biography 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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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.

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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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LeBron James

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• Small Forward
• HT/WT 6' 9", 250 lbs
• Birthdate 12/30/1984 (39)
• Draft Info 2003: Rd 1, Pk 1 (CLE)
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LeBron James: A definitive look at King James' career stats, records, awards and medals

From winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals to becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader, we take a look at some of the most notable highlights from LeBron James' storied basketball career. Will the legend go for a third Olympic gold at Paris 2024? 

LeBron James is now the leading scorer in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 38-year-old overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's previous record of 38,387 points in the LA Lakers' defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday 7 February.

It’s the latest, and arguably greatest, accolade in a glittering career for ‘King James’ - a fitting moniker for a player who continues to have a powerful impact on the game of basketball.

Olympics.com takes a look at the championships, medals, records and stats of one of basketball’s most legendary players.

• LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become NBA's all-time scoring leader
• LeBron James points tracker: 'The King' has become the NBA's all-time top scorer

LeBron James’ high school stats & records

The fact that James was selected first overall in the 2003 NBA draft straight out of high school should tell you everything you need to know about just how great his playing career at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School was.

In fact, the small college preparatory Catholic high school in Akron, Ohio has become famous thanks to the exploits of its most famous alumnus.

James made his high school debut as a 14-year-old freshman in 1999, and his play soon garnered national attention; several of James’ games were televised nationally during his senior year, and many of the Fighting Irish’s games were moved to the University of Akron to accommodate the crowds that wanted to see him play.

A phenomenal athlete, James picked up numerous honours en route to leading St. Vincent–St. Mary to three state championships in four years, during which time the Fighting Irish only lost six games (James had a 101-6 high school record)!

High school awards

• National Basketball champion: 2003
• 3× State champion: 2000, 2001, 2003
• 2× Gatorade National Player of the Year: 2002, 2003
• 2× Mr. Basketball USA: 2002, 2003
• 2× USA Today High School Player of the Year: 2002, 2003
• 3× Ohio Mr. Basketball: 2001, 2002, 2003
• 3× USA Today All-USA First Team: 2001, 2002, 2003
• 2× PARADE High School Player of the Year: 2002, 2003
• 2× First-team Parade All-American: 2002, 2003
• Second-team Parade All-American: 2001
• Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year: 2003
• Naismith Prep Player of the Year: 2003
• McDonald's National Player of the Year: 2003
• McDonald's High School All-American: 2003
• McDonald's Slam Dunk Contest (Powerade Jam Fest): 2003
• McDonald's All-American Game MVP: 2003
• EA Sports Roundball Classic MVP: 2003
• Jordan Capital Classic MVP: 2003
• Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year: 2003

LeBron James NBA stats, awards and records

James was heavily touted as a future NBA star while still in high school, and his decision to forgo college and declare for the NBA draft made the draft lottery in 2003 one of the most anticipated in years.

As fate would have it, the Cleveland Cavaliers, James’ hometown team, ended up winning the lottery and duly selected the Ohio native with the first overall pick - and what a selection that turned out to be.

In his first career game, the 18-year-old phenom scored 25 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out nine assists in a losing effort to the Sacramento Kings - but it was just a taste of things to come. At the conclusion of the 2003–04 season, James became the first Cavalier to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, and was nominated to the All-Rookie First Team.

Awards with the Cleveland Cavaliers 2003-2010

• NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (2004)
• 6x NBA All-Star (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008)
• 2x NBA Most Valuable Player (2009, 2010)
• 4x All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• 2x All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
• 2x NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009, 2010)
• NBA Scoring Champion (2008)

Though James had already lived up to his potential in the first phase of his NBA career, a championship still eluded him. In 2010, the then 26-year-old unrestricted free agent signed with the Miami Heat, joining fellow Olympians Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Florida.

In his first season with the Heat, James reached the NBA Finals, though Miami would lose to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in six games.

James was vilified for his performance in those Finals (he averaged only three points in fourth quarters during the series), but returned to the 2011-12 season with a bang. The 2.06m (6 ft 9 in) forward posted averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 53 per cent shooting to earn his third regular season MVP and help the Heat return to the Finals, where they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder. James was unanimously voted the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player with averages of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game as he won his first career NBA title.

