biography of lebron james

LeBron James

LeBron James became an immediate star after skipping college to join the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. He led the Miami Heat to NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 and won another championship with Cleveland in 2016, before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.

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Who Is LeBron James?

LeBron James is an American basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers. James first garnered national attention as the top high school basketball player in the country. With his unique combination of size, athleticism and court vision, he became a four-time NBA MVP. After leading the Miami Heat to titles in 2012 and 2013, James returned to Cleveland and helped the franchise claim its first championship in 2016.

Early Life and High School Basketball Career

James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. At an early age, James showed a natural talent for basketball. He was recruited by St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to join their basketball team in 1999. Overall, James scored 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 523 assists during his four years there.

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 honors 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.

The following school year, James was named PARADE magazine's High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year. Following the end of his junior year, James was such a strong player that he contemplated going pro.

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. James would soon emerge as one of the National Basketball Association's leading players.

With his impressive record, it was no surprise that James was the first player picked in the 2003 NBA Draft straight out of high school. The Cleveland Cavaliers signed the powerful young forward, and he proved to be a valuable addition to the then-struggling franchise. The team had ended the previous season in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers

During the 2003-04 season, James made history when he became the first member of the Cavalier franchise to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He also became the youngest player — at only 20 years old — to receive this honor.

James continued to excel professionally in the NBA the following season, upping his average points per game to 27.2. He made NBA history again in 2005 when he became the youngest player to score more than 50 points in one game.

In 2006, James helped his team defeat the Washington Wizards in the first round of playoff action. From there, the Cavaliers took on the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals. James scored an average of 26.6 per game in this postseason matchup, but it wasn't enough to secure victory for his team. While his team wasn't at the top of the rankings, James himself continued to receive special recognition for his abilities.

In 2006, James reached a new contract agreement with the Cavaliers. The team proved to be stronger competitors the following season, defeating Detroit to win the Eastern Conference. In the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, however, the Cavaliers lost their championship bid in four consecutive games.

During the 2007-08 season, James continued to help the Cavaliers improve their standing in the Eastern Conference. The team made it to the semifinals, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in seven games. In terms of individual performance, James had a stellar year, outperforming such rival players as Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson by scoring an average of 30 points per game, the highest average in the NBA regular season.

Early in the 2008-09 season, sports journalists and fans began talking about James' future in the sport. He had the option to become a free agent in 2010, and there was much discussion as to where James would end up. Some journalists identified the New York Knicks as a potential suitor for the rising player.

James made several references to his impending free-agent status, but he was sure to downplay the matter. "I am focused on the team that I am on right now and winning a championship ... I don't think about making a change at this point," James told reporters.

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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.

Soon after James' announcement, Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert wrote an open letter declaring James' decision as "selfish," "heartless" and a "cowardly betrayal." Unfazed, James finished second in the league during his first season with the Heat, scoring 26.7 points per game.

The 2011-12 season saw major success for James and the Miami Heat. With his team's victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, the superstar forward finally earned his first title. In the clinching Game 5, James scored 26 points, and had 11 rebounds and 13 assists. "I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland, but I understood what my future was about," James told FOX Sports following the game. "I knew we had a bright future [in Miami]."

During the 2012-13 season, James made NBA history yet again: On January 16, 2013, at age 28, he became the youngest player to score 20,000 points, succeeding Bryant of the Lakers — who accomplished this feat when he was 29 — and becoming only the 38th player in NBA history to achieve this distinction. James made a jump shot the final seconds of the game, bringing his scoring total 20,001 and leading the Heat to a 92-75 victory over the Warriors.

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

In July of 2014, after opting out of his contract with the Heat and considering other teams, James announced that he would be returning to the Cavaliers.

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. However, injuries to star teammates Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving damaged his hopes of claiming a third title, and the Cavaliers lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.

Over the course of 2015-16, the Cavs overcame the distraction of a mid-season coaching change and breezed through the playoffs to earn a rematch with the Warriors, marking the sixth straight NBA Finals appearance for "King James." In perhaps the crowning achievement of his career, he led his team back from a 3-1 deficit, scoring 41 points in both Games 5 and 6, before recording a triple-double in Game 7 to give the Cavs their first championship in franchise history.

Voted Finals MVP, James said, "I came back to bring a championship to our city. I knew what I was capable of doing. I knew what I learned in the last couple years that I was gone, and I knew if I had to — when I came back — I knew I had the right ingredients and the right blueprint to help this franchise get back to a place that we've never been. That's what it was all about."

The following year, James again paced himself and took charge when necessary, driving the Cavs through the Eastern Conference to make an incredible seventh consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals. This time, with former MVP Kevin Durant added to the mix, the Warriors proved too formidable for James and his teammates, claiming the championship in five games.

For all his accomplishments, James achieved another first early in the 2017-18 NBA season: After yelling at a referee during a late November win over the Heat, he was ejected for the first time in 1,082 career games.

The superstar likely felt like yelling often during the course of a frustrating campaign, as an offseason trade that sent Irving to Boston for Isaiah Thomas failed to bear fruit and forced the Cavs to make another major deal before the All-Star break.

After averaging a career-best 9.1 assists in the regular season, James had to dig deep just to get the team out of the first round of the playoffs, delivering a brilliant 45-point effort to sink the Pacers in Game 7. The Cavs were again pushed to the limit two rounds later by the scrappy Celtics, but James scored 81 points over the last two games to pull out the series win and make his eighth straight NBA Finals appearance.

Game 1 of the rematch against Golden State went down to the wire, thanks to James's 51-point outburst, but Cleveland guard J.R. Smith inexplicably dribbled out the clock with the game tied in regulation, before the Warriors pulled away for the win in overtime. That represented the Cavs' best chance to get a leg up on their opponents, as the Warriors won the next three games handily to claim their third title in four years.

Afterward, with questions swirling about his future with the team, James revealed that he had played out the series with a broken right hand after punching a whiteboard in the aftermath of the Game 1 loss.

Los Angeles Lakers

On July 1, 2018, James announced that he was moving on to the next chapter of his career by signing a 4-year, $153.3 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, a storied franchise that counted Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson among its all-time greats.

The good vibes had worn off by midseason, as the Lakers sputtered through a 17-game stretch without their injured star.

With the team still struggling in late February 2019, James accused his teammates of losing focus over trade rumors, saying, "If you're still allowing distractions to affect the way you play, this is the wrong franchise to be a part of and you should just come in and be like, 'Listen, I can't do this.'"

When the Lakers were officially eliminated from playoff contention in March 2019, it snapped James' personal marks of 13 consecutive postseasons and eight straight NBA Finals appearances. Capping a difficult first season in Los Angeles, the Lakers announced that their star would miss the final six games because of his lingering groin injury.

Things got off to a much better start the following season, thanks in large part to the addition of athletic big man Anthony Davis to the roster. Spearheading the Lakers' rise to the top of the standings was James, who became the first player to record a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams in November 2019.

The following month, James added another accolade to his ever-growing list by earning AP Male Athlete of the Decade honors.

Championships and Rings

James participated in eight straight NBA championships from the 2010-11 season to the 2018-19 season. During that time, he captured three championship rings: twice with the Heat (2011-12 and 2012-13) and once with the Cavaliers (2015-16).

All-Star Games and MVPs

James was selected for the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in 2005 and would go on to earn a spot in the annual showcase in each of the next 15 seasons.

In January 2018, the NBA announced that 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 the Most Valuable Player in the NBA All-Star Game, a feat he would repeat in 2008 and 2018. James has also been named NBA MVP four times, in seasons 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Stats and Points

In January 2018, at age 33, James surpassed Bryant as the youngest player to accumulate 30,000 career points and became the seventh player in NBA history to achieve that milestone. The feat put him just more than 8,000 points shy of Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record of 38,387 points.

In 2019, James surpassed Jordan's career tally of 32,292 points to move into fourth place on the all-time list. In January 2020, he eclipsed Bryant's total of 33,643 points to slide into third place, one night before his predecessor's shocking death in a helicopter accident.

After 16 NBA seasons, James' stats included regular season per-game averages of:

• 27.2 points
• 38.6 minutes
• 0.736 free-throw percentage
• 0.343 3-point field-goal percentage
• 0.504 field-goal percentage
• 1.2 offensive rebounds
• 6.2 defensive rebounds
• 7.2 assists
• 3.5 turnovers

Olympic Games

James competed on the U.S. Olympic basketball team during three Summer Olympic Games, in 2004, 2008 and 2012. James made his Olympic debut at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece. He and his teammates won bronze medals after defeating Lithuania. Argentina took home the gold after beating Italy in the finals.

In the summer of 2008, James traveled to Beijing, China, to play with the likes of Bryant, Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade on the U.S. Olympic basketball team. This time around the U.S. team brought home the gold after defeating Spain in the final round.

James competed at his third Olympic Games in 2012, at the Summer Olympics in London, along with Durant, Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and several other top players. The U.S. basketball team took the gold medal — James' second consecutive Olympic gold.

Contract With Nike

In 2003, James signed several endorsement deals, including a deal with Nike for $90 million that could net him over $1 billion over his lifetime.

Other endorsements include Intel, Verizon, Coca-Cola, Beats by Dre and Kia Motors.

Salary and Earnings

In the 2016-17 season, James collected a $31 million salary, making him the third player to earn that much after Jordan and Bryant. The NBA superstar went on to sign a four-year, $153.3 million contract with the Lakers in July 2018. He’s also a co-owner of the production company SpringHill Entertainment and has invested in Blaze Pizza.

In February 2019, Forbes magazine's estimated James’ yearly earnings at $88.7 million, making him the NBA's highest-earning player for the fifth year in a row.

Wife and Kids

On January 1, 2012, James proposed to his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson. The couple married in a private ceremony with about 200 guests in San Diego on September 14, 2013.

James and Brinson have two sons and one daughter together. In October 2004, James welcomed his first son LeBron Jr. On June 14, 2007, Brinson gave birth to their second son, Bryce Maximus James. Their third child, daughter Zhuri James, was born on October 22, 2014.

LeBron James Family Foundation

Outside of the NBA, James has worked to help others. He established the LeBron James Family Foundation in 2004, along his mother Gloria, to help out children and single-parent families in need.

Among its many programs, the organization builds playgrounds in economically disadvantaged areas and hosts an annual bike-a-thon.

Outspoken Posts on Social Media

One of the world's most recognizable athletes, James hasn't been shy about expressing his views on social media. Among other issues, he displayed his support for Trayvon Martin after the teen's death in 2012, and he has clashed with U.S. President Donald Trump .

