While football has rarely before had a decade like this one where two players have been streets out on their own, basketball during the same period hasn’t even had such a contest.

Given he has still yet to don the green jacket that seemed as tailor-made for him as the Augusta course itself, the eve of another US Masters invariably prompts the memory of Rory McIlroy’s implosion there eight years ago.

Ahead of last Sunday’s league final on the always-entertaining GAA Hour podcast, Steven McDonnell and Colm Parkinson came from contrasting schools of thought when it came to predicting a winner.

Although he would be lambasted after The Decision, with people in his hometown of Cleveland so scorned they’d burn his Cavaliers jersey, history has proven that LeBron James made the right call that summer of 2010 by opting to join the Miami Heat.

Paul Rouse is an accidental academic, but a fascination with history deepened into a passion when it merged with his love of sport. His new book, ‘The Hurlers’, charts the birth of the modern game in that first All-Ireland final 131 years ago. He marvels at what a few visionary hurling men gave the country, but can’t help think that hurling has since failed at least half that country

I wonder what Patrick Kavanagh would have made of Twitter? Would he have lost endless afternoons down by the Grand Canal, drowning deep in a wormhole of a thread of a spat between Ginsberg, Neal Cassidy and some faceless wonder with a moniker like @beatpoetssuck, before checking in on whether the dance was actually going ahead in Billy Brennan’s barn that night? Let’s be happy he didn’t have the distraction.

To watch LeBron James play basketball is to witness the qualities that distinguish the truly great player in every sport.

The odds are longer than a Stephen Curry three-pointer, Kevin Durant’s wingspan, or Draymond Green’s catalogue of technical fouls.

With another Game 7 victory at stake, LeBron James would not sit out.

Gods make their own importance

Can LeBron James lift a fourth NBA title and be compared to Michael Jordan as the sport’s GOAT, or will he lose in the finals for the sixth time? asks Kieran Shannon

The drought is over for Cleveland, and the debate is over as well.

It’s the two-time reigning MVP who is trying to finish off a record setting season with a second straight title, against a two-time champion who is tantalisingly close to finally ending Cleveland’s 52-year title drought.

Like everyone else, Draymond Green could only watch as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sent the NBA Finals back to Cleveland.

A Fianna Fáil councillor has called for the removal of the LGBT community’s rainbow flag from above Cork’s City Hall, one of the world’s longest cruise liners docked in Cork today and Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has been voted the 2015 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association. Just some of the latest and most read stories on irishexaminer.com.

To cheer or to jeer, that is the question, writes Kieran Shannon.

LeBron James returned to Miami for the first time on Christmas Day but there was no generosity afforded from the Heat who saw off his Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91.

It’s hard to think of as bad a team that’s been as compelling to follow as the current Los Angeles Lakers.

The college basketball season in the US started early this past Sunday.

Maybe now he’ll make it onto the Good Wall.

On Saturday, July 5, the LeBron James camp approached Sports Illustrated writer Lee Jenkins and set in train what is arguably the best scoop of the US sporting year.

LeBron James is heading back to free agency.

Does your nana love sport? Because this one adores NBA basketball!

The Cleveland Cavaliers have endured a wretched time in the NBA so far this season with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread in a poor Eastern conference.

Chicago Bulls centre Joakim Noah is in the form of his life this season in the absence of star teammate Derrick Rose and produced another talismanic performance Sunday evening against the Miami Heat.

The first openly gay athlete to compete in one of the four major American sports received a standing ovation upon making his home debut last night.

Eamon Dunphy perpetual trophy for post-match entertainment: Davy Fitz

One of the signposts welcoming traffic to Brooklyn from Queens calls on those who pass by to “Believe the Hype”, paraphrasing that classic Public Enemy hip-hop track.

As a reporter, you’d watch those Sunday evening draws anticipating where the wonderful magical backdoor journey could take you.

LeBron James is closer to all-time greatness after inspiring the Miami Heat to retain the Larry O’Brien trophy

They have a phrase in American sport: “the Face of the Franchise”.

Gail Goodrich knew Miami would beat Boston the other night.

When the members of the LA Lakers team that won the 1971-72 NBA title got together last year to reminisce about the good old days, one question dominated the event: would there ever be a season like theirs?

Michael Jordan turns 50 on Sunday and there couldn’t be a more appropriate day to do it.

There are big games, very big games and then there are mega games.

Two-year-old Titus is a bit handy with the old basketball.

THE CREAM OF THE CROP

This is new for football, what it has with Messi and Ronaldo.