LeBron James likes N.Y., (Cleveland, L.A., Florida and Jupiter, too!)

Asked about the different stories he told various reporters, including conflicting statements about his age, hometown and even his full name, Dizzy Dean said, "Them ain't lies. Them's scoops."
These days, LeBron James is channeling Ol' Diz.
On June 29, James told WKNR 850's Mark "Munch" Bishop, "I'm dedicated to bringing a championship to this city. I'm bringing a parade to this city. I love this city. I love Northeast Ohio. Right now, I can't see myself going anywhere else."
The next week, he called New York his favorite city and Brooklyn his favorite borough in it.
Since the Nets are to move to Brooklyn in time for James' free-agency season in 2010, and since James' friend, the rapper Jay-Z, has a small part of the Nets' ownership, this was proof that James was halfway out The Q's door.
Except James has a pattern of pledging his allegiance to various teams and various places --- at various times.
He convinced a Sports Illustrated reporter that he was an Ohio State fan in early 2003. James and his Akron high school teammates were playing on ESPN the night after the collegiate football championship game. The story depicted an ebullient James in his Los Angeles hotel room, celebrating the Buckeyes' double-overtime victory.
Or was he made happier than anything by the loss of the Miami Hurricanes in the game?
By Olympic training camp in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2004, James was presenting himself as a fan of Florida State. "I've always been a Seminole," he said, despite going directly from high school in Akron to the NBA.
Over the years, he has said how fond he is of Southern Cal (when in Los Angeles), of Oregon (when in Portland), of North Carolina (in Charlotte), and of Michigan State (in Detroit.) If he had had to go to college, he would have needed a closet full of freshman beanies.
When young, he followed the pro teams that were powers in the 1990s -- the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bulls and the Yankees. The Yankees seem to be the only one that has stuck, at least in ballcap controversies. Even at that, cameras caught him in an Indians cap when the 2008 Olympic team gathered for early meetings recently.
What is important is that James' favorite team really is the Cavs. He likes his teammates and coach and is well-liked by them. He wants his supporting cast to get better. Considering how much he has done for the team and city, he is entitled to say that.
Certainly when he was younger, James told people what they wanted to hear. He has not entirely gotten over that inclination.
His comments about various cities also might be nothing more than a way of attracting the spotlight in times when the news is slow. But they seem to indicate a tug of war between the crossover appeal of the acting and music opportunities in New York and the ties of family and friends he has to Northeast Ohio.
If Cleveland does not offer the entertainment forums of New York, it also offers enough unconditional love to trump any rival. He has "Chosen 1" tattooed on his back, but we chose him as franchise and city savior.
What he says ain't necessarily lies, but it ain't news either. It will take a while to find out what's the scoop with him.