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A18   SPORTS
                     Saturday 30 June 2018
            AP sources: LeBron declines option, becomes prize free agent




            By TOM WITHERS                                                                                                      deadline turnover, through
            CLEVELAND  (AP)  —  LeBron                                                                                          the  Eastern  Conference
            James made the first move.                                                                                          playoffs  —  they  survived
            Now what?                                                                                                           two  Game  7s  and  swept
            Cleveland?  Los  Angeles?                                                                                           the  top-seeded  Toronto
            Philadelphia? A surprise?                                                                                           Raptors — to the NBA Finals
            Stay  tuned.  Decision  III  is                                                                                     for  a  fourth  straight  meet-
            this  summer's  blockbuster,                                                                                        ing  with  the  Golden  State
            and it's coming soon.                                                                                               Warriors.
            James  told  the  Cavaliers                                                                                         It  was  James'  eighth  con-
            that he is not exercising his                                                                                       secutive   Finals   appear-
            $35.6  million  contract  op-                                                                                       ance,  a  remarkable  feat
            tion for next season and will                                                                                       not  matched  since  Hall
            become  an  unrestricted                                                                                            of  Famer  Bill  Russell  and  a
            free agent, two people fa-                                                                                          handful  of  Celtics  did  it  in
            miliar with the decision told                                                                                       the  1960s.  Cleveland  was
            the Associated Press on Fri-                                                                                        overmatched  but  James
            day.                                                                                                                had the Cavs in position to
            The decision to decline the                                                                                         steal Game 1 before a late-
            option  for  2018-19  was  ex-                                                                                      game  missed  free  throw
            pected by James because                                                                                             by George Hill and mental
            it  gives  him  more  options,    In this June 6, 2018, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James shoots against Golden State   meltdown by Cavs forward
            which includes him re-sign-  Warriors' Draymond Green during the first half of Game 3 of basketball's NBA Finals in Cleveland.   J.R. Smith, who dribbled out
            ing with the Cavs, who can                                                                         Associated Press  the final seconds of regula-
            offer  him  the  most  money                                                                                        tion  thinking  his  team  was
            —  a  five-year,  $209  million  gotiations with free agents  George or work out a trade  played in his eighth straight  leading, led to an overtime
            contract.  James  can  also  at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.        with San Antonio for Kawhi  Finals.                       loss.
            sign a short-term deal with  The  fact  that  he  didn't  Leonard.    On   Thursday,  James  will  factor  family  With  MVP  Kevin  Durant
            Cleveland,  something  he  pick  up  his  option  could  George told the Oklahoma  —  he  has  three  children,  heading  the  charge,  the
            has done each year since  be  good  news  for  worried  City Thunder he's declining  and  his  oldest  son  is  a  ris-  Warriors   completed   a
            returning in 2014.           Cavs fans, who fear James  his  $20.7  million  option  for  ing  hoops  star  —  into  the  sweep  of  the  Cavs  and
            James had until 11:59 p.m.  may  leave  them  for  the  next season.                   choice  of  where  he  plays  James,  who  revealed  fol-
            to  express  his  intentions  to  second  time  in  his  career.  James  already  has  some  next.                  lowing  the  series  that  he
            the  Cavs  and  his  agent  If he had opted in, it would  shallow  roots  on  the  West  James  just  completed  his  had  broken  his  right  hand
            Rich  Paul  informed  the  have likely meant the Cavs  Coast  with  two  homes  in  15th  NBA  season,  and  it  in a fit of frustration follow-
            team  in  the  morning,  said  had worked out a trade for  the Los Angeles area and a  may  have  been  his  best  ing Game 1.
            the  people  who  spoke  on  James.                       film production company.     yet.                         James  had  numerous  rea-
            condition  of  anonymity  to  And while the Cavs remain  The  chance  to  join  one  of  He  played  all  82  regular-  sons  to  be  upset.  He  had
            the  AP  because  the  sides  hopeful he'll stay, there are  the  league's  most  iconic  season  games  for  the  first  done  everything  possible,
            are not publicly comment-    other  teams  in  the  mix  for  franchises  has  an  appeal  time, averaging 27.5 points,  and  as  he  left  Quicken
            ing on moves ahead of free  the 33-year-old — and the  to  James  and  he  said  fol-  8.6 rebounds and a career-   Loans   Arena    following
            agency opening Sunday.       Los Angeles Lakers appear  lowing this year's Finals that  high  9.1  assists  per  game.  Game 4 along with his sons,
            The  three-time  champion  to be at the top of the list.  he  remains  in  "champion-  He showed no signs of slow-  there  was  an  air  of  uncer-
            is  now  the  most  coveted  With the ability to sign two  ship mode."                 ing  down,  if  anything  he  tainty  heading  into  this
            prize in an NBA free-agent  maximum-contract       play-  The Philadelphia 76ers and  had found a new gear.         summer.
            class that includes All-Stars  ers, the Lakers can build a  Houston  Rockets  are  also  James  then  carried  the  Those  unknowns  remain,
            Paul  George  and  Chris  "Super Team" with James if  believed to covet the four-      Cavs, with their flawed ros-  but James is closer to solv-
            Paul. Teams can begin ne-    they are able  to also land  time league MVP, who just  ter after a massive trading  ing them.q


            LeMond, Holocaust survivors ride to celebrate Jewish life



            WARSAW,  Poland  (AP)  —                                                               as  a  powerful  experience,  gas  chambers  are  an  en-
            Three-time  Tour  de  France                                                           saying, "It was an amazing  during  testament  of  the
            winner  Greg  LeMond,  two                                                             event riding with two survi-  atrocities committed there.
            Holocaust  survivors  and                                                              vors 73 years after the Ho-  They  were  also  spending
            some  200  others  took  part                                                          locaust ... We should never  the weekend with his com-
            in a symbolic ride from Aus-                                                           forget!"                     munity.
            chwitz-Birkenau to a Jewish                                                            Jonathan  Ornstein,  the  di-  "It  was  incredibly  exciting
            cultural  center  in  Poland                                                           rector of the center in Kra-  for  us  to  have  such  a  fa-
            to  support  the  renewal  of                                                          kow, who himself took part  mous  international  cyclist
            Jewish life.                                                                           in  the  ride,  said  one  survi-  not  only  participate  in  the
            The  ride  Friday  began  at                                                           vor,  Marcel  Zielinski,  biked  ride  but  get  to  know  Kra-
            the  site  of  the  former  Nazi                                                       the  entire  distance,  while  kow's  story  of  Jewish  re-
            German death camp and                                                                  the  second  did  14  miles  birth," Ornstein said.
            ended at the Jewish Com-                                                               and traveled the rest of the  On  the  eve  of  the  Holo-
            munity  Center  of  Krakow,   Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond, right, Marcel   way by car.             caust, Poland was home to
            55  miles  (89  kilometers)   Zielinski, a Holocaust survivor, center, and Jonathan Ornstein,   He  said  LeMond  and  his  3.3 million Jews. Most were
            away,  site  of  a  growing   the director of the Jewish Community Center of Krakow, pose for   wife  a  day  earlier  visited  murdered  by  Nazi  Germa-
            Jewish community.            the media in Oswiecim, Poland, on Friday June 29, 2018.   the site of Auschwitz, where  ny in death camps like Aus-
            LeMond described the ride                                             Associated Press  barracks  and  the  ruins  of  chwitz and in ghettos.q
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