Only in New York City could a basketball player do everything right -- shoot with range, play tough defense, find his teammates with pinpoint passes, working with a sense of flair and drama all along -- and still have it come off as slightly gauche and unseemly.

That's what the Cavaliers' win over the New York Knicks felt like on Friday. An attention-drawing exercise to its core, bent on pumping up the "will-he-or-won't-he?" question regarding LeBron James' impending 2010 free agency, and a Knick team that would dearly love to sign him with its also impending 2010 cap space.

Cleveland's win? It hardly mattered. The team did well to rebound fully from a tough loss to Chicago the night before, as coach Mike Brown seemed willing to tinker with new starting lineups (Anderson Varejao out, J.J. Hickson in), while the defense and offensive spacing improved.

The story was James, though. And, to a far lesser extent, a Knicks club that seems more and more dispirited by the day. Sure, these Knicks were never any good to begin with. But they've lost that sense of joie de vivre that marked the team's turnaround campaign last season. They've stopped running, stopped working and appear to have stopped caring.

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Cleveland (3-3) at New York (1-4)

Cross-promotion helps, sometimes, but you still need to be bashed over the head with it sometimes. Sometimes you forget the motivation, even when it should be completely and utterly obvious.

Like last night, when TNT reminded us that ESPN was showcasing a Cavaliers-Knicks game on Friday night, I just assumed it was a ratings grab. A championship contender versus a team that draws in the entire tri-state area. Makes sense in November.

Then, a day later, someone reminds you of the real reason. Ah, shirt. We're back to this again? James to the Knicks?

It's the only time this season James visits New York City, so we're supposed to assume that this is some sort of on-court pitch job. LeBron's Yankees have a championship parade on Friday, the Madison Square Garden rims are supposed to be as inviting as ever and the Knicks will have 48 minutes to inform LBJ that there are, indeed, two "L's" in "Gallinari."

The Knicks like to run, the team is fifth in the NBA in possessions per game, so they have a chance against the Cavaliers -- a team that played and lost last night.

Beyond that, this is going to be annoying. So annoying. Get ready for three hours of "analysis" from people who have absolutely no clue when it comes to salary-cap space, endorsements, LeBron's motivations (because nobody, at this point, has any clue) or Cleveland's own impending cap freedom.

You know how they tell you that the odd glass of red wine can actually be healthy for you? This might be the night to get really, really "healthy."

Comment away during the game below and check back after the contest for continued analysis and reaction to James' lone trip to NYC.

A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Hooped Up. If you don't follow Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi(notes) on Twitter, you're missing out.
PF: CelticsHub. The Lakers starters have played more minutes than the C's starters in one fewer game.
SF: OS. Third Quarter Collapse has been nominated for the best sports blog in Orlando, so, vote already.
SG: NQTC. Norm thought you might like this picture of Kirk Hinrich(notes) with blood pouring out of his chin.
PG: Silver Screen and Roll. Andrew Bynum(notes) is wisely avoiding playing against the Grizzlies.
6th: The Blowtorch. And the winner of today's Internet is ... Trey and his Millard Fillmore throat tattoo.
7th: Bullets Forever. Five possible ways to get Caron Butler's(notes) game going. (Note: We see you, Caron!)
8th: KnickerBlogger. An open letter to LeBron James(notes) ...
9th: Sactown Royalty. Hilarious fake headline: "Kings officially NBA's most screwed franchise."
10th: Basketball-Reference.com Blog. New NBA MVP Award Tracker, anyone?

Got a tip or link for Ball Don't Lie? Hit me up at jeskeets (at) yahoo.ca or follow me on Twitter.

Based on my experience with trick shot videos, I know that this clip of 76ers forward Andre Iguodala(notes) swishing a ball off the practice gym wall will elicit five types of comments: 1) "Sick shot!" 2) "Fake!" 3) "That's not that hard to do if you try it enough times." 4) "Who cares? He should be practicing his jumper!" and 5) "You can meet hundreds of thousands of nice single girls and guys in your city and find the beauty of life at W e a l t h y C h a t . C O M." Which one are you going to go with today?

Heat guard Dwyane Wade participates in a school lunch on Thursday at Pinecrest School in Miami, Florida. Best caption wins some extra parmesan for your 'za. Good luck.

After the jump, Amar'e feels the burn.

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In an effort to take his game to the next level over the summer, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant(notes) solicited help from of one of the greatest players of all time — and personal favorite — Hakeem Olajuwon.

