LeBron professes love for city of Chicago

Maybe LeBron James wants to avoid as many boos as possible this weekend at the United Center. He was probably just being honest when asked Wednesday for his thoughts on the city of Chicago.

"It's a great city. It is," James said. "What do you want me to tell you? It's an awesome city. Honestly. It's one of the best cities we have in America. Great restaurants. Great shopping. I have nothing bad about Chicago."

The question came on the heels of Bulls center Joakim Noah complaining there was nothing to do in Cleveland, then pointing out that he's never heard of anyone going to Cleveland on vacation.

"I'm not trying to say this because of what (Joakim Noah) said about Cleveland," James continued. "I'm dead serious. I think we all love Chicago. I go on vacation in Chicago sometimes. I do. You all making it a joke. But I'm serious. I love Chicago. I spent three summers from my sophomore year to my senior year in high school, I stayed in Chicago every summer, working out at (Michael) Jordan's facility. I spent a lot of time down there.

"I'm serious. I love Chicago. I love Cleveland. I love Akron, too."

Does James love Chicago enough to sign with the Bulls as a free agent this summer? The Akron native didn't go that far, but James' fondness for Chicago (and New York) has been well-documented. When the Cavaliers played the Bulls in March, James hosted a party at a local club and attended a Jay-Z concert at the United Center.

As for Noah, he'll hear plenty of cheers as the first-round playoff series shifts to Chicago for Game 3 on Thursday. But he politely declined to speak to the media following Wednesday's practice at the Berto Center.

In a related topic, Noah edged Michael Jordan to win a poll on the Cleveland Plain-Dealer site asking fans to vote for their most hated Bulls player of all time. Andres Nocioni was actually pushing Dennis Rodman for third.