Playing LeBron James any day of the year is enough to make most opponents break out in cold sweats in the middle of the night.

Be one of the unfortunate teams to get a game against King James on his birthday, and you know you’re in for a long night.

James turned a ripe old 27 on Friday, and the Miami Heat star says he always plays with a little extra juice on his birthday.

“My birthday and my mom’s birthday are the two days I feel real, real good about playing basketball,” James said on Friday morning after the team’s shootaround. “I’ve had the luxury of having games on my birthday and my mom’s birthday so we’ll see what happens.”

That could be bad news for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The undefeated Heat play at Target Center in the fifth time in James’ nine seasons that he has played on his birthday.

In four previous birthday games, James has averaged 35.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He’s also shot 55 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range.

So what gets into him on those days?

“You know my birthday when I turned 15 or I turned 9, when I was growing up, it wasn’t the best of days on my birthday,” he said. “To see where I am today, and to be able to turn 21 and be in the NBA and turn 22 and now turn 27 and be a part of this league, it’s a testament. It’s also I’m very humbled that I am able to be here and I’m very blessed.”

James’ best birthday performance came in 2009 when he had 48 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a victory over Atlanta while he was still with the Cleveland Cavaliers. That’s also the only time he’s headed home for his birthday cake with a victory.

James had 38 points and seven assists in a loss to Miami in 2008, 33 points and nine boards against Chicago in 2006 and 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a loss to Indiana as a rookie in 2003.

“It’s amazing how many games he gets on his birthday, I’ll tell you that,” Heat star Dwyane Wade said. “He’s had a lot of games on his birthday. The schedule works that way.”

James is playing some of the best basketball of his career early this season for the Heat, who are coming off a disappointing NBA finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks last season. He’s averaging 32.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists in his first three games, and has developed a low-post game to boot.

“He’s been playing exceptionally well,” Wade said. “He’s in a different mind state right now. I expect him to continue the mind state he’s in.

“You can’t always know what that is going to result to, but he always enjoys certain moments. It’s a special moment when you get an opportunity to play on this day. The biggest thing is to try to come out and lead us to a win.”

James said the best birthday present he ever received was the Hummer SUV his mother bought him when he turned 18.

The Timberwolves had their own birthday treat for James when they shut down guard J.J. Barea for the game with a strained right hamstring. The super-quick Barea hurt the Heat in the NBA finals last season and was a major reason the Mavs were able to pull off the upset.

Asked if he will miss chasing Barea around, James didn’t hesitate: “Absolutely not.”

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Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APkrawczynski.

The Miami Heat will look for their third straight win of the season, when they face the Charlotte Bobcats on Dec.28.

The Heat played excellent basketball in their first two games of the season, smashing the Dallas Mavericks in their season opener. The Heat played another tough team in their second game of the season, defeating the Boston Celtics 115-107 on Dec. 27.

Miami did get a little sloppy in the second half against the Celtics, but rookie Norris Cole stepped up in the final moments of the game, giving the Heat their second win of the season.

“He’s [Norris] earned their respect,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game. “Even though it’s been a short period of time, about three weeks, because he’s pure, he’s all about the team. He’s mature and he gets them the ball. You’re always a popular guy when you find people when they’re open.”

Cole certainly looks like another NBA star in the making, and Heat fans can only hope he keeps it up throughout the season.

The Bobcats beat the Milwaukee Bucks by a point in their season opener, and they’ll be in for a serious jump in competition when they face the Heat tonight.

It’s no secret the Heat are the most hated team in the NBA, and LeBron James and company are playing with chips on their shoulders. With a season under their belt, the “big three” understand every team in the league is gunning for them, and they’re determined to make a statement every time they step on the floor.

“We’re not the hunted,” Chris Bosh told reporters. “We’re still the hunters. Absolutely, the way I see it, it’s like a kill or be killed mentality. The enemies are out there and you’ve got to get them before they get you. You know, Chicago, Boston, Orlando, New York. They’re all good teams in our conference. We’ve got to get them before they get us. I like to be ambitious and strike first, put other guys on their heels.”

Miami made their statement loud and clear in the first two games of the season, and I expect another dominant performance against the Bobcats.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 15 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Michael Wallace, “Hunted or not, Heat make early statements”

Dan Burch, “Heat-Bobcats Preview”

Player and game information from ESPN.com

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Wade expects other NBA teams to copy Miami Heat