Awards with the Miami Heat 2010-2014

• 2x NBA champion (2012, 2013)
• 2x NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013)
• 2x NBA MVP (2012, 2013)
• 4x NBA All-Star (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
• 4x All-NBA First Team (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
• 3x NBA All-Defensive First Team (2011, 2012, 2013)
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2014)
• Associated Press (AP) Athlete of the Year (2013)
• Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2012)
• USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012)

In June of 2014, James opted out of his contract with the Heat, electing instead to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his first season back with the Cavaliers, James helped Cleveland return to the Finals, making him the first player since the 1960s to play in five consecutive NBA Finals.

Despite averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists in the Finals, James was unable to stop the Golden State Warriors from winning the championship in six games. The following season, however, James and co. would return to the Finals for a rematch with the Warriors. After falling behind 3-1 in the series, the Cavaliers were able to win the next two games thanks to a superhuman effort from James (who recorded back-to-back 41-point games in Games 5 and 6) to force a decisive Game 7 in Oakland, California. Undeterred by a boisterous away crowd, James became just the third player to record a triple-double in an NBA Finals Game 7 as he helped the Cavaliers simultaneously win Cleveland’s first professional sports title in 52 years and become the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit in the Finals.

Awards with the Cleveland Cavaliers 2014-2018

• NBA Champion (2016)
• NBA Finals MVP (2016)
• 4x NBA All-Star (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
• 4x All-NBA First Team (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
• NBA All-Star Game MVP (2018)
• AP Athlete of the Year (2018)
• Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2016)

After becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018, James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He suffered a groin injury in his first season with the Lakers that caused him to miss 17 consecutive games, and consequently, the Lakers failed to make the postseason (marking the first time James missed the playoffs since 2005).

The following season the Lakers emerged as a force in the Western Conference behind the play of James and Anthony Davis, who the team had acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in a major trade in the offseason. Los Angeles would enter the playoffs as the number one seed in the West, and advanced to the Finals in convincing fashion, suffering only three losses in the previous three rounds combined. In the Finals, the Lakers beat the Heat in six games to earn James, who averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game during the series, his fourth NBA championship and fourth Finals MVP award. James also became the second-oldest player in league history to win the award (at 35 and 287 days old), and the third player in NBA history to win at least one championship with three different teams.

Awards with the Los Angeles Lakers 2018 - present

• NBA Champion (2020)
• NBA Finals MVP (2020)
• 5x NBA All-Star (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• All-NBA First Team (2020)
• All-NBA Second Team (2021)
• 2x All-NBA third team (2019, 2022)
• NBA assists leader (2020)
• NBA 75th Anniversary Team
• AP Athlete of the Year (2020)
• Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2020)
• Time Athlete of the Year (2020)
• NBA all-time scoring leader (2023)

LeBron James Team USA stats, awards and records

Fresh off his rookie season in the NBA, James was selected to represent the United States of America (USA) at the Olympic Games Athens 2004 . He received limited playing time (14.6 minutes per game), averaging 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in eight games as Team USA won the bronze medal - becoming the first U.S. basketball team to fail to win a gold medal since adding active NBA players to their lineup.

James returned to play for Team USA at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, as the USA won another bronze medal. At the FIBA Americas Championship 2007 - an Olympic qualifying event for the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 - James averaged 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists as the USA won the gold medal with a 10-0 record, thereby qualifying for the Olympic Games.

At Beijing 2008, Team USA’s ‘Redeem Team’ went unbeaten to win a first gold medal since Sydney 2000.

James would represent the USA at a major tournament for the final time at London 2012 , where he recorded the first triple-double in U.S. Olympic basketball history with a 1-point, 14-rebound, 12-assist effort against Australia. The USA would repeat as Olympic champions, and James joined Michael Jordan as the only players to win an NBA MVP award, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, and Olympic gold medal in the same year.

Awards with Team USA

• Athens 2004 Olympic Games bronze medalist
• FIBA 2006 World Championship bronze medalist
• FIBA 2007 Americas Championship gold medalist
• Beijing 2008 Olympic Games gold medalist
• London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist

LeBron James notable career achievements

Achievements are current as of the end of the 2022 NBA season. This is by no means the definitive list of all of James’ achievements, which are extensive.

