INDEPENDENCE: Talk of retirement? Rumor of a trade? It doesn't matter to Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
It probably shouldn't have, but when a report said Ilgauskas wasn't married to the idea of returning to the Cavaliers after this season, it raised a couple of eyebrows.
Going into his 12th season, Ilgauskas has endured bad seasons and multiple foot surgeries.
''I don't know what I'm going to do, that's what I said,'' he said of his future. ''My guess is we'll see how the season is and how I feel at the end of it.''
And should the Cavs win a championship, a realistic possibility heading into the season, it would appear to represent the perfect way for Ilgauskas to go out.
''No, it will depend on how I feel and what I want to do more than anything else,'' he said. ''A championship will not play a big part in it.''
What's apparent is that playing basketball is beginning to feel like a job to Ilgauskas, a 7-foot-3 center from Lithuania.
''Getting in shape isn't the issue. It's the grind, you know. Middle of February, middle of March, West Coast trips, back-to-backs, over and over and over again,'' he said. ''When you're a young guy, you're able to recover and bounce back better, but when you get older it's not happening for you. The grind gets tougher and tougher each year.''
There's no question that Ilgauskas knows he still has plenty in the tank. He averaged 12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds last season. Cavs coach Mike Brown believes the same primarily because 7-footers will always be in demand.
''Z, in my opinion, can play as long as he wants,'' Brown said. ''He'll make the decision when the time is right for him and his family.''
Perhaps that's why Ilgauskas, who has an expiring contract, was allegedly mentioned in trade talks with the Golden State Warriors that would have brought Stephen Jackson to the Cavs. After 11 years with the Cavs, he couldn't be blamed if that bothered him. He just shrugs his shoulders when it's mentioned.
''I've been traded, I think, let me see? Seventy-five times? Seventy-seven times since I've been here,'' he joked. ''After that, you become numb to that.
''I would obviously like to stay here, but this is a business. If it comes or not, when I get to that bridge, I'll cross it. I've expressed my desire to always stay with this team especially now that we have a chance to win.''
Tait missing broadcast
Joe Tait, the voice of the Cavs, won't be behind the microphone for tonight's preseason game against the Charlotte Bobcats in Charleston, S.C. Tait will instead be inducted into his alma mater's Hall of Achievement at Monmouth College in Illinois. Tait graduated from the school in 1959. The Cavs' television voice, Fred McLeod, will call a radio game for the first time since the Cavs played in China two years ago.
Buzzer beaters
Brown knows it will have to happen eventually, but the Cavs' coach isn't in a particular hurry to trim his roster. He said he's seen something positive from the entire roster of training camp invitees. . . . Jamario Moon won't make the trip to Charleston after having two wisdom teeth pulled Friday at the Cleveland Clinic. . . . Delonte West is not expected to join the team.
source: By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
"Or maybe 77," Ilgauskas deadpanned Friday. "I lost count already."
That's the 7-foot-3 center's way of saying trade rumors are a daily part of life in the NBA, and why he's shrugging off the newest whispers that Golden State has inquired about swapping unhappy swingman Stephen Jackson for Ilgauskas.
While it's true that the Cavaliers might now almost have a surplus of talented very big men with the off-season acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal, the trade rumor also would violate one of the league's unwritten tenets -- don't trade big for small. So Ilgauskas isn't too worried that anything will come to fruition.
"If it happens, life goes on," Ilgauskas shrugged.
But the possibility of leaving Cleveland did serve as an opportunity for Ilgauskas to reiterate that he wants to finish his career with the Cavaliers -- and there's a chance the 34-year-old might call it quits when his contract expires at the end of this season.
He's not saying it's likely or even probable, and he swears his decision won't be linked to whether LeBron James re-signs with the Cavaliers in the off-season. It's just a possibility.
"I think I still have at least a few good years of basketball left in me," Ilgauskas said. "I would like to [come back]. [But] it gets harder every year, mentally and physically. I'll just decide at the end of the year."
Ilgauskas reminded listeners of his creaky back and delicate feet, which have endured five surgeries, and his newfound status as a father to two young boys adopted over the summer from his hometown in Lithuania. He's older. His seasons last longer now that the Cavaliers annually play deep into the playoffs.
