Chris Broussard thinks so…

“I love Akron to death,” James said. “Since I was a little kid, I always said I was going to find a way to put this city on the map. And I’m going to continue to do that.”

As James spoke after receiving his second straight MVP award Sunday at the University of Akron, you couldn’t help but think to yourself: He ain’t leaving.

Of course, James didn’t go that far. He kept his wiggle room as the greatest prize in the greatest free-agent class in NBA history by saying, “No matter what might be ahead for me, this will always be my home.”

But everything else about the afternoon said he’s staying with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After all, the overriding theme of the event was loyalty — to his mom, to his family, to his high school teammates, to his city and to his team. Now in his seventh year with the Cavs, James even invited his teammates onto the stage, where they mugged and posed for pictures while sharing inside jokes.

“I don’t have any special insight into this,” said Keith Dambrot, James’ first high school coach and now the head coach at Akron. “But if I had to, I’d bet my house that he stays. Why else would you do things like this?”

There’s more than just 40 miles separating Akron and Cleveland. When asked last summer about his loyalty to Cleveland, James had this to say:

“My loyalty is to Akron. I’m looking forward to this upcoming season, but I’m looking forward to the summer of 2010, too, to see what may happen. No matter what happens that summer, you know, I’m still here. I’ve got a nice big house here that I’m always coming back to. You know, I love this city and I’ll always give back to this city no matter what my profession; if it takes me somewhere else.”

James has been careful to distinguish his hometown from the city where he works, and he has always left for the possibility that he’ll change teams this summer, even at his loyalty-themed MVP event.

I don’t think Cleveland’s proximity to Akron would trump another early postseason exit for the Cavs, but we may never know for sure.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Here’s a shocker — LeBron James is going to win the 2009-2010 Most Valuable Player award.

At age 25, James becomes the second-youngest to win back-to-back MVPs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a couple of months younger when he won his back-to-back award in 1972. The others two win back-to-back are Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Abdul-Jabbar. Only Bird, Chamberlain and Russell ever won the award three years in a row.

Last year James won in a landslide, getting 109 of the first-place 121 votes given out to sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. This year, James is expected to approach winning the award unanimously.

LeBron has a good chance to win this award again and again, though NBA writers are fickle and they’ll start looking for reasons to give the award to someone else once voting for LeBron wears thin. The same thing happened to Michael Jordan.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

There’s been a lot of talk flying around after last night’s ousting of the Cavaliers by Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. One of the most common lines has been about Lebron James’ behavior following the game. Refusing to shake hands and subsequently skipping the post-game press conference has put all kinds of opinions out there as to the ups and downs of his reaction to the loss. Coupled with recent comments by Lebron (which you’ll find below) and a congratulatory e-mail he reportedly sent to Howard, blogs have been burning up with comments. Robert Littal from Black Sports Online had this to say:

From NBA.com

“It’s hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them,” he said. “I’m a winner. It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them. That doesn’t make sense to me. I’m a competitor. That’s what I do. It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand.”

Someone needs to tell Lebron James to grow the hell up. You win like a Champion you lose like a Champion no matter how hard it is. I am very disappointed in him. A competitor and winner respects his opponent regardless of the outcome.

Lebron sounds like a spoiled rich kid who when he lost “took his ball and went home”. He has a long way to go in his maturity to be considered The King of the NBA. Wasn’t even man enough to call Dwight Howard. An email? Seriously Lebron? You would have been more successful on Twitter.
Once again I am very disappointed in his behavior.

Well, I can’t deny that LeBron acted a little bit poorly after the game. As “The King” I guess he should really be able to act like one. However, perhaps this just goes to show that he’s human. Let’s remember that he spent his whole season with his eye on the championship, racked up the NBA’s best record, won the league MVP award, and swept his previous playoff opponents. That’s quite a bit to see go up in smoke in one night.

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According to reports, the NBA will name LeBron James its Most Valuable Player later today.

The Associated Press and Cleveland Plain Dealer, both citing a league source, report that James is to receive the award at his preps alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.

James would become the first player in franchise history to win MVP honors. He also finished second in voting for defensive player of the year.

No surprise here. Given his stats, his improved defense, the nature of his supporting case (particularly when compared with Kobe’s) and the Cavs’ league-best record, LeBron is the clear choice for MVP. Kobe fans do have an argument (i.e. the West is tougher, so the record is misleading), but their guy won last season, so he would have had to be the clear winner to really have a shot, if that makes any sense.

Every year, Bill Simmons runs down the MVP race from No. 450 to No. 1 (don’t worry, he skips over a lot of players), and this year is no different.

450. Elton Brand
Dramatically edged out Gilbert Arenas and Tracy McGrady for the coveted LVP (“Least Valuable Player”) Award. Here’s what pushed it over the top: Not only did EB destroy Philly’s cap through 2035, he left the Clips with enough cap space that they reacted the same way looters react during a riot. They wanted to walk out of the store with something … or in this case, Marcus Camby, Ricky Davis, Zach Randolph and a 27-inch Sharp LCD. In a floundering economy, should they have guarded that extra cap room and bided their time like The Team That Shall Not Be Named did? OF COURSE!!!! OF COURSE!!!!! When you include Brand’s luring of Baron Davis to the Clippers, causing the Warriors to overreact with $66 million for Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf, you could argue that Brand murdered one franchise and gravely wounded two others. Sounds like an LVP to me.

…

166. Manu Ginobili
Ways I’d dissuade my stars from participating in the Olympics or World Basketball Championships if I owned an NBA team: $1 million under-the-table bonus for NOT participating; free lease of a brand-new Maybach every year; bribery with help from a secretly recorded sex session with a hooker I hired to seduce them; blowing up the aforementioned Maybach as a final threat not to go; and finally, kidnapping.

Simmons goes on to compare Wade’s career with Jack Bauer’s, and describes all the different reasons why ___________ is his 2009 MVP.

There’s no doubt that LeBron James is having the best season of his young career. It’s not so much that his numbers are better — it’s the Cavs’ winning ways that have LeBron atop the short list for this year’s MVP. He even has the vote of the player who’s in second place (at least on my list).

Bryant seemed mildly uncomfortable when asked for his MVP choice near the season’s halfway point.

“LeBron,” he said. “Leave me alone about that stuff.”

He then expanded upon his thoughts.

“I’m a big fan of his, obviously,” he said. “I just think the world of him. Playing with him this summer [at the Beijing Olympics], and seeing his work ethic and what he’s about, I just think he’s terrific.”

It probably kills the competitor in Kobe to admit that, but it just goes to show the nature of the MVP race right now. LeBron has improved defensively, is superior in most statistical measures, and he has guided his team to a great record despite not having as much help as Kobe does.

Tonight’s game at the Staples Center should be a good one. I hope we are treated to more than a handful of possessions where the two superstars guard each other.