The Cleveland Cavaliers have re-signed guard Anthony Parker.

Parker averaged 8.3 points in 72 games last season. The 36-year-old veteran is a candidate to be Cleveland’s starting shooting guard. Parker originally signed with the Cavaliers prior to the 2009 season.

Cleveland general manager Chris Grant also said Monday guard Baron Davis has left training camp to seek a second opinion on his stiff back that has kept him out of the early practice sessions. Davis could be waived by the team as part of the NBA’s new “amnesty clause.” The deadline for teams to make that decision is Friday.

Grant also said forward Ormi Casspi injured his left knee at practice on Sunday and is expected to be sidelined for a couple of days.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Cleveland Cavaliers have re-signed guard Anthony Parker.

Parker averaged 8.3 points in 72 games last season. The 36-year-old veteran is a candidate to be Cleveland’s starting shooting guard. Parker originally signed with the Cavaliers prior to the 2009 season.

Cleveland general manager Chris Grant also said Monday guard Baron Davis has left training camp to seek a second opinion on his stiff back that has kept him out of the early practice sessions. Davis could be waived by the team as part of the NBA’s new “amnesty clause.” The deadline for teams to make that decision is Friday.

Grant also said forward Ormi Casspi injured his left knee at practice on Sunday and is expected to be sidelined for a couple of days.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

We haven’t quite reached the point in Scott Raab’s, The Whore of Akron, when LeBron James decides to spurn Cleveland fans and, in effect, become “The Whore of Akron.”

But we have read Raab’s observations that LeBron ruled the Cleveland Cavaliers’ throne like a rightful king.

Decisions went through him. Everyone knew it. Including his fearful owner.

Let’s begin with the team’s general manager, Danny Ferry. After listening to a Ferry press conference about the team’s acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal, Raab observed this:

“Truth 1: The Cavs are essentially owned by LeBron. The beat writers who cover the team clearly believe this – and they are a vastly more accurate gauge of reality than anything Ferry’s likely to say.”

“Truth 2: Danny Ferry is so resentful of Truth 1 that he’d prefer not to acknowledge it.”

Ferry wasn’t the only one acting in deference to the team diva. Raab sat down with the team’s owner, Dan Gilbert, to share his feelings on a worrisome pattern he’d noticed in Cavaliers coach Mike Brown. To which Gilbert agreed.

“I’m worried about Mike Brown,” Raab said to Gilbert. “I’m tired of hearing him say how honored he is to coach LeBron. Gilbert winces, ‘I don’t like hearing that either,’ [Gilbert] says.” 

The idea that LeBron didn’t listen to his coach or care for what Brown had to say has only been amplified by Shaquille O’Neal’s upcoming book. An excerpt from Shaq Uncut notes that Brown often failed to call out his star player when the tape proved otherwise. 

Which led to teammate Delonte West telling Brown to stop “pussyfooting around” and that “everyone has to be accountable.”

The information trickling out shouldn’t really shock anyone. Wherever LeBron goes, he’s treated like a mythical being. What made you think Cleveland would be any different?

But these revelations beg more questions. One, has Pat Riley found a way to curb LeBron’s actions? And, two, how could Mike Brown’s career with the Los Angeles Lakers possibly fare well with a dominant personality like Kobe Bryant?

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Rick Majerus isn’t thrilled with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the timing of their hiring of his lead assistant coach at Saint Louis University. To emphasize his disgust, Majerus turned the name of the franchise’s departed superstar into a verb.

“I was Lebron-ed by the Cavs,” Majerus told ESPN in reference to LeBron James’ decision to leave Cleveland for Miami last season.

The Cavaliers introduced Majerus’ former assistant, Alex Jensen, on Tuesday as Development League coach of the Canton Charge. The 33-year-old Jensen was named to the job on Oct. 11, four days before Billikens’ practice began.

“I told them I’ll drive Alex to Cleveland in March and pay his salary, but I couldn’t lose him now, not when he was in with three recruits and four days before the season,” Majerus said.

Jensen learned of Majerus’ remarks late Monday and addressed them at his introductory news conference. He lauded his former SLU boss and coach at Utah. They were part of the Utes team that reached the 1998 NCAA title game.

