LeBron James discussed every thing from the Cavaliers’ new practice facility to his eye surgery and the Indians’ chances in the playoffs in an exclusive telephone interview with The Plain Dealer on Thursday. James spoke after completing a conference call promoting his appearance as host of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” this Saturday. In his first extensive interview since the Cavs lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals last June, James expounded on a variety of subjects including his family. Source: The Plain Dealer.
Q: What did you do for vacation? Did you get any rest this summer at all?
A: Did I get any rest? No. When we stopped playing in the middle of June and I knew I had the Olympic [qualifying] tournament coming up, I kind of prepared myself for not getting as much rest as I wish I could have gotten. I hope it’s like that every year for me — playing into June.
Q: Did you take a vacation?
A: I did. I took a few days off and went to see some nice, good blue water.
Q: How are the boys (LeBron Jr. turns 3 in October, Bryce is 3 months)?
A: Good. LeBron Jr., as a matter of fact, just started school two weeks ago. He’s in school, which is really funny but at the same time it’s good for him. I think it’s going to be great. He has a backpack and his lunch and everything. He’s been doing really well. He has fun.
Q: How does he get along with Bryce?
A: He’s getting along really well. He loves him. He hates when people get around him. He loves his little brother.
Q: No one-on-one yet, though?
A: Nah.
Q: Is the new house finished? Are you moving soon?
A: Hopefully, I can start moving soon. I’ve been over there a couple times and it’s looking better and better every time I get over there.
Q: Have you been to the new practice facility?
A: The last two weeks I worked out there. It’s the greatest facility. I couldn’t ask for anything more as an individual and a basketball player for getting into shape or working out or even after you work out, you can just relax. There’s all kinds of room. It’s unbelievable. I wish we could play our games there.
Q: What are your thoughts heading into the season? The team hasn’t made any big moves.
A: I wish we could have made some moves to improve our team. As a competitor, you want to get better every year. I was hoping that we could add a few pieces, seeing all the other teams getting better. But the advantage we have is that we have the same guys coming back, so we aren’t going to have to use training camp to learn a new system or things like that. We do have that advantage.
Q: Do you expect Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic back?
A: Definitely. I need Sasha and Andy on my team for us to be successful. Not just one of them. I need both of them. I’m very positive about the situation. I would think the organization knows we need those guys.
Q: When did you decide to have Lasik eye surgery?
A: That’s been going on since I was a sophomore in high school. I’d sit in the back of the classroom and I couldn’t really see what the teacher was writing on the board. Being a knucklehead, I said, “I don’t have a problem. I don’t need glasses. I’m not wearing glasses. I’m not wearing contacts.” It just got to a point where I had to suck up my pride and get something done.
Q: So how is it?
A: Excellent. I can see you right now.
Q: Will Team USA get the gold back? Are you happy you went?
A: Absolutely. The experience I had this past summer, if you really looked at the games, it wasn’t that bad on your body. We took care of business, handled it in a manly fashion and a professional fashion so it was great I was part of the team.
Q: Did you get any reaction after the ESPYs from your peers about the MC Hammer/Bobby Brown dance?
A: For the most part, everyone enjoyed it. They couldn’t understand how I was able to pull stuff off like that. It was fun.
Q: Any reaction to the skit where you dunked the baby? There were some negative comments about that.
A: No, it was all fun and games.
Q: Do you have any comment on the recent incident in Akron’s Perkins Park where a man alleges your bodyguard asked him to stop videotaping you during the filming of a documentary?
A: No. Absolutely not. Things are going to work out.
Q: You congratulated the Indians for making the playoffs during the NBC conference call, but who wins a playoff between Indians and Yankees?
A: The Yankees. I know a lot of people might not like hearing me say that, but I think everyone knows I’ve been a Yankee fan my whole life. They have to deal with it.
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:?: :shock: