Added: Part 1 - On the Court
- LeBron on making the fans wish come true by starting for All-Star Game
- LeBron says he won't be Rusty for Knicks game (ended up shooting 7-24)
Previous update: Jan. 13, 2010
- LeBron on his Hurt Ankle
- LeBron on Denying his Karma Tweet to the Cavs
- LeBron on the Cavs deserving Karma for 55 point loss in LA
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Credit for contributing: Jack Bauer, SP Fever, Ne 1, Conker, LMerion, Eidos, Just Saying, No Offense, Andrewww, Hermitkid, SkyHook, BallAboveAll, AK47DR91, Lj4mvp, expired_meme, crisoner, Noah Rose, katarin
Part 1: On the Court (During Season):
Post Game Interviews, Locker Room Interviews, In Game Quotes, Practice Quotes, etc.
LeBron on making the fans wish come true by starting for All-Star Game:
“It is very humbling for myself,” James said. “To continue to showcase my talent, and the fans to respect that is humbling. It is an opportunity for them (the fans) to have their wish list come true.”
LeBron says he won't be Rusty for Knicks game (ended up shooting 7-24):
"We've got two guys playing on our team that really enjoy playing in (Madison Square Garden)," James deadpanned [hinting between himself and Wade]. "I don't know where they are right now, but we've got two guys on this team who thrive on playing in the Garden so I don't think we'll be rusty."
LeBron on his Hurt Ankle:
"There's no damage, I got an X-ray after the game. The doctor told me it's day-to-day so I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I don't have to be a hero in the regular season if I'm not close to 100 percent."
LeBron on Denying his Karma Tweet to the Cavs:
"It's just how I was feeling at the time," James said. "It wasn't even a comment from me, it was someone who sent it to me and I sent it out. It wasn't toward THAT team. It definitely wasn't a good showing by that team last night, I know they wish they would've played better."
The entry on James' Twitter account did NOT indicate it was a re-tweet from another user.
James also did not fully explain the meaning behind the statement, though he did say that karma is a word and concept "I've kinda always used my whole life."
"I don't think there was intent at all," James said.
"I think everyone looks into everything I say. Everybody looks too far into it. No hit toward that organization. I've moved on and hopefully that organization is continuing to move on. But I'm happy where I am as a Miami Heat player."
LeBron on the Cavs deserving Karma for 55 point Loss in LA:
"Crazy. Karma is a b****. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"
LeBron on Loving the Boos:
“I like boos, I don’t have a problem with the boos,” James said. “I’ve grown accustomed to it. I enjoy it.”
LeBron on calling his team The Heatles (Garnett's Ceatles in '07):
"We call ourselves the ‘Heatles' like the Beatles," said James.
In 2007, Celtics forward Kevin Garnett called the newly-assembled Boston Celtics the "Ceatles".
LeBron on Not Knowing what Contraction meant:
"That's crazy, because I had no idea what the word 'contraction' meant before I saw it on the Internet," James said after the Miami Heat's practice Monday. "I never even mentioned that. That word never even came out of my mouth. I was just saying how the league was back in the '80s and how it could be good again. I never said, 'Let's take some of the teams out.'"
LeBron on the League would be better with Contraction:
"You look back at it in the '80s," James said before Thursday night's game against the Phoenix Suns, "you had probably 10 teams that had two or three All-Stars on one team, at least. You go from Portland, you go of course to the Bulls, the Lakers, Detroit, Boston, Houston. That's why it was great. That's what I'm saying."
Asked if he was suggesting contraction, as has been offered as a possibility from Commissioner David Stern amid the league's contentious negotiations for a new collective-bargaining agreement, James said, "That's not my job as a player, but that's why the league was so great."
"Just imagine if you could take Kevin Love off Minnesota and add him to another team," he said. "Or, looking at some of the teams that's not that great, you take Brook Lopez or you take Devin Harris off these teams that's not that good right now and add 'em to a team that could be really good.
"I'm not saying, 'Let's take New Jersey, let's take Minnesota out of the league.' But, hey you guys are not stupid. I'm not stupid. I know what would be great for the league."
