NBA Capsules: Welcome to Miami, LeBron, as Heat begin the party

MIAMI (AP) — Dressed in his new Heat uniform, LeBron James took a look at his new home crowd and grinned.

The MVP has taken center stage in Miami.

“It feels right,” James said. “To be in this position, to wear the Heat uniform, everything is nice. We’re going to make the world know that the Heat is back.”

And yes, James promised championships. Multiple championships.

Welcome to Miami, LeBron.

“That’s the only reason I’m here, man,” James said.

With 13,000 fans chanting “Yes We Did!” amid an atmosphere more suited to a rock concert than a basketball game, the Miami Heat welcomed the NBA’s newest trio of superstars Friday night for a celebration unlike just about any other in team history.

James, Heat favorite Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all arrived accompanied by plumes of smoke, lifted into the air on a forklift for their grand arrival.

Great fanfare. Great expectations.

“It’s still surreal, man,” Wade said earlier. “Me, Chris and ‘Bron. We ready. We want to go to the gym now.”

Wade was in the middle as the trio was lifted skyward for the entrance — Bosh on his right, James on his left. Bosh pointed to the fans and screamed, while Wade aimed his index fingers at the crowd and James strutted about to the fans’ delight.

They walked down the stairs to a long runway, slapping high-fives with fans, clapping their hands and soaking in the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Heat continued working on sign-and-trade deals for both players, and tried to clear space for Udonis Haslem — Wade’s teammate for seven seasons and someone the 2006 NBA finals MVP wants back for the next chapter.

“This is surpassing a dream come true,” Wade said. “You always want to put yourself in the best position possible. To have an opportunity to team up with arguably the best trio to ever play the game of basketball is amazing.”

Heat broadcaster Eric Reid called them the “Three Kings” as the program got under way an hour behind schedule, presumably because of the trade talks. Keys to the city were set to be awarded to each star, and Gov. Charlie Crist was in the stands, along with several city and county officials.

“We wanted to come here, then LeBron wanted to come,” Bosh said. “Let’s get it done, man. Let’s get this thing going.”

Heat president Pat Riley — the mastermind of the deals — and coach Erik Spoelstra sat in the stands, as did owner Micky Arison, all of them beaming.

Fans were given posters with James, Wade and Bosh together in Heat uniforms — “Yes. We. Did.” was the slogan in big white letters — and crowded around a runway surrounded by video screens and smoke effects.

If Riley gets his way, the party will be the first of many for the NBA’s newest star cluster — a grouping everyone, even Wade, is still getting used to.

“When I look around and see No. 6 and No. 1 on the court with me, that’s when it’s going to see real,” he said.

Until now, No. 6 meant Mario Chalmers, No. 1 meant Dorell Wright.

Chalmers will be back (wearing No. 15, his college number, probably) and Wright still could return, but going forward those digits belong to others.

James will wear No. 6 instead of his usual 23. Bosh will don No. 1 instead of No. 4, Wade said, because he “wanted a new beginning.”

And even Wade — who considers his No. 3 sacred — thought about switching his number as well.

“Then I realized, three is magical, and now it represents more than just my number,” Wade said. “It represents the three of us making sacrifices as well.”

The jersey numbers aren’t all that important.

They just want the winning to be easy as 1-2-3.

Wade and Bosh decided Tuesday that they would play together in Miami, releasing that information to the world on Wednesday. With that, it was all up to James, who said he decided Thursday morning — hours before his made-for-TV announcement special that night — that he’d join the Heat and form a power triple.

Turns out, some members of the Heat family had more than an inkling that James was coming long before that show.

“I knew this was going to evolve a while ago,” Heat executive Alonzo Mourning said Friday. “We knew a long time ago. We did our due diligence on our recruiting trip, and we had a good feeling about this. When we came back, we knew that it pretty much was going to evolve in our favor.”

The end result was three of the top nine scorers in the league last season, the two-time reigning MVP in James, their own superstar (who said he wouldn’t have stayed if either Bosh or James hadn’t come to Miami) and reason to believe the franchise’s wild pendulum — NBA’s best in 2006, NBA’s worst in 2008 — is on a decided upswing.

“It’s going to take all of us to do it,” Wade said.

On Friday in Miami, the scene was sheer bliss.

James’ jerseys weren’t even going on hangers inside the Miami team store; for the most part, they were getting sold as soon as they could be taken out of the box. A line of fans snaked around the arena on a steamy morning just to put their names on a waiting list for tickets. The switchboard at AmericanAirlines Arena was overwhelmed for much of the day, and the 13,000 free seats for the welcoming bash were made available online at 4 p.m. — and were gone in an hour.

