The NBA has left no stone unturned to pay tribute to former NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant who were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26. The crash took place when they were en route to a basketball match in Thousands Oak, in which Bryant's daughter was expected to play. Former Lakers legend was expected to coach the team.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-legend-kobe-bryant-and-his-daughter-gianna-among-9-killed-in-a-chopper-crash-in-california-276748">NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, among 9 killed in a chopper crash in California</a>

NBA's All-Star game has planned another tribute to the Lakers legend. The match will be played between Team Giannis and Team LeBron. Giannis will don jersey no. 24 to pay their homage to Kobe Bryant, whereas LeBron's team will wear jersey no. 2 to commemorate Gianna Bryant. He said they were given an option between these two jersey numbers and he picked Gianna's jersey number.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🎥 LeBron James talks about why he chose the No. 2 jersey for the All-Star game and how the team can move forward. <a href="https://t.co/V83Toecdkg">pic.twitter.com/V83Toecdkg</a>
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1224478599631126528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

When LeBron James was asked why did he decide to have his team wear Gianna's jersey, he replied "Zhuri".&nbsp;

James is a 'girl dad' just like Bryant. He has a daughter named Zhuri, she is LeBron's only child.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"Tonight we celebrate the kid that came here at 18, retired at 38 and became probably the best dad we've seen over the last three years.” <a href="https://t.co/0sS7e91cuz">pic.twitter.com/0sS7e91cuz</a>
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1223456959766024192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

LeBron was in tears hen he got to know about the crash, he had an emotional speech during the Lakers and Clipper match which got postponed due to the tragic event. He got a tattoo done to pay tribute to Bryant.&nbsp;

Kobe Bryant has always been vocal about his daughters and how fun it was for him to raise them. He called himself "girl dad".&nbsp;

LeBron recently surpassed Kobe Bryant in the list of All-Time points scorers in NBA history. He currently stands third.&nbsp;

The match will take place on February 17, 6:30 AM (IST).&nbsp;

The NBA has left no stone unturned to pay tribute to former NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant who were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26.

The NBA has left no stone unturned to pay tribute to former NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant who were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26. The crash took place when they were en route to a basketball match in Thousands Oak, in which Bryant's daughter was expected to play. Former Lakers legend was expected to coach the team. Also read: NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, among 9 killed in a chopper crash in California NBA's All-Star game has planned another tribute to the Lakers legend. The match will be played between Team Giannis and Team LeBron. Giannis will don jersey no. 24 to pay their homage to Kobe Bryant, whereas LeBron's team will wear jersey no. 2 to commemorate Gianna Bryant. He said they were given an option between these two jersey numbers and he picked Gianna's jersey number. 🎥 LeBron James talks about why he chose the No. 2 jersey for the All-Star game and how the team can move forward. pic.twitter.com/V83Toecdkg — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 3, 2020 × When LeBron James was asked why did he decide to have his team wear Gianna's jersey, he replied "Zhuri". James is a 'girl dad' just like Bryant. He has a daughter named Zhuri, she is LeBron's only child. "Tonight we celebrate the kid that came here at 18, retired at 38 and became probably the best dad we've seen over the last three years.” pic.twitter.com/0sS7e91cuz — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 1, 2020 × LeBron was in tears hen he got to know about the crash, he had an emotional speech during the Lakers and Clipper match which got postponed due to the tragic event. He got a tattoo done to pay tribute to Bryant. Kobe Bryant has always been vocal about his daughters and how fun it was for him to raise them. He called himself "girl dad". LeBron recently surpassed Kobe Bryant in the list of All-Time points scorers in NBA history. He currently stands third. The match will take place on February 17, 6:30 AM (IST).

'Girl dad' LeBron James to don Gianna's jersey number in the All-Star game

Boston Celtics hand LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers their biggest defeat in their NBA season history.&nbsp;

Lakers were beaten 139-107 by Bostons. Boston managed to end their losing streak despite Anthony Davis returning.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Jayson Tatum (27 PTS, 5 3PM) &amp; Kemba Walker (20 PTS, 7 AST) steer the <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> past LAL at TD Garden. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Celtics</a> 
 
Jaylen Brown: 20 PTS, 6 AST 
Enes Kanter: 18 PTS, 11 REB 
Gordon Hayward: 16 PTS, 6 REB <a href="https://t.co/Lp6fmEdhbW">pic.twitter.com/Lp6fmEdhbW</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1219456262724890625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Celtic's Jayson Tatum scored the most for Celtics (27 points), followed by Kemba Walker who scored 20 points. Enes Kanter was third with 18 points. 11 rebounds came off the bench.&nbsp;

The Celtics had lost six of their past eight games, they had lost the last three consecutive matches before facing LA Lakers.&nbsp;

LeBron James was great with his passing game, he got 18 assists. But he was latent as a shooter as the 35-year-old just attempted 12 shots in three quarters. He just scored 15 points for Lakers.&nbsp;

Jayson Tatum was in-form with his offensive gameplay. He scored 27 points with just 18 shots. Out of his 8 attempts for the 3 pointers, 5 of them were successful.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Kemba Walker &amp; Jaylen Brown drop 20 PTS apiece in the <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> victory against LAL at home! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Celtics</a> <a href="https://t.co/vb0IjvZbF5">pic.twitter.com/vb0IjvZbF5</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1219460836328120320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Lakers star Anthony Davis came back from bruised tailbone injury. Davis missed the last five games for Lakers.&nbsp;

It looked like LeBron James had different plans for the game. He started off with his passing game, he at the moment leads in assists tally in NBA with 10.9 assists per game.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Bigs helping Bigs 💪💪 <a href="https://t.co/QzyZUQo2yH">pic.twitter.com/QzyZUQo2yH</a>
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1219431627299770368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

He is right now 66 points away from Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant for third place in the NBA's all-time scoring list.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
J.B. finishes strong with two hands in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PhantomCam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PhantomCam</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Celtics</a> <a href="https://t.co/DIYyx9rs1x">pic.twitter.com/DIYyx9rs1x</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1219453763087413249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Kemba Walker finally breaks his forgettable streak versus LeBron James. Walker never won a game against LeBron's team. He tried it 28 times. He finally was victorious after crucially scoring 20 points, 7 assists, and four rebounds. 
&nbsp;

Boston Celtics hand LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers their biggest defeat in their NBA season history. Lakers were beaten 139-107 by Bostons. Boston managed to end their losing streak despite Anthony Davis returning.

Boston Celtics hand LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers their biggest defeat in their NBA season history. Lakers were beaten 139-107 by Bostons. Boston managed to end their losing streak despite Anthony Davis returning. Jayson Tatum (27 PTS, 5 3PM) & Kemba Walker (20 PTS, 7 AST) steer the @celtics past LAL at TD Garden. #Celtics Jaylen Brown: 20 PTS, 6 AST Enes Kanter: 18 PTS, 11 REB Gordon Hayward: 16 PTS, 6 REB pic.twitter.com/Lp6fmEdhbW — NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2020 × Celtic's Jayson Tatum scored the most for Celtics (27 points), followed by Kemba Walker who scored 20 points. Enes Kanter was third with 18 points. 11 rebounds came off the bench. The Celtics had lost six of their past eight games, they had lost the last three consecutive matches before facing LA Lakers. LeBron James was great with his passing game, he got 18 assists. But he was latent as a shooter as the 35-year-old just attempted 12 shots in three quarters. He just scored 15 points for Lakers. Jayson Tatum was in-form with his offensive gameplay. He scored 27 points with just 18 shots. Out of his 8 attempts for the 3 pointers, 5 of them were successful. Kemba Walker & Jaylen Brown drop 20 PTS apiece in the @celtics victory against LAL at home! #Celtics pic.twitter.com/vb0IjvZbF5 — NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2020 × Lakers star Anthony Davis came back from bruised tailbone injury. Davis missed the last five games for Lakers. It looked like LeBron James had different plans for the game. He started off with his passing game, he at the moment leads in assists tally in NBA with 10.9 assists per game. Bigs helping Bigs 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/QzyZUQo2yH — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 21, 2020 × He is right now 66 points away from Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant for third place in the NBA's all-time scoring list. J.B. finishes strong with two hands in #PhantomCam! #Celtics pic.twitter.com/DIYyx9rs1x — NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2020 × Kemba Walker finally breaks his forgettable streak versus LeBron James. Walker never won a game against LeBron's team. He tried it 28 times. He finally was victorious after crucially scoring 20 points, 7 assists, and four rebounds.

NBA: Celtic Boston run-riot against Los Angeles Lakers, hand them worst defeat ever

Former&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/sports-has-emerged-as-battlefield-for-freedom-of-expression-270322">National Basketball Association</a>&nbsp;Commissioner&nbsp;David&nbsp;Stern, who oversaw explosive growth in the popularity of the game during his 30-year tenure, died on Wednesday at the age of&nbsp;77, the&nbsp;league&nbsp;said.