James waded into delicate territory in October 2019, after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey posted a tweet in support of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters that ignited a Chinese media boycott of NBA preseason games in the country. James said he believed Morey was "misinformed" about the situation, although he later tweeted that he mainly took issue with the executive posting comments that could have exposed traveling players to danger.

The basketball superstar has also shown a playful side on social media, such as when he posted a picture of cartoon character Arthur clenching his first during the Cavaliers' slow start to the 2017-18 season.

'Space Jam 2'

James starred in Space Jam 2 , the 2021 sequel to the 1996 hit starring Jordan. "The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie,” James told The Hollywood Reporter .

“It's so much bigger. I'd just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don't just give up on their dreams."

QUICK FACTS

• Name: James
• Birth Year: 1984
• Birth date: December 30, 1984
• Birth State: Ohio
• Birth City: Akron
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: LeBron James became an immediate star after skipping college to join the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. He led the Miami Heat to NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 and won another championship with Cleveland in 2016, before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.
• Astrological Sign: Capricorn
• St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
• Interesting Facts
• During the 2003-04 season, LeBron James became the first member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the youngest NBA player in history to recieve the Rookie of the Year Award.
• LeBron James was one of only three rookies to average 20 points per game during the 2003-04 season. The other rookies to accomplish the feat were Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.

We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

• I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland but I understood what my future was about ... I knew we had a bright future [in Miami].
• I'm never in a defer mentality. I'm in attack mode. No matter how many weapons we have on the court, I'm still going to play my game.
• Sports carried me away from being in a gang, or being associated with drugs. Sports was my way out.
• It's not about the money. It's all about winning for me.
• I never feel sad [about not going to college]. But I do wish I could have been part of March Madness.
• Basketball is my life.
• We all prepare differently, but there's just one basketball on that court.
• We knew it wasn't going to be easy. We didn't want it to be easy. A lot of teams have won golds easy. We didn't want it that way.
• I don't judge my career by saying I want to be better than this person or that person at the end of my career because it's not possible. The only person on and off the court to satisfy is me.
• LeBron stays humble just by being LeBron.
• Why would you think he's coming back? People move from Cleveland to Miami every [expletive] day. They don't move from Miami to Cleveland.

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

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LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James ▪ Twitter : KingJames ▪ Instagram: kingjames

(King James, LBJ, Chosen One, Bron-Bron, The Little Emperor, The Akron Hammer, L-Train, Benjamin Buckets)

Position: Small Forward, Power Forward, Point Guard, Center, and Shooting Guard ▪ Shoots: Right

6-9 ,  250lb  (206cm, 113kg)

Born: December 30 , 1984 in Akron,  Ohio us

High School: St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio

Recruiting Rank: 2003 (1)

Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers , 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 2003 NBA Draft

NBA Debut: October 29, 2003

Experience:  20 years

• 20x All Star
• 2007-08 Scoring Champ
• 2019-20 AST Champ
• 4x NBA Champ
• 19x All-NBA
• 2003-04 All-Rookie
• 2003-04 ROY
• 6x All-Defensive
• 4x Finals MVP
• NBA 75th Anniv. Team
• 2023-24 IST MVP

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• 4/15 HoopsWire: Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on NBA MVP: ‘I Hope I Get It, Yes’ :  The Oklahoma City Thunder surprised the NBA by finishing with ...
• 4/15 Franchise Sports: 10 best Game Sevens in NBA history :  The NBA playoffs are already interesting, but when you add Game ...
• 4/14 Last Word on Sports: Austin Reaves’s Scoring Puts Him in Elite Company :  Lakers guard Austin Reaves has displayed tremendous signs of growth ...
• 4/14 TeamRiseOrFall.com: NBA Daily Fantasy Top Plays 4/14/24 :  NBA Daily Fantasy Top Plays 4/14/24 Welcome to our NBA Daily Fantasy ...
• 4/14 HoopsRumors: Lakers Notes: Play-In Picture, Vincent, Timer’s Error, Vanderbilt, LeBron :  There are countless ways the Western Conference standings could ...
• 4/13 HoopsWire: Michael Jordan Was Already The GOAT To Larry Bird When He Retired For 1st Time: ‘No One Was Ever Better Than Him’ :  When Michael Jordan retired from the NBA in 1993, he was ...
• 4/13 Last Word on Sports: Philadelphia 76ers Fill Open Roster Spot Ahead of Postseason :  With just one game left in the regular season, the Philadelphia ...
• 4/13 HoopsWire: Scottie Pippen Destroyed 73-9 Warriors For Thinking They’re Best Team In NBA History Over 72-10 Bulls: ‘You Didn’t Win A Championship’ :  The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors finished the regular season ...
• 4/13 RotoBaller.com: LeBron James Available Versus Memphis :  Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) will play on ...
• 3/23 Basketball Reference: Most Triple-Doubles in a Career NBA :  In the modern NBA game, triple-doubles are more prevalent than ...
• Play-by-play data available for the 1996-97 through 2023-24 seasons.
• Shot location data available for the 1996-97 through 2023-24 seasons.
• Click Season link for player's season game log Click value for box score or list of games Search LeBron James' game log history
• Most similar performance arc through 20 seasons ( Explanation )
• Most similar career performance arc ( Explanation )

Appearances on Leaderboards, Awards, and Honors

June 26, 2003 : Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1st round (1st pick) of the 2003 NBA Draft.

July 10, 2010 : Traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat for a 2011 2nd round draft pick ( Milan Mačvan was later selected), a 2012 2nd round draft pick ( Jae Crowder was later selected), a 2013 1st round draft pick ( Nemanja Nedović was later selected) and a 2016 1st round draft pick ( Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot was later selected). Cleveland also received a trade exception from Miami. Cleveland had the option to swap 1st round draft picks with Miami in 2012 but did not do so.

July 12, 2014 : Signed a multi-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers .

July 10, 2015 : Signed a multi-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers .

August 12, 2016 : Signed a multi-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers .

July 9, 2018 : Signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers .

November 22, 2021 : Suspended by the league. (1-game suspension)

August 18, 2022 : Signed a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers .

• Player Option , Team Option   ·   NBA Contracts Summary
• Declined 2021-22 player option to sign extension Thursday, December 3, 2020.
• Signed 4-yr maximum salary contract on Monday, July 9, 2018 2021-22 is player option.

How old is LeBron James?

LeBron James is 39 years old.

Where was LeBron James born?

LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio.

When was LeBron James born?

LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984.

How tall is LeBron James?

LeBron James is 6-9 (206 cm) tall.

How much does LeBron James weigh?

LeBron James weighs 250 lbs (113 kg).

Is LeBron James in the Hall of Fame?

LeBron James is not in the Hall of Fame.

When was LeBron James drafted?

LeBron James was drafted by Cleveland Cavaliers , 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 2003 NBA Draft .

What position does LeBron James play?

Small Forward, Power Forward, Point Guard, Center, and Shooting Guard.

What is LeBron James' net worth?

LeBron James has made at least $434,986,578 playing professional basketball.

How much does LeBron James make?

LeBron James made $44,474,988 in 2023.

What does LeBron James average?

LeBron James averages 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.

How many rings does LeBron James have?

LeBron James has won 4 championships.

What is LeBron James' Twitter account?

LeBron James is on Twitter at KingJames .

What is LeBron James' Instagram account?

LeBron James is on Instagram at kingjames .

What schools did LeBron James attend?

LeBron James attended St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio .

More James Pages

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LeBron James

American basketball player (born 1984) / from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, dear wikiwand ai, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:.

Can you list the top facts and stats about LeBron James?

Summarize this article for a 10 year old

LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( / l ə ˈ b r ɒ n / lə- BRON ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed " King James ", he is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and is often compared to Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball player of all time. [lower-alpha 1] He has competed in 10 NBA Finals (with eight consecutive appearances from 2011 to 2018), winning four NBA championships . [1] He also won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 with the Lakers, and two Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. men's national team .

Individually, James is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and ranks fourth in career assists , has won four Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards , four Finals MVP Awards , three All-Star Game MVP Awards , and was named the inaugural NBA Cup MVP. He has been named an All-Star a record 20 times, selected to the All-NBA Team 19 times (including 13 First Team selections) [2] [3] and the All-Defensive Team six times, and was a runner-up for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice in his career. [4] [5] Noted for his longevity, James is currently the oldest player in the NBA . [6]

James grew up playing basketball for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio . He was heavily touted by the national media as a future NBA superstar for his all-around scoring, passing, athleticism and playmaking abilities. [7] A prep-to-pro , he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft . Named the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year , [8] he soon established himself as one of the league's premier players, leading the Cavaliers to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2007 and winning the NBA MVP award in 2009 and 2010. [4] After failing to win a championship with Cleveland, James left in 2010 as a free agent to join the Miami Heat ; [9] this was announced in a nationally televised special titled The Decision and is among the most controversial free agency moves in sports history. [10]

James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Heat in 2012 and 2013 ; in both of these years, he also earned the league's MVP and Finals MVP awards. After his fourth season with the Heat in 2014, James opted out of his contract and re-signed with the Cavaliers. In 2016 , he led the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in the Finals by coming back from a 3–1 deficit, delivering the team's first championship and ending the Cleveland sports curse . [11] In 2018, James exercised his contract option to leave the Cavaliers and signed with the Lakers, where he won the 2020 NBA championship and his fourth Finals MVP. [12] James is the first player in NBA history to accumulate $1   billion in earnings as an active player. [13] On February 7, 2023, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the leading scorer in league history .

Off the court, James has earned more wealth and fame from numerous endorsement contracts. He has been featured in books, documentaries (including winning three Sports Emmy Awards as an executive producer), and television commercials. James was among Time ' s 100 most influential people in the world in 2005, 2013, 2017, and 2019, the most selections by a professional athlete. He has won 20 ESPY Awards , hosted Saturday Night Live , and starred in the sports film Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). James has been a part-owner of Liverpool F.C. since 2011 and leads the LeBron James Family Foundation, which has opened an elementary school, housing complex, retail plaza, and medical center in Akron. [14] [15]

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The Story of LeBron James’s 38,390 Points, by Those Who Were There

Teammates. Competitors. Victims of his memes. They each have a story about James’s road to breaking the N.B.A. career scoring record.

Credit... WalkerTKL

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By Sopan Deb

• Feb. 7, 2023

Stephen Curry’s favorite memory of playing against LeBron James isn’t from any of the three championships he won with the Golden State Warriors against James’s teams. It was from his 2009-10 rookie season, when James was in his seventh year with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

They first met when James attended one of Curry’s college games for Davidson . The night before their first N.B.A. clash, in Cleveland, James hosted Curry at his home.

