LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will speak with Oprah Winfrey about their NBA title. (Issac Baldizon/Getty Images)

Fresh off their first NBA title together, the Miami Heat’s Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will sit down for an interview with the former queen of daytime television.

Oprah Winfrey will interview the trio “about the challenges leading up to their historic win, their friendships on and off the court and the women in their lives,” according to a press release (via IamaGM.com).

The interview will air Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

The Heat stars are busy talking about their title this week. LeBron James sat down for an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, the team held its victory parade today in Miami and Chris Bosh will appear on “LIVE! with Kelly” on Tuesday, among other media obligations.

(NOTE: The video below contains profanity).

The Miami Heat’s Big Three finally got their first NBA title together last night with a 121-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the team spared no expense in its celebration.

According to unconfirmed reports on Twitter (via USA Today‘s Mike Foss), the Heat dropped at least $147,000 at Club LIV in the Fontainbleu hotel.

Just got word: Heat bar bill at Club Liv thus far: $147,000 (Mavs bill was $110,000) VPLP Mark Cuban.

—
Pepe Billete (@PepeBillete) June 22, 2012

LMFAO made an impromptu performance at the party, and LeBron joined with some rapping. (See the video above).

The cover charge for non-NBA champions was reportedly $1,000.

Miami Heat forward LeBron James dealt with severe leg cramps in the final minutes of Tuesday’s Game 4 of the NBA Finals, but James is prepared to resume his quest for his first NBA championship tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder, reports The Palm Beach Post‘s Ethan Skolnick on Twitter.

LeBron: "I feel good. I'm ready to go."

—
Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) June 21, 2012

LeBron: "We have to come in with a Game 7 mentality."

—
Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) June 21, 2012

James began experiencing the leg cramps midway through the fourth quarter. He battled through the injury and, with 2:54 left in the game, drilled a three-pointer to give Miami a 97-94 lead that it did not relinquish.

But James was forced to sit out the final 55 seconds of the game. Although few thought James would miss Game 5 on Thursday while only one win away from his first title, there was still some concern over the health of his leg. Given James’ comments, he seems prepared to contribute, even if he isn’t 100 percent.

Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose have the best selling jerseys outside the United States. (Noah Graham/Getty Images)

Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose and LeBron James have the three best selling NBA jerseys outside the United States, respectively, according to The New York Times, which obtained a copy of the rankings released by the league on June 21:

According to figures released by the league, Bryant’s jersey is the most popular in China, Europe and Latin America. Derrick Rose of the Bulls has the second-most popular jersey globally, followed by LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard.

The list is based on sales  from Adidas stores outside the U.S. during the 2011-12 NBA season.

According to the Times, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and rookie Ricky Rubio were among international players with popular jerseys worldwide as well.

In April, Derrick Rose and Jeremy Lin had the most popular jersey’s in the U.S., respectively. They had generated the most jersey sales and team merchandise, but it should be noted that, according to NBA.com, these figures were based on “sales at the temporary NBA Store on Fifth Avenue and on NBAStore.com.”

LeBron James and Serge Ibaka are in “jawing” mode in advance of Game 4 (Don Emmert, Getty Images)

Game 4 of the NBA Finals tips off in a matter of hours, but for some players the battle has carried on through the day-long break from game action.

In an interview with the Palm Beach Post yesterday, Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka said Miami Heat forward LeBron James isn’t as good defensively as his decorations may indicate.

“LeBron is not a good defender,” Ibaka said about the player who received the most votes for the league’s all-defensive team, which is selected by the coaches.

“He can play defense for two to three minutes but not 48 minutes.”

“LeBron can’t play (Durant) one-on-one,” Ibaka said. “They’re playing good defense like a team.”

Speaking with ESPN today, James didn’t mince words with his response to Ibaka’s comments.

“I don’t really care what he says, he’s stupid,” James said. “Everyone says something to me every series, then (the media) tries to get a quote. It’s stupid.”

