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SHANGHAI, China -- LeBron James looms large in Shanghai. He hovers over a basket in billboards around the city leading to
Wednesday's NBA exhibition game between his Cleveland Cavaliers and
the Orlando Magic and another game Saturday in the former
Portuguese territory of Macau. "For me, growing up, I never thought about having a billboard
anywhere," James said Tuesday, slipping off a white NBA headband
and replacing it with a Cleveland Indians cap. "You see them (billboards) locally, and then you start seeing
them a little bit nationwide. And now worldwide. It's like, wow.
It's like extra credit. It's unbelievable. You would never think
that you could have your face somewhere else where you don't even
live." James' shoe sponsor converted a Shanghai art gallery into a
LeBron James showroom. Dubbed the "LBJ Museum," the promotion
this week includes a freshly shellacked basketball court, aimed at
pitching James in China, where 300 million people -- the population
of the United States -- play basketball. Nike also unveiled the latest version of James' signature shoe
on Tuesday. It's the second time it's picked China -- ahead of the
U.S. -- to show off James' newest offering. The "limited edition"
shoe was selling Tuesday for almost $200. Nike's newest TV spot featuring James also kicked off this week
in China, several weeks ahead of its U.S. premiere. James is a hot property in basketball's most dynamic
marketplace. And the NBA and Nike know it, both looking toward next
year's Beijing Olympics, where James would surely capture world
attention if he leads the beleaguered American basketball team to a
gold medal. Several hundred Chinese reporters and photographers showed up
for Tuesday's practice at the Lu Wan Stadium. They engulfed James
at the far end of the floor when he stopped shooting. He squatted
on a low-slung bench, back against the wall, and stared up to
answer questions, cutting deep furrows across his forehead. "Every time I'm here it's the same response: It's great, the
fans love us, the kids are great," James said. "The spirit the
Chinese have for the game of basketball is great. Nothing surprises
me now." He was asked whether the Cavaliers will reach the NBA finals
again and the pressures facing him as another season awaits. "I don't believe in pressure," he said. "So it's not hard to
reduce it when you don't believe in it." James is one of the four most popular NBA players in China. Kobe
Bryant is probably No. 1, with China-born Yao Ming, James and Allen
Iverson jousting for the next spots. At 22, James is the youngest
and -- get this -- might be more popular than Yao. "The Chinese are looking for individual heroes," said Huang
Risheng, a reporter with the Chinese-language Titan sports
newspaper. "We are not open enough, not extroverted enough. We
like the individual effort, just one man saving the whole team like
James." "I think those three are more popular than Yao Ming. It's a
contradiction. Maybe I should say we like their style of play
better." Like the NBA, Nike's business is soaring in China. The country
could generate $1 billion next year, up from about $100 million
just five years ago. The NBA's does about $50 million annually and
should follow Nike's growth pattern. Nike has fashioned the preseason games in China around James,
who reportedly has a seven-year deal with the shoemaker worth $90
million. Shoe rival Adidas is also promoting the games, stringing
up its ads on Huaihai Road, a swanky street that includes many of
the city's high-end boutiques. Adidas' main star is the Magic's Dwight Howard, whose thundering
dunks carry the company's pitch. Nike doesn't liken James to Michael Jordan, but others have.
That included at least one Chinese reporter. "It's great to be compared to one of the greats, but my game
and his game are totally different," James said. The "LBJ Museum" -- it's unclear how many people recognize the
initials as those of a former U.S. president -- is aimed at drawing
young fans. It is located near the historic French Concession area
in central Shanghai. The museum offers 3-on-3 games in the run-up
to this week's exhibitions and introduces James with childhood
photos, jerseys from high school and shoes he's worn with Nike. There's also a history of his NBA career starting with a photo
alongside NBA commissioner David Stern from June 22, 2003, when
James was chosen No. 1 in the draft. "The idea is to help Chinese youth understand who he is, his
career, his history and his personality," Nike spokesman Alan
Marks said. The museum also displays a copy of James' birth certificate:
Dec. 30, 1984, born in Akron, Ohio, to Gloria James. "For the first years of his life LeBron is raised by his mother
and grandmother, Freda, on Hickory Street in Akron," reads a
caption. "A milk crate hung on a telephone pole serves as the
neighborhood basketball hoop attached by a few nails at whatever
height the tallest available boy can reach." Teammate Drew Gooden said James' popularity hinges not on charm
or athletic skill but on being genuine and delivering. "He came into the league as a superstar, but for him to fill
those shoes makes it all that much better," Gooden said. "When
you live up to the hype people respect that, especially fans." That includes Chinese fans.
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