I have a “love-hate” relationship with LeBron James. I was turned off by “The Decision” — a crass July 2010 show in which he announced that he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” to play for the Miami Heat after years of playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. And then came the 2013 NBA Finals. I’ve been a San Antonio Spurs fan for nearly 30 years, and LeBron and the Miami Heat ripped my heart out in winning one of the most compelling NBA Finals of all time.#-ad_banner-# Still, there’s a lot to like… Read More

I have a “love-hate” relationship with LeBron James. I was turned off by “The Decision” — a crass July 2010 show in which he announced that he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” to play for the Miami Heat after years of playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. And then came the 2013 NBA Finals. I’ve been a San Antonio Spurs fan for nearly 30 years, and LeBron and the Miami Heat ripped my heart out in winning one of the most compelling NBA Finals of all time.#-ad_banner-# Still, there’s a lot to like about the guy. Over the years, I’ve admired the maturity LeBron has shown, “The Decision” notwithstanding. He has gone from impoverished kid and high-school phenom to NBA megastar and savvy businessman. That savvy has drawn the admiration of many outside the sports world — including one man who is as iconic in the business world as LeBron is when it comes to basketball. Who am I talking about? Warren Buffett. The Oracle of Omaha is a fan of King James? Yeah. “He’s savvy, Buffett told the Miami Herald in November 2012. He’s smart about financial matters. It’s amazing… Read More

My life changed forever with one call I made from a Washington, D.C., shopping mall in 1996. Unhappy in my reporting job and 2,000 miles away from my girlfriend, I had interviewed for a job with a sports website in Austin, Texas, where I… Read More

My wife used to make fun of my fondness for fantasy sports — until the day that changed her mind. Before I had a kid, I played in every type of league you can imagine — even a NASCAR league, despite the fact that I am neither a fan of… Read More

My wife used to make fun of my fondness for fantasy sports — until the day that changed her mind. Before I had a kid, I played in every type of league you can imagine — even a NASCAR league, despite the fact that I am neither a fan of nor knowledgeable about NASCAR. Many of these leagues were just for fun, but some had money involved — not a ton, maybe $20 or $25 for each league. In March 2000, my wife and I moved to the San Francisco Bay area. We didn’t… Read More

My wife used to make fun of my fondness for fantasy sports — until the day that changed her mind. Before I had a kid, I played in every type of league you can imagine — even a NASCAR league, despite the fact that I am neither a fan of nor knowledgeable about NASCAR. Many of these leagues were just for fun, but some had money involved — not a ton, maybe $20 or $25 for each league. In March 2000, my wife and I moved to the San Francisco Bay area. We didn’t know anyone there, so I decided to see if I could find a local fantasy baseball league to join — just to meet people. After perusing websites and message boards, I found one. It had a $50 buy-in, the largest I’d ever paid, but I did it. #-ad_banner-#Fast forward to late summer, and I was in the title chase. My team was clicking. My moves kept working. All was well. So I went to my wife.  “I think I’ve got a chance to win this thing,” I said.  “How much would you win?” she asked.  “Like $600.” That changed everything. Read More