No black athletes make Forbes’ ‘most influential’ list

(theGRIO) Last week Forbes released it’s annual “America’s Most Influential Athletes” list. Each year,Forbes picks 10 players across all sports that move the needle both on and off the field. This year’s list included six NFL quarterbacks, two NASCAR drivers, a boxer and an NBA player. Upon examining the list, there’s a glaring admission that should immediately stand out. There were no black athletes selected to the list. That seems impossible. The most popular sport in America is the NFL. The NBA is, arguably, second, and both those leagues are made up of primarily black players. Yet not one black athlete was deemed “influential” enough for this list. Some of the athletes on the list make perfect sense and definitely belong. Tom Brady is still the posterboy for the NFL and a…

Jeremy turns Lin-visible against the Heat, LeBron James

NY Knicks’ Jeremy Lin feels big chill of Miami Heat’s Big Three, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh (NYDN) MIAMI — Linsanity wasn’t going to go on forever. The best team in the NBA stopped all the Jeremy Lin talk, at least for one night, in a command performance that was as good as the Knicks’ sensation is ever going see. “I can’t remember another game when it was just hard to take dribbles,” Lin said Thursday night after his nightmare outing in the Knicks’ 102-88 defeat to the Miami Heat. “It was a learning experience.” Lesson No. 1: Don’t go up against LeBron James and Co. when you’re coming in off a game the night before, you have…

Lin-ough! LeBron, Heat tired of Linsanity talk

Dwyane Wade (l.) and LeBron James will get first dose of Linsanity Thursday night in Miami. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Miami Heat tired of Linsanity talk around Jeremy Lin, NY Knicks (NYDN) MIAMI — LeBron James sighed and shook his head. Jeremy Lin has taken New York – and the NBA – by storm. Following practice on Wednesday, the first question posed to the Heat star was about — you guessed it — Jeremy Lin, and James acted as if he was tired of talking about the new kid on the NBA block. No wonder. It was the fourth straight day that Linsanity was the talk of Miami, and it’s only going to get louder Thursday night…

LeBron James says he may return to Cleveland Cavaliers

CLEVELAND (AP) – LeBron James could picture returning one day to the place where his NBAjourney began. Back in Cleveland. Imagine that. After practicing in a gym where he refined his game for seven seasons, James said Thursday he would not rule out a return to the Cavaliers, a team he carried to the brink of a title before he spurned an entire region by leaving as a free agent in 2010 to chase a championship with Miami. Asked if he could play for the Cavs again, James initially paused before giving his answer. “I don’t know. I think it would be great,” he said. “It would be fun to play in front of these fans again….

Why NBA Players Can’t Get Any Love During Lockout

(theGrio) There was a brief hint of optimism Monday afternoon that serious progress was made in theNBA lockout prior to the National Basketball Players’ Association press conference. I mean, what else could have the NBA players so chatty and excited to be interacting with each other, as if they were getting the friendly banter out of their systems before resorting back to bitter rivals on the court. Unfortunately for myself and other NBA fans, optimism quickly turned into pessimism as NBAPAexecutive director Billy Hunter informed the media that the collective bargaining process had completely broken down and the launch of a nasty legal battle that could take months to sort out. Before the press conference concluded, the online chatter was leaning towards…

LeBron Opens Clubhouse for Kids in Ohio Hometown

AKRON, Ohio (AP) – LeBron James has cut the ribbon to open a clubhouse for children in Ohio named for him. In a gym he played in as a kid, the NBA superstar Tuesday opened the LeBron James Clubhouse at an Akron Boys & Girls Club, which was renovated with $240,000 he donated through his family foundation. James said he was humbled to be able to help area youth. The Miami Heat forward promised to keep giving back to a city that will “always be home no matter where I am.” It likely will be an emotional day for James, who later will be inducted into the athletic Hall of Fame at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, his…

LeBron: I’m ‘Optimistic’ NBA Season Can Be Saved

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — LeBron James says he is so “optimistic” that the coming NBA season will be played that he is not considering any possible international options — except for the 2012 Olympics. In an interview with The Associated Press, James says he is committed to helping the United States defend its gold medal at next summer’s London Games. James has been working in Houston with Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason, and insists he will be “even better” this coming season for the Miami Heat, who lost in the NBA finals. James was in his hometown Monday to open “Wheels for Education,” a program with State Farm to provide more than 300 third-graders from Akron Public Schools academic tools they need….

LeBron James Posterizes a Young Camper

James shows the aggressiveness Heat fans had hoped to see in the Finals (NBC) After a disappointing NBA Finals, LeBron James needs to get his groove back this offseason in preparation for 2011-2012 (that is, if the current lock out doesn’t result in a canceled season). This week he started working on his skills Billy Madison-style, taking in a game of knockout with a group of kids attending a basketball camp. As the video below shows, James still needs to work on his jump shot a little bit. But as he vowed to do midway through the NBA Finals, James attacked the basket with reckless abandon, posterizing a preteen in the process WATCH: (fast forward to…

Wade to Make Balloon Animals During Lock Out

Miami Heat star tweets he is looking for a job (NBC) Technically, Dwyane Wade can be counted among the millions of Floridians unemployed. With the NBA lock out in its first day, the Miami Heat superstar wasted little time getting his resume on the Internet in hopes of finding a gig to pass the time. At 12:01 a.m., just as the lock out started, Wade began marketing himself to potential employers on Twitter. “Any1 hiring?” Wade tweeted. “I’m available for all bar and bat mitzvah and weddings..but my specialty is balloon animals.” We wonder can he make hot air replicas of his teammates Chris Bosh and LeBron James? MV3 also listed his qualifications, including “work well…

Can Dwight Howard Avoid Being the Next LeBron?

(theGrio) For the past 12 months, NBA fans have watched as LeBron James’ career has fallen apart. From “The Decision,” to the Miami Heat Welcome Party, to foolish quotes and finally, an epic Finals loss and post-game fallout, James has given a blueprint on how not to handle bolting anNBA team and going to a new one. Dwight Howard has clearly been paying attention. Like James, many believe Howard wants to leave the team that drafted him for a better situation. He wants to go to a place where the team can win him championships on the court, and he can earn himself movie roles off of it. At the same time, Howard is no villain. He’s got a winning smile,…