Apparently, we are all supposed to be chortling today because LeBron James didn't come out for his introduction last night at Chop Shop Mortgage Arena in Cleveland, and his team subsequently lost a game to the Cavaliers. Despite the fact that James did show up and produce a triple-double, his failure to come out and give the Cleveland fans another chance not to Get Over It Already is supposed to Say Something about him.

(It should be noted here that James did show up for his first return to Cleveland and gave several thousand petulant children their chance to throw a public tantrum. Once a season should be enough.)

Anyway, good for the Cavs for winning -- and how'd you like to be the Knicks, who have lost to Cleveland three times already this season? James's absence during the introductory "game preparation" had a lot less to do with that than did the fact that Miami's three centers -- Erich Dampier, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Joel Anthony -- combined for zero points and three rebounds against the legend that is Ryan Hollins. Dampier came awfully close to ringing up what coaches call "The Trillion" -- double-figure minutes and zeroes across the box-score line.