KING

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2003 to infinity

Nike MVP VI

"KG of the game, LeBron James...you boys must don't know my name..."

Slim Thug - I Ain't Heard of That

Tonight LeBron R. James was awarded the league MVP, affectionately known as the Maurice Podoloff trophy...in front of his family, friends, and a capacity Cleveland crowd.

By Any Means Necessary

I first met the boy who would be King in December of 2002, and within that timeframe he has grown both on and off the court. What amazes me most is his persona, life away from basketball, and business acumen. LeBron is very intelligent in who he is, and what his brand means, so he is very calculated in what he does and says...like Kobe, and Jordan before him...he is ready to lead the association into the next decade of basketball greatness.

I interviewed him several times this season, and all I can say is that it has been a nice trip...from the infamous "crab dribble" game in DC, to the near triple-double in Madison Square Garden...James never ceases to entertain.

Below is the score on a conversation we held recently, which will give you a glimpse into how the MVP thinks:

Talk about the ’03 Draft Class: “Oh we’re known. That’s something that we talk about all the time. That’s something me, D Wade, Melo, Chris Bosh, I mean all of us, Kirk Hinrich, the list goes on…Mo Williams, Sasha [Pavlovic], the class of ’03 is really big in this league, and still getting better. It’s something that we really take pride in, having our draft class…we try to hold ourselves up to the draft class that Z [Ilgauskas] was in with AI, and Ray [Allen] and all those guys, you know Steph [Marbury], and all those guys which was arguably one of the best drafts too, so we try to hold our standards to those guys.”

What has this season been like, as a team? “I know our potential…I can see our potential getting better everyday…things we do on and off the court, it reminds me of the days when I was back in high school. Every time we went out on the court…we knew we were going to win. It was never a doubt. We’ve had guys nicked up, and out for long periods of time, I’m not talking about 1-week or 2-games…we’ve had key guys that have been out 4-6 weeks, you know 2-3 months and guys have been able to step in, and still have been able to hold serve, so this could probably be the hungriest I’ve been because I can see the potential of our team.”

What drives you? “I think what drives me is wanting to be the best player every night I go on the basketball court, and for me to continue to get better as an individual. I think I have a long way…of course I haven’t hit the peak of my career yet but every night I go out I want to be the best player on the court, so that’s the kind of drive.”

Talk about your friendship with Kobe and Dwyane Wade: “I think it’s great, I think it’s great…I think it’s great for the league that arguably the three best players in the league, are in an MVP race, and it hasn’t been like this in a long time. I mean, take nothing away from Steve Nash…great player, but when he was winning, Kobe, and myself, and D Wade were still the best players in the league, you know so…you have three guys that everyone says are the best players in the league…are in the MVP race…I think it’s great man. It’s tribute to the summer that we had…we all made each other work hard everyday. The games came easy to us but the things that we’ve been able to do with our teams are great, we love it, we take the challenge every night.”

Photos: Associated Press and Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images