The Cleveland Cavaliers will likely draft Duke freshman Kyrie Irving in Thursday’s NBA Draft. ESPN is reporting that the Cavs are committed to doing so.

I understand the reasoning.

It’s a PG league.

Point guards are needed because a lot of the better teams have quality ones. Chicago has 2010-11 NBA MVP Derrick Rose. Oklahoma City has Russell Westbrook. Memphis has Mike Conley. Boston has Rajon Rondo. New Orleans has Chris Paul.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s what LeBron  James had to say before tonight’s game between the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.

This is the second time James has played in Cleveland for the Heat since he decided to leave the Cavaliers last summer to play in Miami. The Heat beat the Cavaliers, 118-90, Dec. 2 and James had 38 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Read the rest of this entry »

Before I go any further, there was one arrest and four ejections. I saw one of those guys getting taken out the arena.

Crazy.

Now back to this scene. This was one of the most entertaining nights in my career as a sports journalist.

What I saw tonight was one man entering the most hostile environment he’s ever faced as a player and it was in his home area. It was so surreal. Just a scene of angry fans filled with emotion for one guy.

He was a little edgy at first. Didn’t shoot great in the first half (5-of-13), but two things happened to loosen LeBron James up. One, the fans really started getting on him when he was at the FT line and he started smiling.

I think at that point he figured, this is going to be rough,’ but he also figured he’d be OK.
Then he started talking the players on the Cavs bench. Laughing. Joking. I’m like, what in the world is going on. Now I saw a video here that one of the Cavs assistants cursed at James, but then J.J. Hickson was still talking to James. Don’t know when it was during the game.

One thing I am certain of is when that second half came around, LeBron caught fire.
10-of-12 shooting. 24 points. In comparison. Cavs were 7-of-13 as a team for 25 points.
The Heat were up by 30 at the end of the Q. James didn’t even play in the fourth.
Game over.

Read the rest of this entry »

1. Eddie House was waiting for Daniel Gibson to come out the locker room. It took two security guards and teammate Carlos Arroyo to talk him into coming into the locker room.
2. Kept seeing Wally Szczerbiak walking around.
3. Said hello to TNT’s David Aldridge. Good guy.
4. Erik Spolestra kept talking about how his team handled this “extreme” situation. Called it a playoff atmosphere. He also said it was nice to see the team stand up and play well for LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Then he said he was told a battery was thrown at the Heat bench, but was confident in the security.
5. Saw Daniel Gibson leaving with his wife, singer Keyshia Cole. Hope he went the opposite way of the Heat bench.
6. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was heated. He walked out with the wind to his back.
7. Saw J.J. Hickson laughing after the game (Why, your team just got beat down).
8. Waiting for LeBron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh to do postgame in the open room Cleveland has. They use that area for the playoffs.
9. Then Miami’s Big 3 came out.
10. LeBron was asked all the questions expect one, which went to D-Wade.
11. In short, LeBron basically said he wasn’t going to apologize for doing the charity work for the kids in “The Decision” part. Said he lives with his decisions and has never regretted any decision he’s made. Said the execution of “The Decision” was a tad bit off. Talked about how the team played well. Continually said he had nothing against the Cleveland fans and understand they were going to do everything they could to help their team win. Said the Cavalier fans were not on his list of people who he was keeping a mental checklist. Said the chatter he had with the Cleveland teammates on the bench was fun for him (Doubt it was fun for the other team).
12. Then the Miami PR people cut the interview much to the dismay of ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. She was looking at them like, “Are you serious?” Then the Miami Big 3 walked out just as James used to do when he was with Cleveland.

1. LeBron James starts the Q on the bench. Never comes back in game.
2. D-Wade and Chris Bosh come out with 6:56 left in the Q.
3. Cup came out of the stands. Security surrounds the Heat bench.
4. LeBron laughing.
5. 6:12 Daniel Gibson 3.
6. Sign “We should have signed Darko”
7. 5:09 Fans leaving.
8. LeBron talking to J.J. Hickson as Hickson walked on the court.
9. Fans cursing at Cavs to play better.
10. Technical fouls on Eddie House (Heat) and Daniel Gibson (Cavs).
11. Timeout Miami (Why). 2:25 left.
12. James salutes a fan.
13. More security behind the bench.
14. Wade, James, Bosh having fun on bench.
15. Mario Chalmers hits 3 (LeBron stands up) :56 seconds left.
16. LeBron smiling.
17. Guy takes picture of LeBron on bench wearing a Cavs jacket.
18. End of game. LeBron hugs Cleveland forward Jawad Williams. Rest of Cavs leave.
19. Final score: Heat win 118-90. Final line for James (38 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds).

The Cleveland Cavaliers will their summer league roster began playing in the Las Vegas Summer League beginning Tuesday. Going into his third season with Cleveland, power forward J.J. Hickson is scheduled to play as is forward Danny Green, who just finished his rookie season with the Cavaliers. 

The Cavaliers 2009 first-round pick, forward Christian Eyenga of the Congo, is also listed on the roster. The 6-foot-5 Eyenga didn’t play last season after deciding to remain overseas and play. 

The team also has some familiar names like Rashard McCants, who starred on the 2004 national championship for North Carolina and rookies Jerome Dyson of Connecticut and Manny Harris of Michigan.

Erie BayHawks coach John Treloar is also working as an assistant for the Cavaliers, who are an NBA affiliate of the BayHawks along with the Toronto Raptors.

 Two things to notice about the schedule is the Cavaliers play against the Miami Heat, who LeBron James chose to sign with instead of the Cavaliers earlier this week, and the Milwaukee Bucks, who have Darnell Jackson, a player Cleveland let go this past season. Jackson is scheduled to play for the Bucks this summer.

Read the rest of this entry »

LeBron James may have played his final game for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Thursday's Game 6 loss in Boston.

It’s over.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are done for this season and if LeBron James decides to bounce and join another game, they will be done for much longer.

Just for the record, as much as I thought Cleveland had the team to win it all this season, I predicted before the season began it wouldn’t even make it to the NBA Finals.

Who did I pick: The Los Angeles Lakers to win back-to-back and beat the Orlando Magic again. They’re both still alive. Who would have thunk it?

As for the Cavaliers, they won 60-plus games in consecutive regular seasons, James won back-to-back NBA MVPs and didn’t make to the finals last season or this season.

Something is wrong with that picture?

Who is to blame?

Well, let’s start at the top. Or near the top.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jamison was all smiles during Thursday's press conference after being traded from Washington to Cleveland in a three-team deal.

“HONK HONK! Yo D! What’s up, my man?”

Hey. What’s good with you? It’s been a minute. Like that new ride you got there.

“Yeah. You know how I do. Listen, I know you been busy checking out those NBA trades that went down before Thursday’s deadline. What you think about the Cavaliers getting Antawn Jamison and only giving up Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a first-round draft pick?”

Read the rest of this entry »

Instead of NYC, columnist Sam Smith believes LeBron may join Kobe Bryant in L.A.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers playing at the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden tonight on ESPN (8 p.m.), it gives reason to discuss the possibility of LeBron James playing for the Knicks or the New Jersey Nets after this season.

James will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Just for argument sake, check out Sam Smith’s column on the idea that James may head to Los Angeles to join Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Now, the question isn’t will or will he not go. It’s more of should he go.

My take?

Read the rest of this entry »

Boston 51, Cleveland 45

The Cavaliers lead by as many as 14 points in the first half only to trail by five at the break.

If I’m Cleveland, these are my concerns.

Read the rest of this entry »