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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2018)
A10 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THuRSDAY, DEcEmbER 27, 2018 CONTACT US FOLLOW US Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports DULCICH TOURNAMENT TIPS OFF The Daily Astorian The 50th annual Vince Dulcich Memorial basketball tour- nament, sponsored by Van Dusen Beverages and Holiday Inn Express, tips off today at Astoria High School. Dulcich Memorial Tournament Friday’s schedule Today’s schedule Girls Girls 10 a.m.: Centennial vs Redmond 11 a.m.: Rainier vs Gladstone The three-day tournament (today, Friday and Saturday) features six games per day. 2:30: Hood River vs Centennial Admission is $6 per day for adults and $4 per day for school-age children. Tournament passes may be pur- chased on the first day of the tournament — $15 for adults and $10 for students. Only OSAA-approved passes are allowed for free admission. Boys 6:00: Redmond vs Astoria 1:30: Gladstone vs Hood River 5:00: Astoria vs Rainier Boys 12:45: Tillamook vs Ridgefield 11:45 a.m.: Ridgefield vs Redmond 4:15: Redmond vs Rainier 3:15: Elma vs Tillamook 7:45: Elma vs Astoria 6:45: Rainier vs Astoria Seahawks trying to match NFL record for fewest turnovers By TIM BOOTH Associated Press AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, follows through on a dunk as Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap, center, and guard Monte Morris watch during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles in October. JAMES IS THE AP’S MALE ATHLETE OF 2018 By TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press L eBron James went to the NBA Finals for the eighth consecu- tive year. He changed addresses again, leaving his Cleveland home for the second time to join the Los Ange- les Lakers in the biggest move of free agency over the summer. He remained arguably the dominant player in the basketball, adding even more glitz on a legacy that reached epic status long ago. It was, by any measure, a fantastic year for James. And even without a title, it may have been his most significant year. For the third time, James has been selected as The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year — after 2018 saw him continue to excel on the court, open the “I Promise” school for at-risk children in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and further use his voice as an activist who bristled at being told to “shut up and dribble.” “I would describe it as a success because I was able to inspire so many people throughout the year,” James said. “I got to go back to China, to Paris, to Berlin, I opened up a school. And all these kids I was able to see, all over the world and in my home- town, I was able to inspire, to make them think they can be so much more than what they think they’re capable of being. That was my outlook for 2018.” James received 78 points in bal- loting by U.S. editors and news direc- tors announced Thursday, while Bos- ton Red Sox star Mookie Betts was second with 46. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals was third, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Pat- rick Mahomes was fourth and Triple Crown winner Justify was fifth. On the court, James remained dominant. He averaged 28.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists in 2018 between his time with the Cavaliers and Lakers, playing in 102 games through Thursday. “In addition to being on every- one’s short list as one of the league’s all-time greatest players, LeBron is among the hardest working play- ers and is a thoughtful and impactful leader,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “He serves on the exec- utive committee of the Players Asso- ciation even as he builds an impres- sive media company of his own. And what’s most inspiring, and no sur- prise given his talent and focus, is how he’s done all of this while embracing his unique opportunity to positively impact communities in need.” ‘IN ADDITION TO bEING ON EVERYONE’S SHORT LIST AS ONE OF THE LEAGuE’S ALL-TImE GREATEST PLAYERS, LebRON IS AmONG THE HARDEST WORKING PLAYERS AND IS A THOuGHTFuL AND ImPAcTFuL LEADER.’ Adam Silver | NBA commissioner James becomes the third man to win the award at least three times, joining Lance Armstrong (a four-time winner from 2002 through 2005), Tiger Woods (1997, 1999, 2000 and 2006) and Michael Jordan (1991, 1992 and 1993). Armstrong won the Tour de France in each of his years as the AP recipi- ent, — though he was later stripped of the titles in a doping scandal. Woods won at least one major and was the PGA’s Player of the Year in all four of his AP-winning years. Jordan’s three awards coincided with his first three NBA championships in Chi- cago. And James’ first two times get- ting the award were in 2013 and 2016, years where his fingerprints mussed up the Larry O’Brien Trophy in a title celebration. And James’ closest rivals in the AP balloting this year — Betts and Ovechkin — also won titles in 2018. James’ year included no cham- pionship, no scoring title, no MVP award. But some of the people clos- est to James still considered 2018 to be his finest year yet. “I like to talk about generations,” said Miami guard Dwyane Wade, one of James’ best friends. “There will never be another Michael Jordan because he was the first to be a global superstar, the first to take the NBA to another level. There will never be another LeBron James, and a lot of it is from what he’s done away from the game. Him understanding his voice has been so refreshing and so import- ant to the culture and his friends.” The “I Promise” school is perhaps James’ most prized accomplishment yet. It opened in July for 240 third- and fourth-graders, a public school in Akron that is perhaps like none other. Families — not just the kids — get support there, whether it’s by helping put food on the table or providing adult education or even legal assistance. And this is just the start. James and his LeBron James Family Foundation have enormous plans for the school in the years ahead. “It is already such a success,” James said. “And it’s something that I never thought was possible until we made it happen. So yes, it’s been a pretty good year.” RENTON, Wash. — Of all the records the Seattle Seahawks have accomplished during Pete Carroll’s tenure, he may not be more proud than what they can accomplish this week. The Seahawks enter Week 17 having committed just 10 turnovers all season, with five of those coming in the first two weeks in losses to Denver and Chicago. If Seattle can make it through the regular-season finale against Arizona without com- mitting a turnover, it would join the 2010 New England Patriots and 2011 San Francisco 49ers as having the fewest turnovers in a 16-game season. It might seem like a somewhat obscure accomplishment. But for someone who preaches impor- tance of securing the football the way Carroll does, it’s a huge deal for the Seahawks. Seattle’s low in turnovers for a full season under Carroll was 14 in 2014. “It’s the No. 1 thing that we emphasize and we’ve been doing it for a long time,” Carroll said on Wednesday. “What our challenge is, is how well can we emphasize it? And how well can we transfer than emphasis so they adopt that as part of their play? The mental- ity of it; there is a constancy that just goes away if you don’t. You have to be on it because there are unnatural aspects of it when you play the things that you have to do. You have to train and drill with the highest of expectations to get it done.” Seattle being in this position only highlighted the remark- able turnaround since the start of the season and coincided with an emphasis on being a run-first team that started with Week 3 against Dallas. The Seahawks turned around their 0-2 start and five turnovers in those two games and have gone 9-4 over the past 13 games while committing just five turn- overs during that time. Seattle didn’t commit a turn- over in three straight games beginning in Week 3 and for the past five games the only turnover committed was a poor decision by Russell Wilson late in the first half against Minnesota when he tried to make a desperation pass attempt rather than throwing the ball away. That doesn’t mean there hav- en’t been close calls, such as last Sunday when Tyler Lockett fum- bled a punt only to have it recov- ered by teammate Tre Flowers. Seattle has fumbled 18 times on the season and lost only four. But the major turnover issues have been completely avoided thus far. “That’s the No. 1 thing (Car- roll) talks about every day,” run- ning back Chris Carson said. “When we break meetings, that’s the last thing he says. Before practice that’s the first thing he says. It’s definitely the most important thing.”