Ronnie Dobbs

LeBron James to host "Saturday Night Live"
By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
July 18, 2007

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Live from New York, it's LeBron!

Cavaliers All-Star forward LeBron James, fresh off co-hosting the ESPY Awards earlier this month, will host the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" in September, an NBC spokesman confirmed on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old James will be the latest prominent athlete to host "SNL," following his boyhood idol, NBA superstar Michael Jordan, who hosted in 1991. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning appeared on the show last season.

James' "SNL" appearance was first reported by Daily Variety.

James got positive reviews for his work co-hosting the ESPYs along with comedian/talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. James appeared in several skits and danced and sang Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" with rewritten lyrics about his own fame.

Later this week, James is expected to report to minicamp with the U.S. national team as it begins preparations for next month's FIBA Americas tournament, the regional qualifier for the 2008 Olympics.

Last season, James led Cleveland to its first NBA finals, where the Cavs were swept in four games by the San Antonio Spurs. He was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, and in four seasons, James has become one of the league's star players as well as one of its most popular ones.

cdollaz

Yep, that'll suck. Shouldn't they get someone who can at least read the cue cards.

chowderhead

Just be glad he isn't also the musical guest

Charlie Goose

Well, they're certainly starting off this season with a loud fart.

Flashback

I'm not sure - odds are not good - but I do like his commercials where he plays 3 or 4 characters.

lotsofdvds

[montana] I'll be upstairs mastubating. [/montana]

Drexl

Can someone explain the difference between star and most popular?

Deadpool

Star - someone who is well known and has game.

Popular - someone who is just known...but not for their game

That's my guess...

cdollaz

Tim Duncan.

Charlie Goose

I give this announcement a rating of "OY GAWD!"

Ayre

invisiblegt

Anna Kournikova
Danica Patrick

Both of the aforementioned names are, while quite popular, rather lacking in any sort of "star" power.

Joe Molotov

I'll only watch if he appears as Old Lebron.

kvrdave

I bet he does better than most expect.

MechanicalMan

It probably wouldn't be any worse than when Deion "Must Be the Money" Sanders hosted.

Charlie Goose

At this point, if he doesn't just make farting noises or actually rape a cast member for 90 minutes, he'll be doing better than we expect.

Matthew Chmiel

If he ends up raping both Will Forte and Seth Meyers, it might actually be the best episode of SNL produced in the past decade.

Drexl

Ah, so a star is someone who is "now."

Big Boy Laroux

good lord Drexl, you just made my eyes and ears bleed after reading that. ESPN has done some pretty worthless things over the years, but this "who's now?" thing takes the cake as the dumbest, most worthless piece of crap relating to sports ever, BY FAR.

any reminder i see of it makes me cringe.

kvrdave

Thank you Big Boy, you are off the Budweiser Hot Seat.

Big Boy Laroux

the hot seat used to be "hot", when they would actually ask tough questions. Now it (like everything else on sportscenter) is just a puff piece.

Goldberg74

Raping?! Kobe's hosting? I thought it was supposed to be LeBron?

Trelach24

This is great news. LeBron is finally starting to break out of his shell. It's a very good thing that he's not so concerned with maintaining an uptight no fun image off the court like Michael Jordan. Instead he's embracing the Shaq side that he clearly has which is a win for everyone.

Giantrobo

That's what I was thinking. Why does everyone just blow him off?