LeBron Raymone James Sr.  is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and is often compared to Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball player of all time. James is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and ranks fourth in career assists. He has won four NBA championships (two with the Miami Heat, one each with the Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers), and has competed in 10 NBA Finals. He has also won four Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, four Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals, and has been named an All-Star 19 times, selected to the All-NBA Team 19 times (including 13 First Team selections) and the All-Defensive Team six times, and was a runner-up for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award twice in his career.

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

Early life

James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, to Gloria Marie James, who was 16 at the time of his birth.: 22  His father, Anthony McClelland, has an extensive criminal record and was not involved in his life. When James was growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as they moved from apartment to apartment in the seedier neighborhoods of Akron while Gloria struggled to find steady work. Realizing that her son would be better off in a more stable family environment, Gloria allowed him to move in with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football coach who introduced James to basketball when he was nine years old.: 23 

James began playing organized basketball in the fifth grade. He later played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars. The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee.: 24  The group dubbed themselves the "Fab Four" and promised each other that they would attend high school together.: 27  In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a private Catholic school with predominantly white students.

Career

• LeBron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. He was eventually named Rookie of the Year, finishing with averages of 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game.
• At nineteen, LeBron became the youngest member of the USA basketball squad sent to the Olympics in 2004, but he spent most of his time on the bench.
• He made NBA history again in 2005, when he became the youngest player to score more than 50 points in one game. He was selected for the NBA All-Star game for the first time.
• With averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, he became the youngest player in NBA history to be named to an All-NBA Team, which he achieved in the 2004–05 season.
• In 2006, he helped his team beat the Wizards in the first round of Playoffs. Against the Pistons in the semifinals, even his average of 26.6 could not secure his team a victory.
• After the 2006 Playoffs, LeBron James and the Cavaliers negotiated a three-year, $60 million contract extension with a player option of seeking a new contract as an unrestricted free agent.
• The Cavaliers proved to be stronger competitors in 2007, reaching the NBA finals and beating Detroit to win the Eastern Conference. But they lost in the finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
• During the 2007-08 season, the Cavaliers improved their standing in the Eastern Conference. The team made it to the semifinals, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in seven games.
• The year 2008, was a stellar one for him as he outperformed rival players like Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson by scoring an average of 30 points per game, the highest average in the NBA regular season.
• In 2008, he traveled to Beijing with the likes of Bryant, Jason Kidd, and Dwyane Wade as part of the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team and brought home the gold after defeating Spain in the finals.
• Shortly after becoming a free agent in 2010, he announced that he would be joining the Miami Heat for the upcoming season. He finished second in the league, scoring 26.7 points per game.
• LeBron James competed at his third Olympic Games in 2012, in London, along with teammates Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant, and the team brought home the second consecutive Olympic gold.
• At the end of the 2012-13 season, against the San Antonio Spurs, Miami transformed a seemingly impossible championship win into reality, winning their second consecutive national title with a 3-4 victory.
• In 2014, LeBron James opted out of his contract with Miami Heat and signed with Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2014–15 season, Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the NBA finals and in the process, James became the first player since the 1960s to play in five consecutive NBA finals.
• His 2015–16 season was marred by controversies, which also included the midseason firing of Cavaliers' coach David Blatt. In spite of all this, LeBron James performed admirably and became the third player to record a triple-double in an NBA Finals Game.
• LeBron's stint with Cleveland Cavaliers ended in 2018 and thereafter, he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
• In February 2019, James became the fifth NBA player to reach 32,000 points. On March 6, 2019, in a game against Denver Nuggets, he surpassed Michael Jordan to become the fourth-highest scorer on the NBA list.

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.

Additionally, James, averaging 20 points per game at this time, became one of only three rookies to accomplish this feat, putting him in the same company as Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.

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.

Miami Heat

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.

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
0.8 blocks
1.6 steals
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.

Career highlights and awards 4× NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020) 4× NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020) 4× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) 19× NBA All-Star (2005–2023) 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008, 2018) 13× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2018, 2020) 3× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007, 2021) 3× All-NBA Third Team (2019, 2022, 2023) 5× 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) NBA 75th Anniversary Team AP Athlete of the Decade (2010s) 4× AP Athlete of the Year (2013, 2016, 2018, 2020) 3× Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2012, 2016, 2020) USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012) 2× National high school player of the year (2002, 2003) McDonald's All-American Game MVP (2003) 2× First-team Parade All-American (2002, 2003) 3× Ohio Mr. Basketball (2001–2003) No. 23 retired by St. Vincent–St. Mary   Medals Men's basketball Representing the United States Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Team 2012 London Team 2004 Athens Team FIBA World Championship 2006 Japan   FIBA Americas Championship 2007 Las Vegas