LeBron James reportedly joined an NBA All-Star lineup of talent Thursday that will not play for the United States at the Rio Olympics, while Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant will try to bring the Americans a third consecutive gold medal. 
 
A flurry of reports ahead of next week&#39;s announcement of the final US roster for Brazil was topped when Cleveland.com said James has told USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski that he will not play in August. 
 
&quot;I could use the rest,&quot; James told the website. 
 
James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the greatest-ever NBA Finals comeback to dethrone the Golden State Warriors, cited the grind of having logged so much court time through six consecutive trips to the finals. 
 
NBA Most Valuable Player and scoring leader Stephen Curry of Golden State said during the finals that he would not play in Rio. 
 
Star guards Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and James Harden of Houston also have backed out of consideration, as have San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Washington forward John Wall, Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis of New Orleans. 
 
Joining that group Thursday were Portland&#39;s Damian Lillard, who wants to rehabilitate a plantar fascitis injury; Utah forward Gordon Hayward and San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard. 
 
The pullout brings back memories of 2004, when security worries were a concern in the Athens run-up and many top names withdrew. Those who played could only muster bronze. 
 
The roster to be named next week by USA Basketball is expected to include Oklahoma City star Durant and New York playmaker Anthony plus Indiana&#39;s Paul George, Golden State&#39;s Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, Sacramento&#39;s DeMarcus Cousins, Chicagos Jimmy Butler, the Clippers&#39; DeAndre Jordan, and Toronto&#39;s Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Two other available spots could include Cleveland star guard Kyrie Irving, who played a key role alongside James in bringing the first sports title to Cleveland since 1964. 
 
A source told the website a desire to rest his body from the title run to better prepare his bid to defend the crown was his only reason for not playing in Rio, the Zika virus not playing a role in his decision. 
 
James, 31, sparked the US squad of NBA stars to gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. He is the US team&#39;s all-time scoring leader with 273 points and second in total rebounds with 95. 
 
He was also a reserve on the 2004 US team that settled for bronze at Athens and on the US team that finished third at the 2010 world championships in Japan. 
 
&quot;King&quot; James is one of three men to play on three Olympic basketball teams and in 2012, he became one of the select few to win an NBA crown and Olympic gold in the same year. 
 
(AFP)

Cleveland.com said James has told USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski that he will not play in August

LeBron James reportedly joined an NBA All-Star lineup of talent Thursday that will not play for the United States at the Rio Olympics, while Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant will try to bring the Americans a third consecutive gold medal. A flurry of reports ahead of next week's announcement of the final US roster for Brazil was topped when Cleveland.com said James has told USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski that he will not play in August. "I could use the rest," James told the website. James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the greatest-ever NBA Finals comeback to dethrone the Golden State Warriors, cited the grind of having logged so much court time through six consecutive trips to the finals. NBA Most Valuable Player and scoring leader Stephen Curry of Golden State said during the finals that he would not play in Rio. Star guards Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and James Harden of Houston also have backed out of consideration, as have San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Washington forward John Wall, Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis of New Orleans. Joining that group Thursday were Portland's Damian Lillard, who wants to rehabilitate a plantar fascitis injury; Utah forward Gordon Hayward and San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard. The pullout brings back memories of 2004, when security worries were a concern in the Athens run-up and many top names withdrew. Those who played could only muster bronze. The roster to be named next week by USA Basketball is expected to include Oklahoma City star Durant and New York playmaker Anthony plus Indiana's Paul George, Golden State's Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins, Chicagos Jimmy Butler, the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan, and Toronto's Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Two other available spots could include Cleveland star guard Kyrie Irving, who played a key role alongside James in bringing the first sports title to Cleveland since 1964. A source told the website a desire to rest his body from the title run to better prepare his bid to defend the crown was his only reason for not playing in Rio, the Zika virus not playing a role in his decision. James, 31, sparked the US squad of NBA stars to gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. He is the US team's all-time scoring leader with 273 points and second in total rebounds with 95. He was also a reserve on the 2004 US team that settled for bronze at Athens and on the US team that finished third at the 2010 world championships in Japan. "King" James is one of three men to play on three Olympic basketball teams and in 2012, he became one of the select few to win an NBA crown and Olympic gold in the same year. (AFP)

LeBron out, Carmelo in for US team at Rio Olympics

LeBron James ensured his place among the NBA&#39;s all-time legends by leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history and has made a solid case for being considered the greatest player ever. 
 