“For me, as a rookie, it was a whirlwind of excitement,” Curry said. He added: “The fact that he’s as big as he is, as strong as he is, as skilled as he is, there’s never a time he can’t get a shot off.”

James scored 31 points, most coming from near the rim or at the free-throw line . He hit just one 3-pointer.

More than a decade later, James’s game looks different, though he can still dunk as if the rim insulted his honor. The N.B.A. has evolved rapidly since James entered the league in 2003, and his ability to change with it helped him break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s seemingly unbreakable career scoring record of 38,387 points on Tuesday. James has 38,390 points now.

“Nobody could imagine somebody doing it,” said Drew Gooden, who played hundreds of games alongside James in Cleveland. He added: “If you would have said or told somebody in 2003 when LeBron James got drafted when he was 18 years old that he was going to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, they would have looked at you like you were crazy.”

N.B.A. Commissioner Adam Silver, in an email, called the record “one of the most hallowed” in all sports. Of James, he said, “His extraordinary athleticism, power and speed leave you in awe.”

Over the past 20 years, James’s ascent to the top of the scoring list has impressed Hall of Fame players as he made a definitive case to join their ranks and perhaps be considered the best among them. His shots have felled the toughest competitors, yet made them fans as he blocked them from fulfilling their sports dreams. His teammates have amassed stories of the joys of playing with him — and the pain of being on the other side.

At 38, James is one of the N.B.A.’s oldest players. He’s also still one of its best.

“It’s not like he’s holding on for dear life just to get the award,” Curry said. “He’s still playing at a high level. So it’s pretty damn impressive.”

‘Scored baskets in every way possible’

Abdul-Jabbar, 75, played in the N.B.A. from 1969 to 1989 after starring for three seasons at U.C.L.A. When he broke Wilt Chamberlain ’s career scoring record in April 1984 , he did so with his patented, and nearly unstoppable, shot: the sky hook .

James hasn’t cultivated that kind of signature.

“Now, is there a shot that you know that he got that would make you say LeBron James? No,” said George Gervin, 70, a Hall of Fame player who won four scoring titles and is known for his finger roll .

Instead, Gervin said, James’s “greatest attribute will be his ability to be consistent.”

James has methodically developed his game all over the floor, borrowing from the greats. During any given game, he might shoot the fadeaway from the post perfected by Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, go for a logo 3-pointer like Curry or do the “Dream Shake” he was taught by its namesake, Hakeem Olajuwon .

“LeBron has scored baskets in every way possible,” Philadelphia 76ers Coach Doc Rivers said.

Rivers, who has also coached the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, said he recently ran into James in Los Angeles and joked, “I think you scored at least 10,000 of those points against one of my teams.”

He said James responded, “‘Those Celtics points were the hardest damn points that I’ve ever had to score.’”

Defenders became “more fearful” as James expanded his game, Rivers said.

“When LeBron first started, you wanted to take away his right hand. His drive. His attacks to the basket,” Rivers said. “You actually would sag off and give him shots. Then he started going both ways with the ball, which made it more difficult to guard. Then he got the in-between game.”

The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, one of the league’s best defenders, said James was “like a computer.”

“He’s calculating everything that is going on at a rapid speed,” Adebayo said. “So it would be like you typing normally and you got somebody on, like, Excel saying it to the computer and the computer is just reading what they’re saying and just typing it.”

James is known for his savvy, but also for his strength.

“His area of attack is at the top of the floor,” said Mike Brown, who coached James for five seasons in Cleveland. “Everybody knows it, but nobody can stop it.”

Diana Taurasi , who holds the W.N.B.A.’s career scoring record , said James was “probably still the most dangerous man in transition.”

Gooden said he “took it for granted” that he had played with James. That is, until 2008, when Cleveland traded Gooden to Chicago and he tried to make the Cavaliers regret it the first time he faced off with James.

“I jumped right in LeBron’s way, and it was like a freight train hit me,” Gooden said. “He came across with two elbows. All his elbows went across my face. Basically, he got an and-one. And I came out of the smoke with a bloody, busted lip. And I was like, ‘Wow, that’s what everybody’s been having to deal with.’”

More passer than scorer?

James’s points are often an afterthought to his skill as a passer.

“He never set out to be a scoring leader,” Golden State forward Draymond Green said. “He’s never been viewed as a scorer. I think that’s more impressive than anything .”

James passed Magic Johnson for sixth on the career assists list in December and passed Mark Jackson and Steve Nash to become fourth in January.

Jeff Green, who was James’s Cavaliers teammate in 2017-18, said James’s passing “allowed me to get a lot of buckets.”

James has led the league in assists only once, in the 2019-20 season. But Erik Spoelstra, who coached James to two championships with the Heat, said he believed that James could have done it any time he wanted to.

“ The skill that I thought was most fascinating with him, with his size and skill and his vision, is his passing,” Spoelstra said.

Some think the most momentous play of James’s career wasn’t even on offense.

Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, said: “In terms of memorable, it’s not points he has scored. It’s his chase-down block of Andre in the finals.”

Late in Game 7 of the 2016 N.B.A. finals against Golden State, James, then with Cleveland, flashed the length of the court to block a crucial shot by Andre Iguodala, helping the Cavaliers complete an improbable championship run.

“I never got mad about that,” Iguodala said. “Like, people think it hurts me when they say, ‘You got blocked by LeBron.’ That was an amazing play. Even in real time, I was like, ‘Geez, bro, that was incredible.’ ”

‘A grown man playing among kids’

During James’s rookie year, he averaged fewer than three 3-point attempts a game. Last season, he averaged eight a game — a reflection of the N.B.A.’s shift to emphasize 3-point shooting and his willingness to go with the tide. It’s also a reflection of graceful aging to preserve his legs.

Abdul-Jabbar rarely missed games because of injury and James largely had not either, until recent seasons with the Lakers. James is known for a diligent diet and exercise regimen that has allowed him to stretch his career and remain dominant past the typical N.B.A. retirement age.

“The reward for doing that is he’s a grown man playing among kids now,” Gooden said.

As James’s game has drifted toward the perimeter, his drives to the basket — and the foul shots they often draw — have become less common. Instead, he’s become a better shooter, with more of his points coming from 3-point range.

Still, Silver said he had always been struck by “the sheer force of his dunks.”

In 2012, when James was with the Heat, he jumped over the 5-foot-11 John Lucas III for a dunk against Chicago.

“It happened so fast that I didn’t know he actually jumped over me until it was on the Jumbotron and we called the timeout and the crowd was going crazy,” said Lucas, who was an assistant coach on James’s Lakers team last season. “My phone was blowing up at halftime.”

Lucas even has a picture of himself getting dunked on hanging in his house.

“That picture is going to be in the Hall of Fame,” Lucas said. “I have a great sense of humor.”

Malik Monk, who played with James on the Lakers last season, said he often teased Lucas about the dunk. “He said he wanted to punch him,” Monk said.

James has spent a career making once-in-a-lifetime athleticism look casual, which is why his career-best 61-point performance against the Charlotte Hornets in 2014 seemingly blends in with last season’s 56-point explosion against Curry and Golden State, not to mention his scoring at least 40 points against every N.B.A. team.

But James’s greatness is far from casual. He has been a symbol of consistent dominance for decades — just as Abdul-Jabbar was. When James entered the league straight from high school, he did so with unprecedented hype. He had already been on the cover of Sports Illustrated . His high school games were on national television .

As Rivers put it: “LeBron is one of the few people in the history of sports to overachieve from a position that was impossible to overachieve.”

Decades later, perhaps the most remarkable fact about James’s career is that his scoring at age 38 is at least as good as it’s ever been — meaning the story of his offensive prowess has not been fully written.

Sopan Deb is a basketball writer and a contributor to the Culture section. Before joining The Times, he covered Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign for CBS News. More about Sopan Deb

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NBA History: LeBron James Biography, Championships, Stats, & Facts

• 5 minute read

Lakers News: Anthony Davis Praises Rui Hachimura For His ‘Exceptional’ Play

Staff Writer

LeBron James, the basketball luminary, is again dazzling fans and critics alike in the 2024 season with his extraordinary prowess and leadership on the court for the Los Angeles Lakers. His performances reinforce his status in the pantheon of basketball greats and underscore his relentless pursuit of excellence.

Beyond the hardwood, LeBron’s leadership influence is indispensable to the Lakers’ locker room, where he plays a pivotal role in guiding and inspiring his teammates. As the 2024 playoffs draw near, the spotlight intensifies on LeBron’s ability to steer his team through the challenges ahead. His career is a testament to what it means to embody excellence, commitment, and tenacity in the face of the NBA’s rigorous demands. Continue as we delve into the ongoing saga of LeBron’s illustrious career and the Lakers’ journey in the season.

LeBron James Early Life

Akron, Ohio, begins the story of LeBron James, born on December 30, 1984. Demonstrating a natural aptitude for basketball from an early age, James attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, where his exceptional talent on the court began to draw nationwide attention. Throughout his high school career, James accumulated impressive wins and personal achievements, bolstered by the unwavering support of his mother, Gloria James, and his dedicated coaches. This period in Akron would eventually serve as the bedrock for his future successes in professional basketball.

Professional Career Beginnings

In a bold move that would set the stage for a legendary NBA career, LeBron James leaped professional basketball directly after high school, foregoing the college basketball circuit. Selected as the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft, James quickly made his mark by securing the Rookie of the Year award. His initial tenure with the Cavaliers was marked by record-setting performances and significant team achievements, heralding the rise of one of the most illustrious figures in NBA history.

Signing with the Los Angeles Lakers

In a monumental shift in his illustrious career, LeBron James made headlines in 2018 by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. His tenure with the Lakers has been nothing short of spectacular, culminating in an NBA championship in 2020 that further cemented his extraordinary legacy. LeBron’s profound influence on the Lakers is unmistakable, leading the team in scoring, playmaking, and playoff performance. His presence has underscored the transformative impact a single player can have on a team’s fortunes, particularly in pivotal moments.

James Playstyle: A Paradigm of Versatility

LeBron James’ approach to the game is distinctively versatile, blending raw power, strategic insight, and adaptability on the court. His ability to score through various methods, defend multiple positions, and possess a deep understanding of basketball dynamics sets him apart. LeBron’s physical attributes, notably his large hands and strength, enable him to dominate ball control and scoring opportunities. This unique playstyle has not only defined his career but also set a benchmark for aspiring players, showcasing the power of adaptability in a player’s arsenal.

