For the first time in 16 years, Kobe Bryant won’t be playing on Christmas Day. (GETTY IMAGES)

This wasn’t how the NBA schedule-makers envisioned Christmas Day.

When they pitted the Lakers and Heat, they had visions of LeBron James going head-to-head with Kobe Bryant at Staples Center. Instead, they’ll likely get LeBron versus. . . . Wesley Johnson?

When they pitted the Bulls and the Nets, they had visions of Derrick Rose crossing over Deron Williams at Barclays Center. Instead, they’ll settle for Williams versus. . . . D.J. Augustin?

When they pitted the Spurs and the Rockets, they had visions of James Harden pulling the Euro step on Euro step king Manu Ginobili. Instead, Ginobili could be Eurostepping . . . Francisco Garcia?

And when pitted the Thunder against the Knicks, they had visions of a scoring duel between Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. Instead, the crowd at Madison Square Garden could see Durant versus . . . Iman Shumpert?

Bah, hambug!

Unfortunately for the league, injuries are playing tricks on them. The injury bug bit Rose (torn meniscus, out for the season) and Kobe (knee fracture, out six weeks) hard, while Harden and Anthony are game-time decisions because of  sprained ankles. That’s two former league MVPs definitely out, and possibly the reigning scoring champion and former sixth man of the year missing from the NBA Christmas showcase.

The Knicks star left Monday night’s win against the Orlando Magic, and Mike Woodson told ESPN radio that the team will closely monitor his status.

“We got to weigh it out,” Woodson said. “He came in and got treatment today and he’ll get treatment through probably the evening and then tomorrow when he wakes up and comes in we’ll have to assess it at that time.”

The Lakers may have the worst luck when it comes to injuries. Aside from Kobe’s broken bone in his kneecap, Steve Nash has only appeared in a handful of games due to nerve damage to his neck. His two backups, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar, are also out. Blake is dealing with a torn ligament in his elbow, while Farmar has a bad hamstring.

Mike D’Antoni is so fed up with the injuries he told Lakers Nation to follow another ballclub. He later apologized for that temporary lapse in judgment.

The sprained ankle monster nearly swallowed LeBron. But league honchos David Stern and Adam Silver can rest easy because The King isn’t expected to miss the Heat’s game in L.A. If LeBron were to miss the Christmas Day game, the NBA might was well cancel the rest of the schedule.

On a much, much, much smaller scope, J.J. Redick will miss the Clippers-Warriors matchup. Had to throw that in there to keep the theme going. Good news is, the Splash Brothers, Chris and Cliff Paul, Blake Griffin and the Griffin Force are all healthy so the nightcap could live up to the hype.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Things could get real physical between Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Eastern Conference playoffs, also known as the Miami Heat Invitation, will tipoff this weekend with games on TNT and ESPN. Even though teams in the East may not have the same offensive firepower as teams in the West there are still some very intriguing playoff matchups worth watching. Here’s how the first round could unfold:

FIRST ROUND
(1) MIAMI HEAT vs. (8) MILWAUKEE BUCKS
The Heat are just too loaded with talent to have much trouble with the Bucks. Milwaukee has an excellent guard rotation with Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis and J.J. Redick and that’s their best chance at trying to pull off an epic upset. However, the Heat have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who are looking for another NBA title. Prediction: Heat in 4

(2) NEW YORK KNICKS VS. (7) BOSTON CELTICS
Carmelo Anthony averaged 36.9 points in the last eight regular-season games, and is heating up at the right time of year. J.R. Smith averaged 22 points over the same stretch and this dynamic duo give the Knicks the scoring punch they need to take out an aging Celtics team that is without point guard Rajon Rondo and has a gimpy Kevin Garnett in the starting lineup. Prediction: Knicks in 5

(3) INDIANA PACERS VS. (6) ATLANTA HAWKS
The Pacers finished the regular season losing five of their last six games, not exactly finishing strong. It’s quite possible they miss Danny Granger’s presence and I think they will struggle against the Hawks. Atlanta has a solid frontcourt in Josh Smith and Al Horford. I think the Pacers will win the series because of Paul George’s ability to step up and continue his amazing season. Prediction: Pacers in 7

