Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson was in the midst of developing a legacy of questionable draft picks that left critics scratching their heads in disbelief and fans booing from the top of their lungs.
Some of those picks included guard Trajan Langdon (11th overall) in 1999 and center DeSagana Diop (eighth overall) in 2001.
The past two years, however, have been a different story.
The Cavaliers haven't left much room for debate. Last season, the Cavs selected guard Dajuan Wagner and forward Carlos Boozer. Wagner, the sixth overall pick, showed glimpses of a future filled with scoring from any spot on the floor. Boozer proved to be one of the steals of the draft when he slipped into the second round and finished third in the league in field-goal percentage.
Via Plain Dealer
Cleveland Cavaliers
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Lenny Cooke hopes to settle an old score with LeBron James when he joins the Celtics' entry in the NBA's Boston summer league next month.
Cooke, the itinerant New York prep basketball star who faded away after he went unchosen in last year's draft, agreed yesterday to join the Boston squad for a tryout, said his agent, Kenny Glassman. The Boston team faces James' Cavs' squad on July 14, LeBron's first nationally televised game as an NBA player.
"Boston is intrigued with what he's done in the USBL," Glassman says of Cooke. "Now he has to prove he belongs in the NBA."
Cooke's USBL team, the Brooklyn Kings, was eliminated by Pennsylvania in the first round of the playoffs this week in Dodge City, Kan., but Cooke was named rookie of the year yesterday. He led the league with 29.8 points per game.
Via New York Daily News
NBA Draft, Cleveland Cavaliers
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LeBron James and the Cavaliers will sit down for contract talks next week, but a main issue might not be over money. James is slotted to receive a four-year contract worth $18.79 million; that much is settled. What will be a topic of conversation, it seems, is how involved James will be in the team's summer plans.
Because the team is so young, has a new coach, and wants to get a look at James at several positions, Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson committed the team to two summer leagues and 11 games. The Cavaliers are scheduled to practice in Orlando, Fla., July 5-7, play five games from July 8 to July 13, and then play six games in Boston from July 14 to July 20. It was thought James would participate in all of those activities.
``Right now it is kind of up in the air; my agent and I are going to talk to the Cavs about it,'' James said. ``If we get an understanding, I'll play in every last one of them. It is important, I want to get acquainted with my teammates, then again it may not be smart to play in them all.''
There have been some rumblings within the James camp that he might not want to overextend himself.
Via Beacon Journal
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Cavaliers Jun 2003 Archive
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The Beacon Journal | Jun 27, 2003
The moment belonged to LeBron James.
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Morning Journal | Jun 27, 2003
The hot rumor flying around the league yesterday was that the Cavaliers were going to sign power forward P.
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The Beacon Journal | Jun 27, 2003
The moment belonged to LeBron James.
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The Beacon Journal | Jun 27, 2003
The years of building excitement, the months of speculation, and the weeks of anticipation climaxed at 7:37 p.
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New York Times | Jun 27, 2003
LeBron James aced his first N.
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Chicago Sun-Times | Jun 26, 2003
One of Jay Williams' former Duke teammates had grim news about the injured Bulls guard's condition after speaking with him Sunday.
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Cleveland Plain Dealer | Jun 26, 2003
You can see it in his manly 6-8, 240-pound build and his unflinching poise.
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New York Daily News | Jun 26, 2003
LeBron James to Cleveland.
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Cleveland Plain Dealer | Jun 25, 2003
LeBron James' workout with the Cavaliers last week was merely for show.
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New York Post | Jun 24, 2003
Cav coach Paul Silas was impressed that LeBron James heeded his advice at recent workout - as if a kid obeying a coach should be such a big event.
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Cleveland Plain Dealer | Jun 23, 2003
All season, LeBron James has been rated as the best high-school player entering the NBA Draft, and on Thursday he'll become only the second high school player selected first overall.
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Cleveland Plain Dealer Columnist Roger Brown | Jun 23, 2003
LeBron James may al ready be a multimil lionaire, but the soon-to-be Cavaliers rookie has the hunger, charisma and humility to actually deserve his hype as a future sports icon.
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Cleveland Plain Dealer Columnist Bill Livingston | Jun 23, 2003
Magic Johnson was a will owy, 6-8, 215-pounder as an NBA rookie in 1979 at age 19.