“First of all, I’m not playing 48 minutes, and Kevin’s not playing 48 minutes. I’m not guarding him for 48 minutes. When I’m on him, I’m just trying to make it tough for him to make shots, which he’s going to make.”

Game 4 tips off tonight at 9 p.m. ET in Miami. The Heat currently lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.

Miami Heat star LeBron James has been selected to the NBA’s first-team All-Defensive Team four times, but Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, also considered one of the league’s best defenders, doesn’t sound too impressed, according to a tweet by Hoopsworld.com‘s Alex Kennedy.

Serge Ibaka: “LeBron is not a good defender. He can play defense for 2-3 minutes but not 48 minutes. LeBron can’t play (Durant) one-on-one."

—
Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 19, 2012

James and the Heat have received plenty of credit for their defense throughout the series. Durant is the three-time reigning NBA scoring champion, so not many people have proven able to guard him one-on-one.

Ibaka’s comments, though, are still certain to draw attention heading into tonight’s Game 4.

Two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning says he understands what Heat forward LeBron James is going through. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

When New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he was an elite quarterback last summer, he got his fair share of snickers and laughs.  No one was laughing months later when he led the Giants to their second Super Bowl title.

In the NBA, it’s no secret that Miami Heat forward LeBron James has his doubters one minute and high praise the next.

“You can see that with LeBron and what’s going on in the NBA Finals, you lose one game, they are all over. They win the second game, everybody loves him,” Manning told ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” radio program. “Each week, depending (on) every game, you are either the best or you are terrible. It is so extreme.”

His advice for James: “The most important thing you can do is concentrate on being prepared for each game, being mentally strong, having the confidence in yourself that you are going to go out there and make all the plays, and when you are put in that position, you try to do it.”

James scored 32 points in Game 2 of NBA Finals to tie the series 1-1 with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Mike Tyson is starring in a video tribute to Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant, as reported by SportsGrid.com.

The tribute is a sequel to a video Tyson made earlier in June about the Miami Heat’s LeBron James. Both of the songs premiered on the Jimmy Kimmel Show while the two stars do battle in the NBA Finals, which now stands tied at one a piece heading into Sunday’s Game 3 in Miami.

The song that Tyson performs in the video is called, “Dr. Shootgood,” a spoof of Motley Crue’s 1989 hit single, “Dr. Feelgood.”

Lyrics from Tyson’s song about Durant include:

“He’s got a 24-karat smile that all the girls can enjoy, and he run off the court and kiss his mama like a sissy boy.”

The video can be seen here:

Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees said he is cheering for the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and feels Lebron James’ “pain more than anybody.” (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Alex Rodriguez said he is pulling for the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and sympathizes with LeBron James and how he’s been vilified since his infamous 2010 departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to comments Rodriguez made on the radio during the Michael Kay Show before the Heat’s Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder:

“Sometimes I feel so bad for him,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like I feel his pain more than anybody….

“LeBron is definitely under the microscope,” Rodriguez said. “He is going to be judged on whether he wins a championship. So, yeah, I’m really hoping he gets this one behind him, and I’m cheering for the Heat, but ’09 was a career changer for me.”

A-Rod referenced 2009 when he helped the New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies for the teams 27th World Series win, saying that things turned around for him then and that he wishes the same for LeBron this year:

“It’s not fun being the villain. It sucks. Pre ’09, it felt like I was the villain all the time. Post ’09, everywhere I go, on the road, at home, walking the streets of New York, I have so much good will, so much fan base, so much support. I really hope LeBron gets his championship so things turn around for him, too. He’s a great kid.”

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra hinted at starting Chris Bosh for Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and will rest Lebron James and Dwyane Wade more. (Garrett Ellwood/Getty Images)

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday that he will be using a deeper rotation for Game 2 of the NBA Finals to heed the call of Lebron James’ need for more rest and will use Chris Bosh “more like we used him in the regular season,” according to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols.