(4) BROOKLYN NETS VS. (5) CHICAGO BULLS
This is the most intriguing matchup of the first round. The Nets closed out the regular season by winning seven of their last 10 games and are playing well. But their bench is a cause for concern. Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson will score the bulk of the points, but they can’t play 48 minutes. Gerald Wallace signed a big contract in the offseason, but is limited offensively and does his best work on defense. The Bulls had a pretty good year, despite playing without Derrick Rose. The Bulls’ defense allowed just 92.9 points per game, third-best in the NBA and they can slow down the Nets. Coach Tom Thibodeau’s team defense is a great equalizer and the Bulls will play it to perfection. Prediction: Nets in 6

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at djroxalot@hotmail.com.

There are freak injuries then there is the one suffered by San Antonio Spurs forward Stephen Jackson in Madison Square Garden.

Jackson was hurt early in the first quarter Thursday night on an innocent-looking play. After missing a 3-point shot from the corner, Jackson got a slight bump from Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire and fell backwards onto a kneeling waitress who happened to be near New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was sitting courtside. It was unclear if the waitress was serving Bloomberg, who was seen eating a box of popcorn shortly after the play. And there is no truth to the online chatter that Bloomberg was ordering a soda. New Yorkers will get that joke.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called a 20-second timeout at the 2:57 mark of the quarter to allow Jackson to head for the locker room. The 13-year veteran hobbled off the floor and did not return. The Knicks went on to beat the Spurs, 100-83, snapping San Antonio’s seven-game winning streak. Watch the play:

Oklahoma City star forward Kevin Durant goes up against Miami Heat MVP LeBron James on Christmas Day. (GETTY IMAGES)

Last June the Oklahoma City Thunder watched the Miami Heat celebrate an NBA championship. Six months later, the Thunder met the Heat again.

The marquee matchup between LeBron James and Kevin Durant lived up to the hype. James, the reigning regular season and Finals MVP, nearly had a triple-double as he finished with 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Dwyane Wade backed up James with 21 points, as the Heat survived a frantic finish to beat the Thunder 103-97 on Tuesday.

”Felt a little bit like a different month,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told The Associated Press. ”Regardless of what your script is coming into the game, when you play this team, it’s not going to go according to script. They’re too good.”

But on this night, much like last June, the Heat were better.

Durant dropped a game-high 33 points and Westbrook netted 21 for Oklahoma City, but both Thunder stars missed potential game-tying 3-point attempts in the final seconds. Westbrook thought he was fouled on his 3-point attempt and slammed the scorers’ table in frustration when no foul was called.

”It was a great game. I can’t complain,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. ”We could have done a better job of not turning the ball over in the first half. All in all, it was a great game to play and a great game to coach. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out with the win.”

Here are the rest of the Christmas Day results:

L.A. LAKERS 100, NEW YORK KNICKS 94
Playing in his record 15th Christmas Day game, Kobe Bryant engineered a second-half comeback to lead the Lakers to their fifth straight win and 2-0 since Steve Nash returned to the starting lineup. Bryant scored 34 points in his NBA-record 15th Christmas Day game and Metta World Peace added 20 points and seven rebounds while defending Carmelo Anthony, whose 34 points led the Knicks.

Bryant, the league’s leading scorer, has topped 30 or more points in nine straight games.

”If you’re going to play on Christmas, it’s always better to win. Makes it all worthwhile,” Bryant told AP. ”It’s so early in the season to have turned a corner. We have everybody in the lineup and we’re starting to see how we want to play.”

The Lakers improved to 14-14 – 9-9 under new coach Mike D’Antoni – and upped their holiday record to 21-18, including 13-9 at home. They returned to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 on Nov. 30.

L.A. CLIPPERS 112, DENVER NUGGETS 100
The Clippers remain the hottest team in the NBA, pushing their winning streak to 14 straight which is a franchise record. Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes had 22 and 20 points, respectively, to spearhead a strong game from the Clippers bench.

Chris Paul had 14 points, eight assists, and three steals while Blake Griffin finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and six assists in just 25 minutes of action. The Clippers blew the game open with a 42-point outburst in the second quarter that propelled L.A. to a 67-48 halftime advantage.