“[Majerus] thanked me and he wished me well,” Jensen said. “The timing of it was unfortunate, but it was a job I could not pass up.”

The Cavaliers purchased the D-League team in July and relocated it from New Mexico. Charge General Manager Wes Wilcox said the Cavs dedicated a “couple months” to the coaching search. Jensen said he kept his mentor posted from the time he learned of his candidacy. Majerus was the first person he called after taking two or three days to weigh the offer.

Majerus hired former Army and Evansville coach Jim Crews to replace Jensen.

“It caught [Majerus] off guard,” Jensen said. “The first thing we talked about is the season starts real soon.”

Majerus also has a history of unexpectedly leaving programs. In 2004, he resigned as interim coach at USC after just five days, citing health reasons. 

The Cavaliers’ emphasis on defense jibes with what Majerus imparted upon Jensen.  Jensen has spoken with Cavaliers coach Byron Scott and the Charge will follow the same philosophies being taught by the parent club.

He admits being “skeptical” at first about taking the job because of his experience playing in the Continental Basketball Association. But Jensen soon realized, he said, the Charge would not be lacking in funding or facilities. The Charge opens its season Nov. 25 at the Canton Memorial Civic Center.

“It was a gut feeling,” Jensen said of his final decision. “The more I talked to Wes and others it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. You are an extension of the Cavaliers.”

CANTON - The Cleveland Cavaliers today announced that Alex Jensen has been named the first-ever head coach of their new NBA Development League franchise in Canton. Canton General Manager Wes Wilcox made the announcement. Per team and league policy, terms of the contract were not released.

“Alex is a great fit for our team and organization and what we want to develop and accomplish in Canton. He has a very successful and diverse background that is rooted in strong defensive principles and learned from one of the best coaches and basketball teachers in college basketball in Rick Majerus,” said Wilcox. “Alex is also a strong communicator, has natural coaching instincts and understands the importance of building a team with a strong defensive foundation.  We are very excited for him to get started.”                 

Jensen, 35, brings a wide range of experience and success to Canton. He earned such on-court honors as being named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year (2000) at Utah and the All-FIBA Europe Cup Defender of the Year (2004) while playing in Turkey. Most recently, he served as an assistant coach at Saint Louis University under his former collegiate coach, Majerus. During his time with the Billikens, Jensen helped lead St. Louis to their first postseason appearance since 2004 in 2009-10 with a 23-win season, and last season, he aided in Saint Louis allowing only 62.4 points per game. 

“I would like to thank Saint Louis and especially Coach Rick Majerus, who has taught me so much, first as a player and later as a coach on his staff. He is one of the best in basketball and I will always be very grateful for the many, many things I have learned from him,” said Jensen. “This is a rare and unique opportunity to be part of a great organization. I’m honored to be selected as the first coach in Canton franchise history and excited to get to work.”

Jensen played professionally overseas in Turkey for seven seasons (2000-07) and also spent one season (2002-03) with the Yakima Sun Kings of the CBA, where he led the Sun Kings to the CBA title. He was named the All-FIBA Europe Cup Defender of the Year and to the All-FIBA Europe Cup First Team in 2004 after averaging 11.6 points and 11.8 rebounds in 10 games during the FIBA Europe Cup with Tuborg Izmir.

A native of Utah, Jensen starred at the University of Utah under Majerus. He helped lead the Utes to the NCAA Championship game in 1998 after earning NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team honors as a sophomore. As a junior, Jensen was named Western Athletic Conference Tournament MVP after leading the team to the conference tournament championship. He earned the 2000 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior, averaging 13.1 points on .542 shooting and 7.5 rebounds in 32 games. While at Utah (1994-95 and 1997-00), his teams compiled a 109-24 (.820) record, finished in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today top 10 on two occasions (1997-99) and ranked among the nation’s elite defensively, finishing in the top 25 in opponent points per game all four seasons, including top-5 finishes in 1997-98 (4^th) and 1998-99 (4^th). From 1995-97, Jensen went on a two-year LDS church mission to England.

He was named the 1994 Utah Mr. Basketball and selected Utah Gatorade Player of the Year by USA Today while at Viewmont High School. 

Cleveland Cavaliers