King still rules over the Jazz

AT LEAST NOBODY offered to give him a parade. Or the keys to the city. Or to name a Salt Lake street after him.

Yet.

The best basketball player east of L.A. showed up at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday, leading Cleveland to a 102-97 win over the Jazz. In most respects, LeBron James was everything a guy called "King" should be — a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward who goes wherever he wants,

exactly when he wants.

And taking everything he wants.

Jazz forward Matt Harpring did a respectable job on James during his turn, showing what coach Jerry Sloan labeled "a little bit of toughness ..."

But no, the Jazz didn't shut him down.

That's the thing about royalty. The whole wide kingdom is yours, from the castle to the village to the fields and the forests.

James arrived late Friday after a different day of heroics. He scored 32 points and nailed a buzzer shot that beat Golden State a few hours earlier, then made the short flight to Salt Lake City with the team. Despite the quick turnaround, he didn't look like he'd exerted himself whatsoever. He was fresh as frost, totaling 33 points, 14 points and nine assists.

Great numbers, but normal if you're a king.

"Freak," said Jazz forward C.J. Miles when asked to describe James in one word. "Athletic freak. His size, his weight, his speed, his jumping ability.... I don't think anybody's been like that."

That comes with the territory when you're a comic book hero — and that's no exaggeration. He signed on with POWERade and DC Comics several years ago, appearing in an online publication about himself as "King James."

If he seemed superhuman in Saturday's early minutes — 15 points, five rebounds and four assists in the first quarter — he was just doing his job. That windup slam on a fast break? Yawn. Same with the crossover dribble and drive for a 3-point play. But there's also the other stuff, like the hook pass to Anderson Varejao for an easy basket. And the deft one-hand bounce pass for another.

James rolled for 38 points in the Nov. 15 game against Utah in Cleveland. Last year, he totaled 72 points in two games against the Jazz. In the 2005-06 season, he scored 51 in a single game, a performance so impressive he got a standing ovation from the ESA crowd.

For Jazz fans, it was like cheering a migraine.