Career Achievements and Legacy

Throughout his career, LeBron James’ statistics have solidified his standing among the NBA’s all-time greats. His comprehensive skill set is evident beyond scoring, encompassing assists, rebounds, and defensive capabilities. LeBron consistently elevates his game in critical situations, from regular-season matchups to the high stakes of NBA Finals appearances. His numerous MVP awards, finals records, and leadership in guiding his teams to championships illuminate an unmatched career trajectory. LeBron’s journey from a highly touted rookie to a pivotal force for the Los Angeles Lakers encapsulates his unwavering commitment and contribution to the sport.

Player Prop Betting Spotlight: LeBron James

LeBron James stands as a towering figure in the realm of sports betting. Enthusiasts frequently place wagers on his game-by-game performance, focusing on metrics such as points scored, rebounds secured, and assists distributed. Beyond individual matchups, bets also extend to his potential to achieve career milestones or clinch prestigious awards. The fluctuating odds associated with LeBron’s performances testify to his significant impact on basketball. Speculative bets might cover many outcomes, from hitting a specific number of three-pointers in a game to achieving a triple-double or even capturing another MVP title. According to PhilippinesCasinos.ph , given LeBron’s exceptional abilities, he consistently draws attention in the sports betting world, making every one of his games a focal point for betting enthusiasts.

A Legacy of Triumphs and Contributions

Significant achievements and championship victories distinguish LeBron James’s tenure in the NBA. His debut in the NBA Finals in 2007 heralded the beginning of an exceptional career. Throughout his journey, LeBron has secured four NBA championships, underlining his crucial influence across every team he’s been part of, particularly in vital playoff moments with the Lakers. His record in the NBA Finals reflects his prowess and ability to excel under pressure. Notably, his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, highlighted by the 2020 NBA championship win, remains a standout chapter in his decorated career. As we progress through 2024, LeBron continues adding to his scoring legacy, affirming his place among basketball’s elite scorers.

Financial Milestones and Beyond

In the 2023-24 season, LeBron James’s earnings reached $47,607,350, positioning him as one of the league’s top earners. With an option for a $51,415,938 salary in the 2024-25 season, LeBron’s financial influence mirrors the immense value of his talent and market appeal. Beyond his NBA earnings, LeBron’s endorsements, entrepreneurial ventures, and entertainment projects significantly enhance his net worth, showcasing a successful blend of athletic brilliance and savvy business acumen.

Beyond the Court: James’ Wider Impact

LeBron James’s influence extends well beyond the boundaries of basketball. His engagement in social justice, educational initiatives through the I PROMISE School , and ventures in the entertainment sector with his production company illustrate his commitment to leveraging his platform for societal benefit. His philanthropic efforts and advocacy position him as a paradigm of how athletes can use their visibility to foster social change and inspire future generations.

Personal Endeavors and Family Life

Away from the limelight, LeBron James cherishes his role as a family man, married to his high school love, Savannah, and a father to their three children. LeBron’s personal life, often shared with the public, emphasizes the value he places on family, remaining a steadfast priority amidst his bustling professional and business pursuits. His life off the court is a testament to the principles of loyalty, love, and the essence of a nurturing family foundation.

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LeBron James: His legacy on and off the court

The future Hall of Famer will go down as one of the greatest basketball players in history, yet his accomplishments in life extend beyond the hardwood. 

From MVP trophies and NBA rings to building schools and his activist work, LeBron James has carved out an iconic legacy that will stand the test of time.

The basketball superstar has been the face of the NBA for the last decade.

What makes that fact even more astounding is that James first entered the league in 2003 - before the advent of Facebook and Twitter.

At 36, the 'King' has shown no signs of relinquishing his crown as he continues to be a major force in the league, posting averages of 25.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game in the 2020-21 season. Despite James suffering an ankle injury in March, he should be back in time for the playoffs to help the Los Angeles Lakers defend their NBA title and pursue a fifth championship ring of his own.

Yet despite what happens in the postseason, James' legacy - both on and off the court - has already been cemented in history.

The greatest of all time?

In sports, we tend to 'rank' the stars of the game. "Where does such-and-such fall in the conversation of the best players ever?" When it comes to basketball, James' name is right up there with the best of the best in history.

Such conversations are an apt reflection of his otherworldly talent and accomplishments on the court, but if you're a stickler for hard statistics and facts to back up an argument, consider this:

*statistics subject to change

• James is the only player in NBA history to have won NBA championships with three different franchises (Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers) as Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player)
• He has won four NBA championships, four NBA MVP Awards, four Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals .
• James holds the NBA records for most points in the playoffs, is third all-time in points scored, and eighth in career assists.
• He has been selected to the All-NBA First Team a record 13 times, made the All-Defensive First Team five times, and has been named an All-Star 17 times, including three All-Star MVP selections.

Big things were expected from James when he was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft, but no one could have expected how great the kid from Akron, Ohio would become.

Giving back

For all of his incredible accomplishments in basketball, James has devoted equal time and effort to his philanthropic work.

James set up his own charitable foundation ( The LeBron James Family Foundation ) in 2004 (just one year after he was drafted), whose mission is to create "generational change for the kids and families of James’ hometown in Akron, Ohio through a focus on education and co-curricular educational initiatives."

The foundation also supports the I PROMISE school in Akron, which supports at-risk children by providing them with a stable learning environment, as well as free tuition, free meals, and guaranteed tuition for all graduates to the University of Akron. Additionally, the parents of students at the school receive access to job placement services and help acquiring their GEDs (a high school equivalency diploma).

James grew up in difficult circumstances in Akron to a single mother who struggled to find steady work.

Now, he is putting his own money and time into helping at-risk children and impoverished families in his home town - not to mention the countless other endeavours and charitable projects James is involved in, including supporting non-profit organisations such as the After-School All-Stars, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Children's Defense Fund.

LeBron James: Businessman, activist, movie star

As you might expect of a celebrity and athlete of his stature, James has been involved in numerous business projects off the court, which includes his digital video company Uninterrupted, a video production company (SpringHill Entertainment), and a designer retail store, to name just three.

He also joined Fenway Sports Group as a partner in 2021, making him a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network, Roush Fenway Racing, and Liverpool F.C. (James already owned a two percent share in the Premier League club).

James has also used his voice and influence on numerous occasions in response to social and political issues in an effort to create positive change, notably with regards to the Black Lives Matter movement.

James has also ensured a personal legacy in film and television with cameos in Entourage, Trainwreck, and perhaps most importantly, starring in the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy .

After all, what could be a more apt reflection of LeBron James' legacy than starring in the sequel to the first Space Jam, which was released in 1996 starring a certain Michael Jordan?

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Like its superstar subject, ‘LeBron’ biography doesn’t miss a shot

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LeBron James’ life and career make for a storyteller’s dream, a series of high-profile triumphs and setbacks, a hard upbringing that gave way to the upper echelons of sports, finance and celebrity.

Raised in Akron, Ohio, by a single mother with little money and plenty of demons, he emerged as the most dominant high school athlete in the country and a one-man industry in the making. Drafted by his hometown NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, right out of high school, he broke the city’s heart when he left, then brought euphoria when he returned. Along the way he turned himself into a billion-dollar corporation with the help of an inner circle composed of three buddies he met as a teenager. He would eventually make friends with the likes of Barack Obama and Warren Buffett.

LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become NBA’s all-time leading scorer

Lakers’ LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, tallying 38 points to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark in a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Feb. 8, 2023

In short, there’s no shortage of material for a biographer to chronicle the current Los Angeles Laker, and Jeff Benedict’s comprehensive new “LeBron” does a masterful job of shaping that material into a cohesive and propulsive whole. This is a fast break of a book, slicing into the many mini-narratives that James has lived and artfully tying them together to create a portrait of a man who has, by his own design, remained an enigma except to those he decides to trust. Benedict has constructed a sort of sports opera fueled by the drama and emotion surrounding his subject, but never sensationalistic or unfair. Benedict clearly likes James, but he’s been around long enough — among the subjects of his 17 books are Tiger Woods and the New England Patriots — to steer far clear of hagiography.

Burned by many writers in his career, sometimes in stories shot through with casual, almost subconscious racism, James learned early to carefully curate his public life and image (which didn’t prevent him from committing perhaps the greatest public relations blunder in sports history). He did not talk to Benedict for “LeBron.” But the author’s reporting here is exhaustive; he interviewed almost 250 people for the book. The public record on James is voluminous, and Benedict used it extensively.

However, this is no clip job. Benedict writes scenes that make clear the extent of his primary reporting, putting the reader, to paraphrase a popular Broadway musical, in the room where it happens. You can practically see the goop in Miami Heat president Pat Riley’s hair as he seethes in resentment when James announces his departure from South Beach to return to Cleveland. “LeBron” isn’t just great sportswriting, it’s also vivid narrative journalism.

There have been other LeBron books, some written by the man himself (with collaboration from professional scribes). Indeed, writers walk on and off these pages like players in a layup line. Buzz Bissinger shows up to ghostwrite “LeBron’s Dream Team,” about James’ high school years; the Pulitzer winner found James’ unwillingness to open up (or promote the book) maddening. There’s Grant Wahl, who wrote the story that put James on the cover of Sports Illustrated while he was still in high school, a decision that caused much hand-wringing: What if they mess up this kid’s life? (Spoiler: They didn’t). James soon grew wary of sportswriters, most of them middle-aged white men turning his hardscrabble upbringing into a study in urban pathology.

There were exceptions, most notably Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins, who gained James’ trust and penned the essay announcing James’ return to Cleveland. This was a public relations master stroke, an antidote of sorts to “The Decision,” the ill-advised, nationally televised special in which James announced his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami. The spectacle, and its lack of humility, was a disaster, nearly causing riots back in Ohio and making James, for a time, the most hated person in sports.

But James is nothing if not resilient, and his instincts, on and off the court, tend to be uncanny. There’s an American dream quality to “LeBron,” the story of a kid who came from very little and gradually, meticulously built a hand-picked dream team of advisors and corporate partners that helped make him the most famous athlete in the world. His talent, of course, didn’t hurt; built like a particularly tall linebacker, he ran faster and jumped higher than any of his opponents. Benedict covers all of this thoroughly. But he also makes clear that James just thinks differently. He sees around corners, on and off the court. He didn’t just want to be a star, he wanted to transcend sports. As his friend Jay-Z put it in song, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” The same could be said of James.

