NEW YORK –– After celebrating their 27th world championship with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes, the Yankees enjoyed an after-party with King James.
Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Joba Chamberlain, Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano are among the Bombers expected to be on hand when LeBron James and the Cavaliers meet the Knicks Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
Jay-Z, Chris Rock, Grandmaster Flash and Reggie Jackson are also supposed to be in the house, and former Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams will play the national anthem.
“The fact that they would take time out of their schedule, especially what they just accomplished, to come see a basketball game, to come see us play, to come see the Knicks play, it’s humbling for me as an individual,” James, a big Yankees fan, said before tipoff. “It’s humbling for our team that people come out and support us. So the most we can say is thank you and congratulations to them once again.”
Sporting Mars Blackmon-style sunglasses, James addressed a room full of reporters anxious to hear about his future plans. He can become a free agent next summer and the Knicks have cleared cap space to make a run at him and other big fish.
James is friendly with Sabathia, who knows LeBron from his time with the Cleveland Indians, but he said the burly pitcher hasn’t made any recruiting pitch for him to come to the Knicks.
“I’ll give him a call after the game. He’s seen both sides of the fences, being in Cleveland and now New York so it was great to see him get one [world championship],” James said.
James dropped 52 points in his last appearance at MSG and said he’s disappointed that the Cavs play here only once this season.
“I don’t know who made the schedule for the Cleveland Cavaliers to only be here once,” he said. “I’m kind of disappointed in that. But it’s our one and only time so we’ve got to make it good.”
James has never been a villain here the way Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan were in the ’90s. The crowd cheers for him when he’s in town almost as if the Knicks were irrelevant.
Asked what it would be like if the home team were good, James said: “It would be great. I think the NBA is missing out on the fact that the Knicks haven’t been great in a few years now. We all know the history of the Knicks. We all know what has happened in this building and what the Knicks’ franchise has done for this league, so as a fan I think it would be great some day, or one day, when this franchise can be particularly good.
“I’m not saying they’re not good now. They’ve got a really good team, a really young team. Coach [Mike] D’Antoni’s a great coach. I think we all know the teams that they had in the ’90s and early 2000s.”
James continues to keep his options open for next summer, but says he’s focused on trying to win a title in Cleveland this year.
“I feel like our team is set to where we can play really deep into the playoffs and possibly contend for an NBA championship,” he said. “That’s the main thing I’m focusing on now.
“When those dates come upon me next summer, I’ll be able to look at all my options.”
(photo courtesy New York Post)
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