"I just feel the grind more," he said. "You feel it in the middle of February, middle of March, [with] West Coast trips, back-to-backs, over and over and over again. As a younger guy, you were able to come back faster. When you get older, it's not happening. The grind gets tougher and tougher each year. It takes a toll on your body."
However, the Cavaliers' all-time rebounding leader also could experience more rest this season as he backs up O'Neal. It's the first time in Ilgauskas' career that he will come off the bench. That reduced role, combined with Ilgauskas' rare 7-3 height, might prolong his career for several more years.
"You can't teach size," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "[Big guys] are going to be big if they move slow or if they move slower."
For Ilgauskas' part, though, he wants to keep his options open. He's not making any promises either way, just as he knows the Cavaliers aren't making any promises that he'll finish his career in Cleveland. "This is a business," Ilgauskas said.
He knows one thing for sure, though. His new role as father won't play a part in his decision.
"Either [the boys] will come to the games, or we'll watch the games on TV," Ilgauskas said, laughing.
First times: Ilgauskas will experience a couple firsts during today's game against Charlotte in North Charleston, S.C.: His first time away from the 5- and 4-year-old boys he and his wife, Jennifer, adopted over the summer. And, potentially, his first night of good sleep in just as long.
"I have mixed feelings," Ilgauskas said. "I'm looking forward to a little bit more sleep. I just want to make sure everything's OK. But it's a short trip, so I'm sure they'll be fine." Dribbles:Jamario Moon missed practice Friday because he had two wisdom teeth removed, and did not travel with the team. . . . Guard Delonte West remains on an excused leave from the team for personal reasons and did not make the trip. Forward
source: cleveland.com
Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers wore special "CavFanatic" jerseys for select games during the season to celebrate their popular social network site. The retro threads: Blue jerseys and blue shorts trimmed in wine and gold. "Very colorful," LeBron James(notes) cautiously described the look at the time.
Well, they're doing it again this season, according to Uni Watch's Paul Lukas. But this time, as you can see above, it's a late-'80s design in 1970s colors. I can't wait to see Tyrone Hill in this bad boy!
'64 And Counting says they'll be worn on January 6 against the Wizards. I believe him.
source: By J.E. Skeets yahoo sports
Watching from the bench Saturday, the starting point guard had to feel as if he was seeing his teammates in slow motion, compared to the whirlwind of the playoffs last season. Williams struggled in his first extended appearance in the postseason, shooting just 40 percent, compared to 47 percent in the regular season when he was the team's second-leading scorer. With the Cavs desperately seeking someone besides LeBron James to step up and score, it was a noticeable failing.
"Looking at that tape [of the playoffs], watching those games, the way I felt in those games . . . I felt like I was playing at a different speed than I was during the season," he said. "Just simple things. If I'm coming off a pin-down, I'm going so fast and not being able to get my feet set, I'm missing those shots I usually make because during the season, I'm taking my time. I'm in rhythm, and all of a sudden I'm just speeding through stuff. I started playing at a different speed and trying to force things, trying to do things. The game was so big, I wanted to do well.
"Having that experience, knowing that, if I'm in that situation again, I'm going to be the same person, controlling the game, playing at my tempo."
Williams said he was much more comfortable and confident coming into this training camp. Last season, he was new to the team, having been traded from Milwaukee in August. He also was coming off surgery for a sports hernia.
"I got a year under my belt," he said. "I'm more comfortable here. This actually feels like a home to me now. I'm settled in, in a lot of different ways. My confidence is at an all-time high right now. I'm more experienced. That playoff really, really helped me -- helped my game, helped me prepare this summer mentally because I know what to expect.
"Last year I enjoyed it. This year I expect it."
Williams denied the pressure of the playoffs got to him. The Cavs entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed after compiling a league-best 66-16 record in the regular season.
"I respond well to pressure," Williams said. "I always have. I always will. You cannot underestimate experience. I just had to go through it. Those guys, my teammates, 'Bron, all those guys have been there. Me, personally, I've never been in that situation. Being in that situation and being counted on so much . . . I feel like I made plays here and there, but I just didn't make enough."
