NEW YORK (NBA.com exclusive) –  On the same day the Yankees celebrated their 27th world championship with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes, LeBron James made his only New York appearance of the season on a star-studded stage.

James becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010 and New Yorkers hope he will one day lead his own parade as a member of the Knicks. But on this night he simply brought an assassin’s touch.

LeBron put up 33 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Cavaliers throttled the Knicks 100-91 before a capacity crowd of 19,763 at Madison Square Garden that included Yankees Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira.

“The atmosphere was great,” said James, who sported Mars Blackmon-like glasses before and after the game. “[There were] a lot of stars in the building. It’s humbling to know that you have guys like the Yankees come out and Jay-Z. It’s really, really humbling. You see some of the Giants out here, I saw John Legend, Chris Rock.

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NEW YORK -- After celebrating their 27th world championship with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes, the Yankees enjoyed an after-party with King James.

Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Joba Chamberlain, Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano are among the Bombers expected to be on hand when LeBron James and the Cavaliers meet the Knicks Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Jay-Z, Chris Rock, Grandmaster Flash and Reggie Jackson are also supposed to be in the house, and former Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams will play the national anthem.

“The fact that they would take time out of their schedule, especially what they just accomplished, to come see a basketball game, to come see us play, to come see the Knicks play, it’s humbling for me as an individual,” James, a big Yankees fan, said before tipoff. “It’s humbling for our team that people come out and support us. So the most we can say is thank you and congratulations to them once again.” Read more…

The two most important things in Sharette Dixon’s life were her family and education.  Now that she has passed away, her husband, Kimani Young, and the NYC basketball community are banding together to make sure that her children get the support and education that they need in the future.

On Sunday, Nov. 8, New York City legends Kenny Smith, Kenny Anderson and a host of others NYC basketball personalities will participate in the Sharette Dixon Classic, a showcase of the top talent from New York and New Jersey.

Duke commit Kyrie Irving and uncommitted standouts Jayvaughn Pinkston and Tobias Harris are expected to participate. Harris is visiting West Virginia this weekend and may or may not return in time for the event.

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LeBron James won’t be in the Canyon of Heroes Friday for the celebration of the Yankees’ 27th world championship.

“No, my parade starts at 8 [o'clock] at night,” James, a big Yankee fan, told reporters in Cleveland Thursday before the Cavs lost to the Chicago Bulls, 86-85.

The Cavs on Friday visit the Knicks for their only appearance of this season — a circus-like atmosphere that will be broadcast on ESPN. Read more…

Devon Collier, the 6-foot-8 forward from St. Anthony, has opted to play for Oregon State of the Pac-10.

“He called [head coach] Craig Robinson and committed,” said New Heights director Kimani Young. “That’s where he felt most comfortable.”

Collier, a Bronx native ranked No. 134 in the Class of 2010 and No. 25 among power forwards by Rivals, chose Oregon State over Big East schools St. John’s, Seton Hall and Providence.

“I think Devon really liked the players, the coaching staff and I think at the end of the day he wants to create his own legacy for himself,” Young said.

“He’s very comfortable with Craig Robinson,” added St. Anthony coach Bob Hurley. “He seemed very sure that it’s the right move for him and I feel good for him because he was very comfortable that he had made the right decision.” Read more…

Cincinnati freshman guard Lance Stephenson has been cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center and won’t miss any games.

“Clear,” Cincinnati coach  Mick Cronin said by text.

Cincinnati was informed early Thursday evening and Stephenson then scored nine points on 4-of-14 shooting in Cincinnati’s 86-58 victory over Saginaw Valley State. He played 18 minutes off the bench.

“I am happy to be able to put this behind me,” Stephenson said in a statement. “Since I committed to the Bearcats back in the summer, all I have wanted to do was get here and start playing ball with my teammates. I want to thank everyone that has given me encouragement and support during this, especially my family, coaches and teammates. They have been with me every step.” Read more…

Brandon Knight, the top prospect in the Class of 2010, may well wait until the late signing period next spring.

“Looks that way,” Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest coach Dave Beckerman wrote in a text.

The early signing period runs Nov. 11-18.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Knight took an official to Kansas last weekend and Beckerman confirmed that Knight will visit Florida Nov. 13-15.

“It is my understanding that he will visit Florida,” he said.

Knight has previously visited Kentucky and UConn and has also considered Miami and Syracuse.

UCONN AWAITING WORD ON PLAYERS

UConn sophomore point guard Kemba Walker of the Bronx scored 28 points and senior Read more…

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers come to New York on Friday, the same day the Yankees will enjoy a parade through the Canyon of Heroes to celebrate their 27th world championship.

James and new teammate Shaquille O’Neal make their only Garden appearance in a game that will be televised on ESPN, and is sure to have a circus atmosphere surrounding it. James is expected to address a large media contingent about an hour before tipoff.

A big Bombers fan, James is happy that order has been restored to the Yankees’ universe.

“The Yankees are back on top where they belong,” read a text message James sent to Knicks guard Larry Hughes, James’ friend and former teammate with the Cavaliers.

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NEW YORK (NBA.com exclusive) –  The biggest ovations at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night were for a team playing in another borough.

Yes, there were lots of empty seats at the Garden for the game between Indiana and New York, and the fans who were there cheered louder for the video updates of the Yankees’ exploits in Game 6 of the World Series than they did for the building’s basketball team.

The Garden figures to be abuzz Friday when LeBron James and the Cavaliers come to town, but on this night the Knicks were a big fat dud as they lost to the previously winless Pacers, 101-89, before an announced crowd of 19,273.

“We’ve got to win Friday,” said Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, whose team dropped to 1-4. “That’s the only thing we can think about now. We’ve already screwed this up. We’ll be positive, try to get this thing straight and let’s get a win Friday.”

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Harrison Barnes, the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2010, will announce his college choice sometime this month, but exact plans are still being finalized.

“We’re still working out the details,” Judge Johnston, the Ames (Iowa) High School activities director, said Thursday morning by phone. “There’s a lot of stuff going on out there in the Internet world.”

Barnes is considering defending NCAA champion North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Oklahoma and Iowa State.

Various reports have had the 6-foot-6 Barnes announcing Nov. 12 or 13, and Johnston said Nov. 13 was the target date. Read more…