Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Fred Martin Chevrolet will close
Plane crashes at Akron airport
Officials suspect Ponzi scheme at Fair Finance
Dying man robbed in ER waiting room
Aunt Jemima cartoon rankles some in Cleveland
Summit looks at new cigarette tax
Duffy's Grill serves up welcome reopening
Blogs:
Pets:
PAWS Pet of the Week
The Heldenfiles:
"Hurt Locker" Blu-ray/DVD Release Set
Patrick McManamon:
Bobby Bowden (finally) says goodbye
Akron Zips:
Football season recap
Tribe Matters:
Catcher Shoppach traded to Tampa Bay
Cleveland Browns:
Rubin takes over
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – November 29
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Z Update and More Minutes for Delonte?
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeye Football – Present and Future
Varsity Letters:
Hoobler to visit Indiana this weekend
All Da King's Men:
The Myth Of The Clinton Surplus
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Barack W. Obama
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (78) The CLASS Act and Its Costs
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Car Chase:
What Automotive Thing Are You Thankful For?
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Dubai Bubble Bursting?????
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jeanne inquires – what is the best place to see Amish country?
Sound Check:
Norah Jones to perform at U of A's E.J. Thomas Hall in March 2010
HRLite House:
Genetic Discrimination
Akron Gamer:
Find the best Cyber Monday game deals
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 10:52 p.m. EST, Nov 06, 2009
NEW YORK: Call it a low-key affair, but the usual circus surrounding a LeBron James appearance at Madison Square Garden never took place.
In fact, it was rather subdued as James fielded many of the same questions so familiar to those in Cleveland.
But there was still a buzz in the air.
''It's never low key coming to the city,'' James said. ''With it being early in the season, it brings a little more excitement because the fans are really excited about their team, to see how their team is going to do today.''
Attention eventually turned to James' status as the top player in the free-agent class of 2010 next summer. He has frequently said that he signed a three-year contract to leave his options open for next year.
Whether that means a return to the Cavaliers or relocating to New York City remains to be seen.
James freely confesses that he's in uncharted waters with this entire scenario, a fact that could indicate he has no idea what he's thinking beyond this season.
''I don't know [what his options are] because it's the first time I've been in this position,'' he said.
He does love New York.
In an open letter to the Big Apple, James expressed his fondness for playing there. He also showed it by donating — along with Nike — seven indoor basketball courts to the youth of New York.
''This is the first thing we've done this year,'' he said. ''It's all about giving back.''
Shaq and Z experiment
Cavs coach Mike Brown said that he will continue to play Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas together at times.
He said he wouldn't play them against the Knicks on Friday night.
''Probably not,'' he said. ''These guys are versatile. [The Knicks] have guys who can go off the dribble.''
The fact is Brown readily admits that he's still fishing for the right combination.
His dilemma with O'Neal and Ilgauskas on the floor together is that they're slow and teams can take advantage of the lack of speed.
Boogie man alert
Courtesy of Peter Vecsey in Rupert Murdoch's New York Post: Dan Gilbert is deathly afraid that if the Cavs don't at least make it to the NBA Finals, James will fly the coop for alleged greener pastures.
Ultimately, Vecsey writes that it can all depend on James' ego.
Heard in the pressroom
How hyped was Friday night's game? The media can never resist a chance to get in a good laugh. From one such media-type person in the Madison Square Garden pressroom: ''If you're having trouble getting on the Internet, they've changed the code to LBJ2010.''
J.J. gets the call
Second-year power forward J.J. Hickson got his first start of the season in place of Anderson Varejao.
The change in the lineup was an attempt to open up the floor. The move also put last year's starting five of James, Varejao, Ilgauskas, Mo Williams and Delonte West on the floor together in the first quarter for an extended amount of time.
The move falls in line with what Brown has said since training camp began — he will continue to tinker with combinations until he gets it right.
Buzzer beaters
The last time James played at the Garden, he had 52 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists against the Knicks. He missed a triple double when the league rescinded a rebound a few days later. . . . This is the Cavs' only trip to the Garden this season, a fact that James lamented during his news conference.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CavsABJ
NEW YORK: Call it a low-key affair, but the usual circus surrounding a LeBron James appearance at Madison Square Garden never took place.
In fact, it was rather subdued as James fielded many of the same questions so familiar to those in Cleveland.
But there was still a buzz in the air.
''It's never low key coming to the city,'' James said. ''With it being early in the season, it brings a little more excitement because the fans are really excited about their team, to see how their team is going to do today.''
Attention eventually turned to James' status as the top player in the free-agent class of 2010 next summer. He has frequently said that he signed a three-year contract to leave his options open for next year.
Whether that means a return to the Cavaliers or relocating to New York City remains to be seen.
James freely confesses that he's in uncharted waters with this entire scenario, a fact that could indicate he has no idea what he's thinking beyond this season.
''I don't know [what his options are] because it's the first time I've been in this position,'' he said.
He does love New York.
In an open letter to the Big Apple, James expressed his fondness for playing there. He also showed it by donating — along with Nike — seven indoor basketball courts to the youth of New York.
''This is the first thing we've done this year,'' he said. ''It's all about giving back.''
Shaq and Z experiment
Cavs coach Mike Brown said that he will continue to play Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas together at times.
He said he wouldn't play them against the Knicks on Friday night.
''Probably not,'' he said. ''These guys are versatile. [The Knicks] have guys who can go off the dribble.''
The fact is Brown readily admits that he's still fishing for the right combination.
His dilemma with O'Neal and Ilgauskas on the floor together is that they're slow and teams can take advantage of the lack of speed.
Boogie man alert
Courtesy of Peter Vecsey in Rupert Murdoch's New York Post: Dan Gilbert is deathly afraid that if the Cavs don't at least make it to the NBA Finals, James will fly the coop for alleged greener pastures.
Ultimately, Vecsey writes that it can all depend on James' ego.
Heard in the pressroom
How hyped was Friday night's game? The media can never resist a chance to get in a good laugh. From one such media-type person in the Madison Square Garden pressroom: ''If you're having trouble getting on the Internet, they've changed the code to LBJ2010.''
J.J. gets the call
Second-year power forward J.J. Hickson got his first start of the season in place of Anderson Varejao.
The change in the lineup was an attempt to open up the floor. The move also put last year's starting five of James, Varejao, Ilgauskas, Mo Williams and Delonte West on the floor together in the first quarter for an extended amount of time.
The move falls in line with what Brown has said since training camp began — he will continue to tinker with combinations until he gets it right.
Buzzer beaters
The last time James played at the Garden, he had 52 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists against the Knicks. He missed a triple double when the league rescinded a rebound a few days later. . . . This is the Cavs' only trip to the Garden this season, a fact that James lamented during his news conference.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CavsABJ
Comments
Click here to post your comments