“The road to history,” James wrote early Friday on Twitter, “starts now.”

And there will be nights, like this one, filled with spectacle.

Glitz and glamour, for sure — but Wade said the NBA’s newest Big 3 can handle the hype.

“Yeah, it’s going to be Hollywood down here,” Wade said. “But when we step on the court, it’s going to be about business. And everyone who wants to be part of this organization is going to have to make that sacrifice.”

LeBron’s breakup with Cleveland is personal

CLEVELAND (AP) — The elimination ceremony boiled down to a single sentence, uttered by the most coveted bachelor of them all.

And it ended, as such endings always do, with tears — and the self-righteous fury that inevitably follows being rejected live on national television. Millions of Americans glued to their television screens watched in anticipation and curiosity as LeBron James handed that coveted final rose to the Miami Heat, eliminating his remaining suitors in one cruel instant.

In Cleveland, grown men cried into their beers. And for crestfallen viewers in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, the moment of truth stung like a personal betrayal.

But isn’t this what America asked for? We wanted the show, the spectacle, the slow build-up to the big reveal. We love watching contestants get mercilessly booted into oblivion in front of the cameras — but we certainly don’t want to be the rejects ourselves, thank you very much.

And that’s exactly what happened Thursday night. The morning after, people are wondering: How did a decision by one basketball player jump clean out of the realm of basketball and become an American cultural moment that will be talked about for years to come?

That’s called masterful marketing. James played coy for weeks, dragging out his decision as the frenzied speculation went into overdrive. Rather than leave his home turf, he invited teams from various cities to come visit him instead. Meanwhile, hope and anxiety built like a balloon about to pop.

Preliminary Nielsen Co. ratings showed more than seven of every 100 homes with TV sets were tuned in to the ESPN special. In Cleveland, the attention was extraordinary: one in every four homes watched James announce he was leaving his hometown. Nielsen’s estimate of how many people watched nationwide, expected on Friday, was delayed until Monday.

“It built suspense. It kept sequencing or ratcheting up what would the choice be,” said Gerry Patnode, who leads the school of business at York College in York, Pa. “Everybody started to speculate what it would be like if LeBron came to my city.”

It was also, at another level, a bit of well-played psychological warfare. James tapped into fans’ insecurity, their need for constant vindication, says Dr. Alan Hilfer, director of psychology at Maimonides Medical Center in New York.

“Everybody wanted to be able to say, ‘he chose us,”’ Hilfer says. “That means we’re the good guys, we’re a good city. We’re a good team.”

But for all the hype and the oft-repeated comparisons to Michael Jordan, James hasn’t won a single championship in his young career, a fact that was duly noted on the front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Friday morning in the form of a full-length image of James seen from behind as he walks away. An arrow pointing to the fingers on James’ right hand is accompanied by this caption: “7 years in Cleveland. No rings.”

As the city’s anger swelled on Thursday night, with people burning jerseys in the streets, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert penned a furious open letter to fans, sounding very much like a jilted boyfriend penning a bitter missive about an old flame.

“This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown ‘chosen one’ sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn,” wrote Gilbert, who also called James a “coward” and a “narcissist.”

Like many a prodigal son, James must now deal with the disillusionment of people like Gilbert, who is acting like a disappointed father, Hilfer says.

“The loyalty factor is something that everyone can be forgiven for,” says Hilfer. “The fact that he wasn’t loyal was unforgivable.”

The sports memorabilia business Fathead Inc., a company owned by Gilbert, offered LeBron James wall graphics online Friday at price reduced from $99.99 to $17.41. (Famous traitor Benedict Arnold was born in 1741. Coincidence?)

Most experts say James should have seen the vitriol coming from miles away.

“Surely he’s seen enough of those old TV sitcom episodes where somebody tells three people they’re going to go to the prom,” says Robert Thompson, a pop culture expert at Syracuse University. “It never ever works well.”

It was like the finale of the cult ABC drama “Lost,” which finally ended in May to much fanfare, Thompson says. Like “Lost,” James set himself up with too many complications, too many plot twists, to allow for a satisfying ending, Thompson says.

