James Is Biggest Star of a Comeback Story

It wasn’t exactly a child who led them, not at 6 feet 8 and 245 pounds, but it was the youngest All-Star, just-turned 21-year-old LeBron James, who led the East back from a 21-point deficit Sunday to beat the West and win his first most-valuable-player award.

James scored 29 points as the East won, 122-120, in the most competitive All-Star game in years. The East came from 21 behind early in the third quarter to go up by nine with 6:43 left. The West came back to tie it on Kobe Bryant’s 20-footer with 32 seconds left left. The East took the lead with 16 seconds left on Dwyane Wade’s rebound and score. James then blocked Tracy McGrady’s 18-footer to secure the win.

Of course, James had an advantage on the last play. He cheated.

“I got a piece of his arm and the ball, which made it short,” said James. “Great defensive play I guess.”

James started last season’s All-Star game at 20 but Bryant has that record, making his first start at 19. However, James becomes the youngest All-Star MVP.

“He’s a great player,” said Shaquille O’Neal afterward in the interview room. “He’s the future of the game, he and the gentleman sitting next to me [Wade.]

“I know because I’ve got three sons and I go in their room and they don’t have any posters of me. There’s posters of D-Wade, T-Mac and LeBron.”

If a close game was a pleasant surprise after four less-than-memorable ones, it also upset the script, which called for McGrady’s friends to get him the MVP before the home folks, which would have cheered everyone up.

The Rockets are in the midst of a disappointing season and McGrady recently turned in a string of desultory performances, saying he had unspecified “personal problems.”

After announcing he would skip Friday’s media session, he changed his mind ... before league officials had to decide if that would have meant he couldn’t play in the game.

In 2004 when Allen Iverson talked about skipping the session in Los Angles, Commissioner David Stern said he had to attend to play in the game.

“It’s a possibility,” said Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik before McGrady arrived 15 minutes late, “but I don’t want to judge it yet.”

Everything went better for McGrady after that. With teammates looking for him as soon as they crossed half court, he had 17 points by halftime Sunday and the West had a 17-point lead.

“I think the first half we were just too silly,” said O’Neal, who underhanded up one free throw, dashed in to get the ball off the board and dunked it but was called for a lane violation.

“Charles [Barkley, TNT commentator] gave a great talk for us at halftime,” said East Coach Flip Saunders. “He said the game was over.”

With all four of his Pistons plus James on the floor, the East started cutting into the lead in the third period. With James scoring 13 points, the East had it down to 97-94 going into the fourth quarter.

“That had everything to do with it,” said McGrady of playing against the Pistons. “I think it showed them [West] what an offensive possession would be and to have all those guys out there, all on the same team, it was awesome.”

The East was up, 111-102, when the West started its comeback, going on an 18-9 run, capped by Bryant’s jacknifing 20-footer. Before that, Bryant had taken 10 shots and missed seven.

The East then isolated Iverson who missed an 18-footer but Wade followed up the shot and scored for a 122-120 lead.

West Coach Avery Johnson set up the last play for McGrady, the hometown hero, but James blocked the shot and McGrady’s arm. Bryant got the loose ball but had it knocked away.

This being an All-Star Game, the East took it down the court where Iverson threw a lob up for Vince Carter, who tried to dunk it backward but hit the back rim. The ball bounced all the way to McGrady, past half court but time had run out.

McGrady wound up with a game-high 36 points. James wound up with the MVP.

“That was the whole strategy,” said McGrady, of his teammates’ attempt to get him the award. “That was the game plan. ... It was there if we would have won.”

Some seasons it goes like that. This is one of those here.