• NBA all-time leading scorer
• Most consecutive double-digit scoring games (1096 games)
• Most All-NBA First Team selections (13)
• Most 20-point games in NBA history (1,171)
• Only player in NBA history to record at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists .
• Only player in NBA history to be in the top 5 all-time in points , top 10 all-time in assists , and top 10 all-time in steals
• One of two players in NBA history to win at least four NBA MVP awards and four NBA Finals MVP awards (Michael Jordan is the other).
• Most all-time playoff points (7,631)
• Most all-time playoff wins (174)
• Most all-time playoff games (266)
• Youngest player to reach every round milestone in points (through 37,000)

Related content

LeBron James points tracker: NBA's all-time top scorer closes in on 49,000 career points

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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

LeBron James Overview

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• Teammates & Opponents
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• Compare LeBron James to other players

More LeBron James pages at Sports Reference

• International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Game-by-game stat line for the player

Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. home/away, monthly, etc...

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2023-24 Lakers (47-35, 8th place in NBA Western Conference)

Last Game : L 106-108 at DEN

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• 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 .

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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

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LeBron James Biography: Life, Career & Records

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LeBron James has been dominating the court ever since he entered the league in 2003. He’s considered one of the best basketball players of all-time and many will sit and debate him amongst the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant.

But did LeBron James go to college? When did LeBron start playing basketball? And of course, how many rings does LeBron James have now? All of these questions and more will be answered in our biography.

Lebron’s Early Life

Where was LeBron James Born? He’s just a kid from Akron, Ohio!

LeBron “King” James was born December 30, 1984, to a single mother when she was only 16 years old. Gloria Marie James gave birth to LeBron and his father, Anthony McClelland had various run-ins with the law so he was not in his son’s life as he was growing up.

James faced a lot of difficulties growing up as his family moved around a lot amongst some of the “less desirable” neighborhoods in Akron.

LeBron ultimately moved in with a local football coach when he was nine years old. Frank Walker, the coach, introduced LeBron to basketball. He quickly became a star player in his local leagues.

High School Career

In high school, James played for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. He led the school to three state championships and was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball three times. He was also selected to play for USA Today’s All-USA First Team as a sophomore.

During his senior year, he was widely regarded as the best high school player in the country.

LeBron put up 21 points and 6 rebounds per game during his high school career and ultimately entered into the 2003 NBA Draft.

Professional Career

How long has LeBron James been in the NBA? Let’s go through the details of LeBron’s career in the league:

Cleveland Cavaliers – 2003-2010

In 2003, LeBron James was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was only 18 years old at the time and was immediately hailed as a prodigy. In fact, he put up 25 points in his first regular season game.

James quickly lived up to the hype, averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game in his rookie season. He became the first Cavalier to ever receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award .

He went on to spend seven seasons with the Cavaliers, becoming the team’s all-time leading scorer in the process.

Miami Heat – 2010-2014

In 2010, James shocked the basketball world by leaving the Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat. He was contacted during this time by a number of teams but he ultimately chose Miami for the opportunity to keep winning.

James was heavily criticized during this time by analysts, fans, and even former players like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.

Along with fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James formed a “big three” that was expected to dominate the league. And dominate they did. James won two more MVP awards and led the Heat to four straight NBA Finals appearances, winning two championships in 2012 and 2013.

James averaged 29.7 points and 7.8 assists in February of the 2012-2013 season. The Heat had the third longest win streak in NBA history at 27. Everything seemed to be going right for the big three in Miami.

The Spurs eliminated the Heat in five games in 2014 where James averaged 28.2 points. He opted out of his contract and went back to Cleveland.

LeBron returns to Cleveland – 2014-2018

In 2014, James returned to the Cavaliers, determined to bring a championship to his hometown. He led the team to the NBA Finals in each of his four seasons back in Cleveland, winning the championship in 2016.

This was a historic moment for the Cavaliers, as they became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. LeBron helped pave the way averaging a near triple-double with 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists. He became only the third player in history to record a triple-double in a game 7.

Los Angeles Lakers – 2018-present

LeBron signed with the Lakers in 2018 and while there have been many struggles, he still dominates the Western Conference averaging 25, 7, and 8. The team in 2018 was made up of a controversial bunch of veterans and the Lakers struggled to find cohesiveness in the lineup.

James had a strong mid-season performance right up until he had the first major injury of his career missing 17 consecutive games. The team was ultimately unable to make the postseason until the 2019 season.

The team entered the playoffs as the number one seed and James helped them defeat the Heat in the Finals with a huge game 6.

On February 7, 2023 – LeBron scored his 38,388th point to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. This is a record that has remained since 1984.

