ESPN Sunday Conversation

LeBron is the master of the tease. Is he teasing us? Is he teasing the rest of the NBA? Is he teasing Rachel Nichols?

Watch it here.

Here are my comments:  Its the Summer.  Nothing is happening.  2010 is a year away.  WHY is this a story on TV right now?

 

Relax, it’s just him making the rounds for his movie.  LBJ is smart.  He knows he can get TV time with anyone if he dangles the promise of talking about free agency with them.  In other words, he’s trading talking about the SAME OLD STORY for face time to promote “More Than a Game“

 

Savvy

Obama, LeBron to appear in back-to-school TV special

(via AP) President Barack Obama will appear in a back-to-school television special with singer Kelly Clarkson and basketball star LeBron James next month.

Obama is appearing in a 30-minute documentary that will air at 8 p.m. Sept. 8 on BET, MTV, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central, Spike TV and Nickelodeon, all of them Viacom networks.

In the program, the president says education is the key to people living out their dreams.

“So as this new school year begins, I urge you to set goals for your own education: to study hard and get involved in your school, to try new things and find something you’re passionate about,” Obama says, according to a release issued Wednesday.

“And that’s how our nation will get ahead — by ensuring that every American gets a world-class education, from preschool to college to a career,” Obama said.

The program marks the kickoff of an education initiative by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Viacom Inc. Called “Get Schooled,” the five-year campaign is aimed at improving this country’s dismal high school and college completion rates.

In the special, Obama, Clarkson and James all are shown alongside behind-the-scenes colleagues; Obama’s is speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz, who talks about her time in school and current job at the White House. Also featured are Clarkson’s music director, Jason Halbert, and James’ marketer, Latesha Williams.

Gates official Allan Golston, president of the foundation’s U.S. Program, noted Obama has made education a top priority and that schools got unprecedented money from the economic stimulus law earlier this year.

“Education is the key to opportunity and economic progress, for our young people and our nation,” Golston said.

LeBron in Chi Promoting More than a Game

Also talked about Derrick Rose and taxi fightin’ Blackhawk Patrick Kane

via the Chicago-Sun-Times:

“Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James was in town Tuesday for a youth basketball event, so it’s no surprise he was asked about the recent arrest of Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.

After all, few understand what it’s like to be the face of a franchise at 20 better than James.

”I wish him the best,” he said of Kane. ”I wish him and his family the best, and hopefully they can get through this tough time.”

When asked if it was difficult to live such a public life at such a young age, James said: ”It’s not difficult at all. You have a responsibility as a professional to be professional all the time, on the court or off the court.”

He also was asked to comment on Chicago’s other 20-year-old star, the Bulls’ Derrick Rose.

”He’s really good, really talented,” James said. ”He will be one of the better point guards we have in our league in the near future. They have a good one. They picked the right player.”

For someone who has lived a very public life since his junior year of high school, James has remarkably few blemishes on his resume. The closest thing he has had to a brush with the law is a speeding ticket for reaching triple digits a couple of years ago, and he was criticized this spring for walking off the court and blowing off the interview session after the Cavs were eliminated by the Orlando Magic in the NBA playoffs.

”I apologized for not talking to the media because I should have done that; that’s a responsibility of mine,” he said. ”But shaking hands, it’s not done in the NBA.”

No one ever has accused James of being a bad teammate. He was in Chicago for a youth event at Seward Park in River North as the first stop on a tour to promote the movie ”More Than a Game,” a documentary on the relationship between James and his high school teammates at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s in Akron, Ohio.

”Sometimes a movie makes you feel like you’ve been out of high school that much longer, but we graduated in ’03,” he said. ”Not a long time, but to see it makes it feel like a long time ago.

”To see what I’ve been able to do and what some of my friends have been able to do since we graduated high school, it’s remarkable. The fact that we’re still together and we still talk on a day-to-day basis, that’s even more moving to me.”

About his current team, which added Shaquille O’Neal this summer, James said: ”Our expectations are to compete for a championship. That’s the only expectation I have going into the season. I’m at a point in my career where if I’m not competing for a championship, it’s a failure.”

