National Basketball Association

LeBron wishes Cavs well with top pick

Published May. 18, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Miami Heat superstar LeBron James said Wednesday he was happy his former team Cleveland had won the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, the New York Daily News reported.

Ten months after James became public enemy No. 1 in his hometown by announcing, "I am taking my talents to South Beach," the Cavs won the first and fourth picks at Tuesday night's draft lottery.

"It's great for their team, great for the franchise and great for the fans," James said before Wednesday night's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals in Chicago, where he was carrying a cold into the contest.

"That's all I can really say about it. I've got more to worry about right now than the lottery but it's a good step for them."

The Cavs are coming off a woeful season in which they went 19-63 and went on an NBA-record 26-game losing streak.

They are now expected to pick up Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving with the top pick, with team officials having "gushed" over his play this season and "prayed they'd get a chance to draft him," according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

James praised Irving's talents but said it might be asking too much to brand the 19-year-old the Cavs' savior.

"If it's Kyrie I don't think you automatically place the franchise tag on him," James said. "But I think he's good enough where he's going continue to work hard and he could be that guy for that team.

"I think he's a great talent and if the Cavs pick him he's going to be a great pick for them," he added. "A solid point guard, a true point guard but [he] also can score.

"In this day and age in the NBA it's a point guard's league. [Derrick] Rose, [Russell] Westbrook . . . all these young athletic point guards do so many great things."

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who went 17-65 for the worst record in the NBA this season, will have the second pick in the draft, to be held June 23 at Newark, N.J., with the Utah Jazz picking third.