Same old, same old: Once again, forward Jawad Williams finds himself fighting for a roster spot. Williams, a former St. Edward star, spent most of last season and the playoffs with the Cavs, but he is not assured a roster spot this time around.
His approach remains the same.
"I do everything day by day, go out and work as hard as I can and hope for the best," he said.
One thing is different this season. Williams married longtime girlfriend Angel Flow on July 25 in Raleigh, N.C. The two had dated since his sophomore year at North Carolina.
"I feel a lot more calm than I did last year," Williams said. "I guess getting married, that bond, gave me a stronger inner peace. Now I'll just come out here and work as hard as possible."
Cavs fashion show: Cavs players Williams, Daniel Gibson, Jamario Moon, J.J. Hickson, Anthony Parker, Danny Green, Leon Powe and Darnell JacksonLeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal Fathead. Tickets start at $85, and sponsor packages are available by calling 440-442-9700 or visiting flashesofhope.org will take part in a fund-raising fashion show Thursday night at The Q. The event will benefit Flashes of Hope, a national nonprofit that changes the way children with cancer see themselves through the gift of photography. Flashes of Hope raises money for pediatric cancer research and The Children's Tumor Foundation, a medical foundation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by neurofibromatosis. Hosted by the Cavs Better Halves, the wives and girlfriends of Cavs players, coaches, management and staff, the event will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and features cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, performances by the Cavalier Girls and Scream Team and a silent auction. Fathead is donating custom Fatheads (peel-n-stick vinyl wall graphics) of local pediatric cancer survivors and a
Eyenga is dunk champ: Christian Eyenga, who was the Cavs' first-round draft pick last June, made a name for himself in Spain over the weekend.
The Congo native won the Spanish (ACB) League dunk contest Saturday night. His signature moment was throwing down a slam while grabbing a small teddy bear off the rim with his mouth.
The 6-foot-5 Eyenga signed a three-year contract with DKV Joventut, Ricky Rubio's old team, in July but has an opt-out to come to the Cavs next year.
Brian Windhorst contributed to this report.
source:Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer
As training camps get into full swing around the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not the only Eastern Conference team exuding optimism.
So are their top two Eastern Conference rivals, the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics and the defending conference champion Orlando Magic.
As the Cavaliers did at the University of Akron, the Celtics scrimmaged on Saturday, too - although it was cut short by dampness on the court surface.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (left) trying to get a shot off over the Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett
Wrote Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, referring to the knee injury that Kevin Garnett is trying to bounce back from:
Rasheed Wallace stood out in the scrimmage, hitting some early treys. Fellow bench brother Eddie House canned a couple of bombs late to serve public notice that the Celtic bench will be very interesting this year.
Tony Allen (right ankle rehab) participated and showed no ill effects after sitting out Friday’s session.
Kevin Garnett again looked fine.
“Actually better than I expected,” Garnett said when asked to take stock of his week. “I anticipated it to be a lot more sore. I had my days, and sitting and talking to other guys, they were just as sore as I was, so I kind of felt at home. To be honest with everybody here, I’m not even thinking about the injury when I’m playing. I do all my stuff that I’m supposed to do. I don’t play around with my workouts. Even when I’m in my room, I do the calisthenics that I’m supposed to do. I get my proper treatment. It’s all prevention.”
In Florida: The optimism is contagious among the East's big three teams. Brian Schmitz and Josh Robbins write about the Magic for the Orlando Sentinel:
Magic PG Jason Williams is the only player on the roster who has an NBA championship ring, having won a ring with the Miami Heat in 2006.
J-Will says this Magic team has more potential than his old Heat club — and Miami had Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade.
"I think we have more talent here than when we won the championship in 2006," Williams said. "I think 1 through 15, there's more talent."
And.....
Magic General Manager Otis Smith says his club is starting to build a championship culture.
"I think we're becoming that," he said. "How you really test that is when guys walk in your door, how they feel. We're not the Patriots, we're not the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Celtics. But I think we're building a foundation to become an organization like those teams for years to come. That's what you have to do. That's kind of the legacy of that. What do you leave behind? What you leave behind is more of a culture of greatness as opposed to a culture of playing for right now. That's what we strive for."
