LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

**Wade2Bosh** · 12-03-2012, 11:23 AM

LeBron James named SI's Sportsman of the Year

Quote:

Pat Riley stood in the mouth of the tunnel at Boston's TD Garden, between the court and the locker room, and waited for the Boat. That's what he calls LeBron James -- "You know," Riley explains, "best of all time" -- an acronym he conjured to remind the planet's preeminent basketball player of frontiers still to be conquered. "Hey, Boat," Riley will say. "How is the Boat doing today?" James will reflexively laugh and shake his head because he is not the Boat, at least not yet. But on that sweaty night at the Garden, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, facing yet another summer cast as the villain foiled, he delivered one of the Boat performances in NBA history. The image of James throughout the game, bent at the waist, staring skyward with pupils pushed to his eyelids, recalled predators of different breeds. "He was primal," Riley says. "He was a cobra, a leopard, a tiger hunched over his kill."

After James had unleashed 45 points, snatched 15 rebounds and sucked all the juice from an expectant crowd, he marched toward Riley, the Heat president who lured him to South Beach two years ago with his six sparkling rings. He was just a few steps from Riley when a 20-something man perched above the tunnel poured what remained of his beer through a net canopy, dousing James's head and jersey. While a national television audience recoiled, Riley was transported back to the 1980s, when he coached the Lakers and rabble-rousers at the old Garden rocked their buses, spit in their faces and once shoved his mother-in-law over a railing.

"I'm a Catholic, and I was an altar boy, so I say my prayers at night and I believe someone up there is taking care of us," Riley begins. "From where I was standing, there was a backlight on LeBron from the arena, and as the [beer] pellets sprayed up in the air, they looked like they were forming a halo over him. This is what I saw: The good Lord was saying, 'LeBron, I'm going to help you through this night because you're a nice person, and I'm going to give you 45 and 15. But as you walk off, I'm going to humble the heck out of you.' And, you know what, that's the best thing that could have happened."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2E1Cdzea4

Congrats to Lebron

Dee-Zy · 12-03-2012, 11:57 AM

Riley is so ****ing gangsta!!!!

Dynasty Raider · 12-03-2012, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade2Bosh

LeBron James named SI's Sportsman of the Year

Congrats to Lebron

Yes ... DITTO ... very well deserved. Congrats LBJ.

**Jamel Irief** · 12-03-2012, 12:06 PM

No hat or headband on the cover shot?

Marcus13 · 12-03-2012, 12:17 PM

LeBron deserves every award an athlete can earn.

Cool blurb from the article too

**Wade County** · 12-03-2012, 02:16 PM

Best quote:

CHRIS BOSH: He took the game by the balls and squeezed.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2E1uTSPU7

**Jace** · 12-03-2012, 02:23 PM

First NBA player to win it since...

Congrats LBJ!

**Wade County** · 12-03-2012, 02:39 PM

Big ups to Lebron. Well deserved.

Still shake my head sometimes thinking that LBJ is a Heat player.

**Jace** · 12-03-2012, 02:49 PM

^

Literally had another wave of that too after looking at that cover.

**Wade2Bosh** · 12-03-2012, 03:01 PM

Riley has some classic quotes sprinkled all over that article.

doctordrizzay · 12-03-2012, 04:00 PM

Had some great competition too

**Wade2Bosh** · 12-03-2012, 04:06 PM

Yup, especially during an Olympic year.

**Jace** · 12-04-2012, 02:23 AM

Just now diving into the article. I think this blurb by the writer says so much about why he's so awesome to watch:

Quote:

James has become an entry on a bucket list, a spectacle you have to see at least once, whether you crave the violence of sports or the grace, the force or the finesse. He attracts the casual fan with his ferocious dunks and the junkie with his sublime pocket passes. He is a Hollywood blockbuster with art-house appeal.

Well said.

Quote:

LeBRON JAMES: You know how in school, around the classroom, there's always the alphabet? The capital A and lower case A has an apple. The capital B and lower case B has a ball. I always looked at the L, because of my name, and it had a lion. That's why I love lions. The look they're talking about is the look lions get when they're seeking prey and it's time to feast.

Always thought it was because of the "King of the jungle" thing.

Smithian · 12-04-2012, 07:05 AM

Pimp daddy.

Play more defense please.

Adam · 12-04-2012, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jace

Just now diving into the article. I think this blurb by the writer says so much about why he's so awesome to watch:

Well said.

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Always thought it was because of the "King of the jungle" thing.

Those quotes kind of irritate me because a lot of the people saying that don't have the right. Guys like Wilbon, Stephen A. Smith, Bayless, and all the fans that boo'd him (Sacramento? What did LeBron do to Sacramento?) and dumped beer on him are now celebrating him? Meh.

12-03-2012, 11:57 AM	#2 (permalink)
Dee-Zy Legend Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: mtl Posts: 11,094 Rep Power: 5792515	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year Riley is so ****ing gangsta!!!! __________________ Social Media Marketing - NBA Players on Twitter Champions.

12-03-2012, 12:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jamel Irief KING OF THE INTERWEBZ! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Watching the Lakers Age: 96 Posts: 20,190 Rep Power: 14125348	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year No hat or headband on the cover shot? __________________

12-03-2012, 12:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
Marcus13 Jesus Shuttlesworth Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indianapolis Age: 25 Posts: 13,977 Rep Power: 3023600	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year LeBron deserves every award an athlete can earn. Cool blurb from the article too __________________

12-03-2012, 02:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
Wade County 2012 NBA Champions! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 25 Posts: 23,483 Rep Power: 2796527	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year Best quote: CHRIS BOSH: He took the game by the balls and squeezed. Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2E1uTSPU7 __________________ Formerly BG44 & MB30

12-03-2012, 02:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
Jace X V I Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miami/Raleigh Age: 27 Posts: 15,961 Rep Power: 2677067	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year First NBA player to win it since... Congrats LBJ! __________________ Jace's soundcloud

12-03-2012, 02:39 PM	#8 (permalink)
Wade County 2012 NBA Champions! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 25 Posts: 23,483 Rep Power: 2796527	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year Big ups to Lebron. Well deserved. Still shake my head sometimes thinking that LBJ is a Heat player. __________________ Formerly BG44 & MB30

12-03-2012, 02:49 PM	#9 (permalink)
Jace X V I Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Miami/Raleigh Age: 27 Posts: 15,961 Rep Power: 2677067	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year ^ Literally had another wave of that too after looking at that cover. __________________ Jace's soundcloud

12-03-2012, 03:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
Wade2Bosh Moderator Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: MIAMI Posts: 38,019 Rep Power: 5463745	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year Riley has some classic quotes sprinkled all over that article. __________________

12-03-2012, 04:00 PM	#11 (permalink)
doctordrizzay Veteran Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 2,322 Rep Power: 0	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year Had some great competition too __________________ Miami Heat won't go 16-0 in post season.

12-03-2012, 04:06 PM	#12 (permalink)
Wade2Bosh Moderator Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: MIAMI Posts: 38,019 Rep Power: 5463745	Re: LeBron named SI's Sportsman of the Year Yup, especially during an Olympic year. __________________

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