James Feeling Like A Kid Again Ahead Of Playoffs

With the NBA playoffs starting up this weekend, LeBron James is feeling like a kid all over again.

The Cleveland Cavaliers player led his team to a league best 66-16 record this season, and the 24-year-old star is one of the main contenders to win his first MVP award. But it's the NBA title he is craving.

"The playoffs is like taking the kid to the candy story," James said. "We all know that it's a new season now."

The Cavs face the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, and they will host the first game on Saturday. The Pistons, which finished third in the Central Division, are the only team in the playoffs with a losing record (39-43).

But that doesn't mean that James and his gang are going to take them lightly.

"There's no way you can overlook the Pistons. This is a team that's been to the Eastern Conference finals like six years in a row," James said. "We know how experienced that team is. We know how powerful and dangerous that team is."

Another strong team in the league is the Boston Celtics. But the defending champions may have lost star Kevin Garnett for the entire playoffs because of a knee injury that has limited him to four games over the final two months of the season.

"KG has to do what's best for him. He doesn't want to do something that can hurt him for a long period of time," James said. "The team may be a little bit down, but they still have a lot of veteran guys."

James is the key to Cleveland's success. He finished second in the league's scoring chart with 28.4 points per game, but he's about more than just putting points on the scoreboard.

"My game is geared around making my teammates better," said James, who also has a documentary called "More Than a Game" coming out in October. "The way I play the game of basketball automatically gives my teammates the ball just because I like to pass - very unselfish basketball player."

And while James also said this season was his best yet as a pro player, he's also prepared to keep improving, saying that every part of his game could still get better.

James was drafted by the Cavaliers out of high school in 2003, and he has spent his entire professional career in Cleveland. Win or lose this year, that's not likely to change.

"I'm excited to be in Cleveland and I've never given any indication of me leaving. This season has nothing to do with me leaving or staying," James said. "I'm very excited about being a part of this franchise."

And he is even more happy about getting the regular season over and done with so he can concentrate on what really matters.

"If I'm not competing for the NBA championship then I'm wasting my time and I'm wasting my teammates time," James said. "To be in a position to be in the playoffs, and to be in a position to fight for the NBA championship, I'm looking forward to it."

His movie, and subsequent world tour promoting it, are also on his mind.

"It's about me and my four best friends having set out a dream of winning a national championship and not knowing that the game of basketball would create friendship and brotherhood," said James, adding his promotion tour would take him to London and Paris.

"Get out and see 'More Than a Game."' James said. "It's going to be great."