LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James was born on December 30, 1984, at Cleveland Clinic Akron General in Akron, Ohio, to 16-year-old Gloria Marie James. His father, Anthony McClelland, has an extensive criminal record that includes arson and theft, and was not involved in James' life. When James was growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as they moved from apartment to apartment in the more run-down neighborhoods of Akron while Gloria struggled to find steady work. Realizing that her son would be better off in a more stable family environment, Gloria allowed him to move in with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football coach who introduced James to basketball when he was nine years old. James began playing organized basketball in the fifth grade. He later played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars. The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee. The group dubbed themselves the "Fab Four" and promised each other that they would attend high school together. In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a private Catholic school with predominantly white students.

Basketball James playing for the St. Vincent–St. Mary Fighting Irish on January 20, 2003 As a 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) tall freshman, James averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds per game for the St. Vincent–St. Mary varsity basketball team. The team, known as The Fighting Irish, went 27–0 en route to the Division III state title, making them the only boys high school team in Ohio to finish the season undefeated. As a sophomore, James averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, along with 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game. For some home games during the season, St. Vincent–St. Mary played at the University of Akron's 5,492-seat Rhodes Arena to satisfy ticket demand from alumni and fans, as well as college and NBA scouts who wanted to see James play. The Fighting Irish finished the season 26–1 and repeated as state champions. For his outstanding play, James was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, becoming the first sophomore to achieve either. In 2001, during the summer before his junior year, James was the subject of a feature article in Slam magazine. Writer Ryan Jones lauded the 16-year-old James, who had grown to 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), as "[possibly] the best high school basketball player in America right now". During the season, James also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first high school basketball underclassman to do so. With averages of 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game, he was again named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, and became the first junior to be named male basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year. St. Vincent–St. Mary finished the year with a 23–4 record, ending their season with a loss in the Division II championship game. Following the loss, James unsuccessfully petitioned for a change to the NBA's draft eligibility rules in an attempt to enter the 2002 NBA draft. During this time, he used marijuana, which he said was to help cope with the stress that resulted from the constant media attention he was receiving. During his senior year, James and the Fighting Irish played against several nationally ranked teams, including Oak Hill Academy on December 12, 2002. The game was nationally televised on ESPN2. Time Warner Cable, looking to capitalize on James' popularity, offered St. Vincent–St. Mary's games to Ohio-based subscribers for $7.95 per game on a pay-per-view basis throughout the season, but this ended up not being profitable. For the year, James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game, was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team for an unprecedented third consecutive year, and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. He participated in three year-end high school basketball all-star games—the EA Sports Roundball Classic, the Jordan Brand Capital Classic, and the McDonald's All-American Game—l

Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–2010) 2003–2004: Rookie of the Year The Cleveland Cavaliers selected James as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. James chose jersey number 23 in honor of Michael Jordan. In his first regular season game, James scored 25 points in a 106–92 loss to the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for the most points scored by a prep-to-pro player in his debut performance. At the conclusion of the 2003–04 season, James became the first Cavalier to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. and only the third player in league history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game as a rookie. 2004–2008: Rise to superstardom In the 2004–05 season, James earned his first NBA All-Star Game selection, contributing 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a winning effort for the Eastern Conference. Teams took note of his rapid development, and Denver Nuggets coach George Karl told Sports Illustrated: "It's weird talking about a 20-year-old kid being a great player, but he is a great player ... He's the exception to almost every rule." On March 20, James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland's new single-game points record. At the end of the season, James was named to his first All-NBA Team. The Cavaliers again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season 42–40. During the 2006 offseason, James signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension with the Cavaliers, with the option for a fourth year. At the 2006 All-Star Game, James led the Eastern Conference to victory with 29 points and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP). He finished second in overall NBA MVP Award voting, behind Steve Nash. Under James' leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998. In his postseason debut, James recorded a triple-double in a win over the Washington Wizards. In Game 3, he made the first game-winning basket of his career, and another in Game 5. Cleveland defeated the Wizards before losing to the Detroit Pistons in the second round. James engages in a pre-game ritual of tossing crushed chalk into the air in March 2008. The Cavaliers finished the 2006–07 season with 50 wins and entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. In the first two rounds, James led the team to wins over the Wizards and New Jersey Nets, earning them a matchup with the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. In Game 5, James logged 48 points with nine rebounds and seven assists in a 109–107 double-overtime win. He scored the last 25 points for the Cavaliers, and performed a game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left. In 2012, ESPN ranked James' performance as the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history. The Cavaliers won the series in six games, granting them their first NBA Finals appearance, which pitted them against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs defeated the Cavaliers in a four-game sweep. On December 11, 2007, James came