HOUSTON ROCKETS 120, CHICAGO BULLS 97
Omer Asik returned to the United Center and had a double-double with 20 points and 18 rebounds.

”Omer is a big-time player in the middle,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale told AP. ”Tonight he was blocking shots, getting rebounds, and outletting the ball for us. He’s got a big body and sets wide picks for us. This was a very good game for him.”

James Harden scored 26 points and Jeremy Lin added 20 points and 11 assists for Houston, which had all five starters score in double figures. Chandler Parsons scored 23 points and Marcus Morris had 10. Houston has won six of seven.

BOSTON CELTICS 93, BROOKLYN NETS 76
The last time Celtics guard Rajon Rondo played against the Nets, he got into it with forward Kris Humphries and was thrown out of the game to stop his double-digit assist streak. It was redemption for Rondo on Christmas as he scored 19 points in his first full game against the Nets this season to help orchestrate a very impressive road win for Boston.

Rookie Jared Sullinger tied a career high with 16 points and Jeff Green had 15 for the Celtics, who was challenged by their head coach Doc Rivers after their “soft” performance in the previous meeting with Brooklyn. Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez each scored 15 for the Nets, who have lost four of five. The Nets’ high-priced backcourt of Deron Williams (10 points) and Joe Johnson (12 points) were a combined 7-for-21 from the field.

A physically fit Raymond Felton provides the New York Knicks with a healthy backcourt. (GETTY IMAGES)

The NBA season is still a little early, but there are some very interesting developments.

What a difference a 7-1 start makes

The New York Knicks were mocked and made fun of when they decided to go with Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd as their new backcourt. Well, well, well. Nobody is laughing now.

Felton was clearly out of shape last season with the potential lockout having many NBA’ers playing at less than their usual level. He didn’t seem comfortable in Portland and the losing that was going on in the City of Roses, but he is playing lights out for NY (15.5 points per game and 6.5 assists per game).

Jason Kidd has played more of a marksman role next to Felton in a smaller backcourt. But, it has paid huge dividends for them. Kidd is shooting 54.3% and 52% on 3-pointers. He isn’t going to maintain that obviously, but he has come a long way from the days when he was called Ason Kidd because he didn’t have a J.

Ronnie Brewer has also been a solid player as the third guard/small forward with Melo playing power forward. He’s a very good defender and a hustle guy.

The Knicks were also mocked when they brought in Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby and convinced Rasheed Wallace to come out of retirement. Wallace has slowly worked his way into playing shape and contributed some valuable minutes off the bench. Sheed has had three games where he scored at least 10 points and is shooting 46.5%.

A new contender out West

The Los Angeles Clippers went out and added a whole new bench. Last year, they had Randy Foye and this year their sixth man is Jamal Crawford. The difference is like night and day.

Foye averaged 9.8 points off the bench and so far Crawford is scoring 20.7 points (52.2% and 44%). But, that isn’t the only difference. Crawford brings some swag, also known as confidence down the stretch. Crawford will take the big shots someone else on the Clippers likes to take. “Mr Big Shot” himself, Chauncey Billups.

Crawford is a cold-blooded assassin who is not afraid to take big shots.

A healthy Eric Bledsoe also gives them a great 1-2 punch at point guard along with All-Star Chris Paul. Bledsoe has been playing extremely well (10.6 points and 2.8 assists) and has to strike fear in the opposing coaches’ gameplan.

Once Billups and Grant Hill get healthy, the Clippers will have a team that can go 10 deep.

Houston Rockets

There was some outrage over Jeremy Lin being given a poison-pill contract when he was offered a back-loaded deal that all but killed his chances of re-signing with the New York Knicks.

Many said it was crazy because he doesn’t have the traditional strengths of most point guards. Lin is off to a slow start offensively, averaging just under 11 points per game, but he hasn’t found his shot just yet this season. However, he is averaging 6.7 assists per game and 2.3 steals per game. More surprising is he has shown he can rebound better than he did last year in Gotham (he is averaging 4.7 rebounds). He should be able to bring up his 35.5% shooting percentage.

