By Adrian Wojnarowski,
LeBron James(notes) isn’t honoring the greatness of No. 23, but manipulating Michael Jordan’s marketing savvy. The changing of his jersey number as a nod to M.J.’s basketball career is a purely fictional cover story. It’s a tribute to Jordan all right, but more like a cynical ode to his business sense. James wants to grow his global brand and push product; flooding the market with a fresh jersey number does the job.
Between now and then, James ought to spare us the fantasy that moving from No. 23 to No. 6 is about anyone or anything else.
All about Michael?
This is all about LeBron.
When LeBron James should be most concerned with taking Kobe Bryant’s(notes) NBA title, he’s making a bid for his standing as the No. 1 seller of NBA jerseys. James watched Bryant make the switch from No. 8 to No. 24 and how it moved him to the top of the list. For the past two seasons, James has finished second to Bryant. No more, James decided. Kobe gave him the blueprint for selling out stock, and now LeBron’s embraced it.
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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) – Shaquille O’Neal’s regular season could be over. Now the Cavaliers hope the center they acquired for the postseason will be back in time for the playoffs.
O’Neal will undergo surgery Monday to repair his injured right thumb. He was examined Sunday by Dr. Thomas Graham at the National Hand Center in Baltimore. Graham will perform the surgery.
The Cavaliers said they will update a timeline for his return following the procedure, but a typical recovery period is 6 to 8 weeks. There are seven weeks left in the regular season.
« I think we’ll be all right, » point guard Mo Williams said before learning O’Neal needed surgery. « We’ll weather the storm while the big fella gets some rest. »
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By Johnny Ludden,
LOS ANGELES – Ron Artest(notes) punched his fist into the air again and again as the crowd’s roar fell upon him. He had bumped and pushed and clawed Carmelo Anthony(notes) all afternoon, and Anthony pushed back one time too many, drawing a whistle and an early exit. Artest threw one last celebratory uppercut. This was his knockout blow.
This also was why the Los Angeles Lakers brought Artest here, why they chose him over Trevor Ariza(notes), why they gambled their championship hopes on a player who, even in his better moments, can come off as a loon.
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