James’ star shines brightly by itself

When he was a kid, which wasn’t that long ago, LeBron James placed pictures of Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady and Magic Johnson on the walls of his bedroom.

And as recently as last season, James told ESPN the Magazine he didn’t think he was as good as Bryant because he lacked the killer instinct Bryant showed in leading the Lakers to three NBA titles.

If James initially had reason to be awestruck by his elders, that’s no longer the case. His performance Thursday in the Cavaliers’ 114-108 victory over the Lakers at Staples Center made for a rare fusion of high-wattage celebrity and substance, a many-stars game with meaning -- unlike the All-Star festivities looming this weekend in Las Vegas.

Bryant and James didn’t cross paths much Thursday except for the occasional switch-off; when Bryant fouled him in the fourth quarter on a drive to the basket with the Cavaliers holding a one-point lead, Bryant respectfully swatted him on the behind. The electricity they generated created a memorable event, though not what the Lakers had hoped for because it sent them into the break with a five-game losing streak and a 4-11 slump.

“We didn’t want to take this game for granted and say, ‘We played well the last few weeks, so let’s just pack up,’ ” James said after a 38-point performance that outdid Bryant by four. “That’s not what I’m all about and that’s not what this team is all about.”

James, who drew gasps when he drove to the rim and leapt over the press table with stunning ease to tie the score at 70 midway through the third quarter, said he wanted to set the tone by playing fearlessly. He succeeded, hitting 10 of 16 shots and 18 of 22 free throws.

“I wanted to be aggressive, and when I’m aggressive, that translates to our team,” he said. “It was very important how aggressive we were.”

It worked like a charm against the Lakers, whose defense continues to shred under pressure. The anticipated post-break recovery of Luke Walton and Kwame Brown will help, but the Lakers have yet to recapture the rhythm and verve they had early in the season. “This is a good time not to think about basketball,” Lamar Odom said.

The Lakers return to face Portland and Boston at home next Wednesday and Friday. Those should be easy victories. But their two losses to the Knicks figured to be wins, too. And losses to Charlotte and New Orleans and too many others to list.

The Cavaliers (31-22) aren’t a great team, but James is making them better. He made his teammates better on Thursday, in a game in which many eyes rested upon him and Bryant.

“You always look forward to matchups like this, going against one of the best players in the NBA and the world,” James said.

Outscoring Bryant, James said, “doesn’t matter to me. Stats matter absolutely nothing to me.”

Nor do comparisons to Bryant, or James’ growing responsibilities as one of the NBA’s top pitchmen.

“I’ve never tried to measure myself against anybody,” said James, who turned 22 in December and is six years younger than Bryant.

“I’ve just tried to go out there and just be the best player I can be and lead my team to victories. I’ve been successful in my four-year span trying to lead my team to victories, and I just try to keep getting better every year.”

The teams had met only last Sunday at Cleveland, a 99-90 victory for the Cavaliers in which Bryant had a game-high 36 points. James had a relatively modest 18; team scoring honors that day went to Sasha Pavlovic, with 21.

But if James isn’t always the Cavaliers’ top scorer -- he has led them 39 times -- he surely has polished his game and the image he projects in public.

James shrugged off Gilbert Arenas’ suggestion to a blogger associated with CSTV that he needs to play alongside someone like Sam Cassell because he doesn’t feel comfortable under pressure.

“He needs someone who wants to take the big shots at the end of the game,” Arenas said. “LeBron would much rather have Cassell take the final shot. People don’t realize that LeBron doesn’t want it.”

Considering that James had a couple of late winners against Arenas’ Washington Wizards in the Cavaliers’ six-game playoff triumph last spring, that’s absurd. James calmly said he had no reaction to Arenas’ claim.

“It doesn’t matter to me,” James said. “You go out there and as long as your teammates look toward you as a leader and they look for you to take shots at the end of the game it doesn’t matter.”

James, the most valuable player at last season’s All-Star game, said he’s prepared for a busy few days in Las Vegas as one of the NBA’s featured faces.

“It’s more than just basketball,” he said. “It’s a business weekend also, but it’s good commitments and you want to try and take care of them during these four days.”

helene.elliott@latimes.com