Omer Asik was a career backup with the Chicago Bulls and he was given a surprisingly rich contract for a player that hadn’t shown much. But, he has turned into a rebounding beast, averaging 13.2 boards. He’s also averaging 11 points and 1.2 blocks.

Both players are looking promising and James Harden has turned into a scoring machine.

Houston still has a max contract to offer next summer and could be a playoff team quicker than a lot of people thought after losing out on the major free agents last summer.

A team to watch out for

The Memphis Grizzlies are playing like they are a team that have something to prove. They seem to lack a superstar or a go-to player, but they are just winning games. As their 7-1 start and leading the Southwest division shows.

They have an excellent frontcourt with Rudy Gay (19.8 points), Zach Randolph (17.2 points and 13.9 rebounds) and Marc Gasol (15 points and 7.3 rebounds), but their backcourt is just average.

A good friend of mine says they lack a star in the backcourt, but Mike Conley (14 points, six assists and two steals per game) is a poor man’s Tony Parker. And their shooting guard is Tony Allen. He provides some intangibles that this team needs, a defender with championship experience. And they added Jerryd Bayless in the offseason to back up Conley and play some shooting guard.

The Grizzlies took the Clippers to seven games in playoffs last year and knocked off the Spurs in the first round a couple years ago. This is a squad no team wants to face in the postseason, and just one reason why the Western Conference is deeper than the East.

Andrei Kirilenko

AK47 spent his entire career in Utah until last season when he decided to return to Russia when the NBA was on the verge of a lockout.

Returning this season, he has been an excellent pickup for Minnesota who is without Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio. AK47 is averaging 14.1 points (59.7% on FGAs and 53.3% of his 3s), 8.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 steals.

Kirilenko’s versatility is his best asset, He does a little bit of everything, and he is having an effect on the Wolves. They are allowing just 90 points (second best in the NBA), opponents are shooting just 42.4% (fourth best) from the field and 33.3% on 3s (tied for 10th).

AK47 is my early candidate for comeback player of the year.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email to: djroxalot@hotmailcom.

Mike D’Antoni’s Suns teams averaged 110 points in four of his six seasons in Phoenix. (GETTY IMAGES)

So, the Lakers settled for Mike D’Antoni rather than caving to Phil Jackson’s demands to coach the team again. It caused a big Hollywood drama.

A lot of critics are saying DA’s offense can’t work with the older players in Los Angeles, and they point to his days with the Suns.

In Phoenix, the Suns averaged 94, 110, 110, 108, 110, and 110 points per game. Now, it would just be silly to think D’Antoni is going to run this team ragged with older players such as Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, and Pau Gasol. That would be foolish because they would be gassed once the playoffs start.

But D’Antoni made adjustments to his offense when he coached the Knicks because he didn’t have the same personnel he had in Phoenix.

In four years in N.Y., the Knicks averaged 105.2, 102.1, 106.5, and 97.8 points per game. They ran at times, but they never scored as much as his Suns teams did and there is a reason for that. Like any good coach, D’Antoni tweaked the offense and they ran a lot of halfcourt sets and pick-and-rolls with Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire.

Felton had a career-best season 17.1 points and nine assists. In 2006 with the Suns, they went 54-28 in the regular season and lost in six games in the Western Conference finals to the Dallas Mavericks. That team had Nash, Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw, and Raja Bell. Amare played in just three games all season due to microfracture surgery on his knee.

The Lakers also have more talent in L.A. with Nash, Kobe, Howard, and Gasol as a fourth option if he isn’t traded) than the Knicks or the Suns ever had. Sure, the Lakers will run when Nash sees the opportunity, but Nash being an extension of DA on the court will also slow it down to save wear and tear on the veteran players.

L.A. has a very good team and will be a team to be reckoned with come playoff time, especially with Oklahoma City missing James Harden and the Spurs getting older and fighting injuries. The team the Lakers need to watch out for is the other Staples Center tenant — the Clippers.

