LeBron James seeks and gets all the attention

Americans love reality TV, but LeBron James’ ego-driven Thursday night spectacle is sure to alienate.…

Michael Jordan kept it simple, so why not James? …

If it’s all about winning championships, James’ choice seems obvious: join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.…

Shares in Madison Square Garden Inc., owner of the New York Knicks, jumped more than 6% Wednesday as Wall Street bulls bet that James would play in Gotham next season.…

USA Today sports analyst Danny Sheridan, who last week put the odds of James’ signing with the Clippers at 25-1, lengthened the odds this week to 50,000-1.…

Much of the overheated coverage of the NBA’s free-agent moratorium period brought to mind James Brown’s funk gem, “Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothing.” …

In 2001, the Clippers acquired a veteran guard named Vinny Del Negro from the Phoenix Suns in a three-way deal so that his salary would count against their payroll, enabling Donald Sterling to exceed the then-NBA minimum.…

They then immediately waived Del Negro, who retired.…

Now he’s back.…

Only two coaches have compiled .500 records or better with the Clippers: Larry Brown, who coached them for two seasons, and Mack Calvin, who coached them for two games.…

Wishy-washy Seantrel Henderson gives off the impression that he could be more trouble than he’s worth.…

James Loney might have a Gold Glove in his future.…

Arkansas is not generally regarded as a baseball hotbed, but Torii Hunter of the Angels and fellow American League All-Star Cliff Lee hail from the Natural State.…

So do Brooks Robinson and Lou Brock, as did two other Hall of Famers: Dizzy Dean and Bill Dickey.…

World Cup soccer might not produce a lot of goals, but the shots that do find the net, whether off the boot of David Villa or the head of Wesley Sneijder, tend to be spectacular.…

Sorry, Joey Chestnut, but hot dog eating is not a sport.…

Who’s the sadist who came up with the brilliant idea of adding cobblestones to the challenges facing Lance Armstrong and his fellow Tour de France competitors? …

Rafael Nadal, in search of a career Grand Slam, has never advanced beyond the semifinals at the U.S. Open.…

Leslie Frazier, the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, told a Minneapolis radio station this week that rookie defensive end Everson Griffen, a fourth-round pick from USC, “could be the next great pass rusher in our league.” …

In the last half of last season, Griffen had no tackles for loss.…

With stadium operators in Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Detroit and Chicago preparing or mulling bids for a Big Ten Conference championship football game, it makes one wonder: Where would the Pacific 10 Conference hold a title game? …

Noting that Detroit Lions President Tom Lewand was arrested on suspicion of DUI, Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald writes, “Based on the Lions’ performance the past few years, I believe that stands for Drafting Under the Influence.” …

The greatest NFL draft class: Four of the first five players taken by the Steelers in 1974 — Lynn Swann of USC, Jack Lambert of Kent State, John Stallworth of Alabama A&M and Mike Webster of Wisconsin — made the Pro Football Hall of Fame.…

The one that didn’t, former UCLA cornerback Jimmy Allen, won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.…

Baseball is fortunate that more fans don’t fall from high places in pursuit of foul balls, as a man did Tuesday in Texas.…

Asked by Sports Illustrated to complete the sentence “Against Stephen Strasburg, I’d …,” Clippers draft pick Al-Farouq Aminu replied, “Who’s that?” …

Thirty years ago today, J.R. Richard of the Houston Astros started for the National League in the All-Star game — 22 days before suffering a stroke that ended his career at age 30.…

The 6-foot-8 Richard was a constant thorn in the Dodgers’ side, pitching five shutouts against Steve Garvey & Co.…

Noting that JaMarcus Russell was arrested this week and charged with possession of codeine syrup, reader Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., e-mails to suggest, “He had been working on his tendency to cough up the football.” …

It wasn’t helping.

jerome.crowe@latimes.com