The 31-year-old forward scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and passed out 11 assists to power Cleveland&#39;s 93-89 victory over defending champions Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals. 
 
With size, strength and speed that enable him to muscle his way to the hoop and finesse as a passer to make teammates a threat from anywhere on the court, James has made himself the dominant player of his era, reaching the NBA Finals six years in a row. 
 
Michael Jordan pushed the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s with remarkable athletic skill and determination, setting the &quot;best ever&quot; standard for many fans over such icons as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 
 
Boston Celtics 1960s big man Bill Russell won a record 11 NBA titles in an era of domination no team is likely to repeat, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O&#39;Neal both excelled but often with help, sometimes from each other. 
 
But James unleashed a magical comeback in the past week unseen in the NBA&#39;s 70-year history. 
 
No team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the best-of-seven NBA Finals until he lifted the Cavaliers to deliver the NBA&#39;s greatest shocker, ending his city&#39;s 52-year wait for a major sports title. 
 
In the process, James matched Johnson, O&#39;Neal and Tim Duncan as three-time NBA Finals&#39; most valuable players.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;You put everything into the game. The game always gives back to people that are true to the game,&quot; James said. &quot;I know the history of the game and I was just confident and calm.&quot; 
 
The Cavaliers ousted an ultimate foe that won a record 73 regular-season games and boasted the NBA&#39;s current top scorer and two-time most valuable player in Stephen Curry. 
 
James was an unprecedented leader in every major finals statistical area, averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocked shots a game. James flagged off jubilations that continued on Monday when he and the team landed at the Cleveland airport, displaying the championship trophy to more than 20,000 wellwishers. The party is set to continue Wednesday with a victory parade. 
 
Overwhelmed by emotion in the moments after the title was decided revived memories of Jordan&#39;s tearful finish at the 1996 final. Both came on Father`s Day and for Jordan it was the first title since his father&#39;s death in 1993. 
 
Comparisons with Jordan are apt as he and James may be the central players in the &quot;greatest ever&quot; argument for their versatility and success. Both made spectacular dunks and stunning shots in their younger days before learning to trust teammates as they got older, spreading the ball among talented role players to make their teams even more dangerous. 
 
While James was only seconds away from becoming the first NBA most valuable player to lose five finals, he instead improved to 3-4 in the championship series, having gone 2-2 during four seasons with the Miami Heat. James had the last laugh at naysayers who nagged him all along his quest, posting an Instagram statement Monday beside a photo of him holding the trophy. 
 
&quot;They said u lost a step, wasn&#39;t explosive as once was, the best days was in the rear view, questioned your drive, your leadership, your commitment, you don&#39;t have killer instinct, going back home is the worst mistake in your career, he got the coach fired, players traded, won&#39;t work between him and Kyrie (Irving), Him and Kev (Kevin Love) won&#39;t work, love your teammates to much, there&#39;s no way he can deliver a championship in his hometown, etc etc etc.. But guess what THATS NONE OF MY BUSINESS Hahahaha!!! Yes sir,&quot; he posted. 
 
(AFP)

After leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in the greatest comeback ever in the NBA Finals, he has made the case