Check it: Plain Dealer Cavaliers coverage includes beat writer Brian Windhorst's report on Saturday's Wine and Gold Scrimmage at the University of Akron; his "Hey, Brian;" his report on Delonte West's Saturday practice; a video by David I. Andersen of LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal having fun at practice; "Terry Pluto's Scribbles."
J.J. back strong: Second-year power forward J.J. Hickson has been impressive after missing the last several weeks of last season with a back injury. Writes Bob Finnan for the News Herald and Lorain Morning Journal, referring to Cavaliers coach Mike Brown:
Brown said Hickson can jump higher than "almost" everyone on the team. He was referring to James. "I'm looking forward to how (Hickson) turns out this year," Brown saidBEREA, Ohio (AP)—LeBron James called Browns receiver Braylon Edwards(notes) “childish” for allegedly punching James’ friend early Monday morning outside of a Cleveland night club.
James said Edwards punched Edward Givens, a friend of James’ and a promoter with a Cleveland marketing firm who was working outside the club around 2:30 a.m. EDT.
“I’ve never crossed paths with Braylon before, but it seems like there’s a little jealousy going on with Braylon and me and my friends. I have no idea why,” the Cavaliers superstar said after practice. “I’ve never said anything to Braylon at all. But for him to do that is very childish. My friend is 130 pounds. Seriously. It’s like hitting one of my kids. It doesn’t make sense.”
Edwards was not available for comment Monday as the Browns regrouped following their 23-20 overtime loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. He did post a message on his Twitter account—OfficialBraylon—at 5:25 p.m., offering praise to James.
“I have no issue with LeBron,” Edwards tweeted. “I respect and admire him.”
James said he was home when the fight occurred, but got a call from Givens telling him about it at 7 a.m. Monday.
Edwards’ manager issued a statement, hoping to soothe any perceived rivalry between two of Cleveland’s biggest sports stars.
“Braylon has nothing but the highest respect for LeBron James as an athlete and person,” Hayes Grooms said.
Browns coach Eric Mangini said he has spoken with Braylon Edwards about the alleged fight.
“I know there is an incident that has been reported with Braylon Edwards, it’s something that I am aware of. It is something that I spoke with Braylon about and personal conduct is very important to me. I always want our players to put themselves in the most positive positions. This is something I will continue to gather information on.”
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that a 28-year-old man accused Edwards of punching him in the face following an argument. The man said Edwards hit him with a closed fist. He said he suffered a black eye and cut and was treated at a hospital.
Edwards’ name did not appear in a police report. He was not arrested and there are no charges pending against him.
Edwards was not in Cleveland’s locker room during the portion open to the media.
Givens told Cleveland.com that he was outside greeting people when Edwards approached him.
“Braylon comes up and started saying things, degrading me,” Givens said. “He said if it wasn’t for LeBron (James) or the Four Horsemen (James’ friends and business partners), I wouldn’t have what I have, nor would I be able to get girls. Everyone knows Braylon has a problem with LeBron.
“So I had to speak up for myself. The conversation started to escalate. As some of his teammates started to pull him back, he punched me. As long as I’ve known Braylon, I’ve allowed him and his friends to come into our events free of charge. Whatever jealousy he has with LeBron, he felt he needed to take it out on me.”
Edwards did not catch a pass in the loss to the Bengals. It was the first time in 62 career games Edwards did not have at least one reception.
AP freelance writer Jason Lloyd in Independence, Ohio, contributed to this report.
source :By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
The longer the Delonte West ordeal plays out, the more the Cavaliers might get used to Anthony Parker as their starting shooting guard.
Parker, signed to a two-year contract in the offseason, has lived up to expectations through the first week of training camp.
The 6-foot-6, 210-pounder was a starter in all three previous years in Toronto. When asked if it mattered to him whether he starts or comes off the bench, he gave the politically correct answer.
"It doesn't matter," Parker said. "Either way, I'm going to have some opportunities. I'll be on the floor with LeBron (James) or Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) regardless."
Cavs coach Mike Brown claims the shooting guard spot is up for grabs. In some ways, Brown's rotation might work better if West came off the bench since he also serves as the backup point guard.
