LeBron James
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| Born: | December 30, 1984 Akron, Ohio |
| Height: | 6 ft 8 in (203 cm) |
| Weight: | Weight: 240 lb(108.4kg) |
| Position: | Small Forward/G-F |
| NBA Team: | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Pro career: | 3rd Season |
LeBron Raymone James (born December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio), nicknamed as King James or the Chosen One, is an All-Star NBA basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Standing at 6 feet, 8 inches, the 21-year old James is considered one of the most gifted and versatile players in the NBA. Although he primarily plays the small forward position, he is capable of shifting to the point guard and shooting guard as well. His overall skill sets and on court play have led to comparisons between him and NBA greats such as Magic Johnson as well as his childhood idol Michael Jordan. Due to LeBron's ability to pass, rebound, and score as well as his overall gameplay, a name some consider a more accurate comparison can be seen in the legendary Oscar Robertson, who was known for his superb all-around talents.
Early life
LeBron James was born an only child in a low-income area of Akron, Ohio to the then unwed Gloria James on December 30th, 1984. His mother was only 16 at the time and only 6 months shy of graduating from high school. Due to his family's humble circumstances, James (being raised solely by his mother), led a nomadic lifestyle moving frequently from one home to another. Things began to look up for him when his mother began seeing a man by the name of Eddie Jackson. James was young enough at the time to have him serve as a father figure, because he did not have any contact with his biological father. Jackson would often be seen supporting James later on at his high school basketball games.
High school
Freshman year
LeBron enrolled at St. Vincent - St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio and was the starting point guard on a team led by Maverick Carter, James's cousin and future agent. With James at the point and the primacy of Carter, the team steamrolled to a perfect 27-0 record and won a state championship, the first of many for James. He averaged 18.2 points and 6 rebounds a game.
Sophomore year
LeBron took over the helm of the team after Carter's graduation and averaged 27.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 4 steals for SVSM en route to another state title. He was subsequently named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team —-- the first sophomore to be so honored.
Junior year
LeBron's third year of high school contributed more to the phenom's impressive stats as James averaged 29.7 points and 8.4 rebounds and was once again named Mr. Basketball Ohio, in addition to his spot on the All-USA First Team. It was then that his nickname "King" James would become a household staple in Ohio.
An avid football player in addition to basketball, LeBron was also able to add to his resume the distinction of being First-Team All-State as a wide receiver for his high school team. However, injury concerns influenced James to concentrate solely on basketball. In his junior year, he appeared on the cover of SLAM Magazine which was the beginning of his nationwide exposure.
However, the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team failed to defend its state title when it moved up to the more-challenging Division II. LeBron attempted to declare for the NBA draft, petitioning for an adjustment to the NBA's rules of draft eligibility, which then required the completion of high school by a prospective player. The petition was unsuccessful, but it led to an unprecedented level of attention on him as he entered his senior year. By then, "King" James had already appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. His popularity soared to new heights, forcing his team to move from their playing at the school gym to the nearby James A. Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron. Celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal attended some of the games, hoping to get a glimpse of the prodigious young basketball player. A few of James's high school games were even televised nationally on ESPN2 and regionally on pay-per-view.
Senior year
Gloria James touched off a firestorm of controversy when she was allowed to use her son's future earning power as collateral to secure a bank loan and buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for her son's 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 throwback basketball jerseys worth $845 from NEXT, an urban clothing store in Shaker Square, in exchange for his posing for pictures to be displayed on the store's walls, OHSAA stripped him of his eligibility. James appealed and a judge blocked the ruling, reducing the penalty to a two-game suspension and allowing him to play the remainder of the season. However, James's team was forced to forfeit one of their wins as a result.
Despite the distractions, the Irish won a third state title, and James, for an unprecedented third time, was named Mr. Basketball Ohio and to the All-USA First Team. He earned MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game, the EA Sports Roundball Classic, and the Jordan Capital Classic. Although it was a foregone conclusion, by participating in more than two high school all-star events, LeBron legally lost his NCAA eligibility.
NBA career
James was the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Because of immense public interest surrounding LeBron's potential, James quickly became an instant celebrity. Even before James played a single NBA game, he was awarded with an unprecedented $90 million dollar shoe contract by Nike.
James would not disappoint marketers and fans alike, netting in his first NBA game against the Sacramento Kings as he went on to win Rookie of the Year honors in a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only three players to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a rookie season. James' success led some spectators so far as to believe that he was a possible market ploy initiated by the NBA to bolster TV ratings. The Cavaliers improved 18 games in his first season, yet despite James' success, failed to make the playoffs.
In the offseason, James played for Team USA in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece where he and his teammates won the bronze medal in men's basketball, the first time an American Olympic team using NBA players (called the Dream Teams) failed to win the gold medal. Due to coach Larry Brown's preference for experienced players, James' minutes on the court were limited.
