The Knicks got a head start on July 1 by rolling out the red carpet for LeBron James last night. King James held his own Garden parade in the 100-91 Cavaliers victory, his lone appearance here this season.
It’s surprising Mayor Bloomberg didn’t come out to give James another key to the city, because James had the key to the Garden in doing whatever he pleased.
With several Yankees stars sitting courtside hours after the championship parade, James looked like a world champion, too. He paraded on the Knicks for 33 points in 36 minutes, snapping nine assists with eight rebounds, and nearly notching a triple-double. James shot 12-of-17 from the field as the Knicks fell to 1-5.
“It’s not about being aggressive,” James said. “It’s about this building. It’s hard not to feel great coming into this building. New York fans really respect the things I do on the court.”
If the Knicks continue to look like frightened children, as they did in the first quarter in falling behind 40-21, it is a building James may not feel comfortable making his permanent home.
“At the end of the day, a max deal doesn’t really matter,” James ominously said afterward, referring to his free agency. “It is all about winning to me. When that day comes next summer, I want to win. If I feel like the team is capable of winning, then I will make my decision based on that.”
The Cavs went by 26 points in the second quarter. It was a massive rout until the final minutes, when the Knicks finally made a late rally to cut the deficit to nine with 3:20 left.
Predictably, James put the final stake in their hearts, feeding Mo Williams for a jumper, then hitting a tough 15-foot fall-away jumper, after which he slapped hands with buddy Jay-Z, who was sitting with all the Yanks.
“LeBron’s first eight minutes were ridiculous,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “A freight train coming at you.”
Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Joba Chamberlain, Melky Cabrera and Reggie Jackson were at courtside, as were a couple of former Knicks stars, Charles Oakley and Larry Johnson. James, a noted Yankees fan, said it was “humbling for me” the Yankees attended on the day they received keys to the city.
Sabathia, James’ Cleveland pal, said he thinks James will be a Knick next season. After the game, James spoke with rookie Danilo Gallinari, the prospect the Knicks hope can draw in the Cavs’ superstar. Gallinari, who had never met King James, came on late to score 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
“He just told me to keep working hard and keep taking care of my back with stretching,” Gallinari said. “He’s a great guy, great person. We talked before the game and after the game.”
That James took a special interest in Gallinari is noteworthy. Before the game, James said of the Knicks, “As a fan I think it would be great someday for this franchise to be good. I’m not saying they’re not good now. They’ve got a really good team, a really young team. Coach D’Antoni is a really great coach.”
Fully in the zone, James exploded for 19 points in the first quarter, piling up five assists as the Cavaliers embarrassed the Knicks. The fans began chanting “Let’s Go Yankees” after the quarter.
James capped the quarter by faking out Jared Jeffries at the perimeter and launching a 3-pointer over him at the buzzer. James flashed three fingers at the courtside seats occupied by the Bronx Bombers, whom he mingled with at halftime.
James lofted rainbow jumpers, blazed to the basket and hit cutters with crisp no-look passes.
James celebrated on the bench in the second quarter during his breather. He danced to a Jay-Z song during a timeout. He yelled to friends in the crowd. As Daniel Gibson launched a 3-pointer in front of the Cavs bench, James hopped off the pine and ran down the sidelines even before the ball went in. As it whistled through the net, putting Cleveland up 25, James punched the air theatrically.
Posters of LeBron in a Knicks uniform were all over the Garden. One young fan held a ventriloquist’s LeBron doll.
Donnie Walsh, sporting a new corporate hairdo, said the LeBron hype could be distracting the team.
“Honestly, all the hubbub and frenzy is starting to bother me,” Walsh said. “There’s an innuendo we don’t care about the players on this team and this isn’t the case, this isn’t a throwaway season and I don’t like it.”