LeBron playing like an MVP for Cavaliers

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James bobbed his head to the familiar beat, grooving to a chant that has become the backing track to his splendid season.

“M-V-P.”

As James waited at the free-throw line inside noisy Quicken Loans Arena, Cavaliers fans, who worry about how much longer they’ll be able to call Akron’s most celebrated son their own, saluted him with the same sing-a-long they use in Los Angeles, Miami or Denver to serenade their stars.

Only in Cleveland, the chant is a fact.

Before shooting, James pursed his lips and nodded approval to every shouted letter — in rhythm, in agreement. MVP.

Most valuable last season. Most valuable this one, so far.

With a still-improving game, James has seemingly moved into a class by himself among the NBA’s elite. None of the league’s other megastars, whether it’s Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard or Carmelo Anthony, is presently dominating games at both ends of the floor like James, who seems to be having the time of his life while doing it.

It’s his league. Fans know it. He knows it. His teammates and coaches know it. Everyone does.

“He’s been the best player for a while now, hands down,” Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. “I’ve been around him so long, I kind of take him for granted.”

Easy to do. After a scorching January in which he led the Cavs to a 12-3 record and the league’s best overall mark at 38-11, James entered February averaging 29.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists, numbers that only three players — Oscar Robertson (5 times), Michael Jordan (once) and James (twice) — have reached for a full season since 1950.

Taking his stats one step further, James, now exhibiting the kind of shutdown defense that raised Jordan’s profile, is shooting better than 50 percent from the field and averaging one block per game. According to STATS LLC, no player has ever done that.

“Wow, I don’t know if he has a ceiling,” Minnesota coach Kurt Rambis said, exhaling after some deep thought. Rambis, who played against Jordan, was teammates with Magic Johnson and on the Lakers’ coaching staff with Bryant, said James has become almost impossible to defend.

“It’s scary for everybody around the league that he’s improving his jump shot,” Rambis said. “He’s just so fast and explosive that if you’re not directly in front of him, if he gets you anywhere on his side, you’re toast. He has the ability to explode and get to the basket, penetrate, finish and distribute the basketball.

“You don’t imagine anybody finding a way to stop him.”

James just completed perhaps the best 10-game stretch of his career. In three of those games, he beat Bryant, Kevin Durant and Wade by making clutch shots and last-second defensive stops.

Against that power trio, James averaged 35.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists.

In the closing seconds against Oklahoma City, James darted across the lane to block Durant’s potential game-winning layup. To do so, James had to jump over falling teammate Anthony Parker, who was defending Durant, and elevated high enough that he caught Durant’s attempt on his way down.

Two nights later in Miami, James and Wade engaged in a first-half game of H-O-R-S-E, combining for 37 points in the second quarter. They dueled down the stretch, guarding each other in a showdown that went to James after he stole a pass by Wade, made two free throws after a scary fall, and, after telling Cavs coach Mike Brown he didn’t want help on Wade, forced the Heat’s guard into a miss as the horn sounded.

Out with a shoulder injury, Cavs guard Mo Williams had a front-row seat for the drama.

“He won MVP and he’s not resting on that,” Williams said. “Every accolade he gets pushes him to the next thing. He looks at guys like Michael Jordan who has won championships and multiple MVPs. That drives him and gives him momentum to get there.”