Posted by The Popular News Today on Thursday, May 12, 2011
Posted by The Popular News Today on Monday, May 9, 2011
Posted by The Popular News Today on Tuesday, April 26, 2011
MIAMI -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has maintained that the Heat's early-season struggles would make his team more unified. And that seems to have happened between him and star forward LeBron James, but Spoelstra said it took a conversation to get there.
Speaking after Wednesday's practice, Spoelstra said that he had a conversation with James in early December, in the wake of the swirling controversy generated by a bump between the two in the third quarter of a Nov. 27 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. It has been reported that the two met immediately after the incident in November as well.
Nonetheless, Spoelstra said Wednesday that the December meeting was a turning point in their relationship.
"It was a reminder for both of us that we have to manage all the noise outside and keep it to what's real," Spoelstra said. "The only things that matter are the people in the locker room. At the end of the day, a lot of the noise will be pointed in our direction.
"It was probably one of the steps when we started to develop a deeper trust [with each other]. We were in a similar boat together and it wasn't about us. And we needed to be able to manage that and not let it be a distraction."
We've taken our talents to South Beach. Check out the Heat Index.
Spoelstra lauded James' leadership and ability to focus despite the intense media scrutiny that has followed the Heat all season.
"He's been a lightning rod," Spoelstra said. "He's done a very good job of compartmentalizing all of that and to just be a member of the team."
Was Spoelstra surprised with how well James responded to the pressure?
"Probably," Spoelstra said. "Then I started to think about it. This has been new for me. This has been new for a lot of the guys in this gym."
Spoelstra pointed to the horde of reporters surrounding James at Wednesday's practice before continuing.
"This right here is the world that LeBron has been living in since seventh grade," Spoelstra said. "He's used to navigating and negotiating this world. But it was an adjustment for me in November."
Spoelstra is currently in his third season as coach of the Heat.
Since the 10-8 start, the Heat went on a roll, getting a franchise-high 15 wins in the month of December. The Heat finished the regular season with a 58-24 record, good for the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Heat are up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers and are set to play Game 3 Thursday night.
Tom Haberstroh covers the NBA for ESPN Insider and ESPN The Magazine.
Posted by The Popular News Today on Monday, April 25, 2011
MIAMI -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has maintained that the Heat's early-season struggles would make his team more unified. And that seems to have happened between him and star forward LeBron James, but Spoelstra said it took a conversation to get there.
Speaking after Wednesday's practice, Spoelstra said that he had a conversation with James in early December, in the wake of the swirling controversy generated by a bump between the two in the third quarter of a Nov. 27 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. It has been reported that the two met immediately after the incident in November as well.
Nonetheless, Spoelstra said Wednesday that the December meeting was a turning point in their relationship.
"It was a reminder for both of us that we have to manage all the noise outside and keep it to what's real," Spoelstra said. "The only things that matter are the people in the locker room. At the end of the day, a lot of the noise will be pointed in our direction.
"It was probably one of the steps when we started to develop a deeper trust [with each other]. We were in a similar boat together and it wasn't about us. And we needed to be able to manage that and not let it be a distraction."
We've taken our talents to South Beach. Check out the Heat Index.
Spoelstra lauded James' leadership and ability to focus despite the intense media scrutiny that has followed the Heat all season.
"He's been a lightning rod," Spoelstra said. "He's done a very good job of compartmentalizing all of that and to just be a member of the team."
Was Spoelstra surprised with how well James responded to the pressure?
"Probably," Spoelstra said. "Then I started to think about it. This has been new for me. This has been new for a lot of the guys in this gym."
Spoelstra pointed to the horde of reporters surrounding James at Wednesday's practice before continuing.
"This right here is the world that LeBron has been living in since seventh grade," Spoelstra said. "He's used to navigating and negotiating this world. But it was an adjustment for me in November."
Spoelstra is currently in his third season as coach of the Heat.
Since the 10-8 start, the Heat went on a roll, getting a franchise-high 15 wins in the month of December. The Heat finished the regular season with a 58-24 record, good for the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Heat are up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers and are set to play Game 3 Thursday night.
Tom Haberstroh covers the NBA for ESPN Insider and ESPN The Magazine.
Posted by The Popular News Today on Saturday, April 16, 2011
MIAMI -- LeBron James was a little emotional this week when the NBA announced his No. 6 jersey was the worldwide top seller.
It had nothing to do with money -- players don't directly profit from their own jersey sales -- but everything to do with perception. The jersey sales chart is generally viewed as a barometer of a player's widespread popularity.
It was the first time in seven years James reached the top spot, the last time was at the end of his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2004.
“” -- LeBron James
It just shows that I've still got a lot of fans out there, man. ... I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes. I'm trying to move forward. But as a basketball player and a role model I am trying to do the right thing.
James said he sees getting back to the first position, unseating Kobe Bryant after a two-year run, as a sign there's been some thawing from fans nationally after his unpopular departure from the Cavs last summer.
"I never thought I'd get back there," James said Friday as the Miami Heat prepared to open the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday afternoon. "Maybe someday but especially this year ... it was humbling. Just getting all the attention and all the bad news about me that was out there -- it was meaningful."
Accustomed to being cheered across the league, James endured routine boos at arenas this season. He expected it in certain places, especially Cleveland, but getting it everywhere unsettled him. The news about the jersey sales gave him hope that it won't always be that way.
"It just shows that I've still got a lot of fans out there, man," James said. "I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes. I'm trying to move forward. But as a basketball player and a role model I am trying to do the right thing."
Thursday night James and the rest of his teammates were looking for emotion from something else.
When Heat president Pat Riley recruited James, Chris Bosh and other free agents to Miami he brought out his NBA championship rings.
In the team's first meeting of the season last fall, coach Erik Spoelstra brought out the team's 2006 Larry O'Brien Trophy; the hardware goes to the NBA champion. The trophy was pulled out again Thursday when the Heat had their gathering for the postseason.
After finishing the season by winning 15 of 18 games including key victories over the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, the Heat are riding some momentum going into the matchup with the 76ers. The Heat were 3-0 against the 76ers during the regular season.
"You don't want to live in the past too much but you also want to look at history," Dwyane Wade said. "We do have a trophy here and we are champions and we want to add to that collection. You break out the trophy and guys can see what they want, it's right there."
Brian Windhorst covers the NBA for ESPN.com.
Follow Brian Windhorst on Twitter: @WindhorstESPN
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