In the 2004-2005 season, James became the youngest player to achieve a triple double (double digits in 3 positive statistical categories such as points, assist, rebounds) and the youngest player to score 50 points in one game (56 points in a loss to the Toronto Raptors), making his first All-Star team in the process. James joined a select group of players to average over 25 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds in a season (together with Larry Bird, Jordan, and Robertson). Again, James failed to reach the playoffs, finishing two games over the .500 mark.
The Cavaliers made several off-season moves, adding Larry Hughes (from the Washington Wizards), Damon Jones (from the Miami Heat) and Donyell Marshall (from the Toronto Raptors). The Cavs' front office underwent substantial management changes at this time as well. Long-time owner Gordon Gund sold the franchise to Dan Gilbert, who subequently replaced General Manager Jim Paxson with Danny Ferry, and brought in Mike Brown as the new head coach.
At the 2006 All-Star game, James led the Eastern Conference team to victory with 29 points and six rebounds. He was awarded the All-Star MVP, becoming the youngest player to win the award.
LeBron James is currently one of the league's most dominating and exciting players, proving to the NBA that he is one of world's best all-around players. He currently is averaging over 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists a game. However, he has recently received criticism from the "TNT crew," as well as others, by not being able to "hit the shots when they count." This includes free-throws, as well as game winning or tying shots in crucial situations. Recently, most notably against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2005-06 season, James missed crucial free-throws, as well as a last minute game-tying shot. Defending critics say that people should not forget that James is only 21 years old, and he will develop this part of his game. However, until James is able to hit those types of shot with consistency, he will be regarded as not matching up to the "Jordan Legacy." In order to do so critics also believe he should improve his defensive skills, claiming that he is a passive defender, choosing to put most of his energy in on the offensive end. James has recently stated that he indeed wants to improve on the defensive end and has been seen guarding scorers of opposing teams.
Lebron has developed a reputation for putting up spectacular regular season statistics, but failing to 'come through in the clutch' and not being able to 'hit the big shot when it counts.' His performance at the end of close games has been significantly inferior. This has led to talk that he is a choke-artist, similar to the reputation held by other great athletes such as Peyton Manning and Alex Rodriguez, who have not been able to get it done when it counts. Lebron received his first career booing by Cavs fans on 2/24/06 in a loss to the Wizards in which he hit only 4 of 12 foul shots and went 0 for 8 from the field in the second half.Lebron on 2/24/06 This choke-artist reputation will be a major storyline in Lebron's career until he begins to play well late in close games and can win a playoff series.
Awards/honors
- NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006
- 2-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006
- All-NBA Second Team: 2005
- NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004
- NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004
- TSN NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004
- NBA regular-season leader, field goals made: 2005 (795)
- NBA regular-season leader, minutes played: 2005 (3388)
- McDonald's All-American: 2003
- McDonald's All-American Game MVP: 2003
- Youngest player in NBA history and the first Cavalier player to be named Rookie of the Year, at 19 years of age.
- Youngest All-Star Game MVP in NBA history (21 years, 55 days) after leading the East to a 122-120 victory over the West at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.
- One of only three players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his rookie season (Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan).
- One of only four players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in a single season (Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson).
- Youngest player to score 50 points in one game (20 years, 80 days), with 56 points vs. the Toronto Raptors on March 20, 2005.
- Holds Cleveland Cavaliers franchise record for most points in one game with 56 (same game as above).
- Holds Cleveland Cavaliers franchise record for most points in one quarter with 18 in the third quarter (February 13, 2006 vs. San Antonio Spurs).
- Holds Cleveland Cavaliers franchise record for most field goals made in one game with 19 (three times, most recently in same game as above).
- Youngest player to record a triple-double in his career (20 years, 21 days), with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on January 20, 2005 vs. the Portland Trail Blazers.
- Youngest player to reach 5,000 points in his career (21 years, 22 days), set on January 21, 2006 vs. the Utah Jazz.
External links
- Official site
- LeBron James fan site
- NBA.com Bio
- Template:Basketball-reference
- Template:Espn nba
- LeBron James at IMDb
- The LeBron Phenomenon
- LeBron Day 2005
- LeBron Day 2004
- Article detailing Lebron's early family life
Trivia
- Wore jersey #32 as a freshman while at Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School before later adopting the number #23 in tribute to Michael Jordan. Currently still wears #23 with the Cavaliers.
- He made a guest appearence on The Simpsons episode "Hail-Mary Ned Pass."
Further reading
- Jones, Ryan: King James: Believe the Hype, St. Martin's Griffin 2003. ISBN 0312322291
- Morgan, David Lee: LeBron James: The Rise of a Star, Gray & Company Publishers 2003. ISBN 1886228744