LeBron on Looking Forward to 2011:
"I'll continue to get better. I'll continue to win. Someday, I hope to bring championships to this franchise. And off the court, I want to keep inspiring kids. I don't want them to be LeBron. I want them to be better than LeBron."
LeBron on why he nor Dwyane Wade would win MVP:
"When we decided to come together our Most Valuable Player chances kind of went out the window."
LeBron on why LeBron's shoes are better than Kobe's:
LeBron James' LeBron 8 V/2, which has a suggested price of $160, and Kobe Bryant's Zoom Kobe VI, which retails for $130. So the natural question is: Why in the heck does the Miami star's shoe sell for $30 more?
"Yeah, it's a better shoe,'' James said Friday. "But we're all one Nike family.''
So why is it a better shoe?
"Because it's LeBron's shoe", said James. "It is, it's got my name on it. I take pride in my shoes every year and I've always taken pride in having the best shoe. So they're going to cost a little more if you decide to wear them.''
LeBron on passing up the Cavs, Clippers, Nets, and Knicks:
"Winning appeals to me, it is all about winning, I said it all summer," James said. "I'm not about saving franchises."
LeBron on not being scared to be out with New Yorkers:
"No one is going to actually try to come up to me and try to hurt me," James said. "They may wait until I walk down the street and yell it after they've walked past me. I'll go out to eat and if there is something going on Thursday night, I may hang out. No one is going to do anything, I'm a big guy, man."
LeBron on Boobie Gibson's Friendship:
"Did he (Daniel Gibson) say that? Did he actually be quoted as me and LeBron's friendship is over?" James said implying that Gibson felt he was misquoted and said everything is now patched up between the two. "I talked to Daniel today and it is all good. We're still friends."
LeBron on Ex-Teammates Ignoring LeBron:
"I didn't expect too much, I didn't ask for too much for any of my ex-teammates, " James said. "For the most part, everyone's reception was kind of cold."
LeBron clarifying "Continuing his Greatness in Miami" Quote:
"Did a post game interview with Craig Sager and I mentioned "Greatness" and I didn't mean my self individually, I meant to say US as a TEAM working towards "Greatness". Anyways Great Team Win for US tonight!"
LeBron Moving on from Cleveland to Continue his Greatness in Miami:
"We tried our best as a team. Tried our best to bring a championship to (Cleveland) and just tried to play hard every night. I have the utmost respect for this franchise, the utmost respect for these fans, and you know, just continue the greatness for myself here in Miami and try to get better every day."
LeBron not Apologizing for "The Decision" because it was Solely for the Kids:
"I don't want to apologize," he said. "I think my intentions were not to hurt anyone. My intentions were solely on kids during that whole process. There's always ways you can correct them or ways you can do them better. At the end of the day, I live with them. I'm satisfied and happy right now."
LeBron's Assessment of his 1st Game against his Former Team:
"I know this court. I've made a lot of shots on this court."
LeBron on why he and Wade are playing Better Together:
"He (Wade) stopped trying to figure out if it’s his time or my time,” James said about Wade’s recent improvement. “He had a lot on his mind at times. He’s just trying to figure this out instead of just going out and playing. And that’s the same for me too. We’re both in those instances where we were both trying to figure things out at the same time and we’re kind of hurting the team.”
LeBron on why Chris Bosh is Playing Better;:
“I just think he (Bosh) stopped thinking about misses,” James said. “He just stopped trying to figure out 'Well, is it my time, or is it his time?' He's just been going out and playing. You know he has a lot on his mind trying to figure this out instead of just going out and playing. Now, we're just playing, and it's shown in the point differential when we're all out on the court together.”
LeBron on Nomination for 2010 “Person of the Year”:
”I am who I am, and I think I'm in a position of my life where I'm going to get better every day, but it's too much. That's just crazy,'' James said. ''What those guys did, the courage and what they stood for, I should be nowhere near that list. Nowhere near it.''
LeBron on trying to Mesh with teammate Dwyane Wade:
"I think it's slow right now. For seven years, we're used to having the ball. We talked a lot recently, just trying to figure this thing out and do what's best for ourselves individually and what's best for the team. It's something that we're making progress with."
