This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
LeBron James says MVP voting totals 'pissed me off' "You know, not saying that the winner wasn't deserving of the MVP. But that pissed me off. And I finished second a lot in my career, either from a championship, and now four times as an MVP." James, 35, has won league MVP honors four times in his career (2009, '10, '12, '13).
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James shrugs at making 10th NBA Finals When James was asked to say a few words at center court after white and gold confetti had fallen to commemorate the Lakers' first trip to the Finals since 2010, when Kobe Bryant led L.A. past its rival, the Boston Celtics, in seven games, he allowed himself to live in the moment.
LeBron James: Circumstances, not opponent, would make 2020 championship remarkable
Like a parent being asked to rank their favorite children, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James wanted no part in assigning special value to a 2020 NBA championship, should he win it against his former team, the Miami Heat. "It's no extra meaning to winning a championship, no matter who you're playing against," James said Tuesday at NBA Finals media day. "It's already hard enough to even reach the Finals, to be in this position. If you're able to become victorious out of the Finals, it doesn't matter who it's against." As James approaches his 10th Finals appearance searching for his fourth title, with Game 1 on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET, ABC), his teammate Anthony Davis ranked his rings for him. James won his most recent championship in 2016, when he led the Cavaliers to a comeback from down 3-1 in the Finals to beat the Golden State Warriors, owners of the greatest regular season in league history, at 73-9.
LeBron James says success with Anthony Davis attributable to no jealousy James and Davis' chemistry started long before they were both in Los Angeles. Davis, while in high school, was a camper at James' summer skills academy, and they teamed up in the 2012 London Olympics. Last season, with James playing alongside an inexperienced Lakers group and Davis starring for a middling New Orleans squad, the two publicly pined for a trade to land Davis with the Lakers.
LeBron James says respect of Lakers' fan base must be earned with success It wasn't long after LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018 that murals popped up around town only to be vandalized. It was presumed his prompt elevation to the "King of LA" and to the pantheon of Lakers legends had rubbed some in the loyal Lakers fan base the wrong way.
LeBron James, his I PROMISE School recognized on Wheaties box
As LeBron James chases his fourth NBA title, it is his off-court championship that is being recognized. The brand unveiled the box Wednesday, noting, "Champion is not who you are. It's what you do."
LeBron James of Los Angeles Lakers claims fourth NBA Finals MVP James previously won Finals MVP in 2012 and '13 with the Miami Heat and in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is the first player in NBA history to win the award with three different franchises trailing only Jordan, who won the award six times.
Are LeBron James' four NBA titles better than Michael Jordan's six?
How does LeBron James NBA Finals résumé compare to Michael Jordan's? The MJ-LeBron debate centers heavily on their performances on the NBA's biggest stage. For Jordan partisans, the Chicago Bulls 6-0 record in Finals series with MJ winning MVP each time is indisputable proof of his superiority. For James believers, his 10 Finals appearances are emblematic of LeBron's longer record of accomplishment. Let's take a closer look at how both superstars have performed in the NBA Finals. What do LeBron's and MJ's overall Finals track records tell us about the choice between them as the greatest of all time?
Game 1 Lakers, LeBron roll in Game 1 of finals, top Heat 116-98
Anthony Davis scored 34 points, James had 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and the Los Angeles Lakers rolled past the Miami Heat. Jimmy Butler fought through a twisted left ankle to score 23 points for Miami. Kendrick Nunn scored 18 points for the Heat. Tyler Herro had 14 and Joe Crowder 12.
Game 2 Halfway home: Lakers top Heat 124-114 for 2-0 Finals lead
James finished with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Davis made 14 of his first 15 shots on the way to 32 points. Jimmy Butler finished with 25 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds for Miami, which played without injured starters Bam Adebayo (neck and left shoulder) and Goran Dragic (torn left plantar fascia)
Game 3 Butler's big night helps Heat cut Lakers' Finals lead to 2-1 Butler finished with 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists and the Heat beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-104. Miami's starters outscored the Lakers' starting five 89-51. James had 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Kyle Kuzma and Markieff Morris each had 19 points off the bench. Anthony Davis managed 15 for the Lakers.
Game 4 Lakers top Heat 102-96, take 3-1 lead in NBA Finals
James finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, Davis finished with 22 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 15 for the Lakers, who didn't trail at any point in the final 20-plus minutes. Jimmy Butler scored 22 points for Miami, which got 21 from Tyler Herro, 17 from Duncan Robinson and 15 from Bam Adebayo who returned after missing two games with a neck injury.
Game 5 Heat force Game 6, top Lakers 111-108 to stave off elimination Butler had 35 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Duncan Robinson had 26 points for Miami, which used seven players. Kendrick Nunn had 14 points, Bam Adebayo 13, Tyler Herro 12 and Jae Crowder 11. The seventh player, Andre Iguodala, didn't score. LeBron James had 40 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers. Anthony Davis scored 28 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16.
Game 6 Lakers dominate Heat for first title in a decade
This is the Lakers' 17th NBA championship, which ties the franchise with the Celtics, who most recently won a title in 2008 by defeating a Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles team, for the most in league history. The Lakers most recently raised the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2010, when they beat Boston, with Bryant winning Finals MVP.
Agent: LeBron James, Lakers agree to two-year, $85 million extension
James, who turns 36 later this month, averaged 25.3 points last season and led the NBA in assists with 10.2 per game. He will be 38 when the contract ends. This extension will take James through the 2022-23 season, giving him 20 seasons in the NBA. He played 11 seasons in Cleveland over two stints, four with the Miami Heat and will play at least five in L.A. James, currently No. 3 on the NBA's career scoring list with 34,241 points, is 4,146 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the No. 1 spot. If he were to average 25 points and play a majority of games the next two seasons, James would be in position to take Abdul-Jabbar's place at the top while wearing a Lakers uniform in 2022-23. James also ranks No. 8 on the assists list, No. 13 in steals, No. 15 in 3-pointers made and No. 48 in rebounds.
How LeBron James' unprecedented longevity factors into the GOAT debate James became the 40th player in league history to reach Year 18, joined by Carmelo Anthony as No. 41 the following night. Unlike any of the other 40 players, LeBron still reigns as the NBA's most unstoppable individual force as his career nears two full decades.
LeBron James of Los Angeles Lakers to sign deal with Pepsi after leaving Coca-Cola
After 17 years with Coca-Cola, pitching a variety of products, LeBron James is signing with rival PepsiCo, sources confirmed to ESPN. The Los Angeles Lakers star is expected to promote the Mountain Dew brand, which has become one of the NBA's prime sponsors after PepsiCo took over as the league's official beverage partner in 2015. James signed with Coke in the summer of 2003 before his rookie season; the company joined Nike and Upper Deck as his longest-standing endorsement partners. His deal with Coca-Cola expired last year when the sides were unable to come to terms on an extension. Forbes lists James as the top active NBA player in endorsement earnings, topping $50 million per year.
LeBron: Having ASG, 'a slap in the face' to players
James, 36, has played in the league's showcase event in 16 of his previous 17 seasons in the league and, as a top vote-getter, was named a captain for the past three seasons as the NBA went away from East vs. West and adopted a draft format to spice up the competition.