"Our rotation was easy with (West) being our backup point guard (last season)," Brown said. "I'll do whatever is best for the team."
Brown said it's more important who is playing at the end of games.
West started all 64 games he played last season and averaged 11.7 points, 3.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds. He's been troubled, however, with depression, a mood disorder and bipolar disorder. West is still facing gun charges in Maryland.
Judging from the Wine & Gold Scrimmage in Akron on Saturday, rookie Danny Green could also be in the mix for playing time.
Green fired in 10 points on Saturday.
"When he first came in (to training camp), I thought he was stiffer than as I was," Brown said. "To see him run and jump, do some things on the floor and shoot the way he does, he has a chance. He has to earn his way."
The Cavs had Green and Parker guarding each other for parts of the scrimmage. It was quite spirited.
"He came up in that Carolina system," Parker said. "You know what you're getting with a Carolina product.
"He's a good player. He's solid. (He) can shoot it. He's a smart player."
Parker, though, appears to be a solid acquisition. He had five points, five assists and two steals in the scrimmage.
Like West, Parker is a strong defender.
"His length showed defensively by getting out in the passing lanes," Brown said. "He's not gambling. He's playing the correct defense."
It didn't take long for Parker to realize the Cavs' emphasis is on defense.
"We stop practice and go over the defensive coverage and how we want everyone on the same page," Parker said. "When you're guarding someone, it's not just you. It's all five guys guarding that person. That gives you confidence. You have to play them one-on-one, but you have help behind you."
West might be a better on-the-ball defender. But Parker's length on the perimeter was sorely needed.
"I'm a good team defender," Parker said. "The (shooting guard/small forward positions are) the toughest positions to guard in the league. You can do your job and the guy could still score 20 points on you. I'm solid."
Fans will quickly take notice of Parker's shooting ability.
"He's a big-time threat to come off screens," Brown said. "He shoots it extremely well coming off the screens. We haven't had that since I've been here."
source: By Bobb Finnan
RFinnan@News-Herald.com
Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal ... Some of the NBA's all-time greats have made the jump (natch) from the hardwood to Hollywood.
How do you think this film might change people's perspective of you?
Are you still tight with all of your teammates? Do you see each other much?
What can you tell us about your acting debut, next summer's 'Fantasy Basketball Camp'?INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP)—Once Mike Brown learned that Shaquille O’Neal(notes) was wearing a Speedo on national television, he wasn’t concerned about his new star’s physical conditioning.
The Cleveland Cavaliers center spent the offseason filming his reality show “Shaq Vs,” in which he competed against various top athletes in their sports. He traded punches with Oscar De La Hoya, intercepted Ben Roethlisberger passes and, yes, even swam against Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.
It was fun for O’Neal, but it also helped keep him in shape.
“I kind of liked it because when he was with Michael Phelps,” Brown said. “I knew he wasn’t going to walk out in a Speedo looking like me.”
Brown, LeBron James(notes) and the rest of the Cavaliers have been impressed by O’Neal’s conditioning through the first few days of camp. At 37, the 325-pound center looks trim and is moving well.
“He’s in really good shape,” James said.
O’Neal is coming off one of the longest offseasons of his career. While playing in Phoenix last year, he missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993 when he was a rookie in Orlando. He took two weeks off after the season, then spent the rest of the summer playing baseball, football, beach volleyball, boxing and swimming.
“It was different,” O’Neal said. “When you do this for so long, everything else gets tiresome. How many times can you go do the stairmaster, the treadmill or the elliptical? You do that twice a day, stuff gets boring. I wanted to mix it up.”
O’Neal said he’ll write a book in a few years and will call it “The Myth of the Elite Athlete.”
“My formula has always been something that has worked for me,” he said. “There are a lot of so-called experts that say what you’re supposed to do. I usually take a big beating during the season, so the summertime is a time for me to get some rest.”
With 7-foot center Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) still on Cleveland’s roster, the Cavaliers have the luxury of resting O’Neal at times this season. He does not have to play both games on back-to-back nights, nor will he be expected to log 35 minutes every game.
Brown served as an assistant under Gregg Popovich when San Antonio won a championship with Tim Duncan(notes) and an aging David Robinson. Brown watched how Popovich allowed Robinson to sit out games and practices throughout the season and plans to do the same with O’Neal.