LeBron on why Changing his Game makes him Just a Role Player:
“No, I can’t change my game dramatically and I don’t think (Dwyane Wade) can either,” LeBron said. “It doesn’t make any sense to do that. I’m not going to.” He paused adding: “I’d just be a role player at that point.”
LeBron at Media Day of Heat Training Camp:
“The game of basketball is fun,” James said. "The game will always be fun to me. I can’t wait to get out to practice tomorrow. But it’s all about business for me. It’s less antics and more about the game of basketball. We’re ready.”
LeBron after Heat's 93-77 loss to the Pacers:
"We need to have more fun. We are lacking two things, that is having fun and having a little bit of swag right now. We are not playing with the same atmosphere, pride and fun as we did early on in the season when we were playing some good ball."
"We're not having fun right now," James later added. "We are not having fun at all."
LeBron on his Assessment of Miami's Big 3:
"Looking on paper, LeBron and Chris and D-Wade are great basketball players."
LeBron after Losing Rematch against Celtics:
"For myself, 44 minutes is too much,” James declared. “I think Coach Spo knows that. Forty minutes for D-Wade is too much. We have to have as much energy as we can to finish games out.”
LeBron in Memphis regarding Hearing Boos wherever he goes:
“Every time you touch the ball you heard boos and every time you make a shot you hear cheers,” James said. “That’s what I heard. The fans come out and support their team. It is funny that Memphis fans, and fans in the league... some of the fans that had nothing to do with what I did, still boo like I was sitting in their room saying I was coming to Memphis,” said James.
LeBron after Rudy Gay sinks Game-Winner against him:
James said he was on Gay's hip the whole time and used his length to contest the shot. He said he felt Gay got out of control, bobbling the ball a bit. "So it allowed me to once again get back in front of him," James said. "If he misses that shot, it's great D, we're going to overtime. If he makes it it's a great shot ... that was the best D we could have had."
LeBron after Carmelo Anthony sinks Game-Winner against him:
“It’s finally me being on the other end I guess,” James said. “I’m so used to being on the other end making shots and looking at guys."
LeBron on 2009 Game 2 vs Magic after a Win:
"I don't take time to look at what I do as an individual while I'm still playing this team game. When I'm done and retired and I'm gone away from the game, I can look back on what I did as an individual. As long as I have 14 teammates, I will never look upon what I do as an individual. That's not how I approach the game."
LeBron on 2009 Game 3 vs Magic after a Loss:
"I'm only one guy," James said. "I took Hedo (Turkoglu) in the first game and Rashard (Lewis) hit the winning shot. I took Rashard in the second game and Hedo hit the shot. If I could clone myself, we'd be all right. But I can't."
LeBron on Not Shaking Hands after Playoffs elimination by Magic:
"I’m a winner. I’m a competitor. That’s what I do. It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand."
LeBron on Not Shaking Dwight Howard's hand and missing Media Interviews:
"I wouldn't have done it the same. I would have [at least] done the media. Without you guys [the media], there is no LeBron James, D-Wade, Tiger Woods or no Peyton Manning," continued James. "But as far as the dunk tape, or whatever car I'm driving, some things you guys shouldn't comment and some things you should. I look at the no handshake like this — during the regular season, no one ever shakes hands. I congratulated Dwight Howard through email and told him good luck in the Finals. Shaking hands is not a big deal to me. It's not being a sore loser, it’s moving on."
LeBron on Boobie Gibson missing Game 6 vs Celtics 2008:
"A LeBron James team is never desperate."
LeBron on getting Booed for 120-88 Blow-out Lost to Celtics 2010:
"I spoil a lot of people with my play," James told ESPN. "When you have a bad game here or there, when you have 3 bad games in a 7-year career, then it's easy to point that [bad] game out."
LeBron on Cleaning Upand Committing to the 2010 Dunk Contest:
"It's got to be cleaned up, they have to go back to maybe the '80s with MJ and Dominique," James said. "You can't have so many chances at dunking the basketball. The whole anticipation of a dunk contest is one or two tries and that's it. If not, you get a score of 30 or 35. Guys are getting 10 opportunities to do the same dunk, by the time they complete it, it is like 'OK, we've seen it.'"
