Stephen F. Austin make a run. Theyre a nice story. T

MIAMI -- LeBron James was walking down the hallway that the Miami Heat call "Championship Alley" a few minutes after last seasons NBA Finals, when he decided the time was right to send a message. It wasnt for his fans. It was for his detractors. "Keep giving me motivation! I need it!" James shouted in the crowded corridor, as the champagne for a second straight NBA title started spraying in the nearby locker room. "Keep doubting me! I need it!" James still has his haters, of course. But with the start of this years playoffs looming, the four-time NBA MVP said Friday he doesnt necessarily need to be fueled by them anymore, not with the Heat having a chance to become just the fourth franchise in league history to capture three straight titles. And if doubt exists -- to be clear, it surely does after Miami lost 14 of its last 25 games -- James said hes not noticing. "I sent out a few tweets but I havent been reading anything," James said after Miami ended practice Friday. "Im kind of just gearing toward locking in tomorrow night and go from there. But I dont need any motivation. I dont need extra motivation. Im motivated enough. This is the best part of the season, its the best time of the year and Im happy to be here once again." Miamis path toward what it hopes is a third straight title and fourth straight appearance in the NBA Finals starts on Sunday against the Charlotte Bobcats, a team the Heat swept this season and are 15-0 against since James arrived in South Florida. Still, no one needs to tell him how much more difficult this post-season could be for Miami, since history isnt exactly on his teams side. Only two franchises -- the Lakers and Celtics -- have won as many as four straight conference titles. James got a reminder of that Thursday night when he watched a documentary about the "Bad Boys"-era Detroit Pistons, a group that won back-to-back NBA championships and reached the finals three years in a row, just as the Heat have now. "When they said they went to three straight finals, they won two in a row, now theyre looking to go to a fourth straight final, I looked at my wife and said, Whos that sound like?" James said. "I know exactly what they were going through." Thing is, those Pistons couldnt get it done. Whether or not Miami does largely hinges on James. He averaged 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the regular season, shooting nearly 57 per cent -- the seventh straight year in which hes set a career best in that department. He had a career-high 61-point night against Charlotte last month, climbed five more spots to No. 27 on the leagues career scoring list, and is likely to pick up his eighth All-NBA first-team selection. And even if James doesnt wind up getting his fifth MVP award, with Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City appearing to be the favourite this year, the Bobcats know the enormity of the challenge awaiting them. "Obviously he is the best player in the world," Charlotte guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. "Hes the best player on the planet and we know he is going to make shots that are contested and will have nights he gets 30. But I think we have a pretty good defence. The game he had 61, if he hits 8 3s on anyone that is going to happen. But we like our chances on the defensive end." Fairly or unfairly, everything the Heat and James have done to this point in the season is now irrelevant. Theyll all be judged by what they do in the next two months. James knows and accepts thats the case, as do his star teammates Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. "This is what makes elite players elite players," Wade said. "You dont get the elite name unless youve done it at this level." Over the last two postseasons, James has made the elite look ordinary. The 45-point, season-saving game at Boston in 2012. A triple-double in Game 5 of that seasons Finals against Oklahoma City to wrap up his first championship. A layup at the buzzer to beat Indiana in Game 1 last year. A 32-point game in Game 6 of last years Finals against San Antonio, followed by a 37-point outing in the second straight title-clincher. The Heat can only hope for more of the same this time around. "I think Ive put together some pretty good second seasons in my career," James said. "Hopefully I can continue to do that." Landon Collins Redskins Jersey . - Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has signed with WME-IMG, saying the sports management powerhouse will help maximize the value of my brand. Alex Smith Youth Jersey . The three goals bring Messis career tally for Barcelona to 371 in all games -- including friendlies -- breaking the club record of 369 held by Paulino Alcantara since 1927. The 26-year-old Messi was already the clubs all-time leading scorer in official games. Messi assured Barcelonas fans they will enjoy his goals for years to come, saying "as long as people want me, I will stay here. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Darrell-Green-Jersey/ .com) - Jahlil Okafor erupted for 25 points and 20 rebounds as No. Washington Redskins Jerseys . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. Clinton Portis Youth Jersey . Pearce had a career-high four hits and drove in two runs, and Wei-Yin Chen shut down Texas again as the Orioles completed a four-game sweep of the Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Thursday night.Youve got a 13-hour day ahead of you. How much sleep do you get before a marathon broadcast like this? Sleep? What is this thing you speak of? [eyes slightly bugged out and twitching] In all honesty, Im a disciple of the James Duthie school of sleeping, which is to say... keep working until the red light goes off. I catch up on sleep when I can; naps are great... and I find my second year university macroeconomics textbook still works as a pretty effective tranquilizer. Whats the longest youve ever been on the air in one stretch? That would definitely be during my breaking news days on CP24 in Toronto. There was a massive rainstorm in Toronto on July 8, 2013. I still remember the date for some reason. I hit the anchor desk at noon that day. The storm started rather unexpectedly around 7 p.m. and wreaked havoc all night. I was on the air from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. without a break, plus I had anchored three hours the previous afternoon. It felt like the storm lasted about two weeks. What do you eat before a broadcast like this? Do you carb up? If Im paired with an attractive female co-host, I generally try to avoid Taco Bell. For regular days, nothing that makes me too sleepy. Dan OToole turned me on to energy drinks before going on air, which can really make the broadcast go either way. For marathon days like March Madness, Ill attempt to carb up on day one for longevity and see how that goes. If it fails, Im resorting to the OToole method – apologies in advance. Do you have any special items you like to wear on air? Any lucky socks perhaps? Im a big fan of brightly coloured socks, but there isnt a single go-to pair. Ive been using the same man bag since I started my first on-air job in September 2007. With that, Im pretty superstitious. Ive been fortunate with the opportunities Ive been afforded, so I dont want to switch up the bag, even if it is getting a bit ratty. Ever worn jjeans and sneakers behind the desk? Not at TSN – yet.dddddddddddd Im still kinda new, Im not at the "Cory Woron" level of comfort just yet. I have actually worn shorts and flip flops behind the news desk at my last job. I used to walk to work in the summer, and if I didnt wear shorts, Id be a sweaty mess by the time Id get there. It was three parts survival, one part comfort. Whats the single most significant piece of info youve picked up from your March Madness research? That spending hours crunching the numbers doesnt really put your bracket too far ahead of the one that your neighbours dog "filled out." Which team is primed for a Cinderella run? Id like to see Stephen F. Austin make a run. Theyre a nice story. Their coach Brad Underwood paid his dues for 27 years looking for a Division 1 head coaching opportunity. It finally came this year, and hes got his team in the show. Theyre a loose bunch. No go-to scorer. They distribute the ball well, and have five players who can score in the low double digits. That, to me, seems like a team primed for an upset. Theyre #12 and taking on #5 VCU. 12 over 5 is the classic upset. I also wouldnt be surprised to see play-in winner NC State take down Saint Louis in the round of 64. And Im quietly cheering for New Mexico State; theyve got four Canadians on the roster, the most in the tourney. Who do you have in the Final Four? They seem to be changing by the hour. Right now? Louisville, Florida, Arizona, Michigan State. And a championship pick? Florida. Love that there are four seniors in the starting lineup – theyve dealt with this pressure before. Love that theyve built a program and arent a one-and-done school. Love that they dont have a superstar for other teams to key on and that they play a crawl-up-your-shirt defense. And it never hurts having the experience of Billy Donovan at the helm. ' ' '