LeBron & Wade are the current and future stars of the NBA. They showed the rest of the league why when they clashed in Miami on Thursday.

A much anticipated, star-studded clash took place in the NBA on Thursday as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers visited Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. When you look to star power in the NBA, few shine as bright as LeBron and Wade. They are the #1 & #2 centerpieces of a dynamite 2010 free agency class. Friends off the court, and respectful adversaries on the court, LeBron & Wade have even mused about playing together one day — though desired salaries and existing cap space will make that likely impossible.

“I like playing against LeBron more than anybody else in the league,” Wade said. “He brings out the best in me, and I bring out the best in him.”

The All-Star duel took place amid speculation James and Wade might become teammates next season.

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The much-anticipated debut pairing of LeBron & Shaq had fans in Cleveland thinking NBA Championship. But the veteran-laden Celtics team had other plans, winning the first contest between two of the Eastern powers 95-89.

The story in this game was one of balance, or lack thereof. The Cavaliers have 2 superstars — LeBron & Shaq — and then a bunch of decent players. I know, Mo Williams was an All-Star last year, but I would take Rajon Rondo over him any day of the week. Troubled wing player, Delonte West, is sorely missed for his on-ball defense and outside shooting. The new energy guy, Jamario Moon, has yet to takeoff, and Anthony Parker was more or less held in check. The Celtics, however, have quality at every position. The Big 3 might be the Big 4 with the addition of Rasheed Wallace…and I think Rondo deserves a ton of credit for driving this offense. If it weren’t for a dumb decision by Big Baby Davis, this team would be stacked.

LeBron James did little to quiet any talk of a second straight MVP, as his stat line looked like an all-you-can-eat buffet at Morrison’s cafeteria: 38 pts, 4 3s, 4 rebs, 8 asts, 2 stls, 4 blks. Shaq did his part but was not as effective in the low post as you would like. But it was Paul Pierce down the stretch that kept hitting big shot after big shot. He paced the Celtics with 23 pts & 11 rebs.

It may have only been the first game of the NBA season, but the Celtics getting a victory in Cleveland sent a clear message to the rest of the league: we are back!

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Paul Pierce’s nickname is “The Truth”. But can you believe him when he says the Celtics are going to win the NBA title this year?

Here is what Paul Pierce had to say as reported by Yahoo! Sports:

“Before the season even started last year, I was asked, ‘What is going to stop y’all from winning it all?’ ” Pierce said in a phone interview on Thursday. “The first thing I said was, ‘If we’re healthy, we’re going to win it all.’ And I’m going to say it again: ‘If we are healthy, we are going to win it all.’

Looking at their roster top to bottom, it is hard to find any team in the NBA packed with this much talent. Despite losing a hugely undervalued piece in Leon Powe to the Cavs, the addition of Rasheed Wallace makes the Celtics a better team. Also, factor in the ascendancy of Rajon Rondo and the Big Baby Davis, coupled with the Big 3 All-Stars of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, and you have to think they are the odds on favorites to win.

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Leon Powe was released by the Boston Celtics…and fell in the lap of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Yahoo! Sports reports:

Powe signed a two-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, even though he isn’t expected back on the court until sometime around the All-Star break. The Cavaliers are paying Powe the league minimum for a three-year veteran.

Reuniting with old AAU teammate, LeBron James, is certainly attractive to Leon. Staying in the Eastern Conference means he gets to show the Celtics what they passed on. Powe is still recovering from ACL surgery and not expected back until February of next year.

There is some risk on the part of the Cavs as they must wait for Powe’s full recovery. But the upside is certainly there. Powe torched the Cavs in two games last year, and was a very effective player for the Celtics during their Championship run. And to get him for the league minimum is akin to stealing.

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The NBA loves drama. In fact, that is the tag line for TNT who shows a lot of games, “we love drama.”

In their infinite wisdom, David Stern and the rest of the NBA brass has scheduled for Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to meet on Christmas Day! Wow, nothing exemplifies the yuletide spirit more than two guys that, despite their best efforts to fake it on TV, really don’t like each other.

Shaq has just switched over to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade from Phoenix. Cleveland got a Hall-of-Famer, albeit an old one; Phoenix got a stick of gum and salary cap flexibility. The Cavs, now with Shaq, are a legitimate threat in the East. Though they will be not be a clear favorite, they will certainly match up better against the Celtics and Magic. Just having Shaq’s presence on offense will open up the floor for shooters. On defense, the Big Diesel can still bang with the best of them.

Kobe is fresh of this 4th NBA Championship, the first he earned solo. Sure, he had help from Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, etc…but this championship was his. Now that they resigned Odom, all the pieces are in place for another big run…and they will remain the favorites in the West.

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With the Miami Heat, LeBron James finally accomplished what he could not with the Cavaliers: beat Boston in a seven game series.

The once-savior of the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James went turn-coat exiting the Rust Belt for South Beach last summer. Since his arrival and pairing with Superstar Dwyane Wade and (now exposed to be rather pedestrian) Chris Bosh, LeBron James has been under the microscope and expected to deliver a title to Miami. His performance throughout the season suggest and uneasy partnership with Wade, as the two often struggled to closeout games. Interesting to note that even during the playoffs, the worse lineup for the Heat (in plus-minus terms), was when the ‘Big Three’ were on the court together. On Wednesday, the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics to close out the series 4-1. Unlike last year’s meltdown with the Cavaliers, LeBron James led a furious comeback and helped Miami score 18 straight points(10 of which were his) to win the game 97-87 on their home court. Afterwards, it was clear that a weight had been lifted from LeBron. For all the tough talk he had this summer about winning multiple titles, LBJ knew that he would have to defeat Boston if he wanted to win anything.

The ‘Big Three’ of Miami beat the original ‘Big Three’ of Boston in a series where health and in-season trades contributed greatly to the outcome. Danny Ainge, GM of the Celtics, curiously traded staring center Kendrick Perkins and spark-plug guard Nate Robinson for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ainge, not wanting to see the current Celtics suffer from the same problem of age that his Celtics did in the late 1980s, made a bold move to get younger and more athletic. Unfortunately, injuries and age at the center position — along with Rondo’s wrist injury — were the ultimate undoing of the Celts. Would they have won with Kendrick Perkins? Hard to say. For sure, they would have challenged Dwyane Wade and LeBron Jamees more at the rim. But truth be told, this Celtics team had chances and didn’t close. Blame the Rondo wrist or a few off games from Ray Allen, but this team still had a chance.

LeBron James and company will wait the winner of the Chicago-Atlanta series, in what will prove to be a more athletic encounter. But having already defeated experience, you have to like their chances against youth. For LeBron to truly exercise his demons, he’ll need to win it all. Remember, he’s been to the NBA Finals before, only to get swept. But this year, there will be no LA Lakers.