LeBron: Cancer scare this year was 'nerve-racking'

CLEVELAND -- The benign growth in LeBron James' jaw made for a few nervous days earlier this year for the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar.

James said on Monday he had to wait for biopsy results in January after doctors at the Cleveland Clinic found a growth in the right side of his jaw. James, whose cancer concerns were first reported by the Plain Dealer, said he trusted his doctors when they told him they didn't believe the growth was malignant.

"It wasn't that much of a concern," James acknowledged. "But when it can be cancerous, anything that can be a health hazard should be a concern. But the doctors gave me assurances that they didn't think it was and I listened to the professionals."

The doctors were right. James had surgery to remove it in June, a few days after the Cavaliers' season ended.