After the teams loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, James said that Spoelstra needs to expect more from his bench to give him, Wade and Battier more rest, according to AP sports reporter Jeff Latzke:

We know we have to have more production for sure,” said James, who had never scored more than 25 points in his two previous finals appearances. “We have to have more guys in there to give me and D-Wade a rest, and Shane (Battier). Shane played a lot of minutes. But Spo will figure that out.”

James has been averaging nearly 43 minutes per game in the 2012 NBA playoffs, and over 45 minutes per game in five of the last seven playoff games.

James said following Wednesday’s practice that he needs more help from Wade also, according to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News:

Sometimes I go to him and tell him I need one of those games from him,’’ James said before the Heat’s practice. “He knows he still has it, too, but every player needs a little kick every now and then, no matter how time-tested they are. I continue to try to let him know how important he is to the team, which he should know, but he also needs to be D-Wade and not worry about deferring as much.

 

Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra hinting at a lineup change? Says Chris Bosh will be used "more like we used him in the regular season."—
Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 14, 2012

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson showed off his vocal chops with Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday night, performing a song written for Miami Heat forward LeBron James.

Tyson, who revealed his musical abilities in The Hangover, sang lyrics including:

“LeBron James is great.

He makes Cleveland irate.

He was born in Ohio,

and that’s where Cleveland is.

You see the irony

Hehehe.”

Lebron James’ historic performance in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night became the highest rated NBA game ever on cable television. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images)

LeBron James turned in a 45-point, 15-rebound, 5-assist performance on his way to leading the Miami Heat to a crucial Game 6 win in Boston over the Celtics on Thursday night, and the broadcast became the highest rated NBA game on cable television since records were first kept in 2003, according to a report from SportsBusinessDaily.com:

ESPN earned an 8.2 overnight Nielsen rating for Thursday night’s Heat-Celtics NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game Six, marking the best overnight ever for an NBA game on cable TV, with records dating back to ’03.

The report says that the 8.2 rating bests the previous record set by Game 4 of the same series from earlier in June.  By comparison, Game 6 of the Boston Celtics-Orlando Magic Eastern Conference playoff series in 2010 drew a 5.5 rating.

James and the Heat will host the Celtics on Saturday night for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The winner will go on to play Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, which begins on June 12.

Even though the Boston Celtics were down 20 points to the Miami Heat late in the fourth quarter, their fans continued to show their support.

For more than four minutes, the crowd chanted, “Let’s go, Celtics.” It could be their last chance to see the team on its home floor this season. In order for the team to return to Boston, it will need to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road in Miami on Saturday.

All fan behavior was not celebratory Thursday, though. LeBron James appeared to have a drink poured on him as he walked to the locker room after the game.

Lebron James and Dwyane Wade say they’re not listening to the negative attention heading into Thursday’s potentially season-ending game against the Celtics in Boston. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Lebron James and Dwyane Wade brushed aside criticisms after Thursday’s team shootaround about the Miami Heat potentially losing the Eastern Conference Finals following the team’s Game 5 home loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, according to Ethan Skolnick of The Palm Beach Post:

I don’t hear it until I get around you guys, because I don’t really get involved,” LeBron James said after Thursday’s shootaround. [Y]ou know how long me and my friends have been hearing things about me? We don’t let it bother us at this point. We’ve heard way too much over the years… So it’s nothing for us.”

The Heat are now down in the series 2-3 heading into Thursday nights game in Boston. Wade said he and his teammates aren’t bad people despite all of the negative attention his team has received this season, particularly during the conference finals, amid expectations for a championship:

“Like I continue to say, the world, everyone has an opinion, everyone can use their opinion,” Wade said. “The only thing I’m concerned about is every individual guy. I mean, I know every individual guy in this locker room is a good individual person. Whether you like us together as a group, that’s for you to decide. But as individual people, we’re not bad people at all. So you can’t necessarily worry about it.

