James surpasses hype in NBA debut

CLEVELAND -- Kick off your sneakers for good, relax and enjoy retirement, Michael. Looks like this LeBron James kid just might be able to handle it from here.

For one game, the Cleveland Cavaliers' 18-year-old rookie sensation soared above his mountainous hype with a breathtaking NBA debut Wednesday night at Sacramento.

Facing one of the league's best teams, 17,000 screaming fans and enormous expectations, "King James" proclaimed his arrival with 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals with a blend of flash and fundamentals.

James did it all in 43 minutes of his first "real" game since taking Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to a state title.

After months of nearly nonstop buildup, the 6-foot-8 point guard delivered a message to any doubters: believe.

"He's the real deal," Sacramento center Vlade Divac said.

There was but one glitch on an otherwise stellar night: The Cavaliers lost 106-92 to the Kings.

That hardly mattered. This was James' coming out party, a preview of things to come and perhaps a figurative, no-look pass of the torch from Jordan to James.

Whoa. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, it is only one game. But James was more than Jordanesque in his pro debut.

Jordan, then just a gangly rookie from North Carolina with a full head of hair, scored 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting in his first game for the Chicago Bulls in 1984.

James had 12 points in the first quarter and 19 by the end of the third with an array of jumpers, running one-handers, finger rolls, driving layups and a thunderous right-handed dunk that resounded from Arco Arena to Gund Arena.

"He let everybody know, 'I'm here. I can do it,"' said Tracy Lockhart, 29, an Ohio fan who stayed up late to watch James on television.

The Cavaliers' season opener earned a 12.3 share in local TV ratings, which represents 452,630 viewers and a staggering 433 percent increase from last year's opener.

James' debut also triggered another rush for tickets to see the Cavaliers play at home. Team president Len Komoroski said salesmen were busier than usual inside the Gund on Thursday fielding ticket requests.

Since May 22, when the Cavs won the NBA draft lottery and the rights to pick James, the team has barely stayed ahead of ticket demand. They've nearly tripled their season-ticket base -- reportedly around 3,000 a year ago.

"Obviously, people have been excited," Komoroski said. "But I think there were some waiting to see if it was for real. I think a lot of those questions have been answered."

Any lingering doubts may have vanished during a one-minute stretch near the end of the first period when James, who played his second game Thursday night at Phoenix, was at his best.

With the Kings leading by 12, and ready to run away, James stole a pass from Mike Bibby and passed to Cavs' forward Carlos Boozer for a dunk. Seconds later, he made another steal and went in for his own rim-rattling slam. He immediately picked the Kings clean again, got a long pass and was on his way for another dunk, when he stopped.

Instead of scoring an easy basket, James patiently waited for trailing teammate Ricky Davis, who took a shovel pass from James and threw down a spinning, reverse jam.

"That's the play everyone around here is talking about," Komoroski said.

The dish to Davis underscored James' composure and unselfishness, a trait that has helped him blend in well with his teammates.

"'Bron just wants to make his team better," said Dru Joyce II, James' high school coach for two years. "He's not caught up in the stats. He cares more about winning than anything else. I know he's happy he played well, but I'm sure he would have liked to win."

James' gaudy start may elevate expectations even more. He'll have to match his success against the Kings -- and then do it again.

"It was a great debut," Joyce said. "But this is not about one game. One game does not an All-Star make."

True. But for James, one game has never meant so much.