Stern, the NBA's longest-serving&nbsp;commissioner&nbsp;before being succeeded by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/punishment-awaits-national-basketball-associations-commissioner-for-defaming-china-state-media-257121">Adam Silver</a> on February 1, 2014, had been in serious condition after emergency surgery on December&nbsp;12 in New York following a sudden brain haemorrhage.

"Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David’s vision, generosity and inspiration," Silver, who worked with&nbsp;Stern&nbsp;for 22 years, said in a statement.

"Because of David, the NBA is a truly&nbsp;global&nbsp;brand."

Under&nbsp;Stern, the NBA experienced extraordinary growth, with seven new franchises, including expansion to Canada in 1995,&nbsp;a more than 30-fold increase in revenue, a dramatic gain in national TV exposure and the launch of the Women's National Basketball Association and NBA Development&nbsp;League.

He also had a role in many other initiatives that helped shape the&nbsp;league, including a drug policy, salary-cap system and dress code.

"Without David&nbsp;Stern, the NBA would not be what it is today,"&nbsp;former&nbsp;Chicago Bulls superstar and current Charlotte Hornets owner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/peles-last-number-10-brazil-jersey-sold-for-30000-euros-in-italy-266670">Michael Jordan</a> said in a statement.&nbsp;

"He guided the&nbsp;league&nbsp;through turbulent times and grew the&nbsp;league&nbsp;into an international phenomenon."

National Football&nbsp;League&nbsp;Commissioner&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/alex-rodriguez-jokes-about-considering-jennifer-lopez-as-boss-of-house-260716">Roger Goodell</a> remembered&nbsp;Stern&nbsp;as "a driving force in sports for decades."

Stern's greatest accomplishment as&nbsp;commissioner&nbsp;is widely considered to be the way he transformed the NBA, once largely an unknown commodity outside the United States, into a&nbsp;globally televised powerhouse.

Under&nbsp;Stern's leadership, the&nbsp;league&nbsp;opened 13&nbsp;global&nbsp;NBA offices and became in 1990 the first US&nbsp;professional sports&nbsp;league&nbsp;to stage a regular-season game outside North America, when the Phoenix Suns played the Utah Jazz in Japan.

"David&nbsp;Stern&nbsp;was the most important non-player/non-coach who ever passed through the NBA and it’s not really close," Bill Simmons, broadcaster and author of "The Book of Basketball: The NBA," said on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
David Stern was the most important non-player/non-coach who ever passed through the NBA and it’s not really close. Out of everyone he probably loved the league the most. It’s a sad day. RiP.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/1212492269971918849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"David&nbsp;Stern&nbsp;earned and deserved inclusion in our land of giants," the National Basketball Players Association added in a statement.

Current Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James, a three-time NBA champion, praised&nbsp;Stern&nbsp;for changing the lives of so many young adults, and "more importantly your vision to make our game become worldwide, a vision only you could make happen."

Bill Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics long before&nbsp;Stern&nbsp;became&nbsp;commissioner, said in a tweet: "He changed so many lives. David was a great innovator and&nbsp;made&nbsp;the game we love what it is today. This is a horrible loss."

Another retired NBA star, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/adidas-promises-revival-after-sluggish-quarter-241513">Shaquille O'Neal</a>, called&nbsp;Stern: "The best&nbsp;commissioner&nbsp;to ever do it."

"We lost a legend," said Germany's Dirk Nowitzki, a 14-time all-star with the Dallas Mavericks.

Asked to name his most cherished courtside moment,&nbsp;Stern, in a 2014 interview with the New York Times, pointed to a photograph of him presenting Magic Johnson with the most valuable player trophy at the 1992 All-Star Game, months after Johnson retired from the Los Angeles Lakers on disclosing he had contracted the virus that causes AIDS.

The 1992 "Dream Team"&nbsp;the first US Olympic men's basketball squad to include active players from the NBA - was another special moment.

"This much-maligned group of players and sport, on the march to the gold medal stand, being feted like a combination of the Bolshoi, the Philharmonic and the Beatles,"&nbsp;Stern&nbsp;said.

Johnson remembered that journey on Wednesday: "When David allowed me to play in the 1992 All Star Game in Orlando and then play for the Olympic Dream Team, we were able to change the world," he said on Twitter.

Stern&nbsp;also presided over four NBA lockouts, including two that resulted in shortened seasons in 1998-99 and 2011.

Stern, who had remained affiliated with the NBA and held the title of&nbsp;commissioner&nbsp;emeritus, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.

Former National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern, who oversaw explosive growth in the popularity of the game during his 30-year tenure, died on Wednesday at the age of 77, the league said.

Former National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern, who oversaw explosive growth in the popularity of the game during his 30-year tenure, died on Wednesday at the age of 77, the league said. Stern, the NBA's longest-serving commissioner before being succeeded by Adam Silver on February 1, 2014, had been in serious condition after emergency surgery on December 12 in New York following a sudden brain haemorrhage. "Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of David’s vision, generosity and inspiration," Silver, who worked with Stern for 22 years, said in a statement. "Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand." Under Stern, the NBA experienced extraordinary growth, with seven new franchises, including expansion to Canada in 1995, a more than 30-fold increase in revenue, a dramatic gain in national TV exposure and the launch of the Women's National Basketball Association and NBA Development League. He also had a role in many other initiatives that helped shape the league, including a drug policy, salary-cap system and dress code. "Without David Stern, the NBA would not be what it is today," former Chicago Bulls superstar and current Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan said in a statement. "He guided the league through turbulent times and grew the league into an international phenomenon." National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell remembered Stern as "a driving force in sports for decades." Stern's greatest accomplishment as commissioner is widely considered to be the way he transformed the NBA, once largely an unknown commodity outside the United States, into a globally televised powerhouse. Under Stern's leadership, the league opened 13 global NBA offices and became in 1990 the first US professional sports league to stage a regular-season game outside North America, when the Phoenix Suns played the Utah Jazz in Japan. "David Stern was the most important non-player/non-coach who ever passed through the NBA and it’s not really close," Bill Simmons, broadcaster and author of "The Book of Basketball: The NBA," said on Twitter. David Stern was the most important non-player/non-coach who ever passed through the NBA and it’s not really close. Out of everyone he probably loved the league the most. It’s a sad day. RiP. — Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) January 1, 2020 × "David Stern earned and deserved inclusion in our land of giants," the National Basketball Players Association added in a statement. Current Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James, a three-time NBA champion, praised Stern for changing the lives of so many young adults, and "more importantly your vision to make our game become worldwide, a vision only you could make happen." Bill Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics long before Stern became commissioner, said in a tweet: "He changed so many lives. David was a great innovator and made the game we love what it is today. This is a horrible loss." Another retired NBA star, Shaquille O'Neal, called Stern: "The best commissioner to ever do it." "We lost a legend," said Germany's Dirk Nowitzki, a 14-time all-star with the Dallas Mavericks. Asked to name his most cherished courtside moment, Stern, in a 2014 interview with the New York Times, pointed to a photograph of him presenting Magic Johnson with the most valuable player trophy at the 1992 All-Star Game, months after Johnson retired from the Los Angeles Lakers on disclosing he had contracted the virus that causes AIDS. The 1992 "Dream Team" the first US Olympic men's basketball squad to include active players from the NBA - was another special moment. "This much-maligned group of players and sport, on the march to the gold medal stand, being feted like a combination of the Bolshoi, the Philharmonic and the Beatles," Stern said. Johnson remembered that journey on Wednesday: "When David allowed me to play in the 1992 All Star Game in Orlando and then play for the Olympic Dream Team, we were able to change the world," he said on Twitter. Stern also presided over four NBA lockouts, including two that resulted in shortened seasons in 1998-99 and 2011. Stern, who had remained affiliated with the NBA and held the title of commissioner emeritus, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.

Former NBA Commissioner David Stern dies at 77

High profile city rivals&nbsp; <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lakers-kyle-kuzma-ruled-out-for-nba-season-opener-257190">Los Angeles Lakers</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/camila-cabello-shawn-mendes-make-temperatures-soar-during-los-angeles-clippers-game-261971">Los Angeles Clippers</a> clashed on Christmas Day which was witnessed by several Hollywood stars.

However, an incident&nbsp;became&nbsp;the centrepiece of jokes on social media&nbsp;at Staples Centre, Los Angeles after&nbsp;Lakers' player Anthony Davis fell on the lap of actor and comedian, Kevin Hart.

Rather than getting up, Davis decided to remain seated on Hart's lap to pose for a photo, and probably to make his Christmas wish. The two were joined by Davis's teammate and NBA star, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/houston-rockets-gm-wasnt-educated-when-he-sent-hong-kong-tweet-lebron-james-256087">LeBron James</a>, who rushed to sit on Hart's lap to make his own wish.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Did AD want a selfie with Kevin Hart? 🤔😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LakeShow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LakeShow</a> <a href="https://t.co/DrgmKyK2Km">pic.twitter.com/DrgmKyK2Km</a>
— NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1210020889913225216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Hart has made known his liking for the game, having been seen on the telecast of several NBA games.

