LeBron takes to heart jabs of the critics
By Brian Windhorst
CLEVELAND - LeBron James is always talking, and everyone is always listening.
He holds more media sessions than most of the NBA's superstars, and that doesn't include the special network sit-downs for each national television game.
As a result, he tends to fall into rote answers, ones he doesn't always really mean. His desire to build and maintain a certain persona, though, can't always hide his true feelings.
For example, he will tell you that he does not believe in pressure. This is one of his favorite answers to routine fawning queries as the Cavs cross the country and he's asked how does he ``handle it.''
It is a good response, one that usually ends the line of questioning, which is perhaps James' purpose. But, frankly, it isn't true. Because James will also tell you, and usually with more sincerity in not only his voice but also his eyes, that he feels nerves before just nearly every game.
Just watching his chest-thumping after dunks, his steely grimace after manly plays, his playful interplay with friends and family members courtside, and even sometimes his outrageous laughter on the bench shows he's an emotional person.
It is about the same with his unwavering -- well, semi-unwavering -- assertion that he does not listen to critics.
He has been saying that a lot lately because he's been criticized a lot lately. Perhaps he does not listen to the critics, but he certainly hears them. Especially because this season they've included fellow stars such as Gilbert Arenas and Dwyane Wade.
Not only is James an avid television viewer, especially of the ESPN Classic channel, but he also will read magazine and newspaper articles online and in print. Not all of them, mind you, but some, and some is enough.
James knows what's going on in the NBA and college basketball and that St. Vincent-St. Mary High School has a big game coming up against undefeated Copley.
He probably has a good idea of what the University of Akron's RPI ranking is.
So when the rain falls on James, which seems to happen in news cycles following national television losses, he's aware. And it motivates him.
James will defend himself -- and his coaches and teammates will as well -- as to why in the first 50 or so games of this season he didn't seem to live up to the standard he established last year.
Surely his numbers have always been good, although well off last year's pace, and the Cavaliers maintained a relatively strong standing in the Eastern Conference order, even if it was below sky-high expectations.
The stats don't matter.
James' focus and intensity have waned often this season, even if he denied it.
Yet he openly questioned the team's offensive style and system, a challenge to his coach that only gave the analysts more fodder to feast upon.
There may be a dozen reasons for it and no one true answer. The lag and fatigue from playing last summer, the comfort after last season's exploits that perhaps fed a sense of entitlement this season, some overconfidence as to the Cavs' true standing in the order of things, or even a series of nagging injuries to his toe, his elbow and his knee.
Or the simple yet dreaded state known as a slump.
In the past three weeks, James has put together his finest play of the season. He's progressively showing the familiar look of dominance, not just in his numbers -- averaging 33.7 points in the past seven games -- but in the passion in his play.
On the court he's showing more energy and a willingness to play more as he did in March and April of last year.
He's going after the ball on offense more instead of standing passively on the backside. He's looking to drive first rather than waiting passively for loopy pick-and-rolls 25 feet from the hoop.
In transition, he's focusing on the rim rather than waiting for the defense to set up. In fourth quarter of late, he has been the one forcing the action.
He's even wanting that last shot. Teammates were open Thursday night in Dallas, and the play had options, but James fired up two 3-pointers in the final seconds. That was not unlike last year, when he made his first two career game-winners late in the season.
It wasn't that he never did this early in the season. What was bizarre is that when he did perform at this level, it was noticeable because on many other nights he seemed to bizarrely disappear.
James says this burst has occurred because he's getting ready for the playoffs, which are six weeks away. Again, that is a good and purposeful answer that holds truth.
But this timely display of talent and swagger is also an answer to the critics, public and private, many of whom may have had a valid point -- one that James surely seems to have taken to heart.
Dribbles
• There was a point just before the trading deadline two weeks ago, according to sources, when the Cavs and Kings came close to an agreement on a 4-for-1 player swap for Mike Bibby. It would have required the Kings to release two players. One was point guard Jason Hart, whom they cut Thursday.
• Shannon Brown was packed for a five-game stay in the D-League when he left for Dallas on Wednesday. Then Mike Brown had to play him in an emergency spot because of injuries and foul trouble. Then a funny thing happened: Shannon Brown showed Mike Brown more poise than at any other time in his rookie season. It impressed the coach so much that he believes the rookie has earned more time. That's how fast things change in the NBA. With Daniel Gibson injured and Damon Jones seemingly out of sync, Shannon Brown has gone from heading to the farm to being in the rotation for the foreseeable future.
• Portland Trail Blazers President and General Manager Steve Patterson resigned last week. The Blazers probably will hire two men to replace him. One whose name probably will come up is former Cavs GM Jim Paxson. The consultant for the Chicago Bulls has moved from Cleveland to Portland. He was a two-time All-Star for the Blazers and later a successful executive there.
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