Non Story of the Day: “People Still on LeBron for Not Shaking Hands”

OK, here’s what ACTUALLY happened.  He was pissed off and wanted to get off the court.  That’s it.  He hated

losing and wanted out of there.  LeBron is the super star of the league and hasn’t made any mistakes and I agree with him, he hasn’t had a “black eye” yet. The media is really stretching to try and get something juicy to write about him (free agency, handshake-gate, dunk-gate, T-Shirt-gate, etc…).  Tell you what, if the worst thing LBJ does in his career is wear a funny T-Shirt or not shake hands, it’ll be fine by me.

here’s the story from realgm.com:

“LeBron James defended his decision not to shake hands with the Magic after his Cavaliers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs this past season.

James was asked by a reporter if not shaking hands following the loss put the first blemish on his reputation on Tuesday while promoting his upcoming movie, “More Than a Game.”

“I still haven’t had a black eye, for one. Two, I don’t regret anything that I do. The only thing I apologize for that night is not doing the media [session, after the game].

“The media, your … job don’t start until ours’ finish. You guys can’t report and write you guys’ story until we take a shower, until we come out and sit on the podium. That’s the only thing I apologize for. As far as shaking hands, it’s something that is not done in the NBA. If it was something like tennis, after tennis, you play, you win, you lose, you go to the center and shake hands, it happens every game in tennis.”

LeBron’s MTAG Tour Shout Out

Site Outage this Weekend / Upgrade Announcement

Hi loyal CavsFans,

This weekend the old site (the current one) will be moved to the URL www.cavshistory.com/v2 and there will be a brief site outage. This is to make way for the beta testing of the new site (if you want to be a beta tester email me at contact@cavshistory.com or msg me a twitter.com/cavshistory).

The current site has been in this format for almost 7 years and it is time for a change.  The homepage will be updated to the blog temporarily. Then in the coming weeks, we will slowly be rolling out the new format (lovelingly dubbed CavsHistory 3.0).  The new features should make you guys happier (and let bloggers/tweeters link directly to pages). Basically, we are getting all web 2.o when its almost time to get web 3.0

The old format will live on forever at www.cavshistory.com/v2, it won’t be deleted just in case anyone just can’t bear to live without it.

Be patient with us, there will be bugs and hiccups.  But I guarantee the new format will be a pleasant experience and will hold up better against the upcoming LeBron/Shaq-led title run as well as the impending LeBron free-agent-to-be craziness.

Go Cavs

Nike Air Max LeBron VII Unveiled

Lebron Speaks

Whenever Lebron speaks, or doesn’t, it creates some sort media storm. He finally broke his summer silence and spoke about a number topics. The topics include “dunk-gate”, “handshake-gate”, “Shaq-gate” and “future contact and staying in Cleveland-gate. ”

I’m too lazy to really dig and try and find the article (I’m mean I clicked on one link and it wasn’t there, what do you want from me?), plus I’m not sure if its even available.  Besides, the genius that is J.E. Skeets over at “Ball Don’t Lie” has the perfect wrap.

Check it: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/LeBron-James-breaks-silence-on-Dunkgate-hands;_ylt=AlsxJpnSxtUZ8vr_SSMSREY5nYcB?urn=nba,181361

My favorite part, Lebron talks in the third person.  I’m looking forward to more of this.

Anyway, I’m Crunch and I used to post in parts awhile back.  Took a sabatical and now I’m back to add commentary and kill time at work.

TMZ to Show Video of LeBron Getting Dunked On?

*sigh*  Not much of a story but decided to post it anyways.

Apparently TMZ got a hold of a mobile phone vid of the dunk and are going to show it.

Here’s what the slimeballs say on their site:

You know what we’re talking about — the legendary moment where some virtually unknown college kid blasted a two-handed dunk right in King James‘ FACE — at his very own LeBron James summer basketball camp!!

LeBron’s people and Nike reportedly confiscated all video proof of the moment LeBron got taken to the HOLE — but we finally found the one SURVIVING copy of the moment LeBron became LeBitch … and it’s awesome!!!!

We’re going to premiere the footage on TMZ TV tonight — but we’ll post the uncut in-your-face slam on the website at 6:45 PM EST.

So check back … you definitely wanna WITNESS this!!!

I hope they do show it so this story can die.

Yup, LBJ will be on Entourage next season

Check it out here (via Scene Magazine)