It led to several memes and&nbsp;jokes on social media.&nbsp;A&nbsp;joke on social media compared&nbsp;the situation to a scene from the 2003 movie 'Elf', where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/julia-louis-dreyfus-and-will-ferrell-starrer-downhill-to-release-on-valentines-day-2020-264706">Will Ferrel</a> plays 'Buddy', sitting on the lap of the much smaller 'Papa Elf'.

High profile city rivals Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers clashed on Christmas Day which was witnessed by several Hollywood stars. However, an incident became the centrepiece of jokes on social media at Staples Centre, Los Angeles after Lakers' player Anthony Davis fell on the lap of actor and comedian, Kevin Hart.

High profile city rivals Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers clashed on Christmas Day which was witnessed by several Hollywood stars. However, an incident became the centrepiece of jokes on social media at Staples Centre, Los Angeles after Lakers' player Anthony Davis fell on the lap of actor and comedian, Kevin Hart. Rather than getting up, Davis decided to remain seated on Hart's lap to pose for a photo, and probably to make his Christmas wish. The two were joined by Davis's teammate and NBA star, LeBron James, who rushed to sit on Hart's lap to make his own wish. Did AD want a selfie with Kevin Hart? 🤔😂#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/DrgmKyK2Km — NBA TV (@NBATV) December 26, 2019 × Hart has made known his liking for the game, having been seen on the telecast of several NBA games. It led to several memes and jokes on social media. A joke on social media compared the situation to a scene from the 2003 movie 'Elf', where Will Ferrel plays 'Buddy', sitting on the lap of the much smaller 'Papa Elf'.

NBA star Anthony Davis land's on Kevin Hart's lap as LeBron James joins in

The Los Angeles&nbsp;Lakers&nbsp;say Kyle&nbsp;Kuzma&nbsp;won't play when they open the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;season&nbsp;against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday as he continues to recover from a stress reaction in his left foot.

Kuzma, who averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last&nbsp;season&nbsp;for the&nbsp;Lakers, was hurt while he was with the United States team in the run-up to the World Championships in China.

He was cleared for non-contact practices after the&nbsp;Lakers&nbsp;returned from playing two&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;preseason&nbsp;games in China last week.

Lakers&nbsp;coach Frank Vogel said he wants to see&nbsp;Kuzma&nbsp;do more work before he takes the court in games to be sure he has no setbacks. A stress reaction is a painful condition that is a precursor to a stress fracture.

"We're going to try to increase his workload and activities this week and we'll see where we're at," said Vogel, who described the 24-year-old third-year forward as "probably our third-best player" behind superstar LeBron James and center Anthony Davis.

The Los Angeles Lakers say Kyle Kuzma won't play when they open the NBA season against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday as he continues to recover from a stress reaction in his left foot.

The Los Angeles Lakers say Kyle Kuzma won't play when they open the NBA season against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday as he continues to recover from a stress reaction in his left foot. Kuzma, who averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season for the Lakers, was hurt while he was with the United States team in the run-up to the World Championships in China. He was cleared for non-contact practices after the Lakers returned from playing two NBA preseason games in China last week. Lakers coach Frank Vogel said he wants to see Kuzma do more work before he takes the court in games to be sure he has no setbacks. A stress reaction is a painful condition that is a precursor to a stress fracture. "We're going to try to increase his workload and activities this week and we'll see where we're at," said Vogel, who described the 24-year-old third-year forward as "probably our third-best player" behind superstar LeBron James and center Anthony Davis.

Lakers' Kyle Kuzma ruled out for NBA season opener

China demanded that a Houston Rockets executive be sacked for supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, adding that the league's row with Beijing had "substantial" financial consequences.

Rockets general manager <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nba-rockets-executive-says-hong-kong-tweet-not-meant-to-offend-254149">Daryl Morey </a>ignited a firestorm earlier this month with a tweeted image captioned "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong."

It came right before the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets arrived in China for what proved to be a tense two-game exhibition tour, with broadcasters there <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-tv-drops-nba-exhibition-games-escalating-pressure-amid-tweet-uproar-254463">refusing to air the games</a>, public protests against Morey's comments and local sponsors cutting ties with the NBA.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hong-kong-protests-reach-a-tipping-point-256565">Hong Kong </a>has been rocked by months of demonstrations by citizens who accuse Beijing of chipping away at its freedoms, but China has portrayed the protesters as violent separatists and bristled at any foreign interference in the matter.

The backlash in China against Morey's comments has cast a cloud over the NBA's lucrative broadcasting, merchandising and sponsorship interests in the country, where it has legions of fans.

"We were being asked to fire him by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business," Silver said during a panel discussion in New York.

"We said there's no chance that's happening. There's no chance we'll even discipline him."

But the NBA chief said the dispute over Morey's actions had taken a big toll on the league's bottom line.

"I don't know where we go from here," Silver said. "The financial consequences have been and may continue to be fairly dramatic.

"The losses have already been substantial," he added. "Our games are not back on the air in China as we speak, and we'll see what happens next."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/despite-consequences-nba-boss-defends-values-in-china-row-254649">Silver hit back </a>at criticism of the NBA's early statements on the crisis, which many saw as overly deferential to Beijing.

"We were saying we regretted upsetting our fans (but) also at the same time supporting Daryl Morey's right to express himself, right to tweet... Maybe I was trying too hard to be a diplomat.

"There was no regret directed to the government (but instead) to our fans, hundreds of millions of them in China."

Beijing's response to Morey's comments sparked US accusations that Beijing was using access to its vast market as leverage to dictate speech in other countries.

Basketball superstar LeBron James, who traveled to China with the Lakers for the exhibition games, this week said<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/houston-rockets-gm-wasnt-educated-when-he-sent-hong-kong-tweet-lebron-james-256087"> Morey "wasn't educated"</a> on the situation and suggested the Rockets executive should have kept his mouth shut.

But Silver said Thursday that the league had a responsibility to defend freedom of speech.

"The values of the NBA -- the American values, we are an American business -- travel with us wherever we go," he said. "And one of those values is free expression."

Since the row began, the NBA has also found itself under pressure from US politicians and media outlets who have urged the league not to buckle under Chinese criticism or even to withdraw from the Chinese market completely.

"I understand there's a point of view from some that we shouldn't be in business at all in China and I'd say from an intellectual standpoint that's fair," Silver said.

"But if people believe we shouldn't be engaged in commerce in China... I look to the American government."

"Many multi-national corporations trade extensively with China and if that's ultimately how our government feels we should be dealing with China, again, we're a US company."

But Silver feared that the NBA's 15-year effort to build cultural ties with China and expand the game's reach there had been undermined by the Morey dispute.

"I felt we had made enormous progress in terms of building cultural exchanges with the Chinese people," Silver said.

"I have regret that much of that was lost."

China demanded that a Houston Rockets executive be sacked for supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, adding that the league's row with Beijing had "substantial" financial consequences.

China demanded that a Houston Rockets executive be sacked for supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, adding that the league's row with Beijing had "substantial" financial consequences. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey ignited a firestorm earlier this month with a tweeted image captioned "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." It came right before the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets arrived in China for what proved to be a tense two-game exhibition tour, with broadcasters there refusing to air the games, public protests against Morey's comments and local sponsors cutting ties with the NBA. Hong Kong has been rocked by months of demonstrations by citizens who accuse Beijing of chipping away at its freedoms, but China has portrayed the protesters as violent separatists and bristled at any foreign interference in the matter. The backlash in China against Morey's comments has cast a cloud over the NBA's lucrative broadcasting, merchandising and sponsorship interests in the country, where it has legions of fans. "We were being asked to fire him by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business," Silver said during a panel discussion in New York. "We said there's no chance that's happening. There's no chance we'll even discipline him." But the NBA chief said the dispute over Morey's actions had taken a big toll on the league's bottom line. "I don't know where we go from here," Silver said. "The financial consequences have been and may continue to be fairly dramatic. "The losses have already been substantial," he added. "Our games are not back on the air in China as we speak, and we'll see what happens next." Silver hit back at criticism of the NBA's early statements on the crisis, which many saw as overly deferential to Beijing. "We were saying we regretted upsetting our fans (but) also at the same time supporting Daryl Morey's right to express himself, right to tweet... Maybe I was trying too hard to be a diplomat. "There was no regret directed to the government (but instead) to our fans, hundreds of millions of them in China." Beijing's response to Morey's comments sparked US accusations that Beijing was using access to its vast market as leverage to dictate speech in other countries. Basketball superstar LeBron James, who traveled to China with the Lakers for the exhibition games, this week said Morey "wasn't educated" on the situation and suggested the Rockets executive should have kept his mouth shut. But Silver said Thursday that the league had a responsibility to defend freedom of speech. "The values of the NBA -- the American values, we are an American business -- travel with us wherever we go," he said. "And one of those values is free expression." Since the row began, the NBA has also found itself under pressure from US politicians and media outlets who have urged the league not to buckle under Chinese criticism or even to withdraw from the Chinese market completely. "I understand there's a point of view from some that we shouldn't be in business at all in China and I'd say from an intellectual standpoint that's fair," Silver said. "But if people believe we shouldn't be engaged in commerce in China... I look to the American government." "Many multi-national corporations trade extensively with China and if that's ultimately how our government feels we should be dealing with China, again, we're a US company." But Silver feared that the NBA's 15-year effort to build cultural ties with China and expand the game's reach there had been undermined by the Morey dispute. "I felt we had made enormous progress in terms of building cultural exchanges with the Chinese people," Silver said. "I have regret that much of that was lost."