Miami Heat Rookie Norris Cole Prepares for 2011/12 Season

Erik Spoelstra Signs Contract Extension with the Heat

Miami Heat Smashes Magic in Preseason Opener

Miami Heat Ruins Mavericks’ Championship Party

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Following the devastating NBA Finals defeat to the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra had a lot of time during the lockout to re-think Miami’s offensive attack, and drew inspiration from the college football powerhouse Oregon Ducks’ innovative playbook. ESPN has a terrific feature on the new Heat offense (which Pat Riley recently claimed resembles the one his “Showtime” Lakers ran in the 1980′s): “Explosive. Fast. Unpredictable. These are the words that [Chip] Kelly used to describe the principles behind his signature spread offense that he rode to the BCS National Championship Game in 2011 to Spoelstra. They’re also the same ones often used to describe a Heat team led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. At least, that’s what the team is supposed to be. By most accounts, the Heat underachieved both competitively and aesthetically in the Big Three’s debut season. Miami didn’t smash the record books and they played at one of the slowest paces in the NBA in 2010-11. As the one calling the shots, Spoelstra received much of the blame. But rather than deflect the responsibility, the third-year Heat coach went back to the drawing board to find a better model. So he bought a plane ticket to go see Kelly and ask him a simple, yet vexing question: How exactly do you turn a collection of world-class athletes into a merciless scoring machine? Kelly’s answer made all the sense in the world to Spoelstra. To leverage the team’s blinding athleticism, Kelly told him, one must spread the floor, turn up the pace and let it fly. Pace and space are essential. And so the mantra for the new Heat was born. Under the watch of Pat Riley, the steward of the ‘Showtime’ Lakers in the 1980s, Spoelstra set out to design his very own attack built on speed, versatility and athleticism … What happens when the Heat lose three games in a row this winter? What happens when the Chicago Bulls go on a 8-0 run down the stretch of a crucial game? What happens when Spoelstra needs to take advantage of a hole in the opposing defense with sharp X’s-and-O’s? It remains to be seen, but the potential benefits are hard to ignore, and the players seem happy with the tweaks. LeBron says he loves where the Heat’s offense is right now. Wade believes Spoelstra has done ‘a great job.’ And Bosh? He’s gushing about Spoelstra’s new groove for a different reason: You can’t really scout it. This is perhaps the greatest potential benefit of all. Everyone knows where LeBron, Wade and Bosh would be at all times last season because everyone memorized Spoelstra’s playbook. The Heat were predictable and that’s what made them beatable at times too, especially in the playoffs. Armed with a unique roster, Spoelstra is thinking outside the box and the plan seems to be working for now. With his own spin on Showtime in place, Spoelstra is hoping his moment of clarity in Oregon will lead to a moment of triumph for Miami.”

By Ethan J. Skolnick

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Eddy Curry is trying just to make an NBA team again, after playing a total of only 10 games in three seasons. There was a time when he was a star, however, enough of a star to get the attention of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Curry, who signed a one-year contract with the Heat on Saturday, just turned 29. James will turn 27 later this month.

“They used to have a TV show, Chicago Hoops, and I would watch that,” James said of a program that frequently featured the skilled center. “But then when I would work out at Hoops (a gym in Chicago), I got an opportunity to meet him, and struck up a relationship there.”

Wade, however, had a closer encounter during his high school days.

“We played against Eddy, and I was the tallest guy on my team,” said Wade, who will turn 30 next month. “After the first possession, I realized this wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t guard him, so I told (the coach) I want to come weak side, and have somebody else guard him. We had somebody 6-foot-1 guard him in high school. We ended up winning the game.”

As Wade finished speaking, James smiled and muttered about how it wasn’t the whole story.

“He scored 30 straight, but we won the game, but I didn’t want to bring that up,” Wade said.

“I thought you wanted to share,” James said.

BILLUPS WATCH

Chauncey Billups, the point guard waived via the amnesty clause by the Knicks to accommodate the acquisition of Tyson Chandler, is available to teams under the salary cap. Billups has threatened to retire rather than report to a non-contender, so it is possible that all teams will pass and he will become a free agent as of Monday at 6 p.m. At that point, he would become an attractive option for the Heat with a veteran minimum contract. It should be noted, however, that the Heat is not expecting that to occur.

NOTEWORTHY

Mike Miller (hernia surgery) is not cleared to practice fully, but the swingman appeared comfortable and pain-free while swishing jumpers Sunday. … The Heat’s official media day is Monday.

Perhaps it is best the season decided to wait until Dwyane Wade had his cathartic radio conversation with Mike Krzyzewski.

Because this way the issue can be addressed and we can move on.

In summing up the Miami Heat’s less-than-satisfying finish to 2010-11, Wade this past week told the Duke coach, “we wanted to win to spite people.”

During the appearance on SiriusXM Radio, Wade added, “I believe that’s the reason we didn’t win a championship.”

No.

No. No. No. No. No.

While no one is enjoying the lockout, at least coach Erik Spoelstra now has the advantage of arriving to training camp, whenever it opens, aware of such thought process.

For as much of a circus as last season was, with its wall-to-wall media coverage, the Heat did not lose the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks because of “spite.”

They lost because LeBron James turned into Henry James (the forward from the ’90s, not the novelist) over the final four games against the Mavericks.

They lost because they never truly found answers at point guard or center.

They lost because Brian Cardinal landed a hip check on Wade in Game 5.