I guess, when you decide, especially this year coming off of last year, when you decide to to sign up for this, you kind of should know what you’re signing up for. When it’s great, it’s great. When it’s not, it’s not. Ain’t no ifs, ands or buts about it. Ain’t no gray area, ain’t no in between. I don’t know. I think everybody came in with the right mentality, because every day they came in and worked, and they have the same goals that we all have. That’s to compete and win a championship. That’s all you can ask for. We don’t have bad character guys.”

Lebron James became the youngest player to score 3,000 points in a playoff game in the Heat’s Game 4 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images)

Lebron James became the youngest player in NBA history to score 3,000 points in a playoff game in the Miami Heat’s Game 4 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, 156 days after his 27th birthday.

Perhaps to no surprise, he’s in pretty good company. In descending order, from the next youngest onward, the list reads: Kobe Bryant, who scored his 3,000th point at 28-years-old, Michael Jordan and Shaq. Larry Bird is now the fifth youngest player to reach the plateau.

Last night also marked the first time in his career that James fouled out of a playoff game. He hadn’t fouled out of any games, including the regular season, since April 2008.

The good folks at ScoutsFocus.com interrupt the NBA playoffs with video of seven-year-old LeBron James Jr. getting juked  by a crossover dribble from nine-year-old Jalen Smith of Orlando during an AAU game.

At that age, even a one-year difference can result in significant physical advantages, so let’s not be too quick to write off LeBron Jr. Indeed, ScoutsFocus.com’s tweet linking to the video indicates that Little LeBron is not without skills.

Lebron James Jr, 7, get's crossed up and falls, but hes a talent nonetheless. fb.me/1NuXPHi1h—
Joe Davis (@scoutsfocus) June 01, 2012

Stay tuned for a ridiculously detailed interview with Smith about his basketball future. (He wants to play for — wait for it — Kentucky.)

According to multiple reports, injured Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh took part in light, on-court workouts a day ahead of the team’s Eastern Conference finals series against the Boston Celtics.

ESPN.com’s Michael Wallace reports that Bosh “was observed going through an on-court workout at AmericanAirlines Arena late Sunday afternoon.” Ira Winderman, the Heat beat writer for the Sun Sentinel, also reported shortly after on Twitter of Bosh’s workout.

Sun Sentinel confirms through source that Chris Bosh participated in light workout on AmericanAirlines Arena main bowl Sunday.

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) May 28, 2012

Bosh has been out since May 13, when he suffered a strain in an abdominal muscle during Game 1 of the Heat’s series against the Indiana Pacers. The Heat eventually prevailed over a tough challenge from the Pacers, winning the series 4-2.

But head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that he was going into the series as if Bosh would not be available. Bosh’s official diagnosis remains as out “indefinitely.”

Pat Riley, the Heat’s team president, also reportedly attended Bosh’s on-court workouts.

Earlier on Sunday, Spoelstra gave no indication that Bosh would be a factor anytime soon, Wallace reported.

“I’m not even preparing for that right now,” Spoelstra said earlier Sunday when asked about Bosh’s status for the series. “I’m preparing for who we have in the gym. So our focus is (Monday). And that’s all I can concentrate on. We have enough to win (Monday). That’s all that any of our guys should be focused on.”

LeBron James thinks Rajon Rondo could be the X-factor in the Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images)

Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski previews the upcoming Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Eastern Conference finals, and in that preview is this nugget — Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers is having point guard Rajon Rondo draw up plays in timeouts.

Wojnarowski outlines the scenario from the Celtics’ Game 7 victory Saturday night over the Philadelphia 76ers:

As soon as Rondo walked toward the huddle for fourth-quarter timeouts, Rivers met him far from the bench, and leaned into his ear to tell him the play call that the coach planned to diagram in the timeout. Only, Rivers wanted Rondo to do it himself. Go to the huddle, grab the clipboard and draw it up for teammates.

“So when I get into the timeout, they’ve already seen it once,” Rivers said. “That’s how good he is: He can draw it up, just like I can draw it up.”

Rondo was instrumental late in Game 7 to propel the Celtics to an Eastern Conference finals berth against the Heat and its tandem of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. Rondo finished with a triple-double — 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists — and hit two clutch jumpers (one 3-pointer) late to help seal the Celtics’ victory.