China asked NBA to fire Houston Rockets executive over Hong Kong tweet: Adam Silver

LeBron&nbsp;James weighed in on the controversy between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-organisers-cancel-nba-fan-event-amid-free-speech-row-254851">China and the NBA</a> on Monday, saying that Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey "wasn't educated" when he sent a tweet in support of protesters in Hong Kong this month.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nba-rockets-executive-says-hong-kong-tweet-not-meant-to-offend-254149">Morey's tweet </a>of support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong on October&nbsp;4 set off a firestorm, prompting Chinese sponsors and partners to cut ties with the league and the National Basketball Association (NBA) to answer difficult questions about free speech.

"We all talk about this freedom of speech. Yes, we all do have freedom of speech. But at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you're not thinking about others," James told reporters before the Lakers' pre season game against Golden State in California. "I don't want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl," he added. "But I believe he wasn't educated on the situation at hand and he spoke."

Not long after the media session, James took to Twitter to clarify his statements.

"Let me clear up the confusion. I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet," James tweeted. "I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that."

James' tweets and statement have set off their own firestorm, with basketball fans in the US&nbsp;and China sounding off.

On Twitter, many users responded to his statement with anger. "Weak," said one user. Others simply posted emoji of bags of money.

On the other side of China's Great Firewall, netizens weighed in to support James, whose statements were trending on Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter, and Douyin, a popular short video platform owned by Bytedance Ltd.

"My James is being attacked by Americans, Americans believe Morey should be supported, and James' words are basically opposing Morey," said one user on Weibo. "Sigh, I love you James, hope you can continue to be healthy and play ball!"

The Lakers played two exhibition games in China against the Brooklyn Nets last week, but the NBA canceled media availability for the teams during the trip.

A Rockets staff member also shut down a CNN reporter in Tokyo last week while trying to ask players a question about the controversy.

The league later apologized to the reporter in a statement. James is one of the few NBA representatives to speak openly about the contention.

"My team and this league just went through a difficult week," he tweeted on Monday. "I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it."

LeBron James weighed in on the controversy between China and the NBA on Monday, saying that Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey "wasn't educated" when he sent a tweet in support of protesters in Hong Kong this month.

LeBron James weighed in on the controversy between China and the NBA on Monday, saying that Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey "wasn't educated" when he sent a tweet in support of protesters in Hong Kong this month. Morey's tweet of support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong on October 4 set off a firestorm, prompting Chinese sponsors and partners to cut ties with the league and the National Basketball Association (NBA) to answer difficult questions about free speech. "We all talk about this freedom of speech. Yes, we all do have freedom of speech. But at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you're not thinking about others," James told reporters before the Lakers' pre season game against Golden State in California. "I don't want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl," he added. "But I believe he wasn't educated on the situation at hand and he spoke." Not long after the media session, James took to Twitter to clarify his statements. "Let me clear up the confusion. I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet," James tweeted. "I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that." James' tweets and statement have set off their own firestorm, with basketball fans in the US and China sounding off. On Twitter, many users responded to his statement with anger. "Weak," said one user. Others simply posted emoji of bags of money. On the other side of China's Great Firewall, netizens weighed in to support James, whose statements were trending on Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter, and Douyin, a popular short video platform owned by Bytedance Ltd. "My James is being attacked by Americans, Americans believe Morey should be supported, and James' words are basically opposing Morey," said one user on Weibo. "Sigh, I love you James, hope you can continue to be healthy and play ball!" The Lakers played two exhibition games in China against the Brooklyn Nets last week, but the NBA canceled media availability for the teams during the trip. A Rockets staff member also shut down a CNN reporter in Tokyo last week while trying to ask players a question about the controversy. The league later apologized to the reporter in a statement. James is one of the few NBA representatives to speak openly about the contention. "My team and this league just went through a difficult week," he tweeted on Monday. "I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it."

Houston Rockets General Manager 'wasn't educated' when he sent Hong Kong tweet: LeBron James

Basketball followers on mainland China expressed anger at the US&nbsp;National Basketball Association on Wednesday after a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-organisers-cancel-nba-fan-event-amid-free-speech-row-254851">fan event in Shanghai was canceled</a>, amid a&nbsp;row&nbsp;over&nbsp;free&nbsp;speech&nbsp;that has hurt the league's reputation in a key overseas market.

Chinese&nbsp;organisers scrapped the event on the eve of a planned exhibition game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, as the&nbsp;fallout&nbsp;spread&nbsp;from&nbsp;a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting recent protests in Hong Kong.

Pro-democracy demonstrators have taken to the streets of the city over fears that Beijing is undermining Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" formula, which gives residents greater&nbsp;freedom than mainland&nbsp;Chinese.

China has warned foreign governments to steer clear of the issue which they deem an "internal affair".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/despite-consequences-nba-boss-defends-values-in-china-row-254649">NBA&nbsp;Commissioner Adam Silver said on Tuesday</a> that the league supported Morey's right to exercise his&nbsp;freedom of expression, furthering angering&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;authorities.

"They (the&nbsp;NBA) have done something really stupid," said Bai Linfan, a 20-year-old fan in Shanghai. "This is something that is really about our nationality. That's the biggest thing. Cancelling these cooperations and exchanges is quite normal."

Another young fan, Li Xintong, said the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;needed to do more to understand China's view on the matter.

"If the pre-season match is cancelled, I don't really care, because I think this thing has already violated our country's bottom line about a few issues," he said.

"If the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;really wants to expand in China's market, they must understand&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;culture."

The reaction to the&nbsp;row&nbsp;has been very different in Hong Kong itself.

"I don't think he (Silver) is mixing up sports and politics. I think he was speaking as a US&nbsp;citizen on this occasion. I'm really grateful for his support and the support of the majority of US&nbsp;citizens," said&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;fan Keith Yuen.

For one fan hoping to catch a glimpse of the players in Shanghai, sport and politics should not be mixed.

"I don't know why political conflicts affect sporting events. Just because they don't want us to see Morey's comments on TV, the&nbsp;fans' night has been cancelled," said Yu Jie.

"I'm patriotic of course. I support (the view) that Hong Kong is part of China, but I just don't understand this."

Basketball followers on mainland China expressed anger at the US National Basketball Association on Wednesday after a fan event in Shanghai was canceled, amid a row over free speech that has hurt the league's reputation in a key overseas market.

Basketball followers on mainland China expressed anger at the US National Basketball Association on Wednesday after a fan event in Shanghai was canceled, amid a row over free speech that has hurt the league's reputation in a key overseas market. Chinese organisers scrapped the event on the eve of a planned exhibition game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, as the fallout spread from a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey supporting recent protests in Hong Kong. Pro-democracy demonstrators have taken to the streets of the city over fears that Beijing is undermining Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" formula, which gives residents greater freedom than mainland Chinese. China has warned foreign governments to steer clear of the issue which they deem an "internal affair". NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Tuesday that the league supported Morey's right to exercise his freedom of expression, furthering angering Chinese authorities. "They (the NBA) have done something really stupid," said Bai Linfan, a 20-year-old fan in Shanghai. "This is something that is really about our nationality. That's the biggest thing. Cancelling these cooperations and exchanges is quite normal." Another young fan, Li Xintong, said the NBA needed to do more to understand China's view on the matter. "If the pre-season match is cancelled, I don't really care, because I think this thing has already violated our country's bottom line about a few issues," he said. "If the NBA really wants to expand in China's market, they must understand Chinese culture." The reaction to the row has been very different in Hong Kong itself. "I don't think he (Silver) is mixing up sports and politics. I think he was speaking as a US citizen on this occasion. I'm really grateful for his support and the support of the majority of US citizens," said NBA fan Keith Yuen. For one fan hoping to catch a glimpse of the players in Shanghai, sport and politics should not be mixed. "I don't know why political conflicts affect sporting events. Just because they don't want us to see Morey's comments on TV, the fans' night has been cancelled," said Yu Jie. "I'm patriotic of course. I support (the view) that Hong Kong is part of China, but I just don't understand this."

Chinese fans fume at NBA as fallout from free speech row spreads

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is ready to accept the consequences for defending freedom of speech, even if supporting those values means <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-tv-drops-nba-exhibition-games-escalating-pressure-amid-tweet-uproar-254463">losing the riches that Chinese business partnerships</a> have brought the league.

Forty years after the Washington Bullets played exhibition games in Beijing and Shanghai as the first NBA club to visit China, the league and its lucrative relationship with the nation of 1.4 billion people faces its toughest test.