“I don’t think guys need to practice every day, every minute and play in every single game all the time,” Brown said. “If guys are bringing it when they’re dressed, I have to make sure I do my part and understand there are times when those guys need a break. This is a long season and to play every single game and practice every minute at a high level is tough on anybody.”
O’Neal and James are still learning how to play together, but O’Neal already has been impressed with one of James’ traits: His sense of humor.
“Usually I’m the guy making everyone laugh, but he’s making me laugh,” O’Neal said. “He’s a humble guy, a funny guy. He deserves all the accolades he gets. I’m looking forward to making him better.”
source: yahoo sports
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West showed up for practice today at the team's facility after missing Tuesday's and Wednesday's workouts as an unexcused absence.
West did not talk to reporters today. Coach Mike Brown said that West took part in the entire practice without restrictions. "It was great to have him back on the floor," Brown said.
General manager Danny Ferry is expected to address the situation with reporters on Saturday at the annual Wine and Gold Scrimmage at the University of Akron.
It been a rough stretch for West.
He was arrested last month and charged with carrying concealed weapons after being stopped near his home in Washington, D.C.
At media day on Monday, he told reporters he was back in a good routine, that included taking his medications. He said he was focusing on basketball.
But when practice started Tuesday, he missed both sessions and two more on Wednesday. The Cavs have called his absences unexcused, as opposed to last training camp when West was excused to seek treatment for what he called a mood disorder. He later said he was bipolar.
After practice today, Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal said it was good to have West back. "He's a vital part of this team," O'Neal said.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- During the summer months following their loss in the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavaliers spent their time focusing on a clear obstacle.
Now there is another hurdle, the Delonte West situation, though it's a bit more complex. But more on that in a moment.
First, remember back to last season. Including the playoffs, the Cavs put together a record of 76-20. It was impressive indeed -- they entered the postseason with the No. 1 overall seed and were favored by most to win their series with the Orlando Magic. But that wasn't the truth, they were not the best team in the league and they were not the best team in the East, a fact that wasn't proved just by a 103-90 Game 6 loss in Orlando.
Of those 20 losses in 96 games, six of them came at the hands of the Magic in nine tries. The Cavs also lost both meetings to the Lakers, the only team in the NBA they didn't beat. That's eight losses in 11 games against the two teams that reached the Finals.
Against the other 27 teams the Cavs were complete gangbusters, racking up blowouts and actually sniffing the 1995-96 Bulls in a couple of categories. Yet even with LeBron James' MVP season, Mo Williams' first All-Star appearance and one of the most dominating home-court advantages (39-2) in history, the Cavs were plainly no better than the third-best team in the league.
So there seemed to be a striking clarity to what they needed to do, or at least attempt to do. It was magnified by the simple fact that the 2009-10 season is without argument the most important season in team history thanks to LeBron's soon-ending contract.
This was the easy part. They were too small and too thin on the interior and they lacked tall, athletic wing defenders. They couldn't handle Dwight Howard and they couldn't guard all the Magic's tall scorers. When Pau Gasol was on the floor with Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom, the Cavs couldn't get enough height in the game to deal with it.
So they traded for Shaquille O'Neal and signed Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Leon Powe. In order that's: an ultimate big man, one of the few in the world who can actually still cause Howard or Gasol or Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett to lose a little sleep the night before a game; two veteran, long and athletic wing players; and a versatile reclamation-project forward who already has a championship ring.
"It is an exciting time for me," James said this week. "Everybody wishes they could play alongside a Hall of Famer and I'm getting that opportunity. We brought in two NBA champions with Shaq and Leon; this is the best team I've been a part of since I've been here."
There are uncertainties -- O'Neal's health and his ability to mesh with James perhaps being the biggest -- but most agree that the retrofitted Cavs could work. But there is another variable they must concern themselves with and it is a challenge with which no other team can quite compare.
James and O'Neal both carry tremendous star power and interest and both are in the final year of their contracts. All leading up to the biggest free-agent bonanza period in league history, no less. It is a recipe for nonstop distraction, which could end up being a thorn in this vital season for the Cavs.