LeBron James ensured his place among the NBA's all-time legends by leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history and has made a solid case for being considered the greatest player ever. The 31-year-old forward scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and passed out 11 assists to power Cleveland's 93-89 victory over defending champions Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals. With size, strength and speed that enable him to muscle his way to the hoop and finesse as a passer to make teammates a threat from anywhere on the court, James has made himself the dominant player of his era, reaching the NBA Finals six years in a row. Michael Jordan pushed the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s with remarkable athletic skill and determination, setting the "best ever" standard for many fans over such icons as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Boston Celtics 1960s big man Bill Russell won a record 11 NBA titles in an era of domination no team is likely to repeat, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal both excelled but often with help, sometimes from each other. But James unleashed a magical comeback in the past week unseen in the NBA's 70-year history. No team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the best-of-seven NBA Finals until he lifted the Cavaliers to deliver the NBA's greatest shocker, ending his city's 52-year wait for a major sports title. In the process, James matched Johnson, O'Neal and Tim Duncan as three-time NBA Finals' most valuable players. "You put everything into the game. The game always gives back to people that are true to the game," James said. "I know the history of the game and I was just confident and calm." The Cavaliers ousted an ultimate foe that won a record 73 regular-season games and boasted the NBA's current top scorer and two-time most valuable player in Stephen Curry. James was an unprecedented leader in every major finals statistical area, averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocked shots a game. James flagged off jubilations that continued on Monday when he and the team landed at the Cleveland airport, displaying the championship trophy to more than 20,000 wellwishers. The party is set to continue Wednesday with a victory parade. Overwhelmed by emotion in the moments after the title was decided revived memories of Jordan's tearful finish at the 1996 final. Both came on Father`s Day and for Jordan it was the first title since his father's death in 1993. Comparisons with Jordan are apt as he and James may be the central players in the "greatest ever" argument for their versatility and success. Both made spectacular dunks and stunning shots in their younger days before learning to trust teammates as they got older, spreading the ball among talented role players to make their teams even more dangerous. While James was only seconds away from becoming the first NBA most valuable player to lose five finals, he instead improved to 3-4 in the championship series, having gone 2-2 during four seasons with the Miami Heat. James had the last laugh at naysayers who nagged him all along his quest, posting an Instagram statement Monday beside a photo of him holding the trophy. "They said u lost a step, wasn't explosive as once was, the best days was in the rear view, questioned your drive, your leadership, your commitment, you don't have killer instinct, going back home is the worst mistake in your career, he got the coach fired, players traded, won't work between him and Kyrie (Irving), Him and Kev (Kevin Love) won't work, love your teammates to much, there's no way he can deliver a championship in his hometown, etc etc etc.. But guess what THATS NONE OF MY BUSINESS Hahahaha!!! Yes sir," he posted. (AFP)

LeBron: The best ever?

LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 93-89 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in an electrifying Game Seven to complete an improbable comeback unlike any seen before. As a result, the Cavs picked up their first NBA championship. 
 
With the win over the top-seeded Warriors, who celebrated a championship win on Cleveland&#39;s home court last year, the Cavaliers became the first team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit in the best-of-seven NBA Finals and win the title. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve had the goal for two years since I came back to bring a championship to the city,&quot; said an emotional James, who returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 after a four-year stint with Miami that included a pair of NBA championships. &quot;I gave it everything that I had. I poured my heart, my blood, my sweat and my tears into this game.&quot; 
 
When the final buzzer sounded to end what was the closest game of the Finals, an emotional James dropped to the floor before he was mobbed by his teammates. 
 
James led Cleveland in the championship-clinching win with a triple-double as he recorded 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists en route to being named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals for a third time. 
 
The win ends decades of heartbreak for the city of Cleveland, which had not won a professional sports championship since the 1964 Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. 
 
For James, the win not only marks his third NBA title, but it will go down as the single greatest achievement of his storied career as it fulfills his promise to deliver a title to his home state of Ohio. 
 
&quot;I came back for a reason. I came back to bring a championship to our city,&quot; said James, who was in tears as he wrapped his arms around the Larry O&#39;Brien Championship Trophy. &quot;I knew what I was capable of doing. I knew what I learned in the last couple years that I was gone, and I knew I had the right ingredients and the right blueprint to help this franchise get back to a place that we&#39;ve never been.&quot; 
 
The back-and-forth game lived up to its billing staying tight throughout. It included 20 lead changes while no team was able to pull ahead by more than eight points. 
 
Facing elimination in each of their previous two games, James carried the Cavs back from the brink as they became only the third team to force a Game Seven after falling behind 3-1 in the championship round. 
 
For the Warriors, who had a record 73 wins during the 82-game regular season, Sunday&#39;s defeat marked the first time since November 2013 that they have lost three consecutive games. 
 
&quot;It wasn&#39;t easy what we accomplished, and it&#39;s not an easy pill to swallow what we didn&#39;t accomplish,&quot; said two-time league MVP Stephen Curry, who had 17 points in the loss. &quot;So got to just take the good with the bad.&quot; 
 
After a record smashing regular season the Warriors could not cap off the campaign with a second successive title, unable to deliver the knockout punch after going up 3-1 in the best-of-season series. 
 