We could easily see a Lakers-Clippers matchup in the conference finals if the Lakers can adjust to the D’Antoni system.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at: djroxalot@hotmail.com

Joakim Noah and the Bulls have the best record in the East. Is that enough to carry them to the NBA Finals? (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Home-court advantage and the No. 1 seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs have not resulted in a championship the past two seasons. Just ask LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James powered the Cavaliers to 66 and 61 wins and the No. 1 seeding in the East two years in a row, but a great regular season turned into a nightmare in the postseason. Last year was the most painful one, as the Celtics eliminated the Cavs in the conference semifinals and LeBron walked off the TD Garden floor with his head down, took off his Cavaliers uniform for the last time and bolted for South Beach.

This year, Derrick Rose has powered the Chicago Bulls to 62 wins and the No. 1 seeding in the East. Even though the Bulls have clearly been the best team in the East this season, the playoffs are a totally different challenge. Can these upstart Bulls and their soon-to-be crowned league MVP handle the immense pressure and scrutiny of the playoffs? That’s the No. 1 question facing first-year coach Tom Thibodeau.

FIRST ROUND

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Indiana Pacers
The Bulls took three of four games from the Pacers, who may be able to win one game in this series but that’s about it. Too much Derrick Rose, too much Bulls defense. Prediction: Bulls in 5.

(4) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
Last year the Hawks were thoroughly dominated by the Magic and had no answer for Jameer Nelson. The Hawks picked up defensive specialist Kirk Hinrich at the trade deadline and he should help deal with Nelson’s dribble penetration and contest his jumpers off screen-and-rolls. However, the Hawks didn’t pick up anyone to deal with Dwight Howard in the post and that will ultimately be, again, their Achilles’ heel. Prediction: Magic in 6.

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) New York Knicks
Most experts feel this could be the best first-round series. From a pure entertainment standpoint? Yes. In terms of the length of the series? No. Chauncey Billups and Amare Stoudemire both have health issues, and the Knicks play way too loose on offense and defense to keep up with the highly efficient and battle-tested Celtics, who could break out of their shooting slump against a very forgiving and extremely soft Knicks defense. Prediction: Celtics in 5.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
The Heat’s biggest weaknesses are at center and point guard. Fortunately for Miami, Philly doesn’t really have a low-post presence who can command double teams. And point guard Jrue Holiday is playing in his first postseason so don’t expect this series to be competitive. Prediction: Heat in 4.

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (4) Orlando Magic
This is where the shocker of the postseason occurs. Orlando has a significant edge in the middle with Howard, and Chicago really has no one on its roster who can keep Orlando’s 6-foot-11 beast out of the paint. Joakim Noah is still bothered by an ankle injury and backup center Omir Asik will be in foul trouble throughout the series because he’s not athletic enough to stay in front of Howard. Another matchup problem for Chicago is Jason Richardson, who should win his one-on-one battles with Keith Bogans, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. And as good as Rose has been all year, he has yet to lead the Bulls out of the first round. Prediction: Magic in 6.

(2) Miami Heat and (3) Boston Celtics
Miami’s victory over Boston in the fourth meeting between the two teams was not only a huge confidence booster for the Heat but it was also a reality check for the Celtics. The addition of Mike Bibby gives LeBron and Dwyane Wade a true sniper who can spread the floor and be counted on in the fourth quarter. For the Celtics to win this series, three things must happen: 1) Shaquille O’Neal plays 24 minutes a game,2) Rajon Rondo makes some jumpers, and 3) Paul Pierce averages more than 20 points per game. All three will be very difficult to achieve against a Heat squad that is coming together at the perfect time. Prediction: Heat in 7.

CONFERENCE FINALS

(2) Miami Heat vs. (4) Orlando Magic
In 2009, Howard and the Magic denied LeBron a trip to the NBA Finals. This year, James has D-Wade to lean on when the going gets tough. James’ biggest obstacle the past two postseasons has been his inability to raise his game in big moments. That’s where Wade comes in. This is the series where Wade turns into Jordan and LeBron happily takes on the role of Pippen. The two teams split the season series, so that means home court will decide the outcome of the battle of Florida. Prediction: Heat in 7.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter at: twitter.com/onemanfastbreak.

