CLEVELAND — LeBron James couldn't leave Las Vegas without making one last creative move — off the court.

Cleveland's all-star forward capped a glitzy few days of party hopping and hoops by teaming with Microsoft Corp.'s MSN to launch http://lebron.msn.com, a storybook-style Web site about his life designed for kids and teens.

In addition to broadening his iconic image through his latest business venture, James is hoping the innovative Web site will motivate youngsters worldwide with positive messages of encouragement and his own story of perseverance.

"I've always wanted to have a place where kids can see all aspects of my personality — where I can really talk with them about where I came from, what I do, what I have achieved in my life and what my goals are," James said in a phone interview from Las Vegas with The Associated Press.

"Kids can follow me on a day-to-day basis, and I want to inspire them."

James' interest in working with kids appealed to Microsoft, which first partnered with the 22-year-old last summer as one of the sponsors of his annual King for Kids Bike-a-thon in his hometown of Akron.

Microsoft recognized James' enormous crossover appeal to a wider audience and signed him to an endorsement deal. In less than four years as a pro, James has become one of the NBA's signature players — if not the face of the league.

The leading vote getter for this year's All-Star game, James recently appeared in TV ads for Microsoft's launch of its Windows Vista operating system. He's the first NBA player the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant has used to promote its products, and he may do more projects in the future.

For James, the partnership with Microsoft was a natural. He was already a fan of Xbox, the company's wildly popular video gaming system, before adding the company to his impressive business portfolio. James has more than $150 million in endorsement deals with Nike, Sprite and others.

"Anytime I enter a partnership or become part of a family, it's with someone I share the same values with," he said. "It's no different with Microsoft. This is a great opportunity to make people happy."

On the new Web site, kids will be able to learn more about James, who has taken a proactive role in the content.

"It's his voice," said Joanne Bradford, a Microsoft vice president and media officer for MSN. "We are doing it exactly the way he wants it. It's not about selling anything."