"Right now I'm preliminarily putting my name in the 2010 contest Saturday night," said James before continuing to call himself in the third-person, "LeBron James is saying in 2010, in Dallas Stadium, he will compete."
LeBron on NBA Logo and Players retiring #23:
"I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon," said James. "There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn't Michael Jordan first. He can't get the NBA logo [from Jerry West], and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear No. 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it," James continued. "Now if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear that number."
LeBron on Crab Dribble being called for Travelling:
"You have your trademark play, and that's one of my plays. It kind of looks like a travel because it's slow, and it's kind of a high-step. But it's a one-two just as fluent as any other one-two in this league. I got the wrong end of it, but I think they need to look at it. They need to understand that's not a travel," James said.
LeBron on a Defensive Play against Tracy McGrady:
"On his way up, I got a piece of [McGrady's] arm and also a piece of the ball, which made his shot short [an airball]," James said. "You know, I guess it was a great defensive play."
LeBron when jokingly asked if the shoes given to him by Kobe Bryant helped his game:
“A lot of players know how to play the game, but they really don’t know how to play the game... if you know what I mean. They can put the ball in the hoop, but I see things before they even happen. You know how a guy can make his team so much better? That's one thing I learned from watching Jordan."
LeBron maintaining Stats not Important before his Triple Double was Taken Away:
"I don't go out there for the numbers, I just play my game."
LeBron to Danny Crawford after a Wizards Game:
For the record, James turned to referee Danny Crawford and said: "Danny, they're trying to hurt me!"
After the game, James told the media, "I definitely saw DeShawn coming, but I didn't know that he hit me with a closed fist until one of my teammates told me," James said. "If we were on the park, something definitely would have escalated. If we was on the park where I grew up playing a lot of basketball, something would have happened. They want to hurt LeBron James. It's not going to work."
LeBron on idea of Affordable $15 Sneakers;and Stephan Marbury's response:
Summary: March 28, 2007 - Before the Cavaliers vs Knicks game, LeBron James, whose line of sneakers cost around $120 - $150 a pair, was asked about the idea of affordable $15 sneakers, endorsed by Stephan Marbury.
"Growing up in the inner city, at times families can't afford $120 shoes. It's definitely smart on their part," said James.
Asked if the Nike $90 million man could see himself wearing these snickers, James responded unlikely saying "No, I don't think so. Me being with Nike, we hold our standards high."
Marbury, who is friendly with James, was lacing up his sneakers before the game when informed of LeBron's comment.
"I'd rather own than be owned," said Marbury before taking the court.
Marbury's Knicks beat LeBron's team that night, 97 - 93.
LeBron on 1st Practice with the Heat:
"That's just me," James said of his intensity during practice. "Being around new teammates, you don't want to wear out your welcome on Day 1. But I just can't hold it back because my leadership skills won't allow me to do that."
LeBron on 1st Pre-season Game with the Heat:
"I can't defer," James said. "I'm never in defer mentality."
LeBron on his 1st Pre-season Game back after being Sick:
"I felt a little winded. I ain't gonna lie. I wasn't 100 percent," said James who was recovering from a virus. "If I looked sharp, wait until I get 100 percent."
LeBron on Sharing the Ball:
"I love sharing the ball with my teammates. I see a lot of things before my teammates see them."
LeBron on being More Aggressive with the Ball:
"Sometimes the coaches tell me to be selfish, but my game won’t let me be selfish.”
LeBron on his Role for the Team:
"I've always been a leader. I've always kind of been the tallest person on the team when I was younger, but always kind of the smartest. I was ahead of my time. I wasn't always the oldest, I kind of was the youngest on the team."
LeBron on Being a Leader:
"Everywhere I've been, I've been the best player. I love being a leader, and I love being the best. It's not about being cocky or selfish or anything like that. It's just how I am."
LeBron on Playing in the NBA:
“There's no reason to play in the NBA if you don't believe you can win it all.”
LeBron on his Vision for Cleveland during the 2006 Playoffs:
“I've always felt since I was drafted here that I was going to light [Cleveland] up like Vegas. I said that on Day 1 once I got drafted. It's been slow progress, but it takes a few years to put a building up in Vegas, too.”