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Eventually, James incorporated a social consciousness into his public persona. This process too included some stumbles. Early in his career, with the 2008 Summer Olympics approaching in Beijing, James’ Cavaliers teammate Ira Newble collected the team’s signatures to protest China’s complicity in the Darfur genocide. Everyone signed — except James. James is and was Nike’s biggest business investment, and Nike has big business in China. Still in his early 20s at the time, James didn’t want to rock the boat, and at that point in his career, he didn’t even really know how.

In other words, he is mortal, if exceptional. Benedict’s greatest feat here might be the way he cuts through both the public hysteria surrounding James and the superstar’s own protective field to paint a portrait of a man in full. Sports fans should eat “LeBron” up. But even casual observers will learn plenty about one of the most visible personalities of his generation.

By Jeff Benedict Avid Reader: 576 pages, $32 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org , whose fees support independent bookstores.

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• World Biography

LeBron James Biography

December 30, 1984 • Akron, Ohio

Basketball player

Before LeBron James had completed his sophomore year of high school, basketball scouts were discussing his chances of playing for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before playing his first regulation game for the NBA, James had signed deals with Nike and other corporations for multimillion-dollar product endorsements. Before he completed his rookie season in the NBA, sportswriters were discussing his chances of joining the most elite players in history in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Comparisons to NBA superstar Michael Jordan (1963–) became common, and some sportswriters began calling James "The Chosen One," indicating the hope that the rookie phenomenon would revive interest in the NBA that had declined since Jordan's retirement. LeBron James, by age eighteen, knew a thing or two about dealing with pressure. James's ability to cope with that pressure has proven to be a critical factor in his success. Sportswriters and his coaches agreed that James has shown uncommon maturity for a player his age, handling his newfound fame and the extraordinary expectations of others with grace.

During 2003, prior to his graduation from high school, James declared himself eligible for the NBA draft, the annual process by which professional basketball teams select new players to join them for the upcoming season. The Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the worst teams in the NBA, had the privilege of the number-one draft pick. The Cavs chose James, with the obvious expectation that this eighteen-year-old would lead the team to greatness. While James's first season with the Cavs did not exactly propel them to a championship, he did help his team win twice the number of games as they had the year before, and at the end of the 2003–04 season, James was named Rookie of the Year.

A team player

Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1984, James is the only child of Gloria James, who gave birth to him when she was just sixteen years old. Gloria struggled to provide for James during his childhood. When James was about five years old, he and his mother moved seven times in a year. For a couple of years during elementary school, James lived with a foster family. Gloria's longtime boyfriend, Eddie Jackson, has acted as a father figure for James, but he was not always around during James's youth, spending several years in prison for selling drugs and, later, for fraud. Regardless of any troubles they may have had, however, James and his mother have a close and supportive relationship. He told Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated: "My mother is my everything. Always has been. Always will be."

"I don't want to be a cocky rookie coming in trying to lead right off the bat.... If there's one message I want to get to my teammates it's that I'll be there for them, do whatever they think I need to do."

Taller and more athletic than most other kids his age, James got hooked on basketball early in childhood. Dru Joyce II, who coached James for many of his early years, recalled in an article for the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service that, while playing in a summer league during elementary school, James was an aggressive offensive player who "really liked to shoot the ball—a lot." Joyce remembered advice he gave James at the time: "I started telling LeBron about passing the ball, how great players make their teammates better. I talked about getting his shots in the flow of the game." Joyce assumed that he would have to repeat this advice many times, reminding the eleven-year-old to be a team player, but he was mistaken. James absorbed every word his coach said and immediately changed his playing style. "That was the last time I ever had to talk about LeBron shooting too much," Joyce recollected.

Another Rising Young Star: Carmelo Anthony

For the 2003 draft, the hype surrounding LeBron James nearly eclipsed another young basketball phenomenon: Carmelo Anthony (1984–). The number-three draft pick with just one year of college basketball under his belt, Anthony would have attracted even more attention than he did, had he not been drafted at the same time as James. His one year of college ball, playing for Syracuse University, had resulted in a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship for Syracuse, with Anthony named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, the NCAA championship series.

Anthony was drafted by the Denver Nuggets, a team that joined the Cleveland Cavaliers at the bottom of the NBA rankings. Expectations for Anthony, like those for James, were extremely high: the Nuggets would be relying on him to raise them from the depths and eventually make them playoffs contenders. Anthony performed impressively during his rookie season, racking up an average of 21 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Perhaps the most significant statistic for his team: the Nuggets went from winning just seventeen games in 2002–03 to winning forty-three games in Anthony's first season.

Anthony grew up in the rough inner city of Baltimore, Maryland. His father died when he was two years old, and his mother, Mary Anthony, raised Carmelo and his three older siblings by herself. She pushed her son to stay focused and disciplined where basketball was concerned, and she pushed him to attend college before going professional. To fulfill his desire to play for Syracuse, Anthony had to leave his Baltimore high school to attend the prestigious Oak Hill Academy, a Baptist boarding school in Virginia. He studied hard to bring his grades up so he could get admitted to Syracuse, and he practiced basketball as often as possible. He helped the Oak Hill team to a number-three national ranking in 2002, and he earned the grades necessary to take him to Syracuse.

Anthony has been described as an unusually mature player who has maintained his down-to-earth style even in the midst of the money, celebrity, and pressure that have come his way. Among the first things he spent his money on after being drafted by the Nuggets were a home for his mother in Baltimore and a youth center there to replace one that was closed down by the police when he was growing up.

At the time, James played basketball with his best friends, including Dru Joyce III, the son of his summer-league coach, and Sian Cotton, the son of another summer-league coach, Lee Cotton. Those coaches, both of whom stressed the values of good sportsmanship and being a team player, helped James form the basis of his playing style. James and his pals Joyce III and Cotton, along with Willie McGee, played together every chance they could as kids, and they vowed to stay together all through high school. That childhood promise became a reality as the four boys all attended Akron's St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a private school known for its basketball program. At St. Vincent–St. Mary, James not only became the school's star basketball player, he also played football for three years and maintained solid grades. James's philosophy about being a team player meant that he spent as much of his playing time passing the ball to teammates and setting up shots as he did taking shots himself, resulting in his extraordinary passing skills. His high school coaches asserted that James could have been a player who averaged fifty to sixty points per game. Instead, his average was closer to thirty points a game, but he helped his entire team play better basketball. Many coaches and sportswriters have described James's maturity and selflessness as a player; Keith Dambrot, who coached James for his first two years of high school, summed up the key to James's success in the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service article: "LeBron is a basketball genius, there is no other way to say it."

Fast-track to the NBA

Many observers had wondered, from James's earliest high school years, whether he would go to college or attempt to be drafted into the NBA straight out of high school. Eager to test his skills at the next level, James considered declaring for the draft as a junior, trying to get an exception to the rule that would have barred him from the draft before his graduation year. He decided instead to complete high school, announcing during his senior year that he would declare himself eligible for the 2003 NBA draft. James's decision to go professional right out of high school renewed the debate over whether players should be allowed to play for the NBA at such a young age. Supporters argue that if the player possesses the skills, he should be allowed to earn a living playing his sport. Critics suggest that most high school kids would benefit more from going to college first, using those years to improve their playing, acquire an education, and become more mature. Ignoring the debate and following his own instincts, James opted to skip college and head for the NBA.

Coming off a terrible season, tying for the worst record in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a chance to reshape their future in June of 2003: they had the number-one draft pick. They chose James, pinning their hopes on the eighteen-year-old player to turn their fortunes around. At six-foot-eight and 240 pounds, James certainly looked the part of an NBA player. But many wondered if he could live up to the hype surrounding him and compete in the far more competitive arena of professional basketball. When James made his official NBA debut in the fall of 2003 in a game against the Sacramento Kings, he answered the concerns of many doubters. The Cavaliers lost the game, but James played better than most rookies could hope for in a debut game—and better than any rookie straight out of high school—with twenty-five points, nine assists, six rebounds, and four steals. While he occasionally showed his inexperience and youth, and while he did not live up to the most outrageous expectations that he would play like Michael Jordan right out of high school, James did perform extremely well in his rookie season. He ended the 2003–04 season with an average of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. He ranked among the top fifteen players in the league in a number of categories, including points per game, total points, assists, and steals. In April of 2004, James was named the Rookie of the Year for the 2003–04 season. Speaking of the rookie's innate abilities on the court, Cleveland power forward Carlos Boozer told McCallum of Sports Illustrated, "You can only call it court sense. The way he takes advantage of a situation right away can't be taught. He just has it."

"I can handle it"

Barring injury, James will earn $19 million for his first four years with the Cavs, an amount that seems downright insignificant when compared to his endorsements. In a sponsorship deal that will pay James more than any other basketball player except Michael Jordan, Nike signed the player to a seven-year, $90 million contract—and that contract was signed before James had even inked a deal with the Cavs. He has also agreed to promote Coca-Cola products, including Sprite and Powerade, and Bubblicious bubblegum.

Predicting the amount of money James will generate for the Cavaliers, for Nike, and even for other NBA teams, Forbes magazine suggests that those investing in James will be repaid handsomely. During his rookie season, attendance for Cavs home games increased by fifty percent from the prior season. James sparked so much hype that basketball fans around the country sought out tickets for the Cavs' away games, moving the Cleveland team from last in the league for road attendance to first. As for his corporate sponsors, Nike released the first shoe endorsed by James, the Air Zoom Generation, in December of 2003. At $110 a pair, Nike sold 72,000 pairs in the first month alone. Bob Williams, the CEO of a company that matches athletes with corporations for endorsement deals, described to Sports Illustrated in 2003 the hurdles James will encounter in his first few years in the NBA: "He has to dominate his position, take a downtrodden franchise to the playoffs and eventually to a championship. He will make a lot of money and live happily ever after. But no one has ever had more expectations put on him than this young man right now." When reporters have asked him about dealing with the enormous pressure placed on him, James has frequently uttered what has become a sort of motto: "I can handle it." And with one successful season under his belt—both on court and off—many commentators have come to believe that perhaps he can.

For More Information

Jones, Ryan. King James: Believe the Hype—The LeBron James Story. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003.

Morgan Jr., David Lee. LeBron James: The Rise of a Star. Cleveland: Gray and Company, 2003.

Periodicals

Badenhausen, Kurt. "Slam Dunk." Forbes (February 16, 2004): p. 64.

Chappell, Kevin. "Can LeBron James Repeat the Jordan Miracle?" Ebony (January 2004): p. 124.

Finnan, Bob. "Early to Rise." Sporting News (October 20, 2003): p. 40.

McCallum, Jack. "You Gotta Carry That Weight." Sports Illustrated (October 27, 2003): p. 68.

Pluto, Terry. "LeBron James, Once a Lanky Kid, Has Come a Long Way to the NBA." Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (April 20, 2004): p. K1569.