A week before training camp in September, the master of "The Dream Shake" gave Bryant a two-hour lesson on everything from head fakes and ball fakes to spin moves and jab steps. And judging by the looks of Kobe's moves during Wednesday's win over the Rockets, the star pupil was paying close attention in class.

Jeff Eisenberg of The Press-Enterprise:

Each time he backed down Houston's Shane Battier(notes) in the post and then deftly spun around him for a layup Wednesday night, Bryant jogged up court staring into the same pocket of fans seated courtside across from the scorer's table.

The man who met his gaze knew exactly the message Bryant was trying to convey.

"He looked at me to confirm, 'I'm using what you taught me,'" Olajuwon said. "That was the greatest gift for me. It was wonderful."

Here's something to think about (courtesy of SLAM): After 14 successful years in the league, Kobe can — and still wants to — learn from The Dream, yet Andrew Bynum is done with Kareem Abdul Jabbar after just a few injury-plagued seasons. File under reason number 6,947 why Kobe Bryant is a beast.

Monday to Friday, The Basketball Jones look at the big games and story lines from the night before with a mix of in-depth analysis and irreverent humor. As always, questions and comments are appreciated.

On today's show, Skeets and Tas lift anchor and set sail for the uncharted waters of TNT's Thursday night schedule. Can Shaq and Big Z co-exist in Cleveland? Are the Jazz already playing must-win games? Was LeBron robbed of a late-game foul call? All that, plus Yacht Rock Crossfire, the case for Anthony Randolph(notes) and Wanker of the Week.

Keep it nautical, basketball brethren, and have a smooth weekend.

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Two words: Watch Chuck get confused while taping a promo for "NBA on TNT."

Two more words: "I'm on a diet, no more bull penis."

LeBron isn't the only NBA'er who muses about playing pro football.

In an interview with ESPN the Magazine, Celtics forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis said he wants to play in the NFL — but not before he becomes an elite NBA player.

Elite, eh? That may take a little while.

"I will try it," said Davis, who's on the injured list for six weeks with a broken right thumb sustained in a good ol' fashioned car fight. "When I become an All-Star in the NBA, when I become a great player in the NBA, then I'll try football. One of my dreams has always been to play football."

The 6-foot-9, 290-pound "Baby" was reportedly a terrific two-way football player at University Laboratory High School in Baton Rouge, LA, starring at defensive end, defensive tackle and tailback. (Yes, tailback. And you thought Jerome Bettis was a bus!) Davis chose to hang up his cleats when he accepted a scholarship to play hoops at LSU. Good choice.

"I definitely could have made it to the NFL," Davis said.

As crazy as that might sound, Jill White, the athletic director at Davis' university, recalls watching him dominate the gridiron during his early years of high school. "Glen was a beast. He could do anything he wanted on the field. I can remember one game, he had people hanging all over him, maybe four different guys trying to take him down and he was just dragging them all along."

Below is some footage of Davis playing pigskin during his sophomore year in high school.

What do you think, scouts?

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Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your Asian brined pork loin with gingered yams and five spice apples.

Frank Isola, New York Daily News: "LeBron James, the most famous Yankees fan living in Ohio, says he will not be attending Friday's victory parade in lower Manhattan. 'No, my parade starts at eight at night,' LeBron told Cleveland reporters, referring to Friday's game with the Knicks. James makes his one and only visit to New York on Friday (of course, his official visit is July 1st when he is scheduled to become a free agent.) 'I've thought about playing everywhere,' James said prior to Thursday's game with Chicago. 'At one point in my life, I've thought about playing every team in the NBA.' James did admit that the league would be better off if the Knicks were a contending team. [...] 'I think the league is doing just fine, but with the Knicks being good, the Celtics being good, the Lakers being good, it makes the league that much better. I'm talking as a fan now, please understand.'"

Ailene Voisin, Sac Bee: "Kevin Martin leaned against the wall in the Kings' practice facility Thursday afternoon, still very much in shock, his damaged left wrist dangling at his side. Hours earlier, an MRI revealed that the league's third-leading scorer — and the Kings' best player — sustained a hairline fracture Monday night in a collision with the Memphis Grizzlies' Allen Iverson. Martin was presented with three options, all of them terrible: He can wear a soft cast and attempt to play, risking further injury and possibly a complete break. He can undergo surgery and have a screw inserted to stabilize the bone, with recovery projected at six to eight weeks. Or he can have the arm casted and hope that the wrist heals itself during a comparable six- to eight-week rehabilitation period."

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