Introduction
LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. His full name is LeBron Raymone James Sr. He was raised by his mother, Gloria Marie James, who worked multiple jobs to support the family. He was heavily touted by the national media as a future NBA superstar for his all-around scoring, passing, athleticism and playmaking abilities. He led his teams to four National Basketball Association (NBA) championships. In 2023 he became the all-time leading scorer in the game.
Table of Contents
Early Life
James was recruited by St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to join their basketball team in 1999. As a freshman, James averaged 18 points per game. He helped the team to a Division III state title by scoring 25 points in the championship game. Word of his advanced basketball skills spread, and James received several honours for his performance. As a high school sophomore, James was chosen for the USA Today All-USA First Team. He was the first sophomore ever selected for this award. His team also won the Division III state title for the second year in a row.
Deciding to finish his education, James had a tremendous senior year on the court. He averaged 31.6 points per game, helping his team clinch their third state title. The St. Vincent-St. Mary High School team also earned the top national ranking that year. Throughout his high school playing career, James totalled 2,657 points, 892 rebounds, and 523 assists. He would soon emerge as one of the NBA’s leading players.
Pro Career
James joined the NBA when the Cleveland Cavaliers chose him as the first overall draft pick. James led the Cavaliers in scoring, steals, and minutes played throughout the 2003-04 season, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year award in the process. His game progressed over the following years. He was voted one of the starting forwards on the Eastern Conference All-Star team during his second season, and in his third season, he led the Cavaliers to their first playoff berth in nine years.
He led the NBA in scoring during the 2007-08 season and earned first-team All-NBA honours, but the Cavaliers lost to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in a dramatic seven-game series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. James piloted the Cavaliers to a team-record 66 wins during the 2008-09 season, which helped to earn him the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Time at Miami Heat
Shortly after becoming a free agent, James announced that he would be joining the Miami Heat for the 2010-11 season. His fans in Cleveland were less than pleased, and many considered his departure a betrayal to his hometown. He helped Miami reach the NBA finals in his first year with the team, but the Heat lost the championship to the Dallas Mavericks. In the 2011-12 season, James averaged 27.1 points per game and won his third MVP award while helping Miami advance to its second consecutive NBA finals appearance. Backed by his stellar play, James was named the finals MVP, the Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the championship.
Success followed the Heat to the end of the 2012-13 season: Following a hard-fought, six-game series against the Indiana Pacers to win the Eastern Conference, Miami outlasted the San Antonio Spurs in seven games to win its second consecutive NBA championship. At the culmination of the 2013-14 season, Miami returned to the NBA Finals to face off against the Spurs again, this time losing to San Antonio after five games.
Return to Cleveland Cavaliers
After that finals loss, James opted out of his contract with the Heat, leaving an ageing Miami roster, and after a week of frenzied speculation among fans and media, he decided to return to Cleveland. Hampered by back and knee problems, James missed 13 of 82 regular-season games in 2014-15. However, he was as dominant as ever when healthy, averaging 25.3 points and 7.4 assists per game. James led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, becoming the first player in nearly 50 years to reach the championship round in five consecutive seasons.
In 2016-17 James had arguably his best regular season by setting career highs with averages of 8.7 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game while still scoring 26.4 points per game. He sustained his excellence in the Eastern Conference playoffs, scoring 32.5 points per game while leading the Cavaliers to a third consecutive match-up against the Warriors in the NBA finals. There Cleveland could not overcome the team James referred to as a “juggernaut,” losing to the Warriors in five games despite James becoming the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the finals.
In 2017-18 he played a full 82-game regular season for the first time in his career and led the NBA in minutes played per game (36.9) while averaging 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and a new career-high 9.1 assists per game. James again excelled in the following playoffs, scoring more than 40 points seven times in the team’s 18 Eastern Conference postseason games to lead the Cavaliers to their fourth straight NBA finals series against the Warriors. He continued his strong individual play in the finals, but it was not enough to overcome Golden State’s overwhelming talent advantage, and the Warriors swept the series.
Time at Los Angeles Lakers
On July 1, 2018, James announced that he was moving on to the next chapter of his career by signing a four-year, $153.3 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. James won his fourth championship in 2020 when the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in a special playoff tournament held at the Walt Disney World resort following the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All-Star Game and MVP’s
James was selected for the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in 2005 and has earned a spot in the annual showcase in each of the next 19 seasons, an NBA record streak. In January 2018, the league announced James and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry had topped the ballots and would serve as captains for that year’s All-Star Game.
In 2006, James was named MVP in the NBA All-Star Game, a feat he repeated in 2008 and 2018. James has also been named NBA MVP in four seasons: 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12, and 2012-13.
Business Ventures
LeBron James has endorsement deals with several companies, including Nike, Coca-Cola, and AT&T. He also owns a minority stake in the English Premier League football club Liverpool. LeBron co-founded the production company SpringHill Entertainment and has produced several films and television shows. He has investments in Blaze Pizza, the tequila company Lobos 1707, and the Atlanta Dream WNBA team.
Personal Life
LeBron James is known for his philanthropy and activism. He maintains close ties to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, through his charity foundation, the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF). LeBron supports various non-profit organizations and causes, including education, social justice, and community development. He opened the I Promise School in Akron, a public elementary school focused on helping struggling students.
