Baller-in-Chief

(From by Brian Windhorst for the Cleveland Plain Dealer Online)

SILVER SPRING, Md. — LeBron James visited the White House and attended a movie premiere on Monday in his first public appearances since undergoing surgery to remove a benign growth on his jaw on June 1.

Gus Chan/PDLeBron James was the star at Monday’s premiere of “More Than a Game” at Silver Spring, Md.

The Cavaliers star looked happy and subdued, and a little self-conscious about the noticeable scar around his right ear, as he walked the red carpet before the premiere of “More Than a Game,” the documentary about James and his high school basketball buddies at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. The premiere kicked off the Silverdocs Film Festival in Silver Spring, Md.

James arrived at the premiere with high school teammates Dru Joyce III, Romeo Travis, Willie McGee and Sian Cotton, former coach Dru Joyce II, Maverick Carter, the CEO of James’ LRMR Marketing, and Akron native and the filmmaker Kristopher Belman.

James, wearing a blue pinstripe suit with no tie and his trademark sunglasses, posed for pictures with his friends and teammates. A large number of former teachers, administrators, classmates and alumni from St. Vincent-St. Mary were on hand, and when James and his teammates arrived a band was playing the school’s fight song.

“We had a lot of fun with this because these are my best friends,” James said. “This was all about friendship for us and it is great to share this.”

Despite the large scar behind and on the side of his right ear, James showed no other effects from the surgery. He answered a few questions about the film, but did not answer questions about the surgery or reports that the Cavaliers are trying to acquire Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O’Neal.

James visited the White House on Monday afternoon in an appearance that was off the public schedule. He said hello to President Barack Obama (the two know one another from the campaign trail, and the president is a huge hoops fan) and got a tour of the West Wing.

It was unclear whether King James upstaged the other VIP at the White House Monday afternoon — Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

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