According to the Miami Herald, James thinks that keeping Rondo at bay is perhaps the X-factor in the series, which begins Monday at 8:30.

“No one can figure out how to defend Rondo,” LeBron James said. “He’s a unique player, a guy that breaks the defense down and creates for himself and creates for his teammates every single night.

“No one has the blueprint on how to guard him. You just try to limit his ability to score and limit his ability to find those open guys.”

LeBron James of the Miami Heat was voted to the All-NBA First Team on Wednesday for the fifth consecutive season. (Issac Baldizon/Getty Images)

The NBA announced its All-NBA First Team on Thursday, highlighted by the Heat’s LeBron James and the Thunder’s Kevin Durant.  Chris Paul of the Clippers, the Lakers Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard of the Magic rounded out the team.

Derrick Rose, last seasons MVP, and Deron Williams, were two notable omissions from the three teams selected by the NBA.  Despite having one of the best records all season, none of the Chicago Bulls were selected to any of the teams. Bryant joins the All-NBA first team for the seventh consecutive season and 10th time overall. James joins the team for the fifth consecutive season, sixth overall.

The All-NBA Second Team is comprised of the Wolves Kevin Love, Blake Griffin of the Clippers, Andrew Bynum of the Lakers, Tony Parker of the Spurs and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder.

Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler of the Knicks were named to the All-NBA Third Team, along with the Celtics Rajon Rondo, the Mavs Dirk Nowitzki and the Heat’s Dwayne Wade.

The following is the complete NBA.com list of other players who received votes  but who were not selected to the top three teams:

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland, 55; Marc Gasol, Memphis, 52; Derrick Rose, Chicago, 44; Josh Smith, Atlanta, 33; Paul Pierce, Boston, 31; Al Jefferson, Utah, 30; Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers, 27; Steve Nash, Phoenix, 24; Kevin Garnett, Boston, 22; Tim Duncan, San Antonio, 18; Joe Johnson, Atlanta, 16; Deron Williams, New Jersey, 14; Rudy Gay, Memphis, 10; James Harden, Oklahoma City, 8; Luol Deng, Chicago, 5; Roy Hibbert, Indiana, 5; Manu Ginobili, San Antonio, 3; Danny Granger, Indiana, 3; Joakim Noah, Chicago, 3; Monta Ellis, Milwaukee, 2; Chris Bosh, Miami, 2; Luis Scola, Houston, 2; Marcin Gortat, Phoenix, 2; Paul Millsap, Utah, 2; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City, 2; David Lee, Golden State, 1; and DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento, 1.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says his players have taken more than a dozen head shots from the Indiana Pacers this year. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra drew attention Thursday to the number of shots to the head he says his players have taken from the Indiana Pacers this season, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel‘s Ira Winderman. 

In particular, he seemed irritated that officials have ignored hard fouls against Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

“The league does not have a problem with hard fouls on our two main guys. In nine games now, there’s been over a dozen hard fouls to the face, some of the tomahawk variety,” he said of his team’s regular-season and postseason games against the Pacers. “Some of them have drawn blood.”

The comments come in the aftermath of a physical Game 5. Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough drew a flagrant foul for a hard hit on Wade. Less than a minute later, Heat forward Udonis Haslem committed a flagrant against Hansbrough.

James blamed the escalation on the referees not ejecting Hansbrough. “I mean Hansbrough, it’s not the first time that he went after one of our players this year,” James said. He added. “He definitely wasn’t going for the ball. All you’ve got to do is look at the play and see exactly where he was headed for. He walked right away. He knew exactly what he had done.”

Later in the game, Miami’s Dexter Pittman leveled Lance Stephenson with a forearm to the chin. Stephenson had drawn attention for making a “choke” sign after LeBron James missed a free throw in Game 3.

Haslem was suspended for one game, and Pittman was suspended for three.