First, it was the Bulls. Then, it was Cavaliers. Then, it was the Knicks. Now, the Heat have become the front-runners.

Predicting which team LeBron James chooses to sign with is kind of like forecasting when or where the next earthquake will hit. Amid all the speculation and so-called experts’ opinions on where James is going to play next season and for years to come, the reality of it is this: no one knows for sure what the two-time NBA MVP will do.

Actually, there are a few things we know for sure: the Los Angeles Clippers have NO SHOT at signing LeBron James. Let’s just get that out of the way. And the New Jersey Nets are only in the running because LeBron doesn’t want to embarrass his good friend Jay-Z.

So, that leaves four teams in the hunt: Miami, Chicago, New York and Cleveland.

LeBron and his management group, also known as The Four Horsemen from Akron, are keeping a very tight lid on the situation and only LeBron knows what LeBron wants. For now, LeBron is telling everyone to wait in line before he serves up his decision, which comes at 9 p.m. EST today and televised live by ESPN.

Have I mentioned that the Clippers have no shot? Just checking.

A one-hour special on the Worldwide Leader? Really? Seriously? This is utterly ridiculous. No one player in the NBA deserves this much power and this much attention.

Thanks to Team LeBron – comprised mainly of his buddies from high school and led by a guy named Maverick – ESPN’s family of networks have morphed into LeBron TV. Each time you tune in there is some news about LeBron James and his free-agency decision.

He made the jump from high school to the NBA, so he never experienced the whole college recruiting process. He’s definitely making up for it, though. No matter how sophomoric the idea is, it’s definitely LeBron’s way of reliving college without having to attend classes. It wouldn’t surprise me if James lined up baseball caps in front of him, the same drama-filled moment when a high school kid makes his college commitment.

Maybe, LeBron should do the show “Rock of Love” style with LeBron playing the role of Bret Michaels. But instead of backstage passes, LeBron should hand out headbands to the winning suitors. I’mwilling to bet the Clippers would be the first team dismissed. Just a gut feeling.

I can see it now. LeBron, while holding the last headband, asks Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert how much Cleveland loves him. Then, Bron-Bron turns to Heat owner Micky Arison and asks him if South Beach is big enough to house three basketball All-Stars.

Now that’s reality TV at its best!

But I digress. So, again, why is LeBron going on national TV to announce his intentions? He could have done so through a live press conference holding his kids, just like every other athlete who takes the podium. Hasn’t he gotten enough coverage the past month (the past two years if you’re a Knick fan)? If he has indeed already made up his mind to move to Miami, why would he subject Cleveland fans – the very people who worship the ground he walks on – to a very painful rejection and completely humiliate them publicly?

Spurning the Cavs would be like to stabbing your best friend in the heart in front of all your closest friends and family, and making your mom clean up the mess. OK, maybe that’s a bit extreme but you get the point.

Dru Joyce, James’ high school coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary, once said that LeBron is an entertainer and enjoys a little drama. Joyce knows LeBron really well, and maybe he’s on to something. This certainly explains all the bells and whistles of Thursday’s one-hour made-for-TV event. It’s all about feeding LeBron’s massive ego.

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh stole some of his thunder Wednesday when both announced that they would team up in Miami. But Thursday belongs to LeBron and only LeBron. If this doesn’t satisfy LBJ’s insatiable appetite for attention then nothing will.

It was bad enough that he made high-ranking representatives from the Nets, Clippers, Knicks, Heat and Bulls fly to Cleveland to meet with him and his LRMR team. Each team gave three-hour presentations on how much they would love to have LeBron. For lack of a better term, it was three hours of “ass kissing.”

This is shades of what Kobe Bryant did in 2004 when he was being courted by the Lakers, Clippers and Bulls. Bryant really had no intention of leaving the Lakers, but he somehow convinced the Clippers and Bulls that he was serious about playing elsewhere.

As much as I hate to admit it, I’ll probably end up watching the LeBron James TV special. Sadly, it will be a ratings bonanza, with special interest from audiences in New York, Chicago, Miami and Cleveland. It’s like watching a bad Ben Affleck movie. When there is nothing else good on the TV guide, you are forced to watch it because you want to see how it ends.

