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Jones: We all know LeBron James is the real NBA MVP

 
BOSTON, MA - MAY 19:  LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts in the first half against the Boston Celtics during Game Two of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 19, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.  (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) 700050320
BOSTON, MA - MAY 19: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts in the first half against the Boston Celtics during Game Two of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden on May 19, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) 700050320
Published May 22, 2017

Tampa Bay Times columnist Tom Jones looks back at the best and worst from a weekend of televised sports.

Best player

Who is the NBA's most valuable player? We can make legitimate cases for the three players who are official finalists.

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook had the league's first triple double for a season since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62, and after the offseason departure of Kevin Durant, he pretty much single-handedly carried the Thunder into the playoffs.

Houston's James Harden was the first player in history to score 2,000 points and assist on 2,000 points in a season. It's kind of a funky stat, but Harden created (that means scored or assisted on) an average 56.2 points per game, most in the league.

Then there's San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard. Just look at how good the Spurs were when he played this season and how bad they've been without him in the Western Conference final against the Warriors.

The point is, we can argue about whether Westbrook, Harden or Leonard is the MVP.

But is there any doubt whatsoever about who is the best basketball player on the planet?

Say it with me now:

LeBron James.

Is this even a discussion at this point?

Forget numbers and stats and all that. Just watch him play. Watch him completely take over games.

When he wants to be unstoppable, he is. What's remarkable is he might be playing on a higher level than he ever has though he's 32 years old.

That did not go unnoticed during Saturday night's NBA Countdown on ABC.

"There are times during a season you have these peaks and valleys, and there's a zone that you're into sometimes,'' said analyst Chauncey Billups, a five-time NBA All-Star himself. "Mine's only lasted three or four games at a time. LeBron's is lasting three or four months at a time."

Unless the world tips off its axis, James will go to the NBA Finals for the seventh consecutive season. That's absolutely amazing. And he has done it with two teams: the Heat and Cavaliers.

When he has been with Cleveland, Miami has been a nonfactor. When he was with Miami, Cleveland was awful.

Now he appears on a mission to win his fourth NBA title.

ESPN analyst Jalen Rose said, "The problem for the rest of the league is the best player seems to be the most hungry.''

A problem for the rest of the league, but a joy for those of us watching.

No horsing around

Another solid horse racing weekend by NBC at the Preakness. Though the prerace show was only two hours — about half what the network does for the Kentucky Derby — it was, once again, fast-paced and entertaining. There were two strong features, both centering on Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming. One was about the horse's owners and their ties to their old Brooklyn neighborhood in New York. The other was the relationship between trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez.

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Unfortunately for NBC, Always Dreaming did not win, meaning there no longer is a Triple Crown possibility. So anticipation for the Belmont Stakes in three weeks has been turned way down.

Best line

"Please don't turn off your TV sets, America."

That's why TNT's Charles Barkley said after the Cavs led the Celtics 72-31 at halftime of Friday night's Game 2 of the East final. Or, instead of turning off their televisions, they could do what Barkley has said he has done in these playoffs: switch over to the more competitive and much more thrilling Stanley Cup playoffs.

Biggest feud

Things got nasty last week when LaVar Ball, the father of basketball star Lonzo Ball, told Fox Sports 1's Kristine Leahy to "stay in your lane'' during a heated exchange on Colin Cowherd's show. Though it's fine for Ball to disagree with Leahy, to insinuate that because she's a woman, she shouldn't comment was out of line. Though most of what Ball has said over the past few months has been typical loudmouth, blowhard, harmless-type stuff, his treatment of Leahy was bullying and has no place anywhere.

Leahy said shows should stop putting Ball on the air.

"My issue with what happened is just a complete lack of respect,'' Leahy told Cowherd. "He can disagree with everything that I have to say and do it passionately. You and I do it all the time; we do it with our co-workers. But have some respect. Don't threaten me, don't make personal jokes, don't mock me, and don't say you're not going to look me in the eye. If he wants to come on and look me in the eye and be respectful, he can still disagree with me. I'm okay with that, but I will not tolerate what he did.''

She shouldn't, and out of respect for one of its employees, FS1 should never have Ball on again.

Most interesting analyst

Know who's better than I thought he would be in the broadcast booth? Fox baseball analyst Alex Rodriguez. But I still have a hard time embracing him, for some reason. Maybe it's because he cheated and lied all those years? Yeah, that's it.

Next-best weekend

A week after a stunning debut, ESPN's new Sunday morning E:60 came back with a good (not great) second show. The hour was mostly dedicated to Tom Rinaldi's feature on former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf. Half the piece recapped Leaf's stormy NFL career, and not much new was there. The second half got more interesting as it delved into Leaf's post-football career and addiction to painkillers, which led him to prison. Still, all in all, the show remains promising because of its dedication to in-depth features.

Newest schedule

ESPN officially announced last week what its future day schedule will look like starting Jan. 1.

As expected, Mike Greenberg is leaving the Mike & Mike radio show and will host a three-hour show on ESPN. The Mike Greenberg Show, which will have a rotation of guests and analysts (think a sports version of MSNBC's Morning Joe) and air from 7-10 a.m. That will be followed by First Take from 10 a.m.-noon.

At noon, Bomani Jones and Pablo Torre will host an hour-long show, followed by Outside the Lines (1-1:30 p.m.), NFL Live (1:30-3), The Jump (3-3:30) and the usual SportsNation (3:30-4:30), Highly Questionable (4:30-5), Around the Horn (5-5:30) and Pardon the Interruption (5:30-6).

Media tidbits

ESPN reporter Holly Rowe announced last week that her cancer has returned. Rowe was first diagnosed with melanoma two years ago. She just signed an extension with ESPN and plans to keep working while getting treatment.

A new Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel debuts at 10 Tuesday night on HBO. One segment will feature the friendship of legendary former Dodgers announcer Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin, the longtime Spanish broadcaster of Dodgers games.

Thanks to a new 10-year extension, the annual Army-Navy football game will remain on CBS through 2028.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that Lee Corso recently signed a two-year extension to remain an analyst on ESPN's College GameDay.

Three things that popped into my head

1. Great to see ESPN assigning Beth Mowins an NFL game on Sept. 11. It's stunning that she'll be only the second woman to call an NFL game and the first in 30 years, since Tampa's Gayle Sierens did one game in 1987. What makes it stunning is that there have been so many bad male announcers over the years since and no other woman was given a chance.

2. I'm not a college softball fan, but ESPN's wraparound coverage of the NCAA tournament has been top-notch.

3. Good move by the Bucs to sign backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. If Jameis Winston was to go down for 10 weeks, the Bucs would be in trouble, just like any team that loses its starter for 10 weeks. But if Winston goes down for, say, two games, a guy like Fitzpatrick has enough experience to win one of those, and that one win could be the difference between making and missing the playoffs.

tom jones' two cents