General: Movin on up

The best stories in sports last week centered on two athletes jumping into new arena's. For Annika Sorenstam and Lebron James, life will never be the same.

Sorenstam wanted to test herself against the men in a PGA tour event and Lebron James waited to see who would come up with the lucky ping pong ball in the NBA draft lottery.

* While the NBA and the NHL playoffs were coming down to the final two teams, while horse racing fans waited for a possible triple crown, while baseball hit full stride, and while Lebron James was adding up his Nike millions, the best story in sports was a lady golfer who showed the big boys she was for real.

If Annika Sorenstam didn't put a smile on your face these past few days and keep you wondering how she was doing, then you had better check your sports pulse, because you may not have one.

I am anything but a big golf guy, but Sorenstam kept my attention to a game I would barely pay any too. She played with unbelievable poise under tremendous pressure. She showed a youthful exuberance and a world class talent.

She said right from the beginning that this was not a man versus woman thing, but more about testing her own limits. About being challenged and taking her game to the next level.

On Thursday, with the world watching her every move, she was indeed very good. There were four times the normal amount of media credentials given out, there were thousands following her all day. And all day, she smiled, waved, and shot very respectable 71, one over, to give her a chance to play on the weekend.

On Friday, things did not go as well. She shot a 74 and failed to make the cut. She did, however, best eleven others in the tourney.

Soon after it was over she decided it would be the last time. A one shot thing. She would be back to playing all her golf on the LPGA tour.

All in all, the end result may have been a bit disappointing, but she was nothing but a great success.

Annika, You go girl!

* The Lebron James sweepstakes, otherwise known as the NBA draft was held Thursday night, and the winner was... surprise... the hometown Cleveland Cavaliers! They will make James the number one pick in next months draft in the hope he can take them to the promised land.

The 18-year-old James, who the day before announced he had signed a reported $90 million deal with Nike, has the world in his hands. He is still two weeks away from his high school graduation, yet his future is planned.

Over the past year or so, James has become one of the most heralded athletes in this country. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a junior in high school. His high school games had to move to another venue to be able to hold his adoring fans. Some of which were televised nationally on ESPN.

He had fans all over Ohio giving each other high fives on Thursday. Deli owners named sandwiches after him.

At 18, he is already six foot eight and two hundred forty pounds, a body with the talent to skip the college game and head right through to the NBA.

"He is going to change the face of this franchise for a long time," said Cavs General Manager Jim Paxson.

One of the first changes will be in ticket sales. The Cavs had the lowest average attendance in the NBA last year. That will not be case for a while, as the phones were ringing off the hook for ticket information the morning after the draft.

The next thing the Cavs need to do is find a head coach. John Lucas was let go, and the leading candidates seem to be ex-Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy and Paul Silas last of the Hornets. Whoever it ends up being will inherit one of the youngest teams in the league, and that is before James arrives.

Whether James is up to the challenge remains to be seen. There have been many can't miss prospects that turn out to be never-weres. One thing is for sure, however, the next time James wants to buy a throwback jersey he won't have to worry about the price.