LeBron on future of Winning 1st Championship with Cavaliers:
"I've been used to being an automatic winner, just going onto the court knowing no team could beat us. I didn't feel that way my first year in the League. Now I’m at a point where I feel like every time we play, we’re going to win. I’m not saying I know we’re going to win a championship this year. That takes time. It took Jordan seven years, Shaq eight. If we keep getting better, I don’t think I’ll have to wait eight years.”
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Part 2: Off the Court (Off Season)
(Off-Season Summer Quotes, Personal Quotes, Twitter Quotes, etc.)
LeBron on how Easy playing with the Heat will be that Pat Riley can come out of Retirement:
"We're going to challenge each other in practice. And the way we're going to challenge each other to get better in practice, once the game starts, I mean, it's going to be easy. I mean, with me and Dwyane Wade running a wing, Pat could come back and play like he was back in his Kentucky days. Just throw it up there, we're going to get it."
LeBron on new Jersey #6 and bringing a Championship to Miami:
``It just feels right. This marks a new beginning for me. Miami represents a new chapter in my basketball career. I'm really looking forward to it. It's gonna be fun. And I'm gonna do what I can to the best of my ability to bring home a championship to that city.''
LeBron on Heat's Aspirations:
"Not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7. Hey, and when I say that when I say that, I really believe it. I'm not just up here blowing smoke at none of these fans, because that's not what I'm about. I'm about business. And we believe we can win multiple championships."
LeBron on staying Humble:
"LeBron stays humble just by being LeBron."
LeBron on being Humble growing up:
"That's what keeps me humble because I know my background, know what my mother went through. I never get too high on my stardom or what I can do. My mom always says and my friends all say, ’You're just a very low-maintenance guy’. I don't need too much. Glamour and all that stuff don't excite me. I am just glad I have the game of basketball in my life.”
LeBron on being a Role Model
"Once you become a professional athlete or once you do anything well, then you're automatically a role model," says James. "I have no problem being a role model. I love it."
LeBron about girlfriend Savannah, his Baby's Mama:
“A person like myself always needs a great sidekick. And she’s that,” James says. “She’s got my back.”
LeBron on Homosexuality in the NBA:
“We’re like family and you take showers with each other,” James said Wednesday. “We’re on the bus together and we talk about a lot of things and if you’re not trustworthy, like admitting you’re gay, you can’t be trusted. It’s a trust factor.”
LeBron on Re-signing his 2007 extension with Cavaliers:
“If I didn't believe in this team and this organization and the direction that we're headed, I wouldn't have signed the extension.”
LeBron's thoughts about Ring - Chasing:
"It’s also important to me to make the team I’m on now the best," says James about his Cavaliers team. "I don’t want to go "Ring - Chasing" as I call it, you know. Going to a team that’s already pretty established and trying to win a ring with them. I want to stay with the Cavs and build a champion. And I feel like we’re on our way."
LeBron's Assurance he’s Not Leaving Cleveland after 2010 season:
"I’ve been a Cav for seven years now, and I’ve never given any indication I was leaving."
LeBron on his 2010 ESPN “The Decision”:
"In this fall, man this is very though, in this fall, I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and play with the Miami Heat."
LeBron's Farewell to Cleveland on his Website:
“Next year, I will be playing for The Miami Heat. I would like to thank all of my fans for supporting me and I am looking forward to seeing you guys next season as I CHASE the NBA Championship.”
LeBron on why LeBron left Cleveland:
"One thing I didn't want to do was make an emotional decision. I wanted to do what's best for LeBron James and to do what makes LeBron James happy. Put the shoe on the other foot. The Cavs would have gotten rid of me at one point. Would my family burn down their organization? Of course not. This is a business. I've had seven great years in Cleveland."
LeBron on why he Never called the Cavs about his Departure:
“I didn’t talk to anyone personally because I got to a point the last day, I heard so much through out the whole process. The last day I wanted it to be about me.”
LeBron on Donating $2.5 of the $6 million Revenue from ESPN “The Decision” to Boys & Girls Club:
"This is an unbelievable venture for myself. This is great, also for the kids. The kids are our future. One day we might have another LeBron. Maybe."