Had James picked Cleveland, fans probably would have been more sympathetic. That’s a narrative we would pay to watch. The hometown hero forgoes the temptation of sunny, wealthy Florida to stay in chilly, recession-hit Ohio — all for the love of his doting fan base. That’s the rosy Hollywood story that even fans in Chicago or New York would have been hard-pressed to criticize.

Loyalty is a strange word in the world of professional sports, where money trumps all on both sides, Patnode says. Sports franchises and athletes have proved many times over that they’ll inevitably choose business over loyalty, although James rejected both loyalty and more money from Cleveland in hopes of winning a championship.

“Friendship and talent and such is wonderful, but James himself said it last night: It’s a business,” says Robert Passikoff, founder of Brand Keys, a New York-based brand loyalty research group.

And in an age where reality television rules the airwaves, Americans should brace themselves for more sporting spectacles in a similar vein, experts say.

“The Decision,” as James’ special was famously titled, may inspire marketing executives to try to create sporting events out of behind-the-scenes athletic choices to lure an audience and drum up revenue.

“There are only a few athletes out there with the juice to hijack an hour of ESPN,” Thompson says. “Tiger could do it. I have a sneaking suspicion we may see a lot more of that kind of thing.”

And as for fans, they should know better. Herein lies the age-old problem of idolizing sports heroes, a one-way relationship that has a high probability of ending badly. You’re making an emotional investment in someone who’s not returning the favor.

“LeBron James is not worried about you,” says Lou Manza, professor of psychology at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa. “You might go to the games and cheer and everything, but he’s not hearing your cheer. He’s hearing the crowd.”

--Meghan Barr

Warriors acquire Lee from Knicks in sign-and-trade

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks sent All-Star forward David Lee to Golden State in a sign-and-trade deal Friday, giving the Warriors the marquee player they sought this offseason.

Forwards Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf go to the Knicks, who are moving closer to rounding out their roster for next season. New York also receives a 2012 second-round draft pick.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh said the Knicks also are close to a deal with Charlotte point guard Raymond Felton. If that gets done, Walsh believes he will have finished shopping for now after signing Amare Stoudemire but missing out on LeBron James.

He has the Knicks in position to be buyers again in 2011, when they may have enough to offer another maximum contract.

“I think we’re done as far as jumping into the free-agent market,” Walsh said during a conference call. “We will have flexibility next year and we will have flexibility the year after.”

Lee was the Knicks’ most popular and productive player under coach Mike D’Antoni, but the team wouldn’t commit to signing him so it could preserve enough salary cap room to afford two maximum salary players. Instead, Lee got a six-year, $80 million deal, agent Mark Bartelstein said Thursday.

The key player in the deal for the Knicks is Randolph, the No. 14 pick in the 2008 draft. The athletic 6-foot-10 forward fell out favor with coach Don Nelson in Golden State and missed the final 47 games last season because of a left ankle injury.

“I see him as a talent, a big-time talent and a guy that could be an extra special player,” Walsh said.

Azubuike missed the final 73 games last season with a knee injury, but Walsh said all three players are expected to be healthy in time for training camp.

Lee averaged career highs of 20.9 points and 11.7 rebounds last season, but Walsh said they never had any serious discussions about keeping him. Lee’s time in New York essentially ended when the Knicks signed Stoudemire, who plays the same position.

Warriors general manager Larry Riley said he was committed to being aggressive via trade to upgrade a team that has reached the playoffs only once since 1994.

“David Lee is a terrific basketball player and an All-Star,” Riley said in a statement. “His skill set addresses two areas where we need to improve: rebounding and passing, plus, we know he will score. He is a proven talent in this league and we like the way that his talents fit with the other core players on our roster.

Riley has been busy this summer.

The Warriors traded Corey Maggette and a second-round pick to Milwaukee days before last month’s draft in a deal that brought guard Charlie Bell and center Dan Gadzuric to the Bay Area.

Although Riley acknowledged the Warriors might still attempt to trade the two big contracts of guard Monta Ellis and center Andris Biedrins, he would be adamant that the Warriors get a significant player in return.

Ellis signed a lucrative $66 million, six-year deal after he averaged a career-best 20.2 points during the 2007-08 season and is due $11 million next season. Biedrins is set to earn $9 million from the six-year deal worth more than $62 million that he signed in July 2008.

Cleveland rocked by losing LeBron

CLEVELAND (AP) — Charred remains of a torched LeBron James jersey were scattered among ashes and 10 spent wooden matchsticks on a sidewalk across the street from Quicken Loans Arena.

