Marcus swipes the spotlight from LeBron

Russ Waterman

Tuesday, July 15, 2003 | 9:48 a.m.

BOSTON -- The oohs and aahs were allegedly reserved for LeBron James, the NBA's No. 1 draft pick who made his debut Monday night for the Cleveland Cavaliers before a record sellout crowd of more than 2,500 at the Reebok Summer Pro League.

Undeniably, it was King James who had attracted so many hoop moths and more than 175 credentialed media members for a display of his potential greatness.

Instead, ex-UNLV standout Marcus Banks, whom the Celtics acquired in a first-round trade from the Memphis Grizzlies on NBA draft night June 26, stole most of those would-be accolades in the first quarter as the rookies and free agents of the Celtics defeated those of the Cavaliers, 87-84, in a glimpse of the future for both teams.

Banks received a rousing, standing ovation from most of the crowd with 17.9 seconds left in the first quarter, being replaced after committing his second foul but only after stealing oohs, aahs, wows and ohs from James.

Just 30 seconds had elapsed before Banks made his first two pro statements. Guarded by Banks, James bobbled the ball and airballed a shot in the game's first few moments

Then Banks, a 6-2, 220-pound graduate of Cimarron Memorial High, dramatically matched up against the much larger 6-8, 245-pound high school draft phenom, rocketed past him and DeJuan Wagner on his first possession, killing both of them on a rapid-fire, crossover dribble drive for a blow-by layup and a 2-0 lead. The Celtics, whose lead once reached 13, never would trail in the game, thanks in large part to that infusion of energy by Banks from the get-go.

One minute and 17 seconds later, Banks passed to second-year guard J.R. Bremer who made his first of four 3-pointers (and had a game-high 28 points) for his first assist. Forty-one seconds later, an 18-foot jumper. And 59 seconds after that, another assist to Bremer who made another 3-point. The crowd was absolutely smitten with Banks' fearless play.

Banks' stats deteriorated after that scintillating first period of six points on 3-of-5 shooting plus three assists and two rebounds. In 32 minutes of play, he finished with 10 points by converting 4 of 14 shots, four assists, three turnovers and a game-high four steals. And at least four of his shots were blocked.

As for his opinion about LeBron: "He puts on his shorts the same way I do. I've got lots of things to learn, like picking guys up quicker on the pass and coming off of screens. He's got things to learn, too. But I don't back down from anyone."

James ended up with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in just 29 minutes. Most of James' second-half points and all of his assists did not come against Banks, the Mountain West Conference co-defensive player of the year in 2003.

"My job was to make him turn his back to the court," said Banks. "Once he does that my job is done."

Accommodating as ever, Banks was still answering questions as he headed for a group of autograph seekers before heading out the door.

"There's always good scorers," he said. "But at this level it's mostly mental. You have to force shooters to make bad decisions.

"It was OK. I gotta learn a lot of things. I knew this was going to be different and everyone was going to be very excited and hyped up because of Lebron. So my adrenaline was going and I was rushing things. Everything was racing 100 miles per hour."

He wouldn't concede it afterward, but his first-quarter ovation did cause a slight smile when he was replaced and greeted enthusiastically by his summer teammates. That response was something with which he was familiar, he said, after having played in front of 15,000 people at UNLV.

"It's good that I got that, but people in the stands just don't understand," he said, downplaying the applause given him. "I have a job to do. This is a business. My job is to pressure the ball and push the ball up the court. I just work hard on 'D' -- that's my main focus."

Action resumes Wednesday for Banks when the Celtics take on rookies and free agents for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. It's too great a leap to project how much time Banks will see this season. But you can already put money on one ex-Rebel making and contributing to his pro team more than any of these Spurs hopefuls and wannabes.

And if Banks struggles with his shooting? Not to worry, he insists. "I'm a basketball player. I play basketball every day. I have to find a way."