LeBron on when his new Heat team visits Cleveland:
"Hopefully the fans will be respectful, but at the same time I don't expect that to be. But I gave a lot to the [Cavs] organization, my talents, my seven years. I tried to take them to places where they had never been before."
LeBron on Dan Gilbert:
"I don't think he ever cared about LeBron," James says of Gilbert. "My mother always told me: 'You will see the light of people when they hit adversity. You'll get a good sense of their character' Me and my family have seen the character of that man."
LeBron on his Criticism for the Decision:
"Don't think for one min that I haven't been taking mental notes of everyone taking shots at me this summer. And I mean everyone!"
LeBron on Race Factor in Media Coverage of his Decision:
"I think people are looking too far into [my race comment]. But at the same time, sometimes race does play a part in it. I've said what I had to say, and I'll continue to move on."
LeBron on why LeBron is never on a Lose-Lose but Win-Win Situation:
"In the life I live today, the way I am blessed, the way the man above has given me these God-given abilities, there's no way I'm in a lose-lose situation. Every day I wake up, see my family, my two sons running around loving life, there's no way I'm in a lose-lose situation. I'm going out here playing a game of basketball, the game I love, the game I played as a kid for free, and we still play for free! So there's no lose-lose situation for me. It just so happens we've got cameras and people writing about it. So until you understand who LeBron James is, LeBron James is in a win-win situation, and will continue to be in a win-win situation."
LeBron about the City of Cleveland:
"We didn't actually like Cleveland," says James. "We hated Cleveland growing up. There's a lot of people in Cleveland we still hate to this day."
LeBron on a Possible Return to the Cavaliers:
"If there was an opportunity for me to return to Clevelnd, and those fans welcome me back, that would be a great story."
LeBron on Cavs fans Burning his Jerseys:
"Maybe those ones burning my jerseys were never LeBron fans anyway."
LeBron on Playing for Cleveland fans:
"Cleveland fans are awesome," James told GQ. "But I mean, even my family gets spoiled at times watching me doing things that I do, on and off the court."
LeBron on how he Relates to Upset Fans in his hometown Ohio:
"If I was a fan and I was on the outside looking in, I could be upset a little bit if one of my favorite players left. Or if I felt like he betrayed us or whatever the case may be. But you have to get over it."
LeBron clarifying his "Upset Fans in Ohio" comment on Twitter:
Let's clear this up! I never said to the Cavs fans to "get over it". I've never and will never say anything bad about them. 7 years of joy!
LeBron's First Tweet:
"Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building "Finally"."
LeBron on his Tweeter's Bio:
"King of Akron".
LeBron telling Twitter Nation October 18 is Hater Day:
"Today is Hater Day. Everyone please let them get their 2 mins of fame and light! I Love You Haters. Continue to make me proud of u guys! LOL"
LeBron to ESPN after Re-Tweeting some hater messages on Hater Day:
"I just want you guys to see it also. To see what type of words that are said toward me, and towards us as professional athletes. Everybody thinks it is a bed of roses and it's not. "
LeBron on wether he made the US Basketball Team for the 2008 Olympics:
"It looks positive at this point. I haven't talked with Mr. Colangelo, but we should be making this announcement within a week or so."
LeBron on his Dedication:
"Ask me to play. I'll play. Ask me to shoot. I'll shoot. Ask me to pass. I'll pass. Ask me to steal, block out, sacrifice, lead, dominate. Anything. But it's not what you ask of me. It's what I ask of myself."
LeBron talking about his Nike commercial:
“Me and Nike came up with the concept. We just ran with it, man. It was awesome! It took me about a week to do it. I was putting on different costumes. We hit everyone; the older generation, the younger generation, and the ‘Me’ generation.”
LeBron on the Nike confiscated Dunk Tape:
"I never told anyone to confiscate any tapes. Nike just has a no videotape policy at pick-up games. But now that LeBron is involved, it's blown up. It's a play that happens in basketball all the time. You can go on YouTube and see me being dunked on by a lot of guys. I like to call myself a shot blocker and getting dunked on tends to happen."