LeBron James is a legend and will go down in history as one of the best basketball players to ever step foot on the court. He has contributed a lot on and off the court and has inspired countless young men to pursue their passion.

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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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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.

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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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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’ biography examines the remarkable career of the NBA star

The book serves as both an origin story for the living nba legend and an examination of how james changed the role of superstar athlete in so many ways — from business to entertainment to politics..

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James smiles after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on April 9, 2023, in Los Angeles.

“LeBron” by Jeff Benedict (Avid Reader Press)

LeBron James has lived a very public life. Who can forget the 2002 Sports Illustrated cover anointing him “The Chosen One” when he was just 17? Now 38, he’s done thousands of interviews, spoken out on a variety of social justice issues, earned more than a billion dollars as an athlete and businessman, and — oh, yeah — won four NBA championships with three different teams.

But until now, no writer has packaged his life story into one narrative. Jeff Benedict, who co-wrote the bestselling “Tiger Woods” with Armen Keteyian, follows the same playbook here. He spent years combing through the public record, watching hours of video footage, and talking to hundreds of people from different stages of James’ life to craft “LeBron.” The book serves as both an origin story for the living NBA legend and an examination of how James changed the role of superstar athlete in so many ways — from business to entertainment to politics.

This cover image released by Avid Reader Press shows “Lebron” by Jeff Benedict.

Readers who don’t already know the beats of James’ life will find them all here. Even those who already know what “The Decision” refers to (James’ 2010 televised special announcing his signing with the Miami Heat after seven years playing for his home state Cleveland Cavaliers) will appreciate the perspective Benedict provides when it comes to just how much James changed the perception of what it means to be a modern athlete.

Benedict didn’t interview James directly for the book, but that fact drives home one of the book’s main themes — James built his empire by surrounding himself with an inner circle of close friends, all of whom he met before adulthood. His fame now allows him to seek advice from and partner with scores of other influential people, but Team LeBron at its core is still his high school teammate Maverick Carter; fellow Akron, Ohio, native son Randy Mims; and Rich Paul, who James met in 2002 when Paul was a young entrepreneur selling vintage sports jerseys in Atlanta (Paul is now James’ agent and the CEO of Klutch Sports, which reps more than three dozen NBA players).

Given the fact that James didn’t speak to Benedict for the book, some critics may decry the armchair psychology in these pages. But James’ life has certainly not been unexamined. He has spoken at length about growing up fatherless, the fierce loyalty he feels toward his mother, and how grateful he is to coaches and neighbors who helped create an environment where he could focus on school and basketball and avoid any serious missteps.

That’s not to say “LeBron” is a hagiography. It touches on things like the Hummer his unemployed mom gave him when he turned 18 thanks to a bank loan secured by the promise of James’ future earnings, or the jerseys Rich Paul didn’t make him pay for, in violation of Ohio’s rules for high school basketball players. But with the benefit of hindsight, they are just bumps in the road to superstardom.

In fact, “LeBron” makes a more compelling argument about just how remarkable it is that a player of James’ magnitude has lived a scandal-free life, and in fact, has focused his platform and celebrity on meaningful issues like Black Lives Matter or inner city education.

The young boy who wrote “NBA Player/NBA Player/NBA Player” when asked to write down three things he wanted to be when he grew up, is arguably now the most influential NBA player of all time. That’s the story Benedict tells in what — for now — is the definitive biography of LeBron James.

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© Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James Makes Declarative Statement on His Future Amid Varying Reports

The Lakers superstar hasn't made up his mind regarding his future.

• Author: Karl Rasmussen

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James posted on X , formerly Twitter, on Tuesday in order to provide an update on his future amid the slew of reports that emerged following the Lakers' playoff exit on Monday evening.

James issued a statement in which he declared that no decision has been made of yet and that he's currently prioritizing spending time with his family.

"I’ve seen, heard a lot of reports about my future," James wrote. "I said it last night and I’ll say it again. I do not know yet as I’m only thinking about spending time with my family & friends! When I know after speaking with the fam, my counsel as well as my representation about it then you guys will know."

I’ve seen, heard a lot of reports about my future. I said it last night and I’ll say it again. I do not know yet as I’m only thinking about spending time with my family & friends! When I know after speaking with the fam, my counsel as — LeBron James (@KingJames) May 1, 2024

James has the potential to opt out of his current deal with Los Angeles and hit unrestricted free agency. Doing so would enable him to re-up with the Lakers on a new contract, one which would likely carry him through to retirement, though he could also potentially leave and sign with a new team.

