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Cleveland Cavaliers take LeBron James in first NBA draft of the year
Cleveland, June 26: After months of kicking the tyres and test driving the newest models, the Cavaliers long ago settled on James, the most hyped and perhaps talented high school student to dribble his way into the NBA.
Cleveland, June 26: After months of kicking the tyres and test driving the
newest models, the Cavaliers long ago settled on James, the
most hyped and perhaps talented high school student to dribble
his way into the NBA.
While James is a slam dunk to be the first player chosen
in the annual lottery at Madison Square Garden, whether he --
as many predict -- is the man to fill the superstar void left
by Michael Jordan, will not be known for seasons to come.
But, by all accounts, the six-foot, eight-inch dunking and
marketing machine is nothing less than a future Hall of Famer
in waiting.
A stunning combination of physical gifts, and with finely
honed athletic instincts, James is touted as one of those rare
athletes who comes along once in a generation and is already
mentioned in the same breath as Jordan, Magic Johnson and
Larry Bird.
Certainly, Nike and dozens of other companies eager to
attach their name to James believe the teenager is the face of
the NBA future.
Although "King James" has yet to score his first NBA
point, he will arrive at thursday's (June 26) draft trailed by
a throng of fans and a truck load of endorsements, including a
$90 million sports shoe deal from Nike.
But, along with fame and fortune, have come expectations and pressures, the type seldom, if ever, experienced by an 18-year-old high school senior.
Not only is James expected to resurrect the woeful Cavaliers and transform them into championship contenders, but the NBA is also pinning considerable hopes on the charismatic teenager in the post-Jordan era.
With television ratings for this year's NBA finals tumbling to all-time lows, the league is suddenly feeling the unaccustomed sting of criticism from fans who complain the game has become too defensive, bland and boring.
The NBA believes that James and two other highly-rated picks, Carmelo Anthony and seven-foot Serb Darko Milicic, can provide the league with an injection of pizzazz as it looks to recapture the youthful energy that has made it a worldwide success.
Another player with an amazing combination of agility and strength, Milicic is widely expected to be selected by the Detroit Pistons with the number two pick.
Having turned 18 on June 20, Milicic is believed to be the youngest player ever drafted by the NBA and comes with high praise, compared with San Antonio Spurs two-time league MVP Tim Duncan. The Denver Nuggets are expected to use the third pick to take Anthony, the silky smooth freshman who led Syracuse University to the national championship.
A polished player with bursting with finesse, most scouts see the six-foot, eight-inch forward as the player most ready to step into a team's starting line-up.
With the success of Spurs' French guard Tony Parker, his Argentine backcourt partner Emanuel Ginobili, Memphis Grizzlies' Spanish forward Pau Gasol and Houston Rockets' Yao Ming, foreign players are once again expected to be in vogue with 17 international prospects on offer at this year's draft. Athletic and charismatic Frenchman Mickael Pietrus, rated the best pure shooting guard in the draft, is predicted to be a top 10 pick as is 18-year-old Pole Maciej Lampe.
A slick ball handler and shooter, the seven-foot power forward is rated one of Europe's brightest prospects, often compared to Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.
China's Xue Yuyang, a 21-year-old seven-footer is expected to follow the trail blazed by Yao, San Antonio's Mengke Bateer and Wang Zhizhi of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bureau Report
But, along with fame and fortune, have come expectations and pressures, the type seldom, if ever, experienced by an 18-year-old high school senior.
Not only is James expected to resurrect the woeful Cavaliers and transform them into championship contenders, but the NBA is also pinning considerable hopes on the charismatic teenager in the post-Jordan era.
With television ratings for this year's NBA finals tumbling to all-time lows, the league is suddenly feeling the unaccustomed sting of criticism from fans who complain the game has become too defensive, bland and boring.
The NBA believes that James and two other highly-rated picks, Carmelo Anthony and seven-foot Serb Darko Milicic, can provide the league with an injection of pizzazz as it looks to recapture the youthful energy that has made it a worldwide success.
Another player with an amazing combination of agility and strength, Milicic is widely expected to be selected by the Detroit Pistons with the number two pick.
Having turned 18 on June 20, Milicic is believed to be the youngest player ever drafted by the NBA and comes with high praise, compared with San Antonio Spurs two-time league MVP Tim Duncan. The Denver Nuggets are expected to use the third pick to take Anthony, the silky smooth freshman who led Syracuse University to the national championship.
A polished player with bursting with finesse, most scouts see the six-foot, eight-inch forward as the player most ready to step into a team's starting line-up.
With the success of Spurs' French guard Tony Parker, his Argentine backcourt partner Emanuel Ginobili, Memphis Grizzlies' Spanish forward Pau Gasol and Houston Rockets' Yao Ming, foreign players are once again expected to be in vogue with 17 international prospects on offer at this year's draft. Athletic and charismatic Frenchman Mickael Pietrus, rated the best pure shooting guard in the draft, is predicted to be a top 10 pick as is 18-year-old Pole Maciej Lampe.
A slick ball handler and shooter, the seven-foot power forward is rated one of Europe's brightest prospects, often compared to Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.
China's Xue Yuyang, a 21-year-old seven-footer is expected to follow the trail blazed by Yao, San Antonio's Mengke Bateer and Wang Zhizhi of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bureau Report