It's only the latest battle over values championed by Silver, the 57-year-old American who replaced David Stern as the NBA's boss in February 2014. He has banned an owner for life for racist remarks and moved an NBA All-Star Game over a law discriminating against the gay and transgender communities.

A socially conscious league whose biggest star players have criticized US President Donald Trump and shunned ceremonial White House visits,&nbsp;LeBron James famously calling Trump a "bum" in a 2017 tweet,&nbsp;was thrust into controversy again Friday when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted: "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hong-kong-protests-biggest-political-crisis-in-xi-jinpings-career-254353">Hong Kong has been rocked by protests</a> since June that were ignited by a now-scrapped plan to allow extraditions of criminal suspects to the mainland but snowballed into a movement calling for more democratic freedoms and police accountability.

Morey's tweet shattered some China sponsorships for the Rockets, retired Chinese star Yao Ming's former club. Chinese television dropped planned telecasts of NBA pre-season games in China.

Early NBA statements on the issue drew fire from US critics as overly capitulating, setting the stage for Silver to settle matters in Tokyo.

"The long-held values of the NBA are to support freedom of expression, and certainly freedom of expression by members of the NBA community," Silver said.

"I understand there are consequences from that exercise of, in essence, his freedom of speech. We will have to live with those consequences.

"It's my hope that for our Chinese fans and our partners in China, they will see those remarks in the context of now a three-decade, if not longer, relationship."

The same week that American television show "South Park" parodied US companies who cave into Chinese censorship for commercial gain, the NBA was challenged to put its values over its bottom line and stand up to financial backers.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is ready to accept the consequences for defending freedom of speech, even if supporting those values means losing the riches that Chinese business partnerships have brought the league.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is ready to accept the consequences for defending freedom of speech, even if supporting those values means losing the riches that Chinese business partnerships have brought the league. Forty years after the Washington Bullets played exhibition games in Beijing and Shanghai as the first NBA club to visit China, the league and its lucrative relationship with the nation of 1.4 billion people faces its toughest test. It's only the latest battle over values championed by Silver, the 57-year-old American who replaced David Stern as the NBA's boss in February 2014. He has banned an owner for life for racist remarks and moved an NBA All-Star Game over a law discriminating against the gay and transgender communities. A socially conscious league whose biggest star players have criticized US President Donald Trump and shunned ceremonial White House visits, LeBron James famously calling Trump a "bum" in a 2017 tweet, was thrust into controversy again Friday when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted: "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong." Hong Kong has been rocked by protests since June that were ignited by a now-scrapped plan to allow extraditions of criminal suspects to the mainland but snowballed into a movement calling for more democratic freedoms and police accountability. Morey's tweet shattered some China sponsorships for the Rockets, retired Chinese star Yao Ming's former club. Chinese television dropped planned telecasts of NBA pre-season games in China. Early NBA statements on the issue drew fire from US critics as overly capitulating, setting the stage for Silver to settle matters in Tokyo. "The long-held values of the NBA are to support freedom of expression, and certainly freedom of expression by members of the NBA community," Silver said. "I understand there are consequences from that exercise of, in essence, his freedom of speech. We will have to live with those consequences. "It's my hope that for our Chinese fans and our partners in China, they will see those remarks in the context of now a three-decade, if not longer, relationship." The same week that American television show "South Park" parodied US companies who cave into Chinese censorship for commercial gain, the NBA was challenged to put its values over its bottom line and stand up to financial backers.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver ready to 'live with consequences' over China row

Lionel Messi beats Cristiano Ronaldo in Forbes top 100, Virat Kohli only Indian in list

Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Mohamed Salah and other athletes in Time's 100 most influential people

Portuguese footballer Cristiano&nbsp;Ronaldo&nbsp;topped the ESPN World Fame 100 list for a third straight year, pipping American basketball player Lebron James and long-term Argentine rival Lionel Messi.

Real Madrid forward&nbsp;Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, was named the most popular athlete in the world on the basis of his social media following, endorsement deals and search score.

Three-time NBA champion Lebron James retained his second spot on the list, while Messi came third on the back of his ninth league title with Barcelona.

Brazil's Neymar, who became the world's most expensive footballer after his 222 million euros ($261.6 million) move from Barcelona to Paris St Germain last August, took the fourth spot.

Swiss Roger Federer, one of the most decorated players in tennis history, came fifth ahead of NBA star Kevin Durant and Spanish rival Rafa Nadal.

American tennis icon Serena Williams replaces former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey as the most famous female athlete, with twelve women making the 2018 list compared to eight last year.

Three-time NBA champion Lebron James retained his second spot on the list, while Messi came third on the back of his ninth league title with Barcelona

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo topped the ESPN World Fame 100 list for a third straight year, pipping American basketball player Lebron James and long-term Argentine rival Lionel Messi. Real Madrid forward Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, was named the most popular athlete in the world on the basis of his social media following, endorsement deals and search score. Three-time NBA champion Lebron James retained his second spot on the list, while Messi came third on the back of his ninth league title with Barcelona. Brazil's Neymar, who became the world's most expensive footballer after his 222 million euros ($261.6 million) move from Barcelona to Paris St Germain last August, took the fourth spot. Swiss Roger Federer, one of the most decorated players in tennis history, came fifth ahead of NBA star Kevin Durant and Spanish rival Rafa Nadal. American tennis icon Serena Williams replaces former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey as the most famous female athlete, with twelve women making the 2018 list compared to eight last year.

Cristiano Ronaldo retains top spot in ESPN World Fame 100 list for third straight year

US President Donald Trump is continuing his public attacks on prominent black athletes. Late last week, he urged National Football League (NFL) team owners to fire players who knelt in protest during the playing of the national anthem before the game. &ldquo;Get that son of a bitch off the field,&rdquo; Trump <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/22/politics/donald-trump-alabama-nfl/index.html">told a partisan crowd</a> in the conservative state of Alabama.

<figure>The next day, he disinvited National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Steph Curry from the White House.</figure>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911572182060453893">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Trump&rsquo;s remarks rankled black athletes in the NBA and NFL. His disinvitation of Curry, who is black, sounded a racial dog-whistle to those who believe African-Americans do not belong in the White House.

Trump&rsquo;s subsequent Twitter statements about the NFL suggest deeply troubling assumptions about the proper place of black athletes in public spaces.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/912280282224525312">September 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The history of White House visits

The invitation of athletes to the White House appears apolitical. Presidents have customarily extended invitations to everyone from Little League World Series to Super Bowl winners. However, tradition has also always been intertwined with America&rsquo;s racial politics.

Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series winners have regularly visited the White House since the 1920s before black athletes <a href="https://www.loc.gov/collections/jackie-robinson-baseball/articles-and-essays/baseball-the-color-line-and-jackie-robinson/1940-to-1946/">broke the colour line</a> (they were excluded from playing in the league at the time).

The first NBA team to visit the White House was the Boston Celtics in 1963, invited by then-president John F. Kennedy. The 1960s Celtics represented white America in the face of an increasingly African-American league.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tZ0xeBftQus" width="560"></iframe>

White House visits seem innocuous, but they are political spectacles, with handshakes, photos and memorabilia exchanges. When athletes meet the president, they are used as vehicles to promote specific policies.

In the waning years of the Cold War, Ronald Reagan used these visits to symbolise American power, vigour and confidence through athletic achievement. In 1988, for example, Reagan tossed a tight spiral to visiting NFL wide receiver Ricky Sanders. Cameras caught this moment and transformed the president into a game-winning quarterback.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J6g8E2Mmn8w" width="560"></iframe>

Not all athletes appreciate being used as a tool for policy. Increasingly, they have rejected invitations to the White House to express their discontent. The boycotts by whole teams like Curry&rsquo;s Golden State Warriors, however, is a new kind of demonstration made even more powerful by the fame of their top players.

A few days after the NBA finals concluded, Curry <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/06/14/stephen-curry-says-he-wouldnt-visit-white-house-if-invited/">promised to avoid the White House</a>. His teammates have been effusive in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGrgOcH-cKM">their support</a> of his stance. Coach Steve Kerr <a href="https://www.thescore.com/news/1380850">said</a>, &ldquo;he [Trump] was going to break up with us before we could break up with him&rdquo;.

The team also released <a href="http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/statement-20170923/">a statement</a>:

<blockquote>
In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we&rsquo;ll constructively use our trip to the nation&rsquo;s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion &ndash; the values that we embrace as an organisation.
</blockquote>

Trump&rsquo;s comments have had the unintended effect of galvanising support of the whole league behind the Warriors. NBA players have taken to Twitter to openly mock him. The NBA&rsquo;s biggest star, LeBron James, tweeted:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
U bum <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30">@StephenCurry30</a> already said he ain&#39;t going! So therefore ain&#39;t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/911610455877021697">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Alluding to the investigation of the Trump campaign&rsquo;s ties with Russia, Robin Lopez tweeted:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It&#39;s ok <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors">@warriors</a>, in a few months <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a> probably won&#39;t be able to visit the White House either
&mdash; Robin Lopez (@rolopez42) <a href="https://twitter.com/rolopez42/status/911702252993122304">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Teeming player protests

<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<figcaption>In the NFL, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html?mcubz=3" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">decision</a> to kneel during the national anthem was a protest originally directed against police violence, not Trump (who was not president at the time).</figcaption>
</figure>

But Trump&rsquo;s words have now shifted the debate onto him, added legitimacy to the demonstrations, and perhaps roused a force powerful enough to battle his own celebrity brand. Trump has taken on the NFL before <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/09/24/donald-trump-nfl-usfl/">and lost</a>.