Alternatively, James could opt into the final year of his deal which would pay him $51.4 million in 2024-25. He'd be eligible for a two-year contract extension in August which would pay him an additional $112 million from '25 to '27.

James made clear that he's not yet made up his mind regarding his next steps following his 20th NBA season, and he plans to discuss with his representation before making an announcement.

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Here's why LeBron James, not Michael Jordan, is the GOAT

Beyond the statistics, it's a matter of ideology – one that pits activism and solidarity vs. nostalgia and delusion, by david masciotra.

The effects and limits of time have no meaning to the vampire. In Bram Stoker’s classic novel, Dracula describes how “only a few days” make up a century. 

If he were not such a charitable man, it would seem appropriate to investigate whether LeBron James is a vampire. At 39 years old, in his 21st NBA season, he shows few signs of mortality. This season he averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game after playing 71 games in the 2024 season. 

The negation of LeBron James is not related to sports, rather it is a cultural stain.

Decades for LeBron, like centuries for Dracula, pass in mere days. It doesn’t feel like too long ago that LeBron James was 18 years old, straight out of high school in his rookie season, and dominating on the court against players 10 to 15 years older. As Edward R. Ward, the author of “Life in the Valley of Death: Some Aspects of Race in Men’s Basketball in the Missouri Valley Conference, 1959-60 – 1963-64,” recently said when assessing James’ unprecedented run of uninterrupted achievement: “He’s been the best the longest.”

Over his 21 years in the NBA, he has become the all-time scoring leader, breaking Kareem Abdul Jabbar ’s record, which NBA analysts long considered unbreakable, has entered the Top 5 in all time assists, is in the Top 30 for all-time rebounds, and has led three different teams to four championship titles, appearing in 10 finals throughout his career. At 6 foot 9, 250 pounds, he is one of the strongest players to hit the hardwood, but also, astonishingly, one of the fastest. In a game-saving block during Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals – one of the most famous and celebrated moments of his basketball life – he ran 20.1 miles per hour to prevent a member of the opposing team from making a layup. 

James is statistically superior to any other player to ever wear an NBA uniform, with unprecedented achievements, and yet most of the sports commentariat, along with millions of fans on social media, are hostile to the notion that he is the greatest of all time (GOAT). 

The most prevalent position against LeBron James as GOAT is that he’s led his teams to only four titles. Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless and other sports pundits trot out this number in the service of the most popular candidate for greatest NBA player of all time: Michael Jordan . According to conventional wisdom, Jordan leading the Chicago Bulls to six finals, and winning all six, closes the case. 

Smith, Bayless and the chorus of Jordan worshipers act as if Jordan played only six seasons as a professional. Never do they mention the nine seasons that Jordan did not lead his respective teams to making the finals. His last two seasons, with the Washington Wizards, ended without even qualifying for the playoffs, and his teammates despised him so much that they refused to buy him a retirement gift.

The illogic of the Jordan partisans acts as a blacklight, making clear that what actually underlies the negation of LeBron James is not related to sports, rather it is a cultural stain. 

Shelby Steele, the preeminent Black conservative intellectual, argues in his book about Barack Obama , "A Bound Man," that for most of American history Black public figures, whether in politics or pop culture, performed one of two roles: bargainer or challenger. Citing Louis Armstrong as an example, Steele defines the bargainer as one who tells white America, “If you allow me to have a career, and amass wealth, I will not remind you of the shame of American racism.” Challengers, such as Miles Davis , proceed according to the presumption that American institutions are racist, and therefore, must meet an obligation to prove that they are acting according to egalitarian principles.

Michael Jordan, at his global peak of popularity in the 1990s, was the ultimate bargainer. No matter how egregious the injustice in the headlines – the acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King , the rise of racial profiling against Black commuters, the increasingly inflammatory rhetoric of key Republicans figures, like Newt Gingrich and Pat Buchanan – “Air” Jordan maintained an air of silence, rejecting the tradition of Black athletes, most notably Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali and Hank Aaron , of parlaying their sports stardom into effective activism. He never lent his instantly recognizable name or likeness to campaigns for social justice, and infamously refused to endorse any candidates for political office. 