Larry Bird thought his Pacers were “soft” against the Heat on Tuesday. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

After the Miami Heat’s 115-83 drubbing of the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night, Pacers team president Larry Bird was upset with the way his team played, reports Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.

“I can’t believe my team went soft,” Bird told Wells over the phone. “S-O-F-T. I’m disappointed. I never thought it would happen.”

Tuesday’s game was marred by three flagrant fouls, two on Miami players.

Miami’s LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had another strong game, scoring 58 combined points despite sitting out parts of the fourth quarter. Pacers center Roy Hibbert told reporters afterwards that the Miami duo looked like they were in an “And-1 mix tape out there. They were just dunking, having fun and doing whatever the hell they wanted.”

The Heat will look to close the series Thursday in Game 6 in Miami.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat moves against Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. (Getty Images)

Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger has drawn a technical foul in the last three games of his team’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat. Those technicals were issued because of altercations between Granger and Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. At Tuesday morning’s shootaround, James fought back verbally against Granger, according to USA Today.

“It’s not going to work, whatever he’s trying,” James said. “It’s not getting me off my game either. I don’t know what he’s trying, honestly. It doesn’t matter to me.

“Nobody’s fighting on the basketball court. C’mon. No one’s going to fight. I’m not going to fight because I mean too much to our team, and I can’t afford to be suspended for a game or do something stupid to get me kicked out of a playoff game.”

“If he’s trying to do it for his own self confidence … He’s told you guys already, ‘I’m not scared of LeBron.’ So I guess he’s doing it for his own psyche. I don’t know. It’s stupid.”

In the same article, Granger admitted that his on-court attitude is meant to act as an inspiration for his team.

“There is a line, and I’m tiptoeing it,” Granger said. “But I think it’s just a product of the chip that I think I have on my shoulder, that we have on our shoulder as a team of not being respected, not just this series but all year.”

Game Five of the best-of-seven series tips off tonight at 8 p.m. ET. The series is currently tied at two games apiece.

The Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat have had a hotly contested series, complete with altercations between the teams’ stars Danny Granger and LeBron James.

Granger, for his part, told ESPN that he doesn’t plan to back down from LeBron.

“That’s part of basketball. That’s part of two men battling,” Granger said of the altercations. “I’m not going to back down from anybody and he’s not going to back down from anybody. And when you get that, you’ll get some altercations.”

The Pacers have a surprising 2-1 series lead.

The Los Angeles Lakers were questionable in their execution down the stretch last night in Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as Metta World Peace could have set up superstar teammate Kobe Bryant for a game-winning shot, but instead he passed to Steve Blake and Blake missed the clutch jumper.

The Lakers have been scrutinized today because of the result, but was the play a bad one in theory? Not according to another NBA superstar with a dubious reputation for deferring in the fourth quarter.

“I thought it was a great play,” LeBron James said today, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “You guys know my answer. I thought it was a great play.”

“Those are the same shots that Derek Fisher has hit multiple times for the Lakers. And if Steve Blake makes that shot, then it’s a whole different storyline. You guys know how it works. I think it was a great play. Ron Artest made the perfect play, and [Blake] just missed it. You make that shot, you miss it, the storyline gets changed.”

The Lakers lost last night at 0KC, 77-75, to fall behind 2-0 in their conference semifinal series; meanwhile LeBron has a Game 3 of his own to focus on. The Miami Heat visit the Indiana Pacers tonight to resume their Eastern Conference playoff series.

In winning the NBA MVP trophy this weekend, his third such honor in the last four seasons, LeBron James entered into an elite group of the NBA’s all-time greatest players. That being the case, another member of that group praised LeBron for his magnificent season — Larry Bird, one of the other seven players in history to win three MVPs.

“LeBron is just spectacular,” Bird told Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun Sentinel today. “He’s had a great year. He’s our best player in the league. This is his time of year.”

Bird and James share the exclusive three-MVP club with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone. Bird won his three awards consecutively, in 1984, ’85 and ’86; James has nearly equaled that feat with MVPs in 2009, ’10 and ’12 with a second-place finish in 2011.

