LeBron James dunked on, footage confiscated

[rikhardur]

LeBron James Dunked on by College Player, but You Will Never See It

Several reports have emerged that Xavier player Jordan Crawford dunked on reigning NBA MVP LeBron James at the LeBron James Skills Academy on Monday night.

Why has it not become a YouTube staple yet?

Apparently embarrassed by the schooling, James asked Lynn Merritt, senior director of Nike basketball, to confiscate all tapes and proof of the dunk from attending photographers. Reports say there were two photographers present, including freelancer Ryan Miller.

Players present at the Academy, which features college level players learning and playing with the NBA phenom, also confirmed the play took place.

No word on whether there is any other proof of the game, including any potential cell phone videos or other photos. No one from the LeBron James camp has confirmed or denied the reports. Nike has done the same.

Media outlets have posted wanted signs for any coverage from the game. Many columnists have told any present fans or players to e-mail them any proof of the incident.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/214222-lebron-dunked-on-by-college-player-but-you-will-never-see

Meanwhile some posters...

[Lewis]

Damn, I was just about to post that

[Manila_Ice]

Dammn! That ain't right! I'm thinking it was a nasty in-your-face throwdown on Lebron. I wish it was kinda similar to that Ricky Davis dunk on Steve Nash! Men! that was brutal!!!!

[raichu08]

Poor guy.
Well, Blame it on Nike and their 180$ something Lebron Shoes.

[Lewis]

Poor guy.
Well, Blame it on Nike and their 180$ something Lebron Shoes.

Nike ???????????

Blame it on Lebron for being so Childish.

what does Nike have to do with anything!!!! LOL LOL hahaha he was the one who told them to take the tape and destroy it


SOMEONE NEEDS TO GROW UP.

[alien space bats]

Lebron is such a baby! i hope this turns out to be true

[Juan Carlos Nadal]

I thought LBJ was cooler than that (if the whole story is true of course). But I guess a person that wears t-shirts with his own name and MVP written on it, can't be all that cool after all.

[Jon_Koncak]

Nike officials claim media rules prompted confiscation of video of college player's pickup-game slam over LeBron James

- To read the Internet, it would seem winning the NBA Most Valuable Player Award has dramatically thinned LeBron James' skin. That and one of the world's largest corporations apparently has to flex its muscle to protect a 6-8, 260-pound man.

In the latest James' Web controversy on Wednesday, CBSSports.com reported that Monday night at Nike's LeBron James Skills Academy at the University of Akron, officials confiscated tapes from two videographers after James had been dunked on by a college player during a pickup game.

To make it worse, the report said, James instructed Nike bosses to take the tapes as if he were Don Barzini in the famous wedding scene from "The Godfather."

It's a funny story indeed and instantly spread virally across the web and soon went into the talk-show machine. The problem is, just like earlier this week when James made headlines for something he never said to Trevor Ariza in a phone conversation, it isn't the whole story.

According to Nike and James himself, nothing of the sort happened.

Oh, he certainly got dunked on. Xavier University's Jordan Crawford slammed it right over him and probably experienced quite a surge in Google hits because of it. James has been dunked on many times in his career and it has become the career highlight of several players.

Nike said taking the tapes had nothing to do with the dunk and more to do with a violation of the media procedures of the event. The James Skills Academy brings together the top high school and college players in the country and is open to the media. After those sessions, however, there are often pickup games that James and several of his Cavs teammates take part in. The media is permitted to watch but not permitted to do interviews or film.

"Nike has been operating basketball camps for the benefit of young athletes for decades and has longstanding policies in place regarding what events are open and closed to media coverage," Nike spokesman KeJuan Wilkins said.

"Unfortunately, for the first time in four years, two journalists did not respect our 'no videotaping' policy at an after-hours pick-up game Monday evening following the LeBron James Skills Academy."

According to Nike officials, both journalists understood the mistake and handed over their tapes without making a fuss. Neither cameraman was available for comment Wednesday night.

As for James, there was no shame. He takes pride in getting to know young up-and-coming players and taking them on the floor. James is not in top form. He took a month off following a five-hour surgery to remove a growth from his jaw last month and then spent three weeks taking care of business and getting some vacation time in Washington, New York, the South of France, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

It was the first significant break James has had from basketball since 2005, after playing for Team USA for each of the last three summers.

He only got back into the gym to do serious workouts on Monday, when the event took place. Often in the pickup game he didn't even run the full length of the floor because he didn't have his wind after taking the time off.

Not that he's taking anything away from Crawford, who apparently threw down an impressive jam.

"Jordan Crawford is a great player, LeBron has been dunked on before, it's no big deal," said a source close to James. "It was a pickup game and it happened in competition."

James doesn't mind getting shown up every now and then either, after all last year he lost two games of HORSE to a warehouse worker in California as part of a promotion for Cub Cadet.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2009/07/nike_officials_claim_media_rul.html

[JGX]

Hopefully LeBron's career doesn't go the way of James Felton:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3471118

Realistically the best he can hope for is to end up like the guy in the Nike Hyperdunk commercial.

[Lewis]

Hopefully LeBron's career doesn't go the way of James Felton:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3471118

Realistically the best he can hope for is to end up like the guy in the Nike Hyperdunk commercial.

Maybe Lebron doesn't want the kid to do to him what he did to Lenny Cooke's Career though

http://tsmns.blogspot.com/2009/01/curious-case-of-lenny-cooke.html

I guess, he doesn't want that to happen to him

[Czarkazem13]

Damn, ever since Queen James and co. lost to Orlando, he's been kinda' of a [fill in word that fits].

[Lewis]

Damn, ever since Queen James and co. lost to Orlando, he's been kinda' of a [fill in word that fits].

why are you on Orlando's side anyways. You should be talking about The Heats getting back to the Finals.

Bet you're also a Tampa Bay Fan, for god sake !!!!!!!!!!!!

[DarknessFalls]

[eliooo93]

LMAO

[rensquared]

Damn, I wanna watch the video!