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Orlando Sentinel | Jun 23, 2003
The last time the NBA draft was this certain at the top, a 7-foot-1, 303-pound phenomenon from Louisiana State stood upon hearing his name called first, opened his eyes wide and asked with mock surprise, "Who me?"
Everyone who could pronounce the word "basketball" knew the Orlando Magic would select Shaquille O'Neal No.
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Dallas Morning News | Jun 22, 2003
Now that those awkward high school years are done, LeBron James can work on making a name for himself.
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New York Daily News | Jun 22, 2003
Before the Hummer, before the $90 million shoe contract, before he was the No.
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Times-Picayune | Jun 22, 2003
Even before Cleveland landed the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft, former Hornets coach Paul Silas was interested in leading the Cavaliers.
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Morning Journal | Jun 21, 2003
- He can beat Cavaliers trainer Max Benton off the dribble.
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Rocky Mountain News | Jun 21, 2003
On the wall of his family's home is a framed photo of Carmelo Anthony in a Syracuse uniform.
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The Beacon Journal | Jun 21, 2003
Working up a sweat tailing his prized young protege around the court, Paul Silas needled and plucked LeBron James' strings of competitiveness.
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Indianapolis Star | Jun 21, 2003
On the same day in late May, LeBron James signed a five-year, $5 million contract with Upper Deck, the trading card company, and a seven-year, $90 million deal with Nike that brought a $10 million signing bonus.
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News-Herald | Jun 20, 2003
Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson scoffs when people question whether LeBron James can play the point guard position.
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Akron Beacon-Journal | Jun 19, 2003
Pardon Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson for not keeping a more watchful eye on possible early first-round draft picks.
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Akron Beacon-Journal | Jun 19, 2003
The Cavaliers have seen LeBron James in a lot of settings over the past month.
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Dallas Morning News | Jun 18, 2003
The Mavericks will get an early look at teen-age sensation LeBron James during a summer league in Boston.
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Cleveland Plain Dealer | Jun 15, 2003
Stephen Silas has heard the whispers and is aware of the criticisms associated with his position.
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Denver Post Columnist Jim Armstrong | Jun 15, 2003
This note's for you, dads .
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Rocky Mountain News | Jun 13, 2003
The Cleveland Cavaliers have said they'll draft high school phenom LeBron James with the top pick.
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Morning Journal | Jun 11, 2003
Where it ends up, nobody knows.
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Boston Herald | Jun 10, 2003
Boston basketball fans may have a chance to be the first to see high school sensation LeBron James play in an NBA uniform.
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Chicago Sun-Times | Jun 9, 2003
Among all the identities that have descended upon LeBron James--impending No.
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Rocky Mountain News | Jun 9, 2003
Denver vs.
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Chicago Tribune | Jun 9, 2003
Weary from his high school graduation in Akron, Ohio, LeBron James arrived in Chicago to prove to league personnel who run the NBA predraft camp that he is more than an 18-year-old in an NBA body that measured 6 feet 8 inches and 245 pounds Sunday.
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Akron Beacon-Journal | Jun 7, 2003
Paxson quelled rumors that the Cavaliers might be looking to trade Ricky Davis, saying the rumors might be coming from teams that want to acquire him.
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Akron Beacon-Journal | Jun 7, 2003
The Cavaliers' work in the NBA Draft is not over.
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Cleveland Plain Dealer | Jun 7, 2003
Mike Fratello calls the hiring of Paul Silas "a good choice.
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Cleveland Plain Dealer | Jun 7, 2003
The weeklong NBA predraft camp ended yesterday, and Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson indicated anything could happen in terms of filling specific holes on the team.
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Plain Dealer | Jun 3, 2003
If winning the rights to draft LeBron James was the best thing to happen for the Cavaliers franchise, acquiring a coach was the next prize.
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Newark Star-Ledger | Jun 2, 2003
It was not about money, it was not about LeBron James' playing time, and frankly, Jeff Van Gundy said, he had no idea why a job that he had seemed certain to get suddenly blew up Saturday morning.
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Akron Beacon-Journal | Jun 2, 2003
The Cavaliers are expected to name Paul Silas as their new coach today.
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N.Y. Times | Jun 2, 2003
Two of the places in the game of musical chairs being played by some of the N.
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ESPN | Jun 1, 2003
The Cleveland Cavaliers have offered their coaching position to Paul Silas, league sources told ESPN.
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