The NFL players&rsquo; union and the NFL commissioner &ndash; two sides usually at loggerheads &ndash; expressed joint anger over Trump&rsquo;s intervention in the league&rsquo;s affairs. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell lamented Trump&rsquo;s <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/352031-nfl-commissioner-trumps-divisive-comments-show-a-lack-of">&ldquo;lack of respect&rdquo;</a> for the league. And the head of the union, DeMaurice Smith, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nflpa-apos-never-back-down-145606076.html">defiantly thundered</a> that the NFL Players Association would:

<blockquote>
&hellip; never back down when it comes to protecting the constitutional rights of our players as citizens.
</blockquote>

The national anthem protests, which initially divided the league and the public, have become ubiquitous. On Sunday afternoon, whole teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, <a href="http://www.espn.com.au/nfl/story/_/id/20801902/pittsburgh-steelers-remain-locker-room-national-anthem">remained in their locker rooms</a> in a forceful rejection of Trump&rsquo;s remarks. The Ravens and the Jaguars, playing in London, knelt for the American national anthem but <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/24/in-rebuke-to-trump-ravens-and-jaguars-take-a-knee-in-london-during-us-national-anthem.html">stood respectfully</a> for &ldquo;God Save the Queen&rdquo;.

The kneeling players have been joined by <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-owner-shad-khan-unites-players-defiance-trump-143949834.html">team owners</a>, <a href="http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/rico-lavelle-national-anthem-nfl-video-1202569454/">performers</a> and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cheerleader-kneeled-national-anthem-protest-goes-viral-195354161.html">cheerleaders</a>. The protest even spread to the more conservative and white MLB, when the Oakland A&rsquo;s Bruce Maxwell became the first player to <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/a%E2%80%99s-bruce-maxwell-first-mlb-player-to-kneel-for-anthem/ar-AAsoEz1">kneel during the national anthem</a>.

Trump&rsquo;s ill-timed comments have given legitimacy to claims of his racial animus. Until he disavows them, we can expect to see more players signalling their disapproval of his presidency.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84605/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />The growing protests are a healthy new development for American sports. For too long, athletes have been the tools of statesmen. Today, however, they have begun to realise their power to be activists and undermine the political plans of the US president.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-us-sports-stars-are-taking-a-knee-against-trump-84605" nofollow="" rel="">original article</a>.

War of words going on between prominent US sportspersons and US President Donald Trump, as he continued his racial comments on public forum

US President Donald Trump is continuing his public attacks on prominent black athletes. Late last week, he urged National Football League (NFL) team owners to fire players who knelt in protest during the playing of the national anthem before the game. “Get that son of a bitch off the field,” Trump told a partisan crowd in the conservative state of Alabama. The next day, he disinvited National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Steph Curry from the White House. Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017 × Trump’s remarks rankled black athletes in the NBA and NFL. His disinvitation of Curry, who is black, sounded a racial dog-whistle to those who believe African-Americans do not belong in the White House. Trump’s subsequent Twitter statements about the NFL suggest deeply troubling assumptions about the proper place of black athletes in public spaces. The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017 × The history of White House visits The invitation of athletes to the White House appears apolitical. Presidents have customarily extended invitations to everyone from Little League World Series to Super Bowl winners. However, tradition has also always been intertwined with America’s racial politics. Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series winners have regularly visited the White House since the 1920s before black athletes broke the colour line (they were excluded from playing in the league at the time). The first NBA team to visit the White House was the Boston Celtics in 1963, invited by then-president John F. Kennedy. The 1960s Celtics represented white America in the face of an increasingly African-American league. White House visits seem innocuous, but they are political spectacles, with handshakes, photos and memorabilia exchanges. When athletes meet the president, they are used as vehicles to promote specific policies. In the waning years of the Cold War, Ronald Reagan used these visits to symbolise American power, vigour and confidence through athletic achievement. In 1988, for example, Reagan tossed a tight spiral to visiting NFL wide receiver Ricky Sanders. Cameras caught this moment and transformed the president into a game-winning quarterback. Not all athletes appreciate being used as a tool for policy. Increasingly, they have rejected invitations to the White House to express their discontent. The boycotts by whole teams like Curry’s Golden State Warriors, however, is a new kind of demonstration made even more powerful by the fame of their top players. A few days after the NBA finals concluded, Curry promised to avoid the White House. His teammates have been effusive in their support of his stance. Coach Steve Kerr said, “he [Trump] was going to break up with us before we could break up with him”. The team also released a statement: In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we’ll constructively use our trip to the nation’s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion – the values that we embrace as an organisation. Trump’s comments have had the unintended effect of galvanising support of the whole league behind the Warriors. NBA players have taken to Twitter to openly mock him. The NBA’s biggest star, LeBron James, tweeted: U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up! — LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017 × Alluding to the investigation of the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia, Robin Lopez tweeted: It's ok @warriors, in a few months @realDonaldTrump probably won't be able to visit the White House either — Robin Lopez (@rolopez42) September 23, 2017 × Teeming player protests In the NFL, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem was a protest originally directed against police violence, not Trump (who was not president at the time). But Trump’s words have now shifted the debate onto him, added legitimacy to the demonstrations, and perhaps roused a force powerful enough to battle his own celebrity brand. Trump has taken on the NFL before and lost. The NFL players’ union and the NFL commissioner – two sides usually at loggerheads – expressed joint anger over Trump’s intervention in the league’s affairs. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell lamented Trump’s “lack of respect” for the league. And the head of the union, DeMaurice Smith, defiantly thundered that the NFL Players Association would: … never back down when it comes to protecting the constitutional rights of our players as citizens. The national anthem protests, which initially divided the league and the public, have become ubiquitous. On Sunday afternoon, whole teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, remained in their locker rooms in a forceful rejection of Trump’s remarks. The Ravens and the Jaguars, playing in London, knelt for the American national anthem but stood respectfully for “God Save the Queen”. The kneeling players have been joined by team owners, performers and cheerleaders. The protest even spread to the more conservative and white MLB, when the Oakland A’s Bruce Maxwell became the first player to kneel during the national anthem. Trump’s ill-timed comments have given legitimacy to claims of his racial animus. Until he disavows them, we can expect to see more players signalling their disapproval of his presidency. The growing protests are a healthy new development for American sports. For too long, athletes have been the tools of statesmen. Today, however, they have begun to realise their power to be activists and undermine the political plans of the US president. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Why the US sports stars are not standing up during the national anthem

The Golden State Warriors secured their second NBA championship in three seasons with a 129-120 Game Five win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, capping a near-perfect run through the playoffs.

The Warriors, who beat Cleveland in the 2015 Finals only to lose to them last year after squandering a 3-1 series lead, went a record-setting 15-1 in the playoffs, their only loss coming in Game Four of the best-of-seven championship.

The win provided redemption for the Warriors, who brought Kevin Durant over from the Oklahoma City Thunder last offseason to bolster their already high-powered offense.

Durant, who lost in his only previous Finals appearance in 2012, led the way for the Warriors with 39 points and was relieved after feeling pressure to deliver prior to the game.

&quot;I couldn&#39;t sleep for two days,&quot; Durant, who was named the Finals MVP, said during an on-court interview. &quot;I was anxious, I was jittery.

&quot;I just wanted to lay it all out there. I put in work, I just had to trust in it. We were really good tonight.&quot;

Cavaliers&#39; forward LeBron James had a game-high 41 points and guard Kyrie Irving hit tough shots all night but defensive breakdowns by Cleveland led to easy baskets late in the game for the Warriors, igniting a deafening crowd.

James said he had no reason to feel sorry for himself. &quot;I left everything on the floor every game, all five games,&quot; he said. &quot;I have no reason to put my head down.&quot;

Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said the experience of losing last year&#39;s Finals served them well this season.

&quot;We learned from everything we&#39;ve been through,&quot; Curry said during the trophy celebration. &quot;To be back here and bring gold Larry (O&#39;Brien trophy) back home, I&#39;m just excited to be a part of this group and accomplish something special. I&#39;m ready to do it again.&quot;

An unprecedented third straight Finals clash between the Warriors and Cavaliers was hyped as the ultimate championship rubber match and expected to be the antidote for a postseason that had little in the way of drama.

But that idea fizzled fast when the Warriors opened with a pair of lopsided wins at home, fought back late to steal the next game in Cleveland and then, after dropping their first game of the postseason, closed out the series at home.

In the end, the Cavaliers simply did not have enough top-class talent to topple the Warriors, even with four-time league MVP James doing all he could to keep his team in it.

