LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (/ləˈbrɒn/ 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.[a] 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.
"LeBron" redirects here. For his son LeBron James Jr., see Bronny James. For other people with the name, see Lebrón.No. 23 – Los Angeles Lakers
December 30, 1984
Akron, Ohio, U.S.
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
250 lb (113 kg)
St. Vincent–St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
2003: 1st round, 1st overall pick
2003–present
Cleveland Cavaliers
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]
Early life
James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, to Gloria Marie James, who was 16 at the time of his birth.[16]: 22 His father, Anthony McClelland, has an extensive criminal record and was not involved in his life.[17][18][19] When James was growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as they moved from apartment to apartment in the seedier neighborhoods of Akron while Gloria struggled to find steady work.[20] Realizing that her son would be better off in a more stable family environment, Gloria allowed him to move in with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football coach who introduced James to basketball when he was nine years old.[16]: 23
James began playing organized basketball in the fifth grade.[21] He later played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars.[20] The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee.[16]: 24 The group dubbed themselves the "Fab Four" and promised each other that they would attend high school together.[16]: 27 In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a private Catholic school with predominantly white students.[22]
High school career
Basketball
As a 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) tall freshman, James averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game for the St. Vincent–St. Mary varsity basketball team.[23] The Fighting Irish went 27–0 en route to the Division III state title, making them the only boys high school team in Ohio to finish the season undefeated.[24] As a sophomore, James averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, along with 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game.[25] For some home games during the season, St. Vincent–St. Mary played at the University of Akron's 5,492-seat Rhodes Arena to satisfy ticket demand from alumni, fans, as well as college and NBA scouts who wanted to see James play.[26] The Fighting Irish finished the season 26–1 and repeated as state champions.[23] For his outstanding play, James was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, becoming the first sophomore to do either.[23]
In 2001, during the summer before his junior year, James was the subject of a feature article in Slam magazine in which writer Ryan Jones lauded the 16-year-old James, who had grown to 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), as "[possibly] the best high school basketball player in America right now".[27] During the season, James also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first high school basketball underclassman to do so.[16]: 104 With averages of 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game, he was again named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team,[23] and became the first junior to be named male basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year.[16]: 117 St. Vincent–St. Mary finished the year with a 23–4 record, ending their season with a loss in the Division II championship game.[16]: 114 Following the loss, James unsuccessfully petitioned for a change to the NBA's draft eligibility rules in an attempt to enter the 2002 NBA draft.[28][29] During this time, he used marijuana, which he said was to help cope with the stress that resulted from the constant media attention he was receiving.[30]
Throughout his senior year, James and the Fighting Irish traveled across the country to play a number of nationally ranked teams, including a game on December 12, 2002, against Oak Hill Academy that was nationally televised on ESPN2.[16]: 142 Time Warner Cable, looking to capitalize on James's popularity, offered St. Vincent–St. Mary's games to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis throughout the season.[16]: 143 For the year, James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game,[23] was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team for an unprecedented third consecutive year,[16]: 178 and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.[23] He participated in three year-end high school basketball all-star games—the EA Sports Roundball Classic, the Jordan Brand Capital Classic, and the McDonald's All-American Game—losing his National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility and making it official that he would enter the 2003 NBA draft.[31]
Also during his senior year, James was the centerpiece of several controversies. For his 18th birthday, he skirted state amateur bylaws by accepting a Hummer H2 as a gift from his mother, who had secured a loan for the vehicle by utilizing James's future earning power as an NBA player.[32] This prompted an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) because its guidelines stated that no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance. James was cleared of any wrongdoing because he had accepted the luxury vehicle from a family member and not from an agent or any outside source.[31] Later in the season, James accepted two throwback jerseys worth $845 from an urban clothing store in exchange for posing for pictures, officially violating OHSAA rules and resulting in his being stripped of his high school sports eligibility.[31] James appealed the ruling and his penalty was eventually dropped to a two-game suspension, allowing him to play the remainder of the year. The Irish were also forced to forfeit one of their wins, their only official loss that season.[33] In his first game back after the suspension, James scored a career-high 52 points.[34] St. Vincent–St. Mary went on to win the Division II championship, marking their third division title in four years.[35]
