In his infinite wisdom, LeBron James has decided that Michael Jordan hasn’t received enough recognition, so he’s suggesting that every player with the #23 change it as an homage to His Airness.

“I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon,” James said. “There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn’t Michael Jordan first.

“He can’t get the logo [Hall of Famer Jerry West's silhouette adorns the NBA's logo], and if he can’t, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I’m starting a petition, and I’ve got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I’m not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.”

“If you see 23, you think about Michael Jordan,” James said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “You see game-winning shots, you think about Michael Jordan; you see guys fly through the air, you think about Michael Jordan; you see fly kicks, you think about Michael Jordan. He did so much, it has to be recognized, and not just by putting him in the Hall of Fame.”

Jordan hasn’t received enough recognition? Um, okay. Does anyone else feel that he’s been slighted somehow?

Other than LeBron, there are 12 players that wear the #23: Kevin Martin, Jason Richardson, Marcus Camby, Lou Williams, Martell Webster, Toney Douglas, C.J. Watson, Stephen Graham, Jodie Meeks, Devin Brown, B.J. Mullens and Wes Matthews.

It sounds like James is bitter that the NBA won’t change its time-honored logo to feature Jordan instead of Jerry West, so he’s putting together this silly petition to “honor” his hero.

This quote is the most telling…

“Now, if I’m not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it.”

So are the players honoring Jordan or honoring Lebron’s homage to Jordan?

Is it just me or is this an unnecessary waste of time?

Cleveland Cavs’ star LeBron James has recently started reaching out to Ohio State sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who has come under criticism lately after his poor performance in the Buckeyes’ loss to Purdue last Saturday.

From ESPN.com:

“[I'm] trying to mentor him and get him through ‘life in the spotlight,’ which I’ve been through,” James said after a preseason game in Columbus on Wednesday night.

James said he has been speaking to Pryor on the phone in recent weeks to try to help him deal with celebrity at a young age. James knows something about that, since he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated under the headline “The Chosen One” while he was still in high school in Akron, Ohio.

“Being that No. 1 guy, how do you adjust to it and how do you get through it and still perform at a high level?” James said. “Sometimes it can be very difficult on [a young athlete]. I’m trying to be that guy who can really help him get through a lot of situations which he’s never seen before but now he’s seeing and understanding.”

Pryor said the bad game at Purdue had helped open his eyes.

“That opened me up to the world and opened me up to myself and who I am as a person,” Pryor said. “I think maybe that was the best thing to happen to us last week. Maybe we’ll learn from it. We’re having real good practices, and we’re just trying to get the fans back on our side.”

Pryor seems to have a good head on his shoulders and generally wants to excel at the collegiate level. Hopefully he doesn’t succumb to the pressure and criticism of the media and tanks the rest of his career because he has plenty of athletic talent.

This is when Jim Tressel needs to step up and do everything he can throughout the week and on Saturdays to ensure that Pryor succeeds. If that means scaling back the playbook and giving Pryor only 10 plays to master, then so be it. Spreading out the offense and trying to fit a round peg in a square hole won’t work and Pryor will only continue to struggle.

It’s great that a star like LeBron is willing to help a student athlete out. But he isn’t going to be around Pryor all the time like Tressel is. Maybe Tressel’s future at Ohio State should be tied to how Pryor develops over the next couple years. (If it isn’t already, that is.)

Nike (and LeBron?) thought that they had confiscated all the footage of Jordan Crawford’s dunk on King James, but TMZ has obtained a copy and will post the video on their website at 6:45 PM ET. They’ll also show it on TMZ TV tonight.

Ha! Karma!

Update: TMZ posted the video early. It’s worth a look.

Update #2: Ebaumnation.com has a much clearer video of the dunk from a different angle. Maybe this is why TMZ released their version early.

Duh.

There’s always a lot on the line in the Conference Finals. But this year it seems like there is more at stake for the superstars still standing. Let’s start with…

KOBE

Kobe Bryant has made it abundantly clear that his #1 priority is to win another title. This focus is not unusual for players that haven’t won a ring, but Kobe has three, so why is he so determined to win a fourth? Simply stated, for the sake of his own legacy, he has to win a title without Shaq.

If he fails, he will be viewed by history as a great player who won a few titles as Shaq’s sidekick. This is not the legacy that Kobe wants to leave. Barring a two- or three-peat, he’s not going to be able to catch Michael Jordan, but if he is able to win a ring this year — and he’s the first to admit that this is his best chance — then he’ll do it as “The Guy” on a championship team. There’s no Shaq wreaking havoc in the middle, just a collection of players deemed too soft (Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom) or too young (Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Trevor Ariza) that Kobe led to the Promised Land.

And the clock is ticking. Kevin Garnett could come back strong next season, LeBron is getting better by the year, and there are a few up-and-coming teams (Orlando, Houston, Portland, etc.) that are looking to knock Kobe off of his perch.

The time is now. Kobe’s window is closing, and he knows it.

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We’re down to four teams…Cavs/Magic…Lakers/Nuggets…

What do they have in common? Star power, efficient offense, pretty solid defense, good coaching…check, check, check and check.

But how about an aggressive front office?

Each of these four teams made a major trade in the last two years.