Taylor, Phil. "Carmelo Anthony Has a Secret." Sports Illustrated for Kids (November 3, 2003): p. 24.

LeBronJames.com. http://www.lebronjames.com/hsc/hscMain.cfm (accessed August 1, 2004).

"LeBron James." NBA.com. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/lebron_james/index.html?nav=page (accessed August 1, 2004).

"LeBron Watch." Cleveland.com. http://www.cleveland.com/lebron/ (accessed August 1, 2004).

Morgan Jr., David Lee. "The Rise of a Star." HoopsHype. http://www.hoopshype.com/articles/lebron_morgan.htm (accessed August 1, 2004).

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LeBron James Biography Facts, Childhood & Personal Life

LeBron James, popularly known by his nickname ‘King James’ is an American professional basketball player.

LeBron, who is often considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, made his National Basketball Association (NBA) début in 2003 and became a star right after skipping college to join Cleveland Cavaliers.

He now plays in the NBA for Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron is generally considered the “face of NBA” and the best basketball player globally.

This article on LeBron James’ biography facts, childhood, and personal life brings you a notable account from his early life to date.

Other highlights include his NBA/Basketball career, achievements and awards, famous quotes plus other on-screen and off-screen facts about his life.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames)

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Table of Contents

LeBron James Biography Facts & Profile

Lebron james childhood & early life.

LeBron Raymond James was born on the 30th of December, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, the United States, to his mother, Gloria Marie James, and father, Anthony McClelland.

Gloria had him at the age of 16.

Anthony was an ex-convict with countless criminal records and, as such, was not interested and involved in their life.

Gloria was left with no other choice but struggled and raised James on her own.

When she realized that it would be better for her son to grow in a stable home, she let him live with Frank Walker and his family.

LeBron, who has always enjoyed the game of basketball since childhood, was, at the age of nine, introduced to an organized basketball game by Frank.

He played for Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball.

LeBron and his friends who led the team to enjoy success at both local and national level stirred controversy when they chose to attend St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, mainly a white private school instead of their local public school.

LeBron James showcased a natural talent for the game of basketball and was then recruited in 1999 by St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to join their basketball team.

During his senior year, he was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and was selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team for two consecutive years.

He was also the first Junior to be named Gatorade National Player of the Year in boys’ basketball.

LeBron James Basketball Career

Cleveland cavaliers (2003–2010).

James was the player to make the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft due to his outstanding statistics.

He played for the Cavaliers from 2003–2010.

James proved himself to be a valuable addition to his hometown team, and at the end of his first regular season, he was named the ‘NBA Rookie of the Year’.

He was the first Cavalier to receive this award finishing with an average of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.

James was also the youngest player at the age of 20 to receive this award.

These accomplishments undoubtedly placed him in the same class as  Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson .

In 2005, James made history when he became the youngest player ever to score more than 50 points in a game.

James maintained an outstanding performance during the 2007–2008 season, scoring an average of 30 points per game.

This placed him ahead of rival star players such as  Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson.

On July 1, 2010, James became a free agent.

Miami Heat (2010–2014)

On July 8, 2010, James announced that he would sign with Miami Heat for the 2010–2011 season.

His announcement drew intense criticisms from fans and sports segments.

Many considered his decision a betrayal to his hometown and team.

Shortly after he departed from the Cavaliers, owner Dan Gilbert wrote an open letter aggressively denouncing James’ decision.

As a result of his actions, he gained a reputation as one of America’s most disliked athletes at the time.

Unperturbed with these happenings, James finished second during his first season in the league with the Heat, scoring an average of 26.7 points per game.

During the 2011–2012 season, James and his team had a major breakthrough.

The NBA star finally earned his first title when the Heat defeated Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, scoring 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists.

At 28 years old, King James made NBA history when he became the youngest player to score 20,000 points, coming after Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, who achieved this at 29.

He became the 38th player in the history of the NBA to meet this feat.

The Heat saw yet another success during the 2012–2013 season, winning its second NBA championship consecutively.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2014–2018)

At the end of his contract with the Heat, James announced in July 2014 that he would be returning to his hometown team, Cleveland Cavaliers.

Precisely on July 12, 2014, he officially signed with the Cavaliers.

James, who was hampered by a left knee and lower back injuries, missed 13 out of 82 season games in the 2014–2015 season.

However, he dominated with an average of 25.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.

James and his team got to the NBA Finals, making him the first player in about 50 years to reach the championship in five seasons consecutively.

Due to his teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, his hopes of claiming a third title were impaired due to injuries suffered by his teammates.

During the 2015–2016 season, James led his team to win the city’s first professional sports title in 52 years, breaking the Cleveland Sports Curse.

The Cavaliers made history when they became the first team to come back from a 3–1 series shortfall in the NBA Finals.

His outstanding performance led him to be voted the Finals MVP.

During the 2017–2018 NBA season, James was sent out for the first time in his 1,082 career appearances for yelling at a referee.

Los Angeles Lakers (2018–present)

On June 29, 2018, King James terminated his contract with the Cavaliers and became a free agent.

On July 1, he announced his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, a process which was completed on July 9.

Public reactions this time around to his announcement was more approving, considering the controversies that surrounded his first departure from the Cavaliers in 2010.

In the 2019–2020 NBA season, James won his fourth NBA championship and also the fourth NBA Finals MVP Award.

Lakers defeated Miami Heat in game six to clinch the championship.

James became the oldest player in the league to win the award the age of 35, and also, the only player in the NBA to win the award with three different teams.

Olympics (2004, 2008 & 20012)

LeBron James Olympic début was in the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece, with the U.S. Olympic basketball team.

James and his team defeated Lithuania and won bronze medals.

During the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, James and his U.S. team defeated Spain in the finals and won gold medals.

The team included star players like Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and Jason Kidd.

James won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The team included star players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony.

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LeBron James Personal Life

Wife & children.

James married his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson on September 14, 2013, in San Diego, California.

Together, they have three children:

• LeBron James Jr. (son, born on October 2004)
• Bryce Maximus James (son, born on June 14, 2007)
• Zhuri Nova James (daughter, born on October 22, 2014)

Other Facts & Trivia

In 2014, James was named the most powerful athlete in the world by Forbes.

Apple bought Beats Electronics for $3 billion in June 2014.

James, who owned a very small stake in the venture, reportedly netted around $30 million in stocks and cash.

On January 23, 2018, at the age of 33, LeBron James became the youngest player to score 30,000 points in NBA history.

He is the seventh player to meet this feat in NBA history.

The other six players who have achieved topped 30,000 points are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant , Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan , and Dirk Nowitzki.

James is a known activist.

He runs a non-profit organization known as The Lebron James Family Foundation.

The foundation, which is based in Akron, helps children in his hometown area.

In July 2018, his foundation teamed up with the Akron Public Schools to start an elementary school that supports children at-risk.

James has a half brother named Aaron McClelland Gamble.

They are both sons of Anthony McClelland.

Anthony also abandoned Aaron with his mother just from childhood, just like he did with LeBron’s mother.

LeBron James Highlights, Achievements & Awards

• 4-times NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)
• 4-times NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)
• 4-times NBA Most Valuable Player (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)
• 16-times NBA All-Star (2005–2020)
• 3-times NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008, 2018)
• 13-times All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2018, 2020)
• 2-times All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
• All-NBA Third Team (2019)
• 5-times NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2013)
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2014)
• NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (2004)
• NBA scoring champion (2008)
• NBA assists leader (2020)
• J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2017)
• 3-times AP Athlete of the Year (2013, 2016, 2018)
• 3-times Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2012, 2016, 2020)
• Time  Athlete of the Year (2020)
• USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012)
• 2-times Mr. Basketball USA (2002, 2003)
• Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003)
• McDonald’s All-American Game MVP (2003)
• 2-times Gatorade Player of the Year (2002, 2003)
• 2-times First-team  Parade  All-American (2002, 2003)
• 3-times Ohio Mr. Basketball (2001–2003)

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LeBron James Famous Quotes

“Sports carried me away from being in a gang, or being associated with drugs. Sports was my way out.” — LeBron James

“I’m never in a defer mentality. I’m in attack mode. No matter how many weapons we have on the court, I’m still going to play my game.” — LeBron James

“You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed – you’re not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that.” — LeBron James

“We all prepare differently, but there’s just one basketball on that court.” — LeBron James

“I don’t judge my career by saying I want to be better than this person or that person at the end of my career because it’s not possible. The only person on and off the court to satisfy is me.” — LeBron James

“Warren Buffet told me once and he said always follow your gut. When you have that gut feeling, you have to go with don’t go back on it.” — LeBron James

See More: Biography Facts, Childhood, Career & Personal Life of Famous Basketball Players

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I had to do research on LeBron james and this site helped me a lot.

