LeBron James
LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio on December 30, 1984. His mother was 16-years-old at the time of his birth and had to raise him alone when his biological father left the family.
The Early Years of LeBron James
An only child, James had a rough childhood without a father and his mother moved them several times throughout. During his elementary years he lived with a foster family while his mother’s longtime boyfriend acted as a father figure to him, however legal troubles landed him in prison on different occasions and he wasn’t there for James as much as needed.
Despite the difficulties, James remains close with his mother.
Blessed with more height and athletic abilities than children his age, James got hooked on basketball at an early age. He played in many summer leagues during elementary and dominated the competition.
LeBron James in Highschool
“The Chosen One” attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio and led his team to three state championships. He started in his freshman year for the squad and averaged 21 points and six rebounds per game. In his sophomore season he improved to 25 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6 assists and four steals a game. His efforts propelled the team to their second straight state title and he was selected as the first sophomore ever to make USA Today’s All-USA first team.
In his junior year his stats improved again and awards kept pouring in. Around this time is when he became known as “King James” and his name became well-known.
During his final year of high school his popularity grew so widely that his games had to be moved to a nearby college gym and many of these games were televised nationally on ESPN2. Again his team won the state title as he averaged 32 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals. He earned MVP honors at the McDonald’s All-American game and it was known that he would bypass college and enter the NBA draft.
LeBron James Carer Takes Off
At 18-years-old, James was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his first game he totaled 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and four steals while shooting 60 percent from the field. He finished his first season averaging 21 points, six assists and 5.5 rebounds per game and was awarded as the NBA Rookie of the Year. James became the youngest player ever in league history to win the award.
The next year he was chosen to his first NBA All-Star team and became the youngest player in league history to record a triple-double and make the All-NBA team.
Once again, in 2005-06 the forward was chosen to the All-Star team and won MVP honors in the game after scoring 29 points. At 21 years and 51 days he was the youngest player in league history to win the award. His season average of 31.4 points made him the youngest player in league history to average at least 30. For his efforts he finished second in MVP voting to the Phoenix Suns Steve Nash. James led the Cavaliers to a 50-32
regular season record and had the team in the playoffs for the first time since 1998. The Cavaliers won their first round playoff matchup against the Washington Wizards and then fell to the Detroit Pistons in the next round.
The next year was a great year for those betting on basketball as James continued his impressive play and led the Cavaliers to the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Despite his efforts, the Cavaliers were swept by the Spurs.
James would go on to more accolades in the 2007-08 season, one of note when on Feb. 27 he came the youngest player to score 10,000 points in his career. He also won the MVP at the All-Star game. Again the Cavaliers would make the playoffs but were defeated by the Boston Celtics in the second round.
In the summer of 2008, James led Team USA to a gold medal in Beijing. It was his second appearance in the Olympics after previously winning a bronze in 2004.
James was named the NBA MVP of the 2008-09 season after six triple doubles, two 50- point games, and being named the NBA player of the month four times. The Cavaliers finished with a league best 66-16 record however fell to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The following year he would win the NBA MVP again as the Cavaliers once again had the best record in the NBA but fell short of the ultimate goal of an NBA championship after losing to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
James became a free-agent in 2010 and was highly coveted by several teams.
On July 8, 2010 he announced live on ESPN in an interview titled The Decision, that he would “be taking his talents to South Beach.” He was to join Dwyane Wade and free-agent Chris Bosh as members of the Miami Heat.
There was much public outcry as he was seen as a trader for leaving his home state.
In his first year in Miami the 6-8 250 pound “Akron Hammer” finished second in the league in scoring 27 points per game and guided the heat to the NBA Finals. Again, James would come up short in the postseason as the Heat lost in six games to the Dallas Mavericks.
LeBron James Accomplishments
For his career, James averages 28 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 48 percent.
Other awards and honors:
- -2007-08 NBA scoring leader
- -Eight-time All-Star
- -Seven-time All-NBA
What is LeBron James Doing Today
James has two sons with his high school sweetheart whom he proposed to in December of 2011.
He has numerous endorsements with companies such as Nike, Sprite, and McDonalds.
His accomplishments off the court are just as impressive. The Lebron James Family Foundation supports several charities including the Akron Urban League and the Akron YMCA. James also supports the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and his charitable contributions have changed the lives of children everywhere.