For James, already a three-times champion, the loss puts him in rare company as only the fourth player to come up short in five NBA Finals.

Cleveland&#39;s inability to give the Warriors much of a fight has already sparked talk that James, who left the team in 2010 for Miami before returning four years later, could consider another move during 2018 free agency.

(Reuters)

Durant, who lost in his only previous Finals appearance in 2012, led the way for the Warriors with 39 points

The Golden State Warriors secured their second NBA championship in three seasons with a 129-120 Game Five win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, capping a near-perfect run through the playoffs. The Warriors, who beat Cleveland in the 2015 Finals only to lose to them last year after squandering a 3-1 series lead, went a record-setting 15-1 in the playoffs, their only loss coming in Game Four of the best-of-seven championship. The win provided redemption for the Warriors, who brought Kevin Durant over from the Oklahoma City Thunder last offseason to bolster their already high-powered offense. Durant, who lost in his only previous Finals appearance in 2012, led the way for the Warriors with 39 points and was relieved after feeling pressure to deliver prior to the game. "I couldn't sleep for two days," Durant, who was named the Finals MVP, said during an on-court interview. "I was anxious, I was jittery. "I just wanted to lay it all out there. I put in work, I just had to trust in it. We were really good tonight." Cavaliers' forward LeBron James had a game-high 41 points and guard Kyrie Irving hit tough shots all night but defensive breakdowns by Cleveland led to easy baskets late in the game for the Warriors, igniting a deafening crowd. James said he had no reason to feel sorry for himself. "I left everything on the floor every game, all five games," he said. "I have no reason to put my head down." Warriors point guard Stephen Curry said the experience of losing last year's Finals served them well this season. "We learned from everything we've been through," Curry said during the trophy celebration. "To be back here and bring gold Larry (O'Brien trophy) back home, I'm just excited to be a part of this group and accomplish something special. I'm ready to do it again." An unprecedented third straight Finals clash between the Warriors and Cavaliers was hyped as the ultimate championship rubber match and expected to be the antidote for a postseason that had little in the way of drama. But that idea fizzled fast when the Warriors opened with a pair of lopsided wins at home, fought back late to steal the next game in Cleveland and then, after dropping their first game of the postseason, closed out the series at home. In the end, the Cavaliers simply did not have enough top-class talent to topple the Warriors, even with four-time league MVP James doing all he could to keep his team in it. For James, already a three-times champion, the loss puts him in rare company as only the fourth player to come up short in five NBA Finals. Cleveland's inability to give the Warriors much of a fight has already sparked talk that James, who left the team in 2010 for Miami before returning four years later, could consider another move during 2018 free agency. (Reuters)

NBA Championships: Golden State Warriors ride Durant to beat LeBron James' Cavaliers

Cleveland superstar LeBron James surpassed NBA icon Michael Jordan as the league&#39;s all-time playoff scoring leader on Thursday in the Cavaliers&#39; Eastern Conference finals game against the Celtics in Boston.

With a three-pointer in the third quarter James, 32, took his total of playoff points to 5,989 -- two more than Jordan&#39;s 5,987. He entered the contest needing 28 points to surpass Jordan.

Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s, played 179 post-season games in his career.

James moves past him to the top of the list in his 212th career playoff game.

(AFP)

With a three-pointer in the third quarter, James took his total of playoff points to 5,989, or two more than Jordan's 5,987

Cleveland superstar LeBron James surpassed NBA icon Michael Jordan as the league's all-time playoff scoring leader on Thursday in the Cavaliers' Eastern Conference finals game against the Celtics in Boston. With a three-pointer in the third quarter James, 32, took his total of playoff points to 5,989 -- two more than Jordan's 5,987. He entered the contest needing 28 points to surpass Jordan. Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s, played 179 post-season games in his career. James moves past him to the top of the list in his 212th career playoff game. (AFP)

LeBron James overtakes Michael Jordan for most playoff points in NBA history

The NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers powered into the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday, downing the Toronto Raptors 109-102 to complete a four-game sweep of their playoff series.

LeBron James scored 35 points with nine rebounds and six assists as the Cavaliers subdued the desperate Raptors to remain unbeaten in eight games in these playoffs.

They&#39;re the first team to win eight games in a row over consecutive post-season runs.

In the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavaliers will play either the Boston Celtics or Washington Wizards for a place in the NBA Finals.

John Wall tallied 27 points and 12 assists as the Wizards defeated the Celtics 121-102 Sunday to level their series at 2-2.

The Celtics took a 2-1 lead over Washington into game four of their series later Sunday.

Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Cavaliers and Kyle Korver scored 18 off the bench.

Korver&#39;s 16 first-half points helped the Cavaliers erase an 11-point first-quarter deficit and take a 61-49 half-time lead.

With their backs against the wall, down 16 points early in the third quarter, the Raptors responded, taking a 93-92 lead with 6:38 to play.

&quot;The closeout game is always tough,&quot; Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. &quot;They came out and competed, took an early lead, went up 11.

&quot;It was a tough game for us. We knew it would be, coming into a hostile environment.&quot;

But it marked the second straight year that the Cavs eliminated the Raptors from playoffs on their home floor. They beat them in six games in the Eastern Conference finals last season.

Serge Ibaka scored 23 points for the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan added 22 with eight assists.

But with Kyle Lowry on the bench for a second straight game with a sprained ankle, the Raptors couldn&#39;t match the Cavs&#39; firepower.

Irving put Cleveland in front with a three-pointer with 5:34 to play and made two free throws.

His lay-up with four minutes left had Cleveland up by eight. The Cavs out-scored Cleveland 17-9 over the final 6:15, Irving producing all 11 points in one key 11-2 Cavs run.

James played the entire fourth quarter -- but he&#39;ll have plenty of time to rest since the conference finals won&#39;t start before May 15.

In a closeout game, Lue said, &quot;he tries to go as far as we need him in that fourth quarter.&quot;

&quot;I tried to get him out for a couple of minutes, but he said, &#39;No, I&#39;m fine,&#39;&quot; added Lue, who did make sure that James got a bit of a breather by calling a timeout on the heels of a Toronto 20-second timeout.

James will be playing for a seventh consecutive NBA Finals appearance, having had four in a row with Miami and the past two with Cleveland, and his eighth overall. James is 3-4 in his trips to the championship series.

(AFP)

LeBron James scored 35 points with nine rebounds and six assists to beat Toronto Raptors 4-0

The NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers powered into the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday, downing the Toronto Raptors 109-102 to complete a four-game sweep of their playoff series. LeBron James scored 35 points with nine rebounds and six assists as the Cavaliers subdued the desperate Raptors to remain unbeaten in eight games in these playoffs. They're the first team to win eight games in a row over consecutive post-season runs. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavaliers will play either the Boston Celtics or Washington Wizards for a place in the NBA Finals. John Wall tallied 27 points and 12 assists as the Wizards defeated the Celtics 121-102 Sunday to level their series at 2-2. The Celtics took a 2-1 lead over Washington into game four of their series later Sunday. Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Cavaliers and Kyle Korver scored 18 off the bench. Korver's 16 first-half points helped the Cavaliers erase an 11-point first-quarter deficit and take a 61-49 half-time lead. With their backs against the wall, down 16 points early in the third quarter, the Raptors responded, taking a 93-92 lead with 6:38 to play. "The closeout game is always tough," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. "They came out and competed, took an early lead, went up 11. "It was a tough game for us. We knew it would be, coming into a hostile environment." But it marked the second straight year that the Cavs eliminated the Raptors from playoffs on their home floor. They beat them in six games in the Eastern Conference finals last season. Serge Ibaka scored 23 points for the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan added 22 with eight assists. But with Kyle Lowry on the bench for a second straight game with a sprained ankle, the Raptors couldn't match the Cavs' firepower. Irving put Cleveland in front with a three-pointer with 5:34 to play and made two free throws. His lay-up with four minutes left had Cleveland up by eight. The Cavs out-scored Cleveland 17-9 over the final 6:15, Irving producing all 11 points in one key 11-2 Cavs run. James played the entire fourth quarter -- but he'll have plenty of time to rest since the conference finals won't start before May 15. In a closeout game, Lue said, "he tries to go as far as we need him in that fourth quarter." "I tried to get him out for a couple of minutes, but he said, 'No, I'm fine,'" added Lue, who did make sure that James got a bit of a breather by calling a timeout on the heels of a Toronto 20-second timeout. James will be playing for a seventh consecutive NBA Finals appearance, having had four in a row with Miami and the past two with Cleveland, and his eighth overall. James is 3-4 in his trips to the championship series. (AFP)

Cavaliers beat Raptors to enter conference finals

LeBron James has agreed to a three-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which will likely make him the highest-paid player in the National Basketball Association. 
 
&quot;I just want to let you all know I&#39;m re-signing back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, my hometown team,&quot; James said on his multi-media website Uninterrupted. &quot;I can&#39;t be more excited than this opportunity once again, man, to defend our crown, defend our title... just get the band back together.&quot; 
 
James, a three-time NBA champion, did not release details of the contract but US sports broadcaster ESPN reported that it was worth $100 million and would pay him $31 million in the first year and $33 million in the second, making him the league&#39;s highest-paid player for the first time in his career. 
 