The Warriors were ultimately undone by the disappearance of their high-octane offense, a suspension to defensive stalwart Draymond Green, a season-ending injury to rim-protecting center Andrew Bogut and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala dealing with a balky back. 
 
&quot;Just an incredible run that obviously didn&#39;t end the way we wanted it to,&quot; said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. &quot;It&#39;s been an incredible two-year run. We&#39;re disappointed that it didn&#39;t go our way at the end, but that&#39;s life.&quot; 
 
When the Warriors raced out to a 3-1 series lead the Cavs were left for dead by many impartial observers who expected the Golden State to run away with the series. 
 
But with their backs against the wall, a Cavaliers team that once seem overmatched never gave up in their quest for a maiden NBA title. 
 
&quot;I knew what we were capable of, even being down 3-1 versus the greatest regular season team ever,&quot; said James. &quot;Everybody counted us out and that&#39;s when we strived the most and that&#39;s definitely when I strived the most when everybody counted me out.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

His 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists make him Most Valuable Player of the finals

LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 93-89 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in an electrifying Game Seven to complete an improbable comeback unlike any seen before. As a result, the Cavs picked up their first NBA championship. With the win over the top-seeded Warriors, who celebrated a championship win on Cleveland's home court last year, the Cavaliers became the first team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit in the best-of-seven NBA Finals and win the title. "I've had the goal for two years since I came back to bring a championship to the city," said an emotional James, who returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 after a four-year stint with Miami that included a pair of NBA championships. "I gave it everything that I had. I poured my heart, my blood, my sweat and my tears into this game." When the final buzzer sounded to end what was the closest game of the Finals, an emotional James dropped to the floor before he was mobbed by his teammates. James led Cleveland in the championship-clinching win with a triple-double as he recorded 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists en route to being named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals for a third time. The win ends decades of heartbreak for the city of Cleveland, which had not won a professional sports championship since the 1964 Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. For James, the win not only marks his third NBA title, but it will go down as the single greatest achievement of his storied career as it fulfills his promise to deliver a title to his home state of Ohio. "I came back for a reason. I came back to bring a championship to our city," said James, who was in tears as he wrapped his arms around the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. "I knew what I was capable of doing. I knew what I learned in the last couple years that I was gone, and I knew I had the right ingredients and the right blueprint to help this franchise get back to a place that we've never been." The back-and-forth game lived up to its billing staying tight throughout. It included 20 lead changes while no team was able to pull ahead by more than eight points. Facing elimination in each of their previous two games, James carried the Cavs back from the brink as they became only the third team to force a Game Seven after falling behind 3-1 in the championship round. For the Warriors, who had a record 73 wins during the 82-game regular season, Sunday's defeat marked the first time since November 2013 that they have lost three consecutive games. "It wasn't easy what we accomplished, and it's not an easy pill to swallow what we didn't accomplish," said two-time league MVP Stephen Curry, who had 17 points in the loss. "So got to just take the good with the bad." After a record smashing regular season the Warriors could not cap off the campaign with a second successive title, unable to deliver the knockout punch after going up 3-1 in the best-of-season series. The Warriors were ultimately undone by the disappearance of their high-octane offense, a suspension to defensive stalwart Draymond Green, a season-ending injury to rim-protecting center Andrew Bogut and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala dealing with a balky back. "Just an incredible run that obviously didn't end the way we wanted it to," said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. "It's been an incredible two-year run. We're disappointed that it didn't go our way at the end, but that's life." When the Warriors raced out to a 3-1 series lead the Cavs were left for dead by many impartial observers who expected the Golden State to run away with the series. But with their backs against the wall, a Cavaliers team that once seem overmatched never gave up in their quest for a maiden NBA title. "I knew what we were capable of, even being down 3-1 versus the greatest regular season team ever," said James. "Everybody counted us out and that's when we strived the most and that's definitely when I strived the most when everybody counted me out." (Reuters)

LeBron delivers on promise, leads Cleveland Cavaliers to NBA title

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