Jordan’s self-serving desire to maintain neutrality calls to mind the Howard Zinn quip, “You can’t be neutral on a moving train.”

In 1990, the Democratic Party in Jordan’s home state of North Carolina had an opportunity to defeat one of the most vicious racists of the U.S. Senate, Jesse Helms . Harvey Gannt, Helms’ opponent, was a local civil rights leader and beloved mayor of Charlotte. If he defeated Helms, he would have become the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate in North Carolina. The Gannt campaign, and even Michael Jordan’s mother, begged Jordan to make a public endorsement, believing that any boost to the candidacy could prove crucial in a close race. Jordan refused, uttering to his disappointed teammates what has now become one of sports’ most notorious expressions of greed and narcissism: “Republicans buy sneakers too.”  

Jordan’s self-serving desire to maintain neutrality calls to mind the Howard Zinn quip, “You can’t be neutral on a moving train.” The MVP’s silence offered protection for the delusions of the 1990s, namely that racism was a trauma of the past, and that consumer culture was a ticket to shared prosperity, even a substitute for investment in the public interest. 

The only arena that Jordan dominated with equal force as the basketball court was the world of the television commercial. 

Throughout the 1990s, it was impossible to avoid Jordan’s charismatic smile alongside product placement. As social critic Michael Eric Dyson wrote in a 1993 essay for “Cultura Studies,” “Jordan eats Wheaties, drives Chevrolet, wears Hanes, drinks Coca-Cola, consumes McDonald’s, guzzles Gatorade, and of course, wears Nikes. He successfully produced, packaged, marketed, and distributed his image and commodified his symbolic worth, transforming cultural capital into cash, influence, prestige, status, and wealth.” Dyson correctly observes that for a period of several years, “Jordan was the quintessential pitchman of American society.” 

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By eschewing the sociopolitical advocacy of sports legends like Jim Brown and Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan followed the map of O.J. Simpson ’s design. Long before Simpson became known as a wifebeater and accused of murder, he became a pioneer at the intersection of athletics and business. He was the first Black athlete to land a gig as corporate spokesperson when he appeared in television ads for Hertz Car Rental. Many additional endorsement opportunities soon followed, and O.J. rose to unprecedented heights by adopting the omerta on any and all issues related to race, politics and inequality.

“Jordan lacks any sense of historical perspective about the struggles that made it possible for him to enjoy his incredible wealth and enormous opportunities,” Michael Eric Dyson concluded. It is unclear whether Jordan lacked perspective or merely feigned ignorance, striking a pose of impartiality that is as easy to sketch as his patented triangular, one-handed dunk – an image that now adorns the Air Jordan basketball shoe.

Just as the Air Jordan still sells out in every shopping center of America, the American public, most especially the captains of corporate culture, has an insatiable appetite for the bargain that trades political passivity for personal glory. The hunger was especially powerful in the 1990s when Americans wanted to believe that racial division, arguments over democracy and questions regarding social justice relics of previous eras. Francis Fukuyama, one of the world’s most influential intellectuals, announced “the end of history” after the fall of the Berlin Wall , and the election of Bill Clinton promised the triumph of “third way” politics that put an end to partisan rancor. 

The crass commercialism of “Republicans buy sneakers too” coupled with Jordan’s squeaky-clean image made him the perfect pitchman for a pre-WTO protest, pre-9/11, pre-Trump age of American optimism – the last days of faith that America could escape the clutches of history. Jordan lacked a historical perspective, just as Americans lacked historical interest. 

LeBron James signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Nike at the age of 18, partially due to Jordan’s company man counsel, and currently endorses Taco Bell , Pepsi and Louis Vuitton. Even if his corporate connections are similar to his adversary in the GOAT debate, his persona is markedly different. 

In his gripping and thoughtful biography, “LeBron,” veteran sports journalist Jeff Benedict chronicles how James ascended to NBA greatness, while also discovering an authentic sense of self, eventually amplifying an individual voice even while under corporate and cultural pressure. It was a transformation that, unlike his instant dominance on the court, took years to transpire. 

During the 2006-07 season, one of James’ teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers wrote a letter for publication in the Cleveland Plain - Dealer condemning the Chinese government for complicity in the genocide of Darfur. Nike has a close relationship with China. Unlike other players on the Cavaliers, LeBron James refused to cosign the letter, claiming that he did not have “enough information” on the subject. 