While Bird lauds James this week, he’s also trying to beat him. Bird’s Indiana Pacers currently trail LeBron James’ Miami Heat 1-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat was happy to accept the third MVP trophy of his career this afternoon, but he made no secret of one thing that would make him even happier.

“It didn’t take another MVP trophy for me to want an NBA championship,” James said at his acceptance speech today in Miami, according to NBA.com. “I’d give all three back if I could win a championship.”

James easily won this year’s honors, earning 85 of 121 first-place votes to beat out Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker and others. Having averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for the dominant Heat, he was an easy choice.

But the other thing LeBron did this season was turn 27, and he remains ringless in this, his ninth NBA season. The pressure is building as LeBron and the Heat take on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, beginning tomorrow in Miami.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone are the only other players in NBA history to win three or more MVPs. All seven are Hall of Famers; they all also have at least one championship.

Miami Heat forward LeBron James doesn’t think this year’s NBA champion should have an asterisk attached to their season because of the lockout, according to ESPN.com.

“I don’t think that’s right to say,” James said. “I’m not going to get involved in it. Every team works hard no matter if it’s a lockout year or not. There’s not much of a difference between 82 games and 66 games.”

The NBA had to cut its regular season to 66 games instead of 82, and there is talk that this season will have a stigma attached to it like the last lockout season in 1998-99, when San Antonio won the championship, according to ESPN.com.

“I don’t discredit the effort San Antonio had when they won it in ’99 after the lockout,” James said. “We all know Gregg Popovich is an unbelievable coach and Tim Duncan is an unbelievable player. It shouldn’t matter. They won multiple (titles) after that so are we going to say that first one wasn’t good enough? I don’t think that’s true at all.”

James and the Heat are one of the favorites to win this year’s championship and currently lead the New York Knicks 3-0 in their first round series.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant told The Oklahoman that he thinks LeBron James of the Miami Heat deserves the league’s Most Valuable Player award this season.

“He deserves all the love (for MVP),” Durant said. “He’s playing phenomenal basketball. I’m just trying to get better every single game and trying to help my team as much as I can. I’m just blessed to be in that conversation.”

Durant’s comments came after a double overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in which the Thunder had blown an 18 point lead. Durant had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but missed a last second three point attempt.

The fifth year star is averaging 27.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, which has helped lead Oklahoma City to the second best record in the Western Conference (46-18). He currently is tied as the league leader in scoring with Kobe Bryant.

James, who is averaging 27.2 points per contest, currently ranks third in scoring. He is also averaging 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.

LeBron James and Pat Riley performed karaoke last night at a Shane Battier charity event, The Basketball Jones reports.

LeBron wore a wig and sang Rick James’ “Super Freak.”

Riley, the team’s president, sang the Temptations, “My Girl.”

Miami Heat forward LeBron James has an injured ring finger on his left hand, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard.

According to Broussard, the severity of the injury is unknown, but it could be a dislocation. James did not practice on Tuesday.

James injured his hand during the first half of Monday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, according to Broussard. James had it taped and iced his finger after the game.

James is averaging 26.7 points, 6.6 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game for Miami this season.

The Miami Heat have come together to support a political cause — voicing their support for the family of slain teenager Trayvon Martin, the Heat have posed together in hooded sweatshirts, making a profound point about racial stereotypes in America.

LeBron James tweeted the photo today — the Heat star and his teammates posed with hoodies on, their hands in their pockets and heads down, mimicking the posture of Martin, the 17-year-old boy shot and killed a month ago by neighborhood-watch captain George Zimmerman. Zimmerman claims he shot Martin in self-defense; the Heat have argued that the black teenager was unfairly stereotyped.

James’ teammate Dwyane Wade told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that not only does the Martin incident offend him as a black man, but it hits him as a father as well.

“No matter what color, race, we’re all fathers,” Wade said. “When you think about what that family’s going through, it hits you hard, and it hurts your heart to think about it. Just anything you can do — obviously we can’t bring him back, but anything you can do to get behind and support is what we’re doing.”

