How did O.C. warehouse manager beat LeBron?

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/kalb-james-shot-2145871-shots-feet

Thursday, September 4, 2008
How did O.C. warehouse manager beat LeBron?
By JANIS CARR
The Orange County Register

David Kalb was more anxious than nervous Wednesday. After nearly two hours of waiting and shooting baskets on Venice Beach’s famed blue court, he wanted to see the competition.

“I was interested to see how big he was,” Kalb said.

Kalb’s opponent eventually emerged from a black Excursion, all 6 feet, 8 inches and 250 pounds, wearing the latest in his signature shoe line and a skin-tight sleeveless basketball shirt that showcased his muscular arms.

“He’s a big dude,” Kalb said.

The dude was Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who showed up to play Kalb, a warehouse manager from La Habra, in the Cub Cadet Trick Shot Challenge. Kalb was selected by James, who chose his trick shot video from “thousands and thousands” of others that the star viewed.

On the video, Kalb is seen making a shot into a basket 32 feet high and another into a basket strapped onto a rotating forklift.

“David was able to come up with some shots that I don’t know how he did it or where his mind was, but he definitely showcased his talents,” James said.

The two were supposed to be a single game of H-O-R-S-E, where each player gets to pick fancy shots and the other has to match. Many of Kalb’s were high-bouncing, off the backboard or swinging around the backboard pole that delighted the eclectic crowd that gathered.

James stuck mainly to outside – way outside, 45-feet out – shots.

But after Kalb edged him in the first game, James declared a best-of-three. Kalb won the second handily then the two delighted the crowd with dunks and flips by Kalb.

“I was glad he was missing those outside shots because it gave me a chance to do the ones I had been practicing,” Kalb said.

When asked how Kalb, who stands 6-foot-1, could match James’ monster one-handed dunk, he said “that was adrenalin. Besides, it was a basic dunk. There’s no way I could have done something fancy, like a 360-degree dunk.”

James was asked if this was harder – playing in the ocean breezes, bright sun and a trick shot artist – than winning gold at the Olympics. The Cavs star laughed and said yes.

“Because I didn’t have Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade to help me out,” James said. “I was all by myself.”