CLEVELAND -- It is 90 minutes before a recent game at Quicken Loans Arena, and the King is holding court in front of his locker.

Whether he is fielding questions from reporters, dunking the basketball, dishing it off or collecting another rebound, LeBron James reigns supreme.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' 23-year-old superstar forward might not have an NBA crown or an MVP trophy on his mantel yet but, many agree, it's just a matter of time before the league's regular-season scoring champion adds those two major pieces of hardware to his collection.

"At the end of the day, I want to win a championship," James said.

The quest begins tomorrow when Cleveland plays host to the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs. It will be the third consecutive year the teams have met in the opening round, with the Cavaliers capturing the two previous series.

A year ago, James carried the underdog Cavaliers to their first appearance in the NBA Finals, where the San Antonio Spurs swept them in four games.

The season before that, he helped the franchise secure its first playoff berth in eight years. The Cavaliers lost in seven games to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Although James turned in an MVP-type performance this season, Cleveland suffered through an up-and-down campaign that was plagued by holdouts, injuries and a blockbuster roster shakeup at the NBA trading deadline.

The Cavaliers (45-37) finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, behind the Boston Celtics (66-16), Pistons (59-23) and Orlando Magic (52-30).

James, bothered by back spasms late in the regular season, said he is surprised Cleveland is being written off as a non-factor in the playoffs.

"We've got to sign Shaquille O'Neal, sign Allen Iverson, sign Kevin Garnett and then we finally might be able to get some respect," James said, tongue-in-cheek. "We don't harp on the situation and no one talks about us being anything in the playoffs, but I'm looking forward to it.

"I was so used to winning every time I stepped on the court in high school, but ever since I got to the NBA, I've become the underdog. It was something new to me, but it's kind of fun to sneak up on teams."

James, in his fifth NBA season, already is the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer.

It took Brad Daugherty 548 games to score 10,389 points. James needed 380 games to break his record. He averaged 30.0 points per game this season, 7.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists. He was the third player in league history to do so, joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan.

Yet, many wonder if James can carry Cleveland as far in the playoffs as he did last season.

"Anytime you have a guy named LeBron James, you're going to give yourselves a chance to win," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "He's definitely the X factor.

"When people tell me his averages are comparable, at times, to Oscar Robertson or Wilt Chamberlain, now you're talking about the best ever. That to me is worthy of being the MVP."

Even so, James believes Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers deserves the honor for the first time in his career. Other MVP candidates include Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets and Kevin Garnett of the Celtics.

"I'm just going to continue to do what I do on the court every night," James said. "And one day, the MVP [award] will come to me. ... Kobe and I are two players that just try to help our teams win ballgames. And we do it at a high level every night."

After netting 50 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds and 4 steals in a 14-point victory last month against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, a fan ran onto the court during the game to say hello to James.

Asked if he was scared, James said no, citing his 6-foot-9, 260-pound frame. He is officially listed at 6-8, 250. When asked to clarify his actual size, James smiled.

"I'm 6-7, 240," he said. "I just felt that big [6-9, 260]."

The Cavaliers pulled the trigger on a complex, 11-player trade involving two other teams in February.

Cleveland acquired Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Delonte West, hoping they could join with James and bring an NBA title to this championship-starved city.

So far, James has been the only constant. He was a first-round draft pick who made the jump directly from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in nearby Akron to the NBA.

"He's definitely had a great impact on the league and the city of Cleveland," said veteran guard Eric Snow, who has been out with an injured left knee. "He's a phenomenal player. I think he's improved in every aspect of his game. That's part of his gift. He bashes everybody. He has a great feel for the game.

"He's like a big kid. He's fun to be around. Everyone enjoys him. He has a warm, bubbly attitude, doesn't care about much, and jokes around a lot.

"We're talking about somebody who is a superstar worldwide, not just here. Everybody recognizes him and knows who he is."