INDEPENDENCE – LeBron James became the first Cleveland player to earn league MVP honors on Monday. He became the second player in franchise history to earn first-team All-Defensive honors on Wednesday.
“It was a big goal of mine to get better and take a little more onus at that end of the floor,” James said following practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
“Physically and mentally, I take pride on that side of the court and I wanted to guard the best players.”
James joined 1988-89 selection Larry Nance as the only Cleveland players to earn first-team recognition. Nance (1991-92, 92-93), Jim Brewer (75-76, 76-77), Jim Cleamons (75-76) and Bobby Phills (95-96) earned second-team honors.
After developing into a lock-down defender and the best off-the-ball shot-blocker in the NBA, James received 22 votes for the first team and three for the second team from the league`s 30 head coaches. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players on their own team, meaning James was not mentioned on four possible ballots.
Orlando`s Dwight Howard, the Los Angeles Lakers` Kobe Bryant, New Orleans` Chris Paul and Boston`s Kevin Garnett rounded out the first team, while the second team consisted of San Antonio`s Tim Duncan, Miami`s Dwyane Wade, Boston`s Rajon Rondo and Houston`s Shane Battier and Ron Artest.
“I thank the coaches for saying that, that I picked my (defensive) game up,” said James, who earlier finished second to runaway winner Howard in the media`s voting for Defensive Player of the Year. “It`s very humbling.”
Though the Cavaliers led the league in points allowed (91.4) and 3-point percentage defense (.333) during the regular season while finishing second in field goal percentage allowed (.431), power forward Anderson Varejao, who got three second-team votes, was the only other Cleveland player recognized by the league`s coaches.
Shooting guard Delonte West, who opens every game defending the opponent`s best perimeter player, was blanked, probably because All-Defensive recognition is somewhat like getting a Gold Glove in baseball. It usually takes a few years for players to be recognized on that end of the floor, especially those who aren`t real big names around the league. Conversely, once a player earns the label of a top defender, he usually continues to get votes even in years when there`s been some slippage.
The fact Varejao and West didn`t fare well in the voting didn`t go over well with Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, but he was elated that James` efforts were recognized.
“As a coach, sometimes you want to think you`re a genius and you`re up there (in defensive statistics) because of what you`re doing (as a coach),” Brown said. “That`s not the case.
“(James) works at it defensively just as hard as he does offensively.”
As proof, Brown pointed to two plays made by his superstar in Cleveland`s 99-72 rout of the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. On one occasion, the league MVP dove on the floor for a loose ball. On another, James stopped a two-on-one Atlanta fastbreak by drawing a charge from Joe Johnson, who had thrown a lob to Josh Smith.
“When he does it, everybody else has to do it,” Brown said. “They`ve got to do it. I don`t even have to say anything. All I`ve got to do is put it up on film. Then if they don`t do it, I can go off.”
Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4061 or rickn@ohio.net.

TONIGHT

WHAT: Game 2, Eastern Conference semifinal; Cavs lead best-of-7 series, 1-0
TIME: 8 o`clock
WHERE: The Q
TV/RADIO: ESPN; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

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