Living up to hype: James excels in stats and sales

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

CELTICS NOTEBOOK
Living up to hype: James excels in stats and sales
By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 11/15/2003

LeBron James's impact can be measured in two ways: game statistics and sales.
In both categories, James has lived up to the hype.

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He entered last night's game against the Celtics averaging 17.0 points, 6.8
rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 41 minutes a game. The limited
release of his first Nike shoe, the Air Zoom Generation in wine and white,
sold out in two hours at retail outlets across the country. A black and white
version will be available before Christmas. And four more versions (retail
$110) will be unveiled throughout the season.

And don't forget the matching athletic apparel and lifestyle gear coming Dec.
1.

When asked if James, who had 10 points but shot only 3 for 12 in last night's
91-82 loss to the Celtics, was worth the $90 million Nike paid to sign the
phenom, Rodney Knox, US communications director for Nike football and
basketball, said, "We think LeBron is a tremendous asset to our brand."

Nike officials think it has to do with his personality and his play.

"Everyone is very pleased with the amount of interest there has been in
LeBron," said Knox. "We are exceptionally pleased with how he's been able to
handle all the attention that he receives. Where many people may cave under
it, it doesn't affect him. He is a very composed, very mature person."

Television and other NBA teams have also felt the LeBron effect. This season
and last, the Cavaliers opened in Sacramento. With James in the lineup,
television ratings were up 433 percent. And five of the Cavaliers' six road
games have been played to sellout crowds, including last night.

LaFrentz sidelined

The Celtics placed Raef LaFrentz on the injured list with right knee
tendinitis yesterday and activated 19-year-old Kendrick Perkins. The big man
out of Beaumont, Texas, didn't get into last night's game because of a coach's
decision by Jim O'Brien.

LaFrentz hopes five games off over 11 days will allow his tendinitis to calm
down. The injury has been a problem since September, but the knee hurt so much
recently that LaFrentz was hesitant to jump. Ice and electric stimulation were
not yielding results.

"We'll try this route for a while, give it a rest, get it as strong as I can,
and give it another shot," said LaFrentz. "It's not good right now. In order
for me to be as effective as I can be, I need to get it right. Most movement I
feel it, but it got to the point where I hesitate to jump."

The tendinitis seemed to be aggravated over the past week with three games in
four nights. O'Brien estimates LaFrentz has been playing at about 60 percent
to 70 percent of where the coach thinks he can be.

Bremer on James

An offseason trade sent J.R. Bremer back to his hometown of Cleveland, but
last night he returned to the FleetCenter, where he got his NBA start. Bremer,
who suffered through an 0-for-4 performance with no assists in 12 minutes last
night, offered his perspective on James and the attention he gets daily.

"He handles it very well for just 18 years old," said Bremer. "[His talent
level] is beyond belief. If anybody told me he was 18 years old and I didn't
know him, I wouldn't believe it. His body is like a 23-year-old. His game is
like a 23-year-old's. His potential? Unlimited"

. . . There was no extra security on hand for James's first NBA game in
Boston. "We're pretty confident with what we've had in place since the start
of preseason," said Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss . . . Jumaine Jones started
at small forward against his former team in place of Kedrick Brown last night,
finishing with 5 points. "The reason I went to Jumaine is that I think Jumaine
is going to be a guy that, hopefully, in the long run starts at that position
for a long time," said O'Brien. "You have to throw him in there sometimes.
It's kind of like training camp for him and I want to see him get a chance to
get his feet wet with guys that are starting . . ."

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx

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