<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CLEVELAND - When the Cavaliers finish a practice, there is no need for a whistle from coach Mike Brown. There's no buzzer that goes off or drill that ends, just a single voice calling a huddle. Then only one man speaks, and that isn't Brown either. When it comes time for the traditional joining of hands at the center, it is just LeBron James who verifies the breakup chorus. ``Championship!'' Early-season team building is customary and sometimes corny, but it is also where the team leaders take the reins. Just three days into training camp, James has a firm grip and is further showing his maturity coming off his captainship of Team USA during the summer at the world championships. Not only has James been doing it by talking and with his commanding presence, he's been doing it on the floor. And not just because he makes the most baskets. During five-on-five drills open to the media, James has been digging into his defensive stance, showing heretofore unseen practice intensity. When it comes to the end of workout wind sprints, it is No. 23 at the head of the pack nearly every time. ``Ultimately, when your best player becomes your best example, the better team you will be,'' said veteran guard Eric Snow, who will likely be named James' fellow captain for the second consecutive season. ``Everybody has to follow suit. It makes it easier for the coach to coach because that guy is demanding things be done the right way.'' Despite the disappointing FIBA bronze medal with Team USA, James insists he's grown as a leader. Veteran teammates like Shane Battier and Antawn Jamison verified it. Now the Cavs are getting a taste of an even more confident James than they saw during his blossoming 2005-06 season. ``This isn't about pacing ourselves or just trying to make the playoffs anymore,'' James said. ``I'm trying to win a championship here.'' James laughs when asked to compare his demeanor now to when he was an 18-year-old rookie, when he openly said he was following the lead of Ricky Davis. ``I was a whole different player. I can't even believe how much I've grown since then,'' he said. Of course, James won't be judged on his practice intensity, especially in the season's infancy. It will come down to whether his leadership can eventually translate to that ``championship'' cadence that he's making a practice routine. ``He's more tuned in to being a leader now,'' Snow said. ``When we start playing a little more basketball, I think it will become a little more evident to everyone else.''</div> Source