Over on Ontario Street, workers prepared to remove a massive 100-foot-high billboard of James, his arms outstretched, that has been a downtown tourist attraction for years.

Now, it’s only a painful reminder of another Cleveland sports loss.

“It’s a disgrace,” Reverend Jesse Harris said, standing with a few onlookers under James’ imposing figure. “It’s time to bring it down.”

One day after James ripped this city’s heart out by saying he was leaving for Miami, Cleveland distanced itself from a family member.

LeBron James, the schoolboy star from Akron who revived a downtrodden NBA franchise and raised championship hopes for seven seasons with the Cavaliers, is no longer welcome.

By 10 a.m. Friday, every No. 23 jersey bearing James’ name inside the Cavaliers’ temporary gift shop at the arena had been boxed up and taken away. Every banner with the MVP’s face on it stripped from the walls. Every figurine, T-shirt, coffee mug and pennant associated with James was gone.

Upstairs in the team’s offices, employees tossed mementos of James in garbage cans.

This wasn’t a cleaning. This was a cleansing.

In a matter of hours, James went from the most-adored athlete in Cleveland history to its most hated. From hero to villain before the sun rose.

The moment he announced on Thursday’s nationally televised special that he was leaving to join Olympic teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Cleveland turned on him. Not everyone. Just about everyone. His most loyal fans couldn’t understand why he would embarrass Ohio with the world watching.

Cleveland, whose economic woes had been softened by James’ arrival and superstar ascension, never saw it coming.

Sure, there were reports he was leaning toward Miami but until James uttered: “I’m taking my talents to South Beach,” no one here thought it was possible he had played his last game in a wine-and-gold uniform.

“I understand why he left, but he should have done it on a better note,” said Bobby Beese of Norwalk, Ohio. “It wasn’t right.”

Even those outside Cleveland felt it was mishandled.

“It seems everybody has a bad taste in their mouth, unless you’re in Miami,” Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Just the way the whole thing was handled, on TV and everything.”

Cleveland will return to normal, but it might take some time.

While understanding the city’s anguish, Mayor Frank Jackson attempted to put a positive spin on an impossibly negative situation.

“I know there’s a lot of anger in the city, but I know Mr. LeBron James and I do not consider this personally,” Jackson said in a news conference at City Hall. “It was not personal against the city. His decision is not going to make or break Cleveland. The city is resilient and has a lot of assets that have sustained us in the past and will do so in the future.”

For the Cavaliers, life after LeBron will be very different. Without James, the Cavs are no longer title contenders and now must revamp a roster missing its best player. Cleveland has some tradable assets, but general manager Chris Grant must decide whether to rebuild or try to maintain the club’s championship-caliber status.

Grant’s charge is complicated by owner Dan Gilbert’s pledge that the Cavs will win a championship before James does.

Shortly after James announced he was leaving, Gilbert fired off an incendiary letter to Cleveland’s fans, ripping the 25-year-old and promising to deliver a title after James failed.

Gilbert called James’ decision “cowardly” and later told The Associated Press he believes James quit during playoff games this year and last. Gilbert’s shocking accusation and pointed remarks were the talk of Cleveland on Friday, easing the loss but also raising questions about how he would have acted had the megastar announced he would stay.

Cavs coach Byron Scott, who accepted the job last month not knowing if James would be on his roster, said he liked what Gilbert said.

“He showed last night his passion to win,” Scott said at a news conference at Cleveland Clinic Courts, the team’s state-of-the-art $25 million training facility Gilbert built not far from James’ home. “He wants to win. That’s the bottom line. I want an owner like that. I want an owner who will sit in our corner, who wants to win basketball games and wants to win championships. I love that about him. I’m still very, very excited about this team and the situation that I’m in.

“I came to work this morning with a big smile on my face knowing I was getting ready for a big season.”

One without James.

Scott played 14 seasons in the NBA, winning three titles with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s been around to see the league change, but never considered a time when a star player, especially one who has never won a championship or even a game in the finals, would captivate the sports world with an announcement.

“It was different,” the 49-year-old said. “I do consider myself old school, but I always tell guys I’m old school with a new-school twist. You have to be able to deal with today’s players a little differently than you did back in our days of playing. It was something I never thought I would see in my lifetime.”

Scott, who turned around teams in New Jersey and New Orleans, must convince the Cavaliers they’ll survive not having James.

“It was done last night; it’s over with. We came to work this morning to get ready for a season,” he said. “We’ve moved on.”

Cleveland may need more time.

--Tim Withers