Benedict writes that James was troubled with regret, and not only because the press, and former NBA legends who became social justice advocates, like former Senator and presidential candidate, Bill Bradley, ridiculed James’ cowardly apathy. James himself knew that his inaction was wrong. 

Since then, LeBron James has acted as a consistent force for racial equality and Democratic politics. He appeared alongside Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and supported Joe Biden in 2020. 

In 2014, he organized the Cavaliers to wear “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts following the death of Eric Garner , and his repeated calls for police reform, have given him close association with Black Lives Matter . Calling participation in the sociopolitical commitment, “a walk of life,” he explained that “when you wake up, and you’re black . . . it shouldn’t be a movement. It should be a lifestyle.”

James is also one of the principal funders of More Than a Vote , a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting voter suppression laws and registering young Black Americans to cast a ballot. He has referred to Donald Trump as a “bum,” and invited the scorn of Fox News’ Anita Bryant-impersonator, Laura Ingraham, who instructed James to “shut up and dribble.” James replied by remarking how her dismissive attitude, and racial double standard – she often celebrates white athletes who take political positions – is exactly why he feels the need to enter political debate.

Meanwhile, James is the founder of the Lebron James Family Foundation, which pays for four years of tuition at the University of Akron, in James’ hometown, for more than 2,000 students. Although recent test scores are discouraging, the elementary school that the foundation started, the I Promise School, specializes in serving at-risk children. 

Michael Jordan belongs on the Mount Rushmore of NBA legends, but LeBron James has performed at a higher level for a longer period of time.

Contrary to Jordan’s genuine or pretend historical illiteracy, James articulates an ethos of acknowledgement, gratitude and appreciation of lineage. During the first episode of the podcast that he cohosts with JJ Redick, James asserted the following as one of the three criteria for determining who are the greatest players in any sport: “Knowing the history of the game, knowing the ones who paved the way and knowing the reason why you’re actually having the ability to live out your dream – it doesn’t happen without the ones who came before you. It doesn’t happen without Bill Russell going through what he went through during the Civil Rights Movement. It doesn’t happen without Oscar Robertson going through what he had to deal with during those times. It doesn’t happen without them being pure, who they are and working to allow us to do what we do without care.” 

The conflict of ideology between Jordan and James manifests in their divergent of styles of gameplay and leadership. Business and leadership coaches use James as a model of an effective innovator of team-centric success. Because he focuses, first and foremost, on integrating his teammates into each play, he often faces criticism for passing too much. Many of current and former teammates have credited him as a mentor. Michael Jordan, displaying the opposite mentality, told a story during his NBA Hall of Fame induction speech of responding to a coach’s admonishment, “there is no ‘I’ in ‘team,’” by saying, “But there is in ‘win.” It is a challenge to find a teammate of Jordan’s who voluntarily admits to liking him. 

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As the “quintessential pitchman” without “historical perspective,” Jordan exemplified American individualism. LeBron James, while an individual of profound achievement, demonstrates a commitment to communal solidarity, on and off the court, that helps him sharpen an acuity of societal involvement. 

Michael Jordan belongs on the Mount Rushmore of NBA legends, but LeBron James has performed at a higher level for a longer period of time. Every statistical indicator, along with James’ 10 final appearances, confirms that James’ resume of achievement is untouchable, clearly qualifying him as GOAT.

The refusal to fully appreciate James, and the insistence on Jordan as superior, is a choice not of rational calculation, but nostalgia – nostalgia for an America independent of history; an America when the fantasy of political detachment was in full reverie, and an America when individualistic obsession with consumer culture came without consequence.

The reality is that not only is LeBron James a better basketball player than Michael Jordan, but that to “Be Like Mike,” as the Gatorade advertisement slogan of the ‘90s stated, inflicts damage. 

Jordan is fond of saying that he is not a “role model.” LeBron James provides a model for citizenship in an America without illusion. While Jordan lives in the air, head in the clouds of the past, James has his feet on the ground, marching into the future.

about this topic

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• LeBron James to Don Lemon on CNN: Trump "used sports to divide us"
• LeBron James, peacemaker: The evolution of the modern black political athlete

David Masciotra is the author of six books, including " Exurbia Now: The Battleground of American Democracy " and " I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters ." He has written for the New Republic, Washington Monthly, CrimeReads, No Depression and many other publications about politics, music and literature.

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