It is well known that James passed on signing an extension to leave his options open. Now, every time the Cavs come into one of the major markets with a home team owning big cap space for next summer -- count three games in New York/New Jersey, two stops in L.A. and two stops in Miami at the top of the list -- there will be endless questions and media tricks. If last season was any indication, James will willingly buy in and flirt at each stop to maximize the exposure.
Then there's O'Neal, who wants a two-year contract extension and wasn't afraid to mention it after being traded. Only the Cavs aren't ready to give him one. In other words, the exact opposite of James' situation.
So when the Cavs' national tour gets cranking, O'Neal will be asked about it, too. In addition to being quizzed about how he's meshing with James and the coaching staff. His track record says he's not afraid to say anything at any time, team chemistry aside.
It won't even matter what O'Neal and James say for the record, the speculation will run its normal course. If the Cavs struggle at all, it will only increase.
Then there's Delonte West. After becoming a story last season when he had a career year after publicly revealing a battle with mood disorders, West is off to a rocky start. He was arrested two weeks ago with three loaded guns on a Maryland highway. Then after coming to Cleveland and announcing he was back on his medicine, West blew off the first four practices without an accepted excuse. Even if the team cleans up this situation, his trial on the gun charges is in late November and he faces a possible suspension from the league at that time. More distraction.
The New York papers and some national media outlets are already focusing on James nearly daily, evaluating not how the current Knicks are getting ready for this season but how they might look with James next season. Just imagine if the Cavs have a three- or four-game losing streak during the season or if the Knicks have a long winning streak. If the Cavs are showing any signs of bowing in February, count on there being speculation that the Cavs should consider trading one or both.
So it is no wonder that Cavs coach Mike Brown is already hammering home a new mantra in training camp, something he feels may be nearly as important as making sure O'Neal and James stay healthy and create good chemistry.
"We have to have a bunker mentality, that is something we're stressing from day one," Brown said. "There's going to be a lot of distractions for us out there during the course of the year."
At the start, it seems O'Neal and James are trying to buy into that. It seems they have formed a pact. No contract talk, no brash predictions and, so far, no helping the hype machine.
"Next summer is next summer," James said. "When it's time to deal with it, I'll deal with it."
Said Shaq: "I won't mention my situation, I won't mention his situation, I'll just come play. My mother told me not to say anything about it because I've been the luckiest athlete in the world. I've had three great deals in one career so if I can get one more, good. If not, I'll try something else."
O'Neal is sounding more deferential than at any time during his career, openly ceding control to James. This may already have been obvious; James is 13 years younger and starting his prime. But just in case anyone got any ideas there may be issues on sharing the ball or the limelight, O'Neal tried to put them to rest.
"I'm 37 years old. It isn't my time anymore. I had my time and I did what I did," O'Neal said. "I'm not one of those players that always thinks it is his time. It would not be advantageous for me to take 30 shots a game when you have a guy like [LeBron]. To get him the ball and let him do what he does and when he drops it off to me I'll do my job."
It all sounds well and good but the proof comes over the next eight months. Not just in the benign preseason moments, but when the heat, both the actual and the perceived, starts flowing from opponents on the court and off it.
Or as Williams said during Monday's kickoff of training camp: "It's day one of the madness."
Brian Windhorst covers the Cavaliers for The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Source:
By Brian Windhorst
Special to ESPN.com
LeBron James may be the best player in the NBA (and there are arguments for him being the game's best of all time), but he hasn't yet tested his skills on the microphone like some other basketball stars. Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Chris Webber and Kobe Bryant have all dipped their toes into the rap game with varying degrees of success, but perhaps the most successful (and ubiquitous) baller-turned-MC is Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq has put out several hit records and dropped a couple of popular singles (especially during the beginning of his career), and he happens to be James' newest teammate on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs got to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Orlando Magic last season, but maybe Shaq is the missing piece of the puzzle.
James may not have any experience as a rapper, but he certainly knows his way around the hip-hop game. (You need only look at the soundtrack to his new movie "More Than a Game," which features appearances from T.I., Jay-Z, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, for proof.) So he knows a thing or two about quality rapping. But how would James rank his newest teammate as an MC?
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