You kind of picture David Stern these days like the tour guide trying to get everyone into the summer Shakespeare festival while the group keeps inching toward that sign advertising topless bowling.

It hasn't been a great week for the commissioner of the NBA. While the NBA was awaiting a Colorado investigation into a felony sexual assault charge against Kobe Bryant, one of its elite players and said to be even a better citizen, two other players were arrested: Portland's Damon Stoudamire for marijuana possession (though that charge is a relief in Portland for a "Blazers" player) and Orlando's Darrell Armstrong for an altercation with a police officer, female at that.

Yes, you can see Stern longing for the days of discussing poor TV ratings for the NBA Finals.

	The NBA needs LeBron James to be like Magic more than Mike.

But just in time, here comes that sonnet Stern has been looking for in the first NBA game, even if it's only summer league, of the next Michele Wie, LeBron James.

Maybe even Stern can smile about that one.

Because James may give the NBA -- and the Cleveland Cavaliers -- a big reason to smile.

Forget Evander Holyfield. This kid looks like the real deal.

Though this is how we'll know it. It's when James first says, "It's a lot easier to make Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant better. I've got to make DeSagana Diop and Chris Mihm better."

Of course, this was the great late 1980s refrain from Michael Jordan, who was getting tired of hearing how great Magic Johnson was. Jordan was winning all those scoring titles already and selling all those sneakers, but it was Johnson, and to a lesser extent Larry Bird, who was winning all the championships. That was one measure of greatness. The other was making your teammates better. Jordan used to burn about that one. Johnson had Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy. Let him try making Brad Sellers and Granville Waiters better, Jordan would say.

There aren't many comparisons of James to Jordan. The analogies are to Johnson, an exceptionally big man who could handle the ball, see the floor and then create something for a teammate or himself. Neither was regarded as a great shooter, but better than people believed.

James, as good as he seems, isn't about to be the Finals MVP, as Johnson was as a rookie. However, James has a chance to help the Cavaliers win 30 games, which could be almost as impressive.

Interestingly, almost the entire Cavs' starting lineup was on display in Orlando for the opening of summer league play and James' first game Tuesday. Darius Miles, Dajuan Wagner and Carlos Boozer, who all could conceivably be starters when the season opens, were with James in front of a summer-league crowd of 15,123 and around 170 media members in attendance.

Yes, this may be the response to watching Bruce Bowen and Kenyon Martin trying to make jump shots in the Finals.

Someone, anyone, show us some exciting basketball! Yes, people are coming to see the Cavs, which hasn't happened since Bill Fitch dressed like the Village People.

James probably is the most anticipated player to come into the NBA since Magic. Jordan, you may remember, was just the third pick in the draft, a shooting guard, and then Bulls general manager Rod Thorn warned you don't win with a shooting guard. Shaquille O'Neal was big, but he was mumbling even less clearly then, so no one was quite sure whether he was coming to the NBA or going for his MBA at Wharton.

Tim Duncan just showed up one day on a bus.

Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett -- no one was quite sure what to make of them. Allen Iverson? There was the issue of whether bail would be necessary. Larry Bird? OK, he's good. But he was no Rick Mount.

Now Magic, he was going to be something to see, with of those passes that looked like he was the love child of Pete Maravich and Bob Cousy, the winning -- everywhere, always -- and that smile, that enthusiasm and that love of the game. That's the guy who everyone could tell truly loved what he was doing and loved to make sure everyone else loved what they were seeing.

And now comes his heir, so much bigger and stronger. Did you ever see those old films of the 1980 Finals? Magic looked like Manute Bol on a diet. He was skinny. They all were, including Bird and Jordan. Even Shaq looked like he'd at least skipped lunch.

Not this kid, James. He's huge for 18 years old. Not fat-kid-can't-climb-the-rope-in-gym huge, but muscular and well-proportioned. Yet he's athletic, lean and long at 6-foot-8 and maybe 245 pounds, sung about by Jimmy Dean. Big LeBron. There may never have been a specimen quite like this. There was Darryl Dawkins, but his first games were on Lovetron, so it's hard to make a comparison.

James is going to be tested. But over the next week, it's going to be more like those junior high school pre-tests your buddy in the next seat grades. The real tests are coming later.

	For the first time, James is going to see guys who are as big and strong. Some teams are going to put a 6-9 small forward on James to push him around some and see whether he can make the pass or make the shot. And make the Cavs better.

There are two theories on how to deal with James. The main one is to lay off him because he's not a good shooter. Let him stand outside and see if he can make shots. This isn't Ohio anymore, Auntie Em. So James isn't about to be dunking on everyone. Still, he is in the Eastern Conference, which isn't quite the Oz of centers.

The best thing about James is he doesn't appear to want to dunk everytime or shoot a 3-pointer. He truly appears as if he'd like to help someone else score. Although if it's Miles, he better pass it to him about two inches from the basket. If you're at the wrong end of a firing squad, you definitely want this guy with a rifle.

James will have Zydrunas Ilgauskas at center. It seems like his foot is OK now, but watching him make a move in the post is like watching the march of the wooden soldiers. In Lithuanian.

With James on board, it looks like Ricky Davis' last chance for a triple-double has gone, so there'll certainly be somebody who wants the ball.

Yo, 'Bron, I'm open!

Davis has been heard practicing that in front of mirrors.

But this isn't going to be done with mirrors. Paul Silas may not be Red Auerbach (he did play for him, though, when Auerbach was the Celtics' GM), and after John Lucas and Keith Smart, the Cavs may think they've got the next Auerbach on the sideline.

What the smart guys in the NBA probably are going to do is body up on James like Pippen did with Magic in the 1991 Finals. This isn't Ohio or Kansas. It's the NBA. For the first time, James is going to see guys who are as big and strong. Some teams are going to put a 6-9 small forward on James to push him around some and see whether he can make the pass or make the shot. And make the Cavs better.

The belief here is that he can and he will.

No, the Cavs are not going to defend much. If at all.

Yes, it's July and we're really writing about the Cleveland Cavaliers. Really!

And no one really runs in the NBA. So forget all that talk about this great, athletic team. I seem to recall something about that Nets' fastbreak in the Finals that yielded about three transition baskets. You can't run if they don't want you to -- and you can't hide -- so you better develop some halfcourt game. It may not be Showtime, but it should be a good time.

Which has David Stern smiling for a change.

Maybe LeBron can't save the NBA, but maybe he can at least save the league's summer. Tune in later to see if he has more than that.

Sam Smith, who covers the NBA for the Chicago Tribune, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.