The Akron Beacon Journal reports that Cavaliers superstar LeBron James isn’t freaked out by overwrought fans rushing him on the court.

The newspaper picks up the story: “He surprised many when he was not bothered that a fan sprinted into the Cavs’ huddle last week at Madison Square Garden. In fact, James embraced the moment by shaking hands with the young man.

“It probably didn’t thrill the NBA, which has taken steps to fortify security around team benches since the brawl in Detroit in 2004.

“Neither probably will this: A source said Anthony Erskine, 17, who ran across the floor and past several guards in a James replica jersey, is about to get even closer to his idol.

“Erskine has been in touch with James’ representatives, and there are plans for him to be James’ guest Wednesday when the Cavaliers visit the New Jersey Nets. There might be a private meeting between the two.”

James offered this explanation to the newspaper: “He had something he wanted to say to me and he got it out before they took him away. I respect him and his pride.”

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while Our Town’s Ben Bishop embarks on his pro hockey adventure:

• Why in the world would Yankee Stadium close with a hockey game?
• When North Carolina retires Tyler Hansbrough’s uniform, will it have blood stains and a stray tooth on it?
• After all that has happened this year under Rick Majerus, do you suppose SLU just wants to get this season over with?

OVERZEALOUS SPORTS DAD OF WEEK

That award goes for former Phillies reliever Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams. It seems he yelled a really bad word at officials working his daughter’s CYO basketball game in suburban Philly.

“I’m emotional when it comes to my kids. What I saw happening was completely unfair,” Williams told the Philadelphia Daily News.

He claims his daughter’s team was getting hacked with impunity. The officials didn’t agree – and Williams has been banned from attending his daughter’s games next year.

WHY PRO ATHLETES ARE OVERPAID

The Sun-Sentinel newspaper of South Florida did a nice piece on the high-stakes gambling by NBA players on team flights.

“I’ve heard guys who have lost $30,000 on an hour plane trip,” Charlotte guard Derek Anderson told the newspaper. “It’s amazing — $30,000 in an hour. You leave Chicago, you have $30,000. You arrive in Detroit, you don’t.”

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Mark Kriegel, FoxSports.com: “Alan Faneca, a guard, got $20 million guaranteed from the Jets. Problem is, he’ll be protecting about $20 worth of quarterback.”

Mike Freeman, CBSSports.com: “Analysts for my network, CBS, portray Hansbrough as a crime-fighting special-forces soldier. He’s Batman Hansbrough. The only thing missing during some broadcasts of his games is the waving of the American flag and the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. Tyler Hansbrough: He pulls cats out of trees. Tyler Hansbrough defeated the Houston Rockets. Tyler Hansbrough doesn’t do HGH. He is HGH. Amy Winehouse is addicted to Tyler Hansbrough. Brett Favre has a Tyler Hansbrough poster on his bedroom wall. Tyler Hansbrough’s toenail clippings are for sale on the Chinese black market. Superman wears Tyler Hansbrough pajamas.”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “The All American Football League says it might have to postpone its inaugural season in 2008 unless it can find new backers. In the meantime, the six clubs already up and running — in Birmingham, Ala.; Detroit; Gainesville, Fla.; Houston; Knoxville, Tenn., and Little Rock, Ark. — continue to comb Missing Persons Reports for players.”

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “Team USA softball was in town as part of its preparation for Beijing in what will be the last Olympics for the sport. The elimination of Olympics softball has proved wildly unpopular, but only among women softball players.”

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “Will somebody please explain to the U.S. Olympic softball team that this is exactly why the sport will be banned from the Olympics after this year: The U.S. team, on its current barnstorming tour, won its first nine games by a combined score of 87-0.”

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: True story: “There are reports that Harvard Coach Tommy Amaker may have manipulated some NCAA rules. Harvard? Are you kidding me? What exactly did Amaker do to entice players — promise them all opening-night tickets to Ian McKellen’s King Lear?”

Dwight Perry, Seattle Times: “A 14-year-old Serbian boy who climbed on top of a train to retrieve his soccer ball somehow survived a 25,000-volt jolt when he accidentally touched the power cables, Ananova.com reported. Damir Minarivic hadn’t been this shocked, he told medics, since that time a pro athlete admitted he was overpaid and got too much respect.”

MEGAPHONE

“I play to enjoy myself. Some people take this the wrong way, but winning a championship is not what I base everything on. I was given an opportunity to play basketball, travel around and have fun doing it, and that’s what I want to do. I wouldn’t take being unhappy and not being myself and winning. I would rather enjoy myself with 18,000-20,000 people watching the game and people sending fan mail and those things and be happy.”

Bulls guard Larry Hughes, as quoted by the Chicago Sun-Times.