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In town to do some work for her sponsors, Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova attended the game. She said she likes basketball, but really came to see LeBron James, who it turns out is an acquaintance. James and Sharapova met and spent quite a bit of time together at the ESPY Awards over the summer in Los Angeles.
"We talked quite a lot. He's funny and he's a great guy,'' said Sharapova, 18, who achieved international fame by winning Wimbledon in 2004. "He's a fresh new face. Now that I've started watching basketball, he's big, it is cool to follow someone you've met.''
Sharapova and James are both sponsored by Nike and are the biggest endorsement earners in their sports. Sharapova made $14.5 million this year from tennis and endorsement deals, making her the world's highest-paid female athlete and Russia's highest paid athlete.
"I love people with a competitive nature, and in tennis you've really got to be on your `A' game to play that,' '' James said. "She does her thing and you've got to respect a woman like that, that approaches her sport like that.''
Source: The Beacon Journal
"We talked quite a lot. He's funny and he's a great guy,'' said Sharapova, 18, who achieved international fame by winning Wimbledon in 2004. "He's a fresh new face. Now that I've started watching basketball, he's big, it is cool to follow someone you've met.''
Sharapova and James are both sponsored by Nike and are the biggest endorsement earners in their sports. Sharapova made $14.5 million this year from tennis and endorsement deals, making her the world's highest-paid female athlete and Russia's highest paid athlete.
"I love people with a competitive nature, and in tennis you've really got to be on your `A' game to play that,' '' James said. "She does her thing and you've got to respect a woman like that, that approaches her sport like that.''
Source: The Beacon Journal