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LeBron James

• Born December 30 , 1984 · Akron, Ohio, USA
• Birth name LeBron Raymone James
• The Akron Hammer
• Height 6′ 7¼″ (2.01 m)
• LeBron James is an American basketball player and film producer who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. He is one of the most accomplished basketball players of the 21st century. He played himself in Space Jam: A New Legacy and Trainwreck. He is the owner of a film production company called SpringHill Company. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Christian Frates
• LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His accomplishments include four NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. LeBron has appeared in sixteen NBA All-Star Games and been named NBA All-Star MVP three times. He won the 2008 NBA scoring title, is the all-time NBA playoffs scoring leader, is first in all-time career points scored, and is fifth in all-time assists. He has been voted onto the All-NBA First Team twelve times and the All-Defensive First Team five times. LeBron joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 as the first overall draft pick. Named the 2003-04 NBA Rookie of the Year, he soon established himself as one of the league's premier players; he won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2009 and 2010. After failing to win a championship with Cleveland, James left in 2010 to sign as a free agent with the Miami Heat . James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013; in both of these years, he also earned league MVP and Finals MVP. After his fourth season with the Heat in 2014, James opted out of his contract to re-sign with the Cavaliers. In 2016, he led the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, delivering the franchise's first championship and ending Cleveland's 52-year professional sports title drought. His teams appeared in the NBA Finals in eight consecutive seasons (from 2011 to 2018). In 2018, James opted out of his contract with the Cavaliers to sign with the Lakers. Off the court, James has accumulated additional wealth and fame from numerous endorsement contracts. His public life has been the subject of much scrutiny, and he has been ranked as one of America's most influential and popular athletes. He has been featured in books, documentaries, and television commercials. James has also hosted the ESPY Awards and Saturday Night Live, and appeared in the film Trainwreck (2015) . - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tango Papa
• Spouse Savannah Brinson James (September 14, 2013 - present) (3 children)
• Children Bronny James Bryce James
• Parents Gloria James
• Pregame ritual: dusting at the scorers table, he retired this ritual in 2014
• Simultaneously stomps on the court while pushing his arms down.
• Trademark line: Get that weak stuff outta here!
• Chasing down blocks
• Towering height
• His mother used her son's future earning power to get a bank loan to buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for his 18th birthday, prompting an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Under the OHSAA guidelines, no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance. When James later accepted two jerseys from a Cleveland sports store worth $845 in exchange for him posing for pictures to be displayed on its walls, the OHSAA stripped him of his eligibility. James appealed, and a judge blocked the ruling, reducing the penalty to a two-game suspension, allowing the phenom to play the remainder of the season (February 2003)
• Had posters of Allen Iverson , Tracy McGrady , Magic Johnson , Penny Hardaway , Kobe Bryant , Michael Jordan and himself on the walls of the apartment he shared with his mother.
• While he was in high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, NBA superstars, such as Shaquille O'Neal , were in attendance for his games. A few of his games were even televised nationally on ESPN2.
• #1 overall pick in the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. At a 31 March press conference, James had verbally committed to play college basketball at Maryland. (26 June 2003)
• Children, with high school sweetheart, now wife Savannah Brinson James : sons Bronny James (b. October 6, 2004) and Bryce James (aka Bryce Maximus James) (b. June 14, 2007 and daughter Zhuri James (b. October 22, 2014).
• [on why he's not joining the 2018 Olympic USA basketball team] I could use the rest.
• [on the teammates his played with thus far] I've always [taken] a lot of pride, and I get more of a rush seeing my teammates succeed more than myself. And that's what an assist is all about. I was taught the game the right way, and seeing my teammates succeed has always been something that I've cared about more than anything, and that's what it's all about
• [on becoming the first player in NBA history to achieve 27,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists during the course of his career ]I really don't know, I don't know what to say.I've played with two great organizations that I've been able to do what I do. They've allowed me to be the player that I want to be. It just shows that's the triple threat of me, to rebound, to pass, to put the ball in the hole a little bit. I'm just honored, just blessed and I just try to continue to give it to my teammates, give it to my fans, give it to this organization every single night that I go out there.[December 2016]
• on the recent sports players kneeling during the National anthem]I'm doing OK for myself, my family is doing OK. Even if we weren't doing OK financially, I'd still be trying to find a way to inspire the youth. Personally, my voice is more important than my knee
• [on President Donald Trump calling for the NFL to fire or suspend those who kneel during The Star-Spangled Banner]He used the sports platform to divide us. Sports is so amazing, what sports can do for everyone, no matter shape, size, race, or brings people together like no other. I'm not going to let one individual no matter the power, the impact he or she should have ever use sport as a platform to divide us. The people run this country, not one person. And damn sure not him

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LeBron James

• Los Angeles Lakers
• Small Forward
• HT/WT 6' 9", 250 lbs
• Birthdate 12/30/1984 (39)
• Draft Info 2003: Rd 1, Pk 1 (CLE)
• Experience 20th Season

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News : 4 hours ago James (ankle) is listed as probable for Saturday's Game 1 against the Nuggets, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.

Spin : James has once again been added to the team's injury report due to left ankle peroneal tendinopathy, but he should be able to continue to play through the issue. He's coming off a strong showing in Tuesday's Play-In Game against the Pelicans, falling one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double.

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The data shows we are living in a golden era of older NBA talent. But LeBron James remains one of one

As a rising crop of young stars lead their teams into the NBA postseason, the league’s old guard are thriving past their sell-by dates – and none more than the Lakers’ ageless superstar

T he second-youngest team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder, just clinched the top seed in a feverishly competitive Western Conference. A Minnesota Timberwolves squad, led by 22-year-old phenom Anthony Edwards, are hot on their tails. But on the bottom end of the bracket, and the other end of the age spectrum, await surefire first-ballot Hall of Famers like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry , Jimmy Butler and LeBron James.

Yes, their respective teams had up-and-down seasons that left them with unfavorable seedings entering the NBA postseason, which soft-launches on Tuesday night with the play-in tournament. And no one would argue that the future isn’t looking bright in the association with stars like Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in full bloom. But the youngsters in Oklahoma and Minnesota would be the first to tell you: the NBA’s old guard is still waiting in the wings, cleaver in hand.

Heading into the playoffs, and consistently throughout the regular season, there’s been much ado about which stars among a very impressive younger NBA class will be the next face, or faces, of the league. It’s partially bad-faith hand-wringing to boost television ratings, to be sure. But it’s also an understandable exercise, as supernovas like Curry and James, who have been buoying the league longer than some fans have been sentient, are on their second (or even third, in James’ case) decades of NBA stardom.

But the whole thought exercise might prove to be not just premature, but a robbery of the pure enjoyment of watching some truly special years of singular athletes’ careers by preemptively throwing proverbial dirt on them. These older players may not be reaching the heights of their absolute statistical peaks, but the data is clear: they’re still really, really good.

“Older” NBA players (which, for contextual purposes, we’ve categorized as players over 33, as humbling of a distinction as that is for the rest of us) are showing a flat out remarkable output this season. There are plenty of contributing factors therein, one of the chief among them being advances in training, nutrition and sports medicine toward extending a professional athlete’s career, should they choose. The Guardian spoke to several NBA players and coaches about what could be causing this surge in productivity by the elder statesmen of the league.

“I think what’s different is players have the means to take care of their bodies year round,” Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “Players have gotten smarter and they’re taking better care of their bodies, and we’re smarter about trying to help them lengthen their careers.” He notes that other sports, too, have benefitted. “In tennis, Björn Borg played until he was about [26 years old]. And now, Nadal, Djokovic, they’re all still going. We just know a lot more now, and players have the means, because of the economics, to keep their bodies in great shape for as long as possible.”

Chris Paul, who is often mentioned among the very best point guards to grace the hardwood and has famously credited a plant-based lifestyle with helping him extend his own career, echoed Kerr’s sentiments. “I mean, there’s so much that’s changed in recovery,” said Paul, who turns 39 next month. “Just in the people who went before us teaching us how to take care of your body, constantly training, [the focus on] food, nutrition.”

It’s interesting that, despite the measurable strides in the science of performance, the sustained greatness of this particular class of superstar seems to represent more of a spike than a steady trend. It indicates that rather than a natural progression of where the league is going, that, perhaps, we are living in something of a golden era of older NBA talent. This group in particular may be drafting the map for potential future copycats rather than existing as points on a pre-existing upward trajectory.

Warriors power forward Draymond Green, a 12-year NBA veteran who has played against and alongside all of these path-forgers, credits them for the potential sea change.

“You watch a guy like Bron, who has taken it to another level, and then you know it’s possible. Then there’s a blueprint. You watch a guy like Steph, who’s also now taken it to another level, and there’s a blueprint,” he told the Guardian. “You start to get to 33, 34, before and you’re like, ‘Alright, I got a year or two left.’ That’s not the thinking anymore. The thinking is, now, I can go much longer. And that’s due to guys like Steph and LeBron, who are playing at this crazy level.”

The thing about blueprints, though, is that those next in line to build something are under no direct obligation to follow them. It’s still yet to be determined what the next generation of superstars will look like as they age under the bright lights, or how long they’ll stay there. Having more tools at their disposal to enable longevity than some of the players of the past doesn’t in any way guarantee that they’ll elect to use them.

There were actually more players in their late 30s for certain stretches of the 1990s (when statistical outliers like Karl Malone and John Stockton were playing at a high level for longer than expected) than there are now, maybe due, in part, to the sheer fact that accumulating generational wealth took substantially longer then than it does today. And some of the league’s brightest young stars have showcased a strong desire for a life outside the spotlight, beyond basketball, in the not-too-distant future. The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić, a 29-year-old two-time NBA MVP almost certainly in line for a third next month, is famously happiest with his horses . And the Mavericks’ 25-year-old Luka Dončić, one of the brightest young stars in the league and likely to be a close second in that very same MVP race, recently seemed incredulous at JJ Redick’s suggestion that he could possibly attempt to break LeBron James’ seemingly insurmountable all-time scoring record in an appearance on Redick’s The Old Man and the Three podcast . “No, I’m not playing that long, no chance,” Dončić said with a grin. “I’m going to have my own farm in Slovenia.”

It’s been a recurring topic on countless episodes of roundtable sports debate shows for years running, and it’s come up in nearly every Lakers post-game presser this year: When will LeBron retire? It’s an understandable question, given that James turns 40 later this year. But while the oldest player in the NBA today is aware – as he said in his own words, that he doesn’t “ have much time left ” before an inevitable end to his storied career – he still averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists this year: remarkably, his 20th straight year averaging over 25 points . And his 2023-24 campaign also marked the best three-point shooting season of his career , two decades on from his NBA debut. The level at which he’s playing for his age is, quite literally, unprecedented, and it’s still well above average, even by his All-Star, All-NBA-caliber standards.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue, who coached James to a historic championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, told the Guardian that he attributes James’ remarkable longevity and unmatched ability to sustain his own excellence to his staggering commitment.

“Hard work, being dedicated to the game,” Lue said. “Seeing LeBron, when I was in Cleveland, we’d land at two o’clock in the morning and he’d come at 6.30am doing his corrective – activation, whatever you want to call it, every single day. And he always eats clean, eats good. When you take care of your body you can play for a long time, and I think he’s shown that.”

So if James and his peers are still playing at such an elite level, are the funerals that are already being thrown for them in the media premature? “One hundred percent, because that’s what they’re accustomed to,” Green said. “So you see a guy like LeBron at 39, even [Chris Paul] at 38, you see Steph [at 36], you see these guys, and you’re like, ‘Aw man, I see the clock ticking,’ because they’re getting up there in age. But you look at their game, and they’re playing better than some 23, 24, 25 year-olds. So I don’t think the basketball world has caught up in that aspect, to where they’re expecting guys to play that long. But not only play that long, but be as good as they are at that age, still playing at an insanely high level.”

