ORLANDO, Fla. — LeBron James dominated the competition to the delight of his audience, then eyeballed the scoreboard for his own satisfaction.
With 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists Tuesday night, the most talked-about high school draft pick in NBA history thrilled a huge crowd that waited several hours to see him make his pro-basketball debut.
But he said what he'll remember most is the outcome of this summer league game — Cleveland Cavaliers 107, Orlando Magic 80.
"Victory," James said. "Victory, and just stepping on an NBA court for the first time.
"I know last year (Cleveland) didn't get too many victories, and I'm happy to give them a victory with me running the point."
Playing 23 minutes of a 40-minute game, James was five for 11 — despite missing three 3-point tries — from the floor and converted all four of his free throws. He had three turnovers while running Cleveland's offense.
He sat out all the third quarter, icing his right leg after sustaining a contusion. He said his status is day-to-day.
James' game showed little rust although it was his first competition since late March, when he led St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to its third Ohio state championship of his prep career. A little more than three months later, the 18-year-old James is worth about $100 million, thanks to endorsement deals and, to a far lesser extent, his NBA contract.
In the first three minutes, James had a wicked one-handed dunk after stealing a pass under the basket, sinking a reverse layup and tossing a no-look feed in the paint that DeSagana Diop converted into a short jump hook. James later wowed the crowd of 15,123 with a reverse layup while falling down.
As the quarter came to a close, he scored another four points in transition: two free throws and a jumper for a 31-15 lead. For the period, he had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.
"I was just trying to go with the flow," James said. "Whatever was working for us, just keep doing it."
Playing in Orlando's summer league are three-fifths of the Cavaliers' projected starting lineup: James at point guard, small forward Darius Miles and power forward Carlos Boozer. It was that unit, plus shooting guard Dajuan Wagner and center Diop, who raced out to a 16-point first-quarter advantage, giving Cleveland a lead that was never threatened by the overmatched Magic.
In the crowd were NBA players Drew Gooden, Chucky Atkins, Jason Williams, Amare Stoudemire and Steven Hunter, and NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper.
Before the game, $5 tickets were being scalped for $80 and a traffic jam developed around the arena five hours before the opening tip.