Two South Florida icons will interact on Saturday night, when LeBron James receives the Don Shula Sports Legend Award from the former Miami Dolphins coach himself.
"One of the great coaches that the NFL's had and everyone knows his name for sure. It rings bells, obviously here in South Florida, but in a lot of places," James said when asked about Shula before the Miami Heat hosted the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
James will receive the award during the "Call of the Game" charity dinner hosted by the Sun Sports broadcasting team of Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The Don Shula Sports Legend Award honors an outstanding sports "legend" who has demonstrated a passion for their sport and brings that same passion off the playing field to their community.
Past Shula Award winners include former Heat coach and current assistant Ron Rothstein (2013), former Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese (2012), former Heat center Alonzo Mourning (2011) and former Heat broadcaster Jack Ramsay (2010). Shula won the inaugural award in 2009.
"It's an unbelievable event," James said. "I'm happy to to be be a part of it to receive an award like that.
"What I do on and off the floor, I don't do it to receive awards, but when they happen, I'm very grateful and ecstatic about it."
You can follow Charlie McCarthy on Twitter @mccarthy_chas or email him at mac1763@bellsouth.net.
