James makes solid impression in NBA games ( 2003-11-01 11:27) (Agencies)
The soaring dunks, the hanging bank shots, the slick crosscourt passes, the
rebounding, and most of all, the incredible court awareness. It was all on
display in LeBron James' impressive first two games in the NBA.
"I know how to play the game of basketball," he said after the Cleveland
Cavaliers worked out on Friday. "That's not being conceited. I just know what I
can do and what I can't do."
No argument there.
This 18-year-old strolled into the NBA as if it was his
rightful inheritance. No intimidation, no awe-struck gazes at his childhood
heroes. Just some terrific basketball.
"He's going to be a great player," Hall of Famer Jerry West said. "I don't
know why anybody would even question that. He's wise beyond his years. He's got
special tools. He'll have nights when he won't shoot well, but his total game
makes him special."
Before his NBA debut against Sacramento, James had dinner with Moses Malone,
who long ago became the first big-time high school player to go directly to the
pros. Malone offered some advice.
"The first game jitters, that's the main thing he was concerned about," James
said, "how you handle it, by staying focused and just competing. Don't back down
from anybody. I've been hearing that a lot, but when you hear it from one of the
greats, it makes it sound even better."
The NBA sorely needed someone to capture the public's imagination after the
departure of Michael Jordan, James' boyhood idol. James intends to fill that
void. It's no chest-pumping boast, just a calm fact.
"That's the only reason I wanted to be here, to be compared to some of the
best, and that's by working hard," he said.
The 6-foot-8, 240-pound point guard loves to learn, Cavaliers coach Paul
Silas said. He is still figuring out how to take over a game, to use his
incredible skills to the best advantage. He struggled with his shot in the
preseason, but in the opener on Wednesday night, he scored 12 points in the
first quarter and finished with 25.
The next night in Phoenix, he flirted with a triple-double with 21 points, 12
rebounds and eight assists. He had seven turnovers, but a couple came when
teammates weren't ready for his passes and the ball bounced off them out of
bounds.
"Well, I think he made a lot of believers out of a lot of people," Silas
said. "The thing we didn't do is win, but he did his part. I was just happy that
he had two really good games so everybody can shut up and let him play his
game."
That's not likely to happen for a while. The Cavaliers flew to Portland on
Friday evening and will play the Trail Blazers on Saturday night. Their home
opener is next Wednesday against Denver, a showdown with celebrated rookie
Carmelo Anthony.
Eventually, maybe everyone will grow accustomed to this wunderkind's nightly
show.
"He's for real," said Red Auerbach, the Hall of Famer who oversaw the
dominating years of the Boston Celtics. "He does it all and he'll get better as
soon as he gets more games. He's got the whole package, and the best thing he's
got going for him is Paul Silas. That will be important to the kid. He needs
somebody in control. Paul is perfect for that."
Nike invested $90 million in James. Other endorsement deals push the total
well over $100 million. He already has revived this moribund franchise. Yet the
pressure rests easy on his young shoulders.
The 82-game season can be a long one, though, especially for a teenager
surrounded by older guys.
James' mother Gloria is along on this trip, to help her son pass the time
between games. In the NBA, there is a lot of time to kill.
"I can't go out as much as some of the older guys," he said, "so I just stay
in my hotel and sit back and reflect and watch TV."
Like so many others his age, he's a video game fanatic. He says he is very
good. Otherwise, it's all basketball.
Asked how good James will be in five years, Silas said, "Oh my God, he's
going to be awesome. It won't even be that long. In a couple of years he's going
to be something special. He listens, he learns. Whatever you want him to do he
tries to do it. And he has an overwhelming need to win. He really wants to win
awfully bad."
This 18-year-old strolled into the NBA as if it was his
rightful inheritance. No intimidation, no awe-struck gazes at his childhood
heroes. Just some terrific basketball.