James attempting a shot over China's Yao Ming at the 2008 Summer Olympics As a 19-year-old rookie, James made his debut for the United States national team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, although he spent most of the event on the bench. Team USA finished with a bronze medal, becoming the first U.S. basketball team to return home without a gold medal since the NBA started allowing active players to participate in the Olympics. James felt he was not given "a fair opportunity to play". At the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, James took on a greater role for Team USA, averaging 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as co-captain. The team finished the tournament with an 8–1 record, winning another bronze medal. Before naming James to the 2008 Olympic team, Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski gave James an ultimatum to improve his attitude, and he heeded their advice. At the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, he averaged 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, including a 31-point performance against Argentina in the championship game, the most ever by an American in an Olympic qualifier. Team USA went 10–0, winning the gold medal and qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. James credited the team's attitude and experience for their improvement, saying: "I don't think we understood what it meant to put on a USA uniform and all the people that we were representing in 2004. We definitely know that now." At the Olympics, Team USA went unbeaten, winning their first gold medal since 2000. In the final game, James' statistics were – 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists against Spain. James attempting a dunk at the 2012 Summer Olympics James did not play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship but rejoined Team USA for the 2012 Olympics in London, England. He became the leader of the team, with Bryant, who would soon be 34, stepping back. James facilitated the offense from the post and perimeter, called the defensive sets, and provided scoring when needed. During a game against Australia, he recorded the first triple-double in U.S. Olympic basketball history with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists. Team USA won their second straight gold medal, again defeating Spain in the final game. James contributed 19 points in the victory, becoming the all-time leading scorer in U.S. men's basketball history. He also joined Michael Jordan as the only players to win an NBA MVP award, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, and Olympic gold medal in the same year. Afterwards, Krzyzewski said: "[James] is the best player, he is the best leader and he is as smart as anybody playing the game right now." After a 12-year gap, James rejoined the national team on the 2024 Olympic squad in Paris as Team Captain at 39 years old. Voted by the entire 592-strong U.S. delegation, James was named as one of the two Team USA flag-bearers for the opening ceremony of the games, becoming the first male bask

Standing 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) tall and weighing 250 pounds (113 kg), James has played the majority of his career at the small forward and power forward positions, but he has also been deployed at other positions when necessary. His playing style, which is athletic and versatile, has drawn comparisons to Basketball Hall of Fame players Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Throughout the 2010s, he was usually ranked as the best player in the NBA each season by ESPN and Sports Illustrated. Offense James drives to the basket in March 2008. A deft finisher, he led the NBA in scoring and shooting percentage at the rim in 2013. As an 18-year-old rookie, James led the Cavaliers in scoring. He holds numerous "youngest to" distinctions, including being the youngest player to score 30,000 career points. During his first stint in Cleveland, James was primarily used as an on-ball point forward, and although his shooting tendencies were perimeter-oriented, he established himself as one of the best slashers and finishers in basketball. His combination of speed, quickness, and size often created matchup problems for opposing teams because James was capable of blowing by larger defenders and overpowering smaller ones. These qualities became more apparent in transition, where he developed a reputation for grabbing defensive rebounds and then beating the defense downcourt for highlight reel baskets. Around this time, James was frequently criticized for not having a reliable jump shot or post game. Teams would try to exploit these weaknesses by giving him space in the half court and forcing him to settle for three-pointers and long two-pointers, a strategy famously used by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in the 2007 Finals, where James converted on only 36 percent of his field goals in four games. In Miami, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed James' role to a more unconventional one. James spent more time in the post and improved his shot selection and accuracy on jump shots. He also learned how to work as an off-ball cutter in the Heat's "pass-happy" offense. Behind these improvements, James' overall scoring efficiency rose to historically great levels. During this time, ESPN's Tom Haberstroh called James' free-throw shooting his biggest weakness, describing it as "average". Upon returning to the Cavaliers, James began to experience subtle age-related declines in productivity, posting his lowest scoring averages since his rookie season in 2015 and 2016. His shooting also temporarily regressed, and James briefly ranked as the NBA's worst high-volume shooter from outside the paint. Despite these changes, he remained an elite offensive player who beat defenses with body control, strength, and varying attacking speeds. For most of his career, James has controlled the offense as the primary ball handler on his team. His playmaking ability is generally considered one of his premier skills, and some analysts rank him among the greatest passers in NBA history. B