The Heat as a team also released a statement about Martin, who was killed in nearby Sanford, Fla.

“Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Trayvon Martin for their loss and for everyone involved in this terrible tragedy,” the statement read. “We support our players and join them in hoping that their images and our logo can be part of the national dialogue and can help in our nation’s healing.”

When asked if he had ever had a concussion, Miami Heat superstar LeBron James told reporters; “No.  I’m too tough for that.”

The question came after James suffered a collision with small forward Grant Hill in the final minute of a 99-95 win against the Phoenix Suns. According to reports, James was on the ground for nearly two minutes after the blow.

James’ teammate Dexter Pittman told Fox Sports that he wasn’t worried about his star forward.

“Not really,” he said. “I know the guy is like the Terminator, he bounces back up. He’s like this creepy, scary guy, Mike Myers, in a movie whenever he gets knocked around. I knew he was going to get up.”

James finished the game with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

As discussion of Dwight Howard has become ubiquitous around the NBA rumor mill this season, pundits have been eager to compare the story of the star Orlando Magic big man to the sagas of other big-name players that have changed hands in recent years — most notably that of LeBron James, who left the Cleveland Cavaliers two summers ago.

But LeBron spoke out against those comparisons today, saying he didn’t like hearing his name lumped in with Howard in discussions of notable NBA exoduses.

“I think his situation is totally different from mine,” James told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel today. “Everyone keeps comparing all these guys’ situations to mine. I fulfilled my contract in Cleveland. I was an unrestricted free agent, and I was a free agent. I could have done whatever I wanted to do; I could have signed back with the Cavs or leave.”

James signed with the Miami Heat after making his much-scrutinized “Decision” on national TV on July 9, 2010. Unlike several of the other big names to change hands in recent years — guys like Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul — LeBron refused to create a distraction for his team during the regular season, instead handling his business privately over the summer.

“Dwight’s situation is they were going down to the deadline,” James pointed out. “I mean, all these other guys going down trade deadline or getting traded, or saying they want to opt in or opt out, my situation is totally different from everyone else’s.

“I think the best thing about [Howard] is he’s happy. The organization is happy that he’s staying, and they can move on with their season. But none of their situations — not Chris Paul, not Carmelo Anthony, not Dwight Howard — none of their situations is like mine.”

The Miami Heat are obviously no strangers to making superstar recruiting calls — and that being the case, LeBron James is interested in saying a little something to blockbuster NFL free agent Peyton Manning. Why not take your talents to South Beach, Peyton?

“I’m just sayin’,” James told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel after last night’s win over the Hawks. “Dolphins need a quarterback, and Peyton’s available.”

James, of course, made a similar high-profile free agent signing in South Florida two years ago — he made his infamous “Decision” on July 8, 2010 and signed that summer for six years and $110 million. The following year, the local baseball team followed suit, as the Marlins inked monster deals with newcomers Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle.

The two-time NBA MVP is hoping the Dolphins will follow the trend.

“I’m a Miami Heat player, and I want Miami sports to be great,” James said. “The U, the Dolphins, the Marlins, the Heat, of course. Peyton Manning is a great player. No matter what happened this past year, his resume speaks for itself and it would be great to have him down here.”

Manning has made 11 Pro Bowls and won four NFL MVPs — he’d be a welcome addition to the South Beach sporting landscape.

LeBron James’ mother, Gloria, reached a plea deal with prosecutors today stemming from an incident at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami last year, TMZ reports.

Last April, James was charged with public intoxication after allegedly assaulting a valet attendant. According to the police report, she was upset that her car was not promptly retrieved.

The deal will reportedly require her to complete 20 hours of community service and to donate $1000 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. She will also be forced to stay away from Rockfeller Sorel, the man she allegedly assaulted.

According to reports, this is not the first time James has been in trouble with the authorities. She was also arrested in 2006 on a Driving Under Intoxication charge.