbert got into a minor physical altercation with his former Rock Financial employee David Hall.

“There have been rumors, since Hall’s abrupt departure from Rock Financial over a year ago, that there was friction between Gilbert and Hall. Mojo in the Morning, the morning radio show on 95.5 FM in Detroit, apparently has sources that were at the event Saturday night.

During a segment the show talks about what happened and tells their listeners that the friction between Gilbert and Hall came to a head during an altercation, with the two men getting into a physical confrontation. Security had to intervene to calm down the two.

Whatever happened between those two men that lead to the fallout, the bad feelings are probably intensified with the current state of the economy.” mLive.com

Lebron James to appear on 60 minute

Lebron James on 60 MinutesThe populate magazine show “60 Minutes” sat down with Lebron for the one-on-one with show contributor Steve Kroft.

The show, which will air this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, takes James to his Akron high school where he first broke onto the national stage and his face made the cover of Sports Illustrated on Feb. 18, 2002.

Besides a visit to James’ old high school, St. Vincent-St. Mary, the profile also includes a drive through Akron and an interview with his mother, Gloria James.

Before leaving his high school court, Lebron James took one dribble and sank a more-
than-half-court-length shot.

It happened so fast 60 Minutes nearly missed it. While he and Kroft walk the court at his old high school in Akron, James bounces a basketball near the top of the key. “Are you going to do anything with this?” asks Kroft. Before Kroft barely finishes the sentence, James nonchalantly flips the ball underhanded at the backcourt hoop some 60 feet away, where it hits nothing but net. “You got it?” asks a smiling James.

Luckily, the 60 Minutes cameraman was on it and captured the entire flight of the incredible shot. “How many times can you do that in a row? asks a dazzled Kroft. “I’m one take, baby, that’s all. I’m just one take,” smirks James.