Football
As an underclassman, James played wide receiver for St. Vincent–St. Mary's football team.[16]: 51 He was recruited by some Division I programs, including Notre Dame.[36] At the conclusion of his second year, he was named first team all-state, and as a junior, he helped lead the Fighting Irish to the state semifinals.[25] He did not play during his senior year because of a wrist injury that he sustained in an AAU basketball game.[37] Some sports analysts, football critics, high school coaches, former and current players have speculated that James could have played in the National Football League.[b]
Off the court
Personal life
James married his high school sweetheart, Savannah James, on September 14, 2013, in San Diego, California.[461] They have two sons, Bronny and Bryce James, and a daughter, Zhuri.[460][462] Bronny was a standout high school basketball player, being named a McDonald's All-American in 2023, 20 years after James's selection.[463] During his stint with the Heat, James resided in Coconut Grove, where he bought a $9 million three-story mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay.[464] In November 2015, James bought a 9,350 square-foot (870 m2) East Coast-style mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles for about $21 million.[465] James purchased another home in Brentwood in December 2017 for $23 million.[466] James also owns a 30,000 square foot mansion in Akron, Ohio he custom built in 2003 on his property and spent $2.1 million on it.[467]
James's best friends in the NBA are Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and former Heat teammate Dwyane Wade. The four have been referred to as the "banana boat crew". During an excursion to the Bahamas, James rescued Anthony from the water when Anthony was carried away from the boat by the current. During an Instagram Live session, Anthony later recounted: "He saved my life". When asked about how much danger Anthony was in prior to the rescue, James responded: "I don't really know what to say, to be honest. I'm just happy he's still here, obviously."[468]
Health
James invests heavily in his health, reportedly spending $1.5 million a year to pay for personal chefs, athletic trainers, and physical therapies for recovery. Kyle Korver has described James's fitness as being on "another level". However, James's routine is not perfectly clean; he drinks wine every night, believing it to be good for his heart,[469] while Tristan Thompson has stated that James eats desserts with every meal.[470]
In January 2009, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic discovered a growth in the right side of James's jaw. Biopsy results showed that James developed a benign jaw tumor, specifically in his parotid gland,[471] which required a five-hour surgery to remove on June 2 after the end of the Cavaliers' run in the 2009 playoffs.[472]
Public image
James is considered by fellow NBA players, media tabloids, and popular culture to be the "face of the NBA", often alongside Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.[473][474] James's opinions have yielded significant influence on people who make important league decisions; for example, in 2014, he asked commissioner Adam Silver to increase the duration of the All-Star break, and the request was granted the following season.[475] On February 13, 2015, James was elected the first vice president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).[476]
Throughout his career, James has been ranked by Forbes as one of the world's most influential athletes,[g] and has been listed by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[479] During his first stint with the Cavaliers, he was adored by local fans, and Sherwin-Williams displayed a giant Nike-produced banner of James on its world headquarters.[480] Despite their affection for James, Cleveland fans and critics were frequently annoyed when he sported a Yankees hat when he attended Cleveland Indians baseball games versus the New York Yankees.[481] Following his actions during the 2010 free agency period and The Decision, he was listed as one of the most disliked athletes in the United States.[482] By 2013, his image had mostly recovered and he was reported by ESPN as the most popular player in the NBA for the second time in his career.[483] In 2014, he was named the most popular male athlete in America by the Harris Poll.[484] He has led the league in jersey sales six times.[485]
Memorabilia associated with James is highly sought after; two of James's rookie cards are among the most expensive basketball cards ever sold at auction, and one of those cards also briefly held the record for the most expensive modern-day sports card when it sold for $1.8 million at auction in July 2020.[488] A Mike Trout rookie card broke the record for a modern-day card the following month.[489] All jerseys worn in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game were auctioned by the NBA and NBPA to raise funds for charity; James's jersey sold for $630,000, setting a record for a modern-day sports jersey.[490]
In March 2008, James became the first black man, as well as the third man overall after Richard Gere and George Clooney, to appear on the cover of Vogue, when he posed with Gisele Bündchen.[491] In response, ESPN columnist Jemele Hill considered the cover offensive and "memorable for the wrong reasons", describing the demeanor of James and his holding Bündchen as a reference to classic imagery of the movie monster King Kong, a dark savage capturing his fair-skinned love interest.[486][487]