In an effective must-win game for his Lakers last Friday in Memphis, their second-to-last game of the regular season and one that would determine the team’s chance at a much more promising eighth seed or send them plummeting to 10th, James sealed the win with a late-game steal, fast break and double-pump reverse dunk exclamation point. On the other end of the court, 19-year-old GG Jackson, a lifelong James fan and Grizzlies rookie forward, could only look on in awe.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin asked James after the game what it felt like to take part in a play where an onlooker might not be able to guess which of the two was the teenager and which was nearing 40. “By the grays in my beard they’d probably know I’m a lot older than they think,” James said wryly. “But to be able to be on the floor, and be able to play at a high level, keep up with the young guys, keep up with the youngest guy, that’s something I take pride in. It’s an honor to be able to play this game that I love to play and play it at a high level. And be able to share the floor with my teammates, be able to share the court with rookies that’s probably watched me throughout my whole career, or they watched me in bits and pieces throughout my career, and I hope that I was able to inspire them along my journey.

“And if not, then hopefully that I can inspire them when we play against each other, or show them something, whatever. So it’s just pretty cool. It’s just an honor to be able to play this game. This game has given so much to me, obviously. I just try to give everything back to it and the people that come watch me play.”

Perhaps even more so than the meal planning, the early-morning workouts, the research and the highly skilled training staff, the true secret to player longevity is as straightforward as the will to step out on the hardwood and the true passion to play the game and play it well. As salaries rise, the necessity of a long career ebbs in the opposite direction. But for some, the motivation will always run much deeper.

For better or for worse, all things come to an end, and this era and its brightest stars won’t last forever. But the numbers don’t lie, and they tell a pretty succinct story: they’re not dead yet.

• LeBron James
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LeBron James and JJ Redick’s ‘Mind the Game’ podcast takes hoops discourse to new territory

Old-man LeBron James is precious. His earned curmudgeonliness has warmth, the way his savant side blends with his declining patience and weighty voice. The stop-looking-at-my-lemonade LeBron, having grown into an actual person 18 years later, is charming in the way OGs can be.

He chides players whose basketball IQs still run on iPhone 4-level operating systems. He mocks this generation of iso-reliant players so easily foiled by a double team. Two-for-ones at the end of quarters get under his skin.

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“I understand why the two-for-one is important,” says LeBron, on Episode 1 of the podcast “Mind the Game,” produced by James’ Uninterrupted, with his hands in the air as he opens his riff with a qualifier.

“… In theory, it’s a free shot. But what people sometimes don’t account for: the four or five possessions before that. Are we on a run? Are we on a heater? Have we gotten a good shot over the last two and a half minutes? What is the other team doing? Are they in a great rhythm? If we haven’t gotten a great shot in two-and-a-half, three minutes, and we’ve been turning the ball over, why am I just gonna dribble down and shoot a 40-footer with 33 (seconds) on the clock? Why not get a great look? Because that great look at the end of the third, even if we get one shot, may give us momentum going into the fourth quarter.”

Yes, LeBron. Talk that talk.

Not because the two-for-one philosophy — taking a shot with 30 or so seconds left, leaving time to get the ball back for the final shot of the quarter — is inherently flawed. Luka Dončić regularly makes it work. But because when LeBron rails against it, you’ve got to at least think about where you stand on the matter. Hear him out. I mean, he is one of the game’s foremost hardwood intellectuals.

That’s the treasure of his new podcast with co-host JJ Redick. “Mind the Game” — like ESPN’s “Details” with Kobe Bryant before it — is giving access to the algorithm of a luminary.

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Something’s inherently appealing about hearing the best talk about their craft. It’s true for a baker. A photographer. An acupuncturist. The manager at your local Dairy Queen can probably make concocting a Picnic Peach Cobbler Blizzard sound like artistry. And “Mind the Game” boasts one of the greatest players of all time discussing basketball craft intimately and expansively.

It drips with pretension at times. As the vintage burgundy Chambertin pours. As the jargon spews. As Redick sits back with his legs crossed as if he’s got letters behind his name. The show occasionally delves into condescending tones as their hoop haughtiness flares up. It can feel as if the show should be called “An Exegesis through the Strategic Brilliance and Geometrical Schema of Basketball Continuums in Modernity.” Brought to you by NASA.

But be patient. It’s worth it. They eventually descend to proletarian realms. Most of the episodes are actually spent right where you want them: talking ball, breaking down plays and players, rehashing memories. You don’t even notice the swirls and sips because it’s too captivating when LeBron slides into his zone of explanation.

Come as you are. For the advanced basketball fan, it’s a lot of review. But LeBron’s explanations and Redick’s storytelling keep your attention. For beginners, you’ll walk away feeling like you took an “Intro to Basketball” course.

Each of the four episodes so far — the fifth launches Wednesday — started with solo monologues from Redick that included explanations of terms in that episode’s discussion. Flex. Hedge. Ghost Screen. Two-Nine. Pick the picker. Corner splits. Short roll. Slot cuts. Court mapping. These and many more have been defined. The video version features on-screen definitions and Redick drawing up the actions for the visual learners. Just when you think this podcast is some high-falutin symposium, Redick pulls out sheets of loose printer paper and starts scribbling plays with a Sharpie and the excitement of a devoted community college professor.

“Mind the Game” might be onto something in treating basketball analysis as a sophisticated discussion. The sport’s discourse, fermented on social media, has been so infused with toxicity in the last several years, it could use a Socratic glow. Maybe LeBron and Redick set out to do this. Maybe it’s coincidental. It’s refreshing nonetheless, hearing them wax poetic, dive into the weeds and get lost in breakdowns. Absent, noticeably, is the requisite disparagement common in today’s analysis.

This show is just Redick, the retired 15-year vet turned anointed broadcaster, morphed for this show into an eager adjunct, teaching foundational concepts and prodding LeBron for gems of insight. So even when they do venture into nobody-else-knows-the-game territory, it’s still productive because it’s all about basketball. Any counterarguments must be counter-philosophy and only deepen the basketball discussion.

Even in the adamance of his these-players-today stances, LeBron’s breakdowns are laced with nuance that elevates the discussion.

“So, if I say we’re running thumb down angle,” LeBron says beginning a new riff about players who can’t flip plays, “we’re running it on the right side ’cause I have a left-hand point guard. He wants to come middle to a strong hand and he has the ability to hit the pocket pass with the left hand, has the ability to throw ahead with his lefty and also has the ability to throw it back on shake. But if I say, ‘Hey, we’re running thumb down angle on the left side’ because now the right-hand guard is coming right, I’ve had teammates like, ‘Oh, what do you mean? … In practice we only ran it from this side.’ I could flip a play when I was 8 years old.”

. @kingjames could flip a play at 8-years-old. Watch Episode 1 of Mind the Game with LeBron and @jj_redick : https://t.co/U6VEagopwW pic.twitter.com/cFpsZNKpTV — Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) March 22, 2024

What’s clear just listening to LeBron and Redick talk is the fluidity and variety of basketball concepts. Even players, in their zeal to declare their superiority as the premier experts on the subject, can miss this special treat of basketball. They often purport to be the only bearers of basketball knowledge, immutable and above reproach. But even amongst the chosen in the fraternity, there is a variance in philosophies.

Redick, who is campaigning to get screen assists on the box score , is a worthy floor general for this show. He’s got such a grasp on the game as to translate it to layman’s terms. He’s not too deferential to get off his own takes, and he’ll lead LeBron where he wants.

Redick also sports enough cachet to challenge LeBron, who clearly respects Redick’s knowledge. He’ll throw up a video where LeBron is getting victimized — like the clip of the no-look alley-oop Nikola Jokić threw over LeBron to Aaron Gordon in a game in March — and have LeBron explain.

Nikola Jokić is elite at court mapping. Full episode with @KingJames and @jj_redick : https://t.co/nsUyclbUm2 pic.twitter.com/ypMX37nejc — Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) April 10, 2024

Redick had LeBron talking about his poor play in the 2011 finals and detailing how Orlando ’s spread offense in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals befuddled LeBron’s Cavaliers . Redick even got LeBron to admit he looks up his own highlights.

Vulnerability, clearly, is to be coaxed out of LeBron. The show could certainly use more of it. But Redick squeezes out enough to avoid predictability.

It’s LeBron’s analysis of it all, the triumphs and the struggles, that offers the show’s greatest gems and makes it a compelling digestion.

LeBron crediting Chris Bosh for the live adaptation of his game propelling the Heat. And blaming “that light-skinned f—er” in Golden State for no lead being safe. And elucidating the origins of slot cuts and detailing how he puts a defender in jail long enough for a (Marcin) Gortat screen to clear a path.

And him discussing “The Block” on Andre Iguodala in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals is the peak of LeBron breakdowns. Thorough and detailed thanks to his incredible recall of little specifics though years removed. Impassioned in his retelling, with profanity added for emphasis.

“All I’m telling myself, I’m like,” LeBron says in Episode 3, pointing to his temple as he remembers his telepathy to J.R. “Swish” Smith in that moment, “Swish, do not foul him. … Any time that you see me trailing the play, all I need is a little adjustment from the offensive player and I promise you I’ll track it down. Do not f—ing foul. Do not f—ing foul. I told the guys all year. If you see me hauling ass, make him instead of just going in for a layup, make him change it a little bit. Just a little bit. … (Swish) executed that s— to perfection. He made Iggy change his shot just a little bit.”

He even punctuated the recap with a little braggadocio, the kind you’d hear any hooper tack on. It was clearly an off-the-dome extra nugget, the result of him just talking to a peer. And it’s not a real basketball tale unless it includes some extra sauce about what the storyteller was about to do.

“I went up with both hands, too, by the way,” LeBron said, interrupting Redick’s next question. “I was ready for the reverse or the strong side. And I was like, ‘If these f—ing refs call goaltend, I might get kicked out of this most important game of my life.”

. @KingJames breaks down The Block and how JR Smith played an important role in that play. Full conversation with @jj_redick : https://t.co/BqnBtMlh6R pic.twitter.com/GmGCDeOBef — Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) April 11, 2024

Get into the intricacies of on-ball defense, the growing complexities of zones and counters to spread offenses. Get into the art of dimes and the death of post-entry passes. Get into the fragility and gravity of camaraderie. And your thoughts about charges. And what actually, in the modern game, are good and bad shots. And the role of the midrange in the 3-point era.

We’ve had enough of the agendas and moving goalposts, the yelling and strawman arguments, the tearing down to build up, the trolling and social media pandering. If LeBron and Redick somehow get the nation of basketball fans following their queue, popping corks and discussing hoops like thespians and playwrights having dinner after rehearsals, we all win. Because basketball dialogue is much better bougie than bad.

(Photo of LeBron James: Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images)

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Marcus Thompson II is a lead columnist at The Athletic. He is a prominent voice in the Bay Area sports scene after 18 years with Bay Area News Group, including 10 seasons covering the Warriors and four as a columnist. Marcus is also the author of the best-selling biography "GOLDEN: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry." Follow Marcus on Twitter @ thompsonscribe