July 11, 2007: The Magic sign Rashard Lewis
This was a sign-and-trade, not a straight free agent signing, but the Magic only had to give up a conditional second round pick. The upside for the then-Seattle Supersonics was a trade exception worth $9 million. The contract (six years, $110 million) seemed outlandish at the time, and Lewis is still overpaid, but the Magic did what they had to do to get him. He’s a great fit for what Orlando is trying to do. They are built like the Rockets were in the Hakeem Olajuwon era — find a big man who commands a double-team, and surround him with great shooters. Lewis is the Magic’s version of Robert Horry in that he’s a lanky, versatile, sharpshooting big man. Strength-wise, he’s not built like a typical power forward, but since the NBA has gotten smaller and quicker over the past few years, he can get by against most teams. Offensively, he creates all sorts of problems for opposing power forwards as he can drill the long ball (career 39% from 3PT) or take it to the rack. He’s also pretty good in the post when teams try to defend him with a smaller player.

Sure, the Magic overpaid on that contract, but I think it’s safe to say that if they hadn’t, they wouldn’t be in the Eastern Conference Finals right now. Lewis is a big, big part of Orlando’s recent success. GM Otis Smith deserves a lot of credit for having the cojones to pull the trigger on this deal.

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NBA Troll doesn’t really like LeBron James.

“Sometimes being in the post gets boring,” [LeBron] said with a laugh. “I know it can be easy, but it gets boring down there. I like being on the perimeter shaking and baking it, getting to the cup. It gets boring down there in the post sometimes. That’s why sometimes I don’t go down there, but every now and then, you’ll see me down there.”

The NBA Troll proceeds to go on a rant about why LeBron is “LeFraud.”

I agree that LeBron needs to post up more, and his excuse that it’s “boring” is no excuse at all. If he got a few post up moves, he would destroy people on the block. But LeBron is no fraud. (Do I really have to say this?)

Last night, the NBA held its Shooting Stars (zzzzz), Skills Challenge (zzzz), Three-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest. Here are a six random observations about the night’s events, which include some breaking news for those that missed the event.

1. It would be nice if the contestants in the Skills Challenge would actually try to win.
Devin Harris looked like he was in another gear compared to his competitors, but struggled with the passing and shooting and ultimately finished second to Derrick Rose who was just about perfect in those parts of the course. Mo Williams looked like he didn’t even want to be there and Tony Parker couldn’t make a jumper to save his life. Harris was the only one that was actually putting forth any effort during the dribbling portion. Most of these guys are more interested in looking cool than looking like they want to win, and that’s a shame.

2. Did Kenny Smith take annoying pills just before the Three-Point Shootout?
When he wasn’t declaring that the eventual champion (Daequan Cook) didn’t have a chance to win the contest, he was flip-flopping like crazy during each round. At one point, during the middle rack of balls, he said that Rashard Lewis didn’t have a chance to advance, and then when Lewis his four out of five on the final rack to advance, Smith said, “I told you so.” I was rooting for Cook just to see Smith eat crow, and he never did. On a side note, Reggie Miller and his sister have the most non-broadcast type voices. I like what Reggie has to say, so he gets a pass, but I’m not sure what Cheryl brings to the table. (To be fair, that’s probably true of any sideline reporter not named Erin Andrews.)

Cleveland Cavs’ star LeBrown James recently donned a Browns uniform in a State Farm commercial that will air during the NFC and AFC Championship Games on Sunday. And actually, chose to wear a Browns uniform might be more appropriate wording.

At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, James often describes himself as a football player. He was an All-Ohio selection at Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and still plays flag football at the school during the offseason.

James said he had input into the commercial, which shows using some of his basketball skills to help the Browns on the football field.

“I chose what team I wanted to wear, what I wanted to do and which routes I wanted to run,” he said.

James has been criticized by Cleveland fans for supporting the Cowboys and New York Yankees. He triggered a public outcry when he wore a Yankees cap to an Indians playoff game two years ago and again to a Browns home game against Dallas last season .

So was it tough pulling on an orange Browns helmet and not one with a star on it?

“No,” James said with a wink. “I love the Browns.”

Hmm. Depending on how far Cavs fans want to take LeBron’s comments, maybe the superstar is leaning towards staying in Cleveland instead of bolting for the Big Apple like many expect? Hey, Cavs fans can hope anyways, right?

- Remember that video we shared with you a few days ago of the Florida Gator fan (right) that paid tribute to her favorite team’s national championship with a pole dance? Well, LARRY BROWN SPORTS tracked her down and did an interview with her. Fascinating stuff.

- A Knicks fan over at ROOT ZOO provides 10 reasons why LeBron James will NOT be playing for the Knicks in 2010.

- That fan’s argument that the Knicks have no supporting class for LeBron is contradicted by the post at HOT STOVE NEW YORK about why David Lee should be an All-Star.

- CHRIS COOLEY posted some pictures of the notes he took before the Redskins’ games against the Ravens and Eagles. It’s an interesting peek inside the mind of a NFL player.

- Remember Kevin Pittsnogle? You know, that 6′11″ sharpshooter from West Virginia a few years back? Well, THE BIG LEAD has an update on what he’s doing now, and it may surprise you.

- SPORTSbyBROOKS has the story of the college basketball coach’s wife who is suing a cab driver for ruining her sex life with her husband. You read that right.