James has signed a pair of one-year deals with the Cavaliers over the past few years. He chose to go with a longer term deal in Cleveland, his hometown, because of the Cavs&#39; success. 
 
&quot;We all know last year (was) magical, inspiring, all the words you can come up with. It was an unbelievable season,&quot; said the Cavaliers&#39; all-time leading scorer. &quot;I just can&#39;t wait to get the group back together, the team, the franchise, more importantly, get everybody together. The fans. Without you guys, without your passion and commitment, we wouldn&#39;t have been able to do what we did this past season. I&#39;m ecstatic.&quot; 
 
Nothing is official as the three-time NBA finals MVP isn&#39;t expected to sign the new deal until next week when he returns to Cleveland for a charity event, ESPN said. James also said he hopes the team can convince free agent guard JR Smith to return next season. 
 
(AFP)

'I just want to let you all know I'm re-signing back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, my hometown team,' James said on his website Uninterrupted

LeBron James has agreed to a three-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which will likely make him the highest-paid player in the National Basketball Association. "I just want to let you all know I'm re-signing back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, my hometown team," James said on his multi-media website Uninterrupted. "I can't be more excited than this opportunity once again, man, to defend our crown, defend our title... just get the band back together." James, a three-time NBA champion, did not release details of the contract but US sports broadcaster ESPN reported that it was worth $100 million and would pay him $31 million in the first year and $33 million in the second, making him the league's highest-paid player for the first time in his career. James has signed a pair of one-year deals with the Cavaliers over the past few years. He chose to go with a longer term deal in Cleveland, his hometown, because of the Cavs' success. "We all know last year (was) magical, inspiring, all the words you can come up with. It was an unbelievable season," said the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer. "I just can't wait to get the group back together, the team, the franchise, more importantly, get everybody together. The fans. Without you guys, without your passion and commitment, we wouldn't have been able to do what we did this past season. I'm ecstatic." Nothing is official as the three-time NBA finals MVP isn't expected to sign the new deal until next week when he returns to Cleveland for a charity event, ESPN said. James also said he hopes the team can convince free agent guard JR Smith to return next season. (AFP)

LeBron James to sign $100 million deal with Cavaliers

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?

Excitement was building today as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history by dethroning defending champion Golden State in a winner-take-all title showdown. 
 
Trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, the Cavaliers downed the Warriors twice behind 41-point efforts from James to level the best-of-seven series and force a one-game spectacle to decide the crown - just like the NFL Super Bowl five months ago in nearby Santa Clara. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s pretty cool,&quot; James said. &quot;It&#39;s like Super Bowl Sunday. It&#39;s one game and you look forward to it. I&#39;m happy I&#39;m able just to be part of it.&quot; 
 
Golden State won a record 73 regular-season games with NBA scoring leader Stephen Curry making a one-campaign record 402 3-pointers and taking the NBA Most Valuable Player award. 
 
But the Warriors could suffer the worst choke in championship history. 
 
&quot;If you don&#39;t feel pressure in a game seven, you&#39;re probably not human,&quot; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &quot;We are human, so when you go from up 3-1 to 3-3, it&#39;s disappointing. But you take stock. We like our chances.&quot; 
 
Curry admits the season will be a failure without a title. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve had two chances already and haven&#39;t gotten it done,&quot; Curry said. &quot;So if we come up short, we&#39;ll all be very, very disappointed. No two ways around that.&quot; 
 
Tickets near $50k&nbsp; 
 
With James and Curry the league&#39;s brightest stars, it was no wonder that the game was luring global attention and ticket resale prices were breaking records, nearing $50,000 each for courtside seats. 
 
&quot;Having a chance to play against a great team in game seven and for the whole world to be watching, I&#39;m very excited for it,&quot; said&nbsp;Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving. 
 
Cleveland fans have not celebrated a major team sports title since the 1964 Browns won the NFL crown in the pre-Super Bowl era, but the Cavaliers are on the verge of ending the epic drought. 
 
&quot;I know it&#39;s going to be going crazy in Cleveland, so hopefully we can stay the course and bring them a championship home,&quot; Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. &quot;We know it&#39;s a big stage, but our guys are ready for the challenge.&quot; 
 
None more so than James, whose outstanding performances have included slam dunks, pinpoint passes, crucial rebounds, timely steals and ferocious blocked shots. 
 
&quot;To lead the finals in every statistical category, it&#39;s amazing. I try not to get star-struck with watching,&quot; said Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith. 
 
&quot;Scoring-wise, he&#39;s more aggressive more than anything. He just has that relentless effort to get to the basket. And he&#39;s an unbelievable passer. Being that big, strong and fast and to be able to see the court the way he does, it&#39;s remarkable.&quot; 
 
No limits on LeBron&nbsp; 
 
Could James strike for 41 points again? 
 
&quot;I wouldn&#39;t put a cap or a number on his performance,&quot; Cavs forward Tristan Thompson said. &quot;He&#39;s a great playmaker.&quot; 
 
The Warriors plan to get physical with James early and often. 
 
&quot;Put a body on him,&quot; said Warriors forward Draymond Green. &quot;He has to feel us from the jump. Can&#39;t let him get into rhythm.&quot; 
 
The Warriors have lost Australian centre Andrew Bogut to a knee injury and top reserve Andre Iguodala, last year&#39;s NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, had severe back pain in game six. 
 
Golden State has not lost three games in a row since 2013, but they have struggled in long stretches the past two games, never leading in game six. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re a resilient team that&#39;s ready for this opportunity. That&#39;s why I&#39;m confident,&quot; Curry said. &quot;I don&#39;t know why we haven&#39;t been ourselves. I couldn&#39;t tell you the reason we&#39;ve been lacking besides it&#39;s just a long, hard grind to win a championship.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Cleveland fans have not celebrated a major team sports title since the 1964 Browns won the NFL crown in the pre-Super Bowl era

Excitement was building today as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history by dethroning defending champion Golden State in a winner-take-all title showdown. Trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, the Cavaliers downed the Warriors twice behind 41-point efforts from James to level the best-of-seven series and force a one-game spectacle to decide the crown - just like the NFL Super Bowl five months ago in nearby Santa Clara. "It's pretty cool," James said. "It's like Super Bowl Sunday. It's one game and you look forward to it. I'm happy I'm able just to be part of it." Golden State won a record 73 regular-season games with NBA scoring leader Stephen Curry making a one-campaign record 402 3-pointers and taking the NBA Most Valuable Player award. But the Warriors could suffer the worst choke in championship history. "If you don't feel pressure in a game seven, you're probably not human," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We are human, so when you go from up 3-1 to 3-3, it's disappointing. But you take stock. We like our chances." Curry admits the season will be a failure without a title. "We've had two chances already and haven't gotten it done," Curry said. "So if we come up short, we'll all be very, very disappointed. No two ways around that." Tickets near $50k With James and Curry the league's brightest stars, it was no wonder that the game was luring global attention and ticket resale prices were breaking records, nearing $50,000 each for courtside seats. "Having a chance to play against a great team in game seven and for the whole world to be watching, I'm very excited for it," said Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving. Cleveland fans have not celebrated a major team sports title since the 1964 Browns won the NFL crown in the pre-Super Bowl era, but the Cavaliers are on the verge of ending the epic drought. "I know it's going to be going crazy in Cleveland, so hopefully we can stay the course and bring them a championship home," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. "We know it's a big stage, but our guys are ready for the challenge." None more so than James, whose outstanding performances have included slam dunks, pinpoint passes, crucial rebounds, timely steals and ferocious blocked shots. "To lead the finals in every statistical category, it's amazing. I try not to get star-struck with watching," said Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith. "Scoring-wise, he's more aggressive more than anything. He just has that relentless effort to get to the basket. And he's an unbelievable passer. Being that big, strong and fast and to be able to see the court the way he does, it's remarkable." No limits on LeBron Could James strike for 41 points again? "I wouldn't put a cap or a number on his performance," Cavs forward Tristan Thompson said. "He's a great playmaker." The Warriors plan to get physical with James early and often. "Put a body on him," said Warriors forward Draymond Green. "He has to feel us from the jump. Can't let him get into rhythm." The Warriors have lost Australian centre Andrew Bogut to a knee injury and top reserve Andre Iguodala, last year's NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, had severe back pain in game six. Golden State has not lost three games in a row since 2013, but they have struggled in long stretches the past two games, never leading in game six. "We're a resilient team that's ready for this opportunity. That's why I'm confident," Curry said. "I don't know why we haven't been ourselves. I couldn't tell you the reason we've been lacking besides it's just a long, hard grind to win a championship." (AFP)

LeBron, Cavaliers try to complete epic comeback over Warriors in winner-take-all Game 7

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

lebron-james

Lebron James, News on Lebron James, stories on Lebron James, articles on Lebron James, Lebron James stories at Wion, Lebron James news, Lebron James latest news

lebron james