Whatever the end result of this long, unnecessary, dragged-out process, James will be portrayed as an egotistical superstar who is way too in love with the spotlight. He will also be vilified in a lot of cities, but nothing compares to what Cleveland will unleash on him if he doesn’t stay with the Cavaliers.

If James decides to turn his back on the Cavs, he may not be able to return to his home in Akron. It would be comparable to Art Modell moving the Browns to Baltimore.

Brace yourselves Cavs fans. There is a good chance this story may not have a happy ending.

New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni is confident the Knicks will land a big-time free agent this summer. (UPI)

The LeBron James Sweepstakes is underway and club officials from the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks met with James in Cleveland on Thursday to make their sales pitches to the two-time NBA MVP.

Team New Jersey included billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov, head coach Avery Johnson and rap star Jay-Z, a close friend of LeBron’s, while Team New York included Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh, head coach Mike D’Antoni and former Knick player Allan Houston.

Because the Knicks don’t really have a Derrick Rose or a Dwyane Wade on their roster to dangle in front of LeBron, D’Antoni and Co. are using the “Bright Lights, Big City” approach to reel in the biggest catch of this year’s free-agent class.

“I’m confident because we’ve got a great product. New York is very unique and we’re selling the best place in the world to come and live and play,” D’Antoni said in an exclusive interview with MSG Network that was posted on MSG.com.

Full exclusive interview here: http://video.msg.com/Home/Mike-D-Antoni-on-Free-Agency

“It’s going to be a process where every team will go through, have face time with potential free agents, and you just have to go with your instincts,” D’Antoni explained. “There will be some jockeying going on.”

So, what if the Knicks don’t land LeBron or a top free agent this summer?

“That’s always a possibility,” said D’Antoni. “That’s why we won’t sleep a whole lot for the next week. But we set ourselves up to be able to realize this plan and here we are and let’s see if we can get it done. We’re in the ballgame and we’re trying to win.”

D’Antoni added: “We have to win. We just have to convince the guys coming here that they can win because New York is a place where you need to win. And I think we can do that. Whether they like the style or not is up to the individual. We’ll see how it goes.”

This year’s crop of free agents have been called the best in league history, and only a handful of franchises will get to reap those benefits. Those who are left behind will have some serious catching up to do in filling up their rosters after clearing cap space for that past two seasons.

“This will set a course for the franchise for the next 10 years, which is a pretty important time. And we have gone through two years of not a whole lot of fun. This is what we all signed on for and this is what we’re trying to realize,” D’Antoni said. “I’m excited about it, at the same time obviously I think everybody’s a little nervous about it that’s because it’s high stakes out there. Again, the biggest point is that we have a good hand. We’re selling a good product in New York, and that’s pretty unique.”

Would the Knicks consider this offseason a complete failure should they fall short in landing a franchise player?

“I don’t think you can really address it until November 1st when we start playing,” the Knicks coach said. “We’re going to get the best free agents available, the best team, keep developing our young guys hopefully we’ll have some surprises with them, and have a lot better product next year.”

One thing D’Antoni is encouraged about is the development of the young players on the Knicks’ roster, such as Danilo Gallinari, Toney Douglas and newly acquired Bill Walker.

“I think our core of young players can be put up against anybody,” D’Antoni boasted. “We have some pieces that are very interesting and we have a lot of room, and we’re able to find players that compliment each other, play off each other, and the best fit.”

D’Antoni said Walker and Douglas are working extremely hard this offseason, coming in daily at 8:30 in the morning to workout. “They’re very talented basketball players and have shown the dedication to what they’re doing for about three weeks and that’ll continue throughout the summer. I’m excited about both of them.”

Walker is reportedly down to 227 pounds. He was 254 last year when he was acquired from the Celtics.

“He’s very athletic guy, jumping out of the gym,” D’Antoni said of Walker. “When he did come out of high school he was one of the top two players of his class. O.J. Mayo was the other guy. He just had those knee injuries. He’s back to his athletic form when he was dominating all the Reebok camps and Nike camps.”

D’Antoni also expects center Eddy Curry to be on the team next season.