They lost because they mocked Dirk’s flu but couldn’t stop Nowitzki on a pair of decisive drives to the basket.

But they didn’t lose because of any “Heat Index” or Dan Gilbert screed or any of the other supposed narratives regarding enmity, lack of respect, mockery.

Recall that at the beginning of the season the Heat insisted they embraced the attention, ready to prove the naysayers wrong. Then came a few losing streaks along the way and a healthy dose of external I-told-you-sos.

But they also moved past that, as they surgically moved past the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. Not out of spite, but out of superiority. Or at least we thought they moved past that.

In 2006, when the Heat took the Finals from the Mavericks, fingers were pointed at Avery Johnson for getting outcoached by Pat Riley. Johnson certainly did seem to put way too much focus on Shaquille O’Neal instead of Wade. But no matter the perception, the Mavericks lost that series because of what transpired on the court, perhaps because Dirk simply wasn’t ready or beaten down enough yet.

Similarly, an argument could be made that Rick Carlisle outperformed Spoelstra last June. With rotation adjustments, play calls, matchups. The move to Mario Chalmers as the Heat’s starting point guard for the sixth and final game of the series made it clear that basketball decisions were determining the outcome.

Yes, emotion remains a significant part of the process, particularly over the grind that is the regular season. And the Heat had their share of ups and downs on their well-chronicled ride to Finals failure.

But the last thing Wade, James and Chris Bosh should be carrying into their next season is any misapprehension that “spite” ultimately determined last season.

The Pat Riley motivational madness that had P.J. Brown flipping Charlie Ward over the end line is gone. There were no “15 Strong” cards in the locker room last postseason. Those are tricks that are necessary when talent, alone, isn’t enough.

Now, the talent should be more than enough.

IN THE LANE

GRACE PERIOD: Among the evolving elements of the proposed new collective-bargaining agreement is the “amnesty” program that allows teams to discard one contract from salary-cap and luxury-tax obligations. The latest update is that, unlike after the 1998 lockout, the decision will not have to be made immediately. For the Heat, that is a helpful element when it comes to Mike Miller, who could yet again receive another final chance to prove he can remain in one piece. By having the ability to wait until after 2011-12 (if there is a 2011-12) to decide on Miller, the Heat can get a better read on Miller’s offseason shoulder and thumb surgeries. There should be a sneak peak next Sunday, with Miller scheduled to participate in Dwight Howard’s lockout charity game at the University of Central Florida, playing on a team of Magic alumni. For those who forget, the Heat’s amnesty cut in 1999 was Wesley Person.

NOT SO B-EASY: That public-relations firm that former Heat first-round pick Michael Beasley hired to reshape his image? Essentially, it fired him after less than three weeks on the job. In the wake of a lawsuit and countersuit focusing on possible payments made to Beasley amid his climb to the pros, in the wake of a Beasley “all-star” event outside of Minneapolis that failed to attract any actual All-Stars, and in the wake of Beasley calling NBA labor negotiations “kind of retarded,” the Minnesota Timberwolves forward once again is left to attempt to reclaim his image on his own. “He was just not a good fit for our firm,” S&S Associates’ Tonya Payton told CBSSports.com, essentially mimicking what Pat Riley said 15 months earlier.

READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL: In the middle of NBA lockout apocalypse what exactly is LeBron James doing? Helping you set your Sunday fantasy lineups, of course. While Heat teammate Dwyane Wade and Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan were at center stage on the lockout front Friday, James took to Twitter to rate the NFL’s elite. The official LBJ ratings? At quarterback: “1.Aaron Rodgers 2. Tom Brady 3. Drew Brees 4. Mike Vick 5. Cam Newton.” At wide receiver: “1. Megatron [Calvin Johnson] 2. Andre Johnson 3. Steve Smith (Car) 4. Larry Fitz[gerald] 5. Mike Wallace.” At running back: “1.AP [Adrian Peterson] 2. Arian Foster 3. LeSean McCoy 4. Matt Forte (Pay him please!) 5. Ray Rice.”

FROM DOWN UNDER: The D-League dynamic will be particularly odd this season, with the Heat not allowed to send any of their players to their Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce affiliate amid the lockout, not even first-round pick Norris Cole. The Skyforce nonetheless open camp next Saturday and their season Nov. 25. The team, which also serves as an affiliate for the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves, released its camp roster Friday, with former Heat training-camp prospect Anthony Mason Jr., the son of the former New York Knicks forward, and former Southern Cal guard Gabe Pruitt the most recognizable names. The rest of the roster: CoCo Cofield, Dominique Coleman, Josh Edmonds, Brian Evans, Charles Garcia, Brock Gillespie, Billy McShepard, Casey Mitchell, Anthony Moody, Will Pratt, Dominique Scales, Greg Stiemsma, Latroy Taylor and Eric Tisby.

NUMBER

7. Exhibition appearances for LeBron James amid the lockout, with an upcoming Tuesday date in Memphis the latest stop.

iwinderman@tribune.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat.