LeBron James Position Small Forward Nickname King James Height 6'8" (2.03 m) Weight 240 lb (109 kg) Team Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) Nationality Born December 30, 1984 Akron, Ohio High school St. Vincent-St. Marys Akron, Ohio Draft 1st overall, 2003 Cleveland Cavaliers Pro career 2003 – present Awards 2003-04 Rookie of the Year 2006 NBA All-Star Game MVP Two-time NBA All-Star Two-time All-NBA selection 2005-06 TSN NBA co-MVP LeBron Raymone James (IPA: [ləbrɑn dʒeɪmz], born December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio), commonly nicknamed King James, LBJ, or The Chosen One, is an American All-Star NBA basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Beginning in his junior year of high school, James was highly promoted by the national media in the United States as a future NBA star. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, directly out of high school at the age of 18. He is now widely considered as one of the more gifted and versatile players as well as serving as one of the more prominent figures in the league. Contents 1 Early life 2 High school 2.1 Freshman year 2.2 Sophomore year 2.3 Junior year 2.4 Senior year 3 NBA career 3.1 Rookie season 3.2 2004-05 season 3.3 2005-06 season 3.3.1 MVP candidacy 3.3.2 2005-06 Playoffs 4 Player profile 5 Awards and honors 5.1 NBA highlights 5.2 NBA milestones 5.3 Personal records 5.4 Cavaliers franchise records (10) 5.5 High school achievements 6 Trivia 7 Further reading 8 External links Early life LeBron James was born an only child in a low-income area of Akron, Ohio to the unwed Gloria James on December 30, 1984. His mother was only 16 at the time and six months shy of graduating from high school. Due to his family's humble circumstances, James, being raised solely by his mother and her associates, led a transitory lifestyle, moving frequently from one home to another. Things began to look up for him when his mother began seeing a man by the name of Eddie Jackson. James was young enough at the time to have him serve as a father figure; he did not have any contact with his biological father. Jackson would often be seen supporting James later on at his high school basketball games. Starting as early as his junior year in high school, James had made it clear he was planning to pursue an NBA career following his graduation. High school Freshman year James attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. He was the starting point guard on a team led by James' future best friend and manager Maverick Carter. Although Carter is commonly referred to as James' cousin, they are not actually related. With James at the point and the primacy of Carter, the team cruised to a perfect 27-0 record and won the Division III state championship. James averaged 18.2 points and 6 rebounds per game. Sophomore year James took over the helm of the team after Carter's graduation and averaged 27.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and four steals for SVSM en route to another state title. He was subsequently named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball"and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team — the first sophomore to be so honored. An avid football player in addition to basketball, James was also able to add to his resume the distinction of being First-Team All-State as a wide receiver for his high school team. However, injury concerns influenced James to concentrate solely on basketball. Junior year In James' third year of high school his stats improved even further. He averaged 29.7 points and 8.4 rebounds, and was once again named Mr. Basketball Ohio. In addition, he again found a spot on the All-USA First Team, and was named the 2001-02 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. It was then that his nickname "King" James would become a household staple in Ohio. In his junior year, he appeared in SLAM Magazine which was the beginning of his nationwide exposure. Dubbed "The Chosen One" by Sports Illustrated, James was the first high school basketball player on the cover since Rick Mount. However, the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team failed to defend its state title when it moved up to the more challenging Division II and lost to Cincinnati's Roger Bacon High School. James attempted to declare for the NBA Draft, petitioning for an adjustment to the NBA's rules of draft eligibility, which then required the completion of high school by a prospective player. The petition was unsuccessful, but it led to an unprecedented level of attention on him as he entered his senior year. By then, "King" James had already appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. His popularity soared to new heights, forcing his team to move from their playing at the school gym to the nearby James A. Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron. Celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal attended some of the games, hoping to get a glimpse of the prodigious young basketball player. A few of James's high school games were even televised nationally on ESPN2 and regionally on pay-per-view. Senior year Gloria James touched off a firestorm of controversy when she was allowed to use her son's future earning power as collateral to secure a bank loan to buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for her son's 18th birthday, prompting an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Under the OHSAA guidelines, no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance. When James later accepted two throwback basketball jerseys worth $845 from NEXT, an urban clothing store in Shaker Square, in exchange for his posing for pictures to be displayed on the store's walls, OHSAA stripped him of his eligibility. James appealed and a judge blocked the ruling, reducing the penalty to a two-game suspension and allowing him to play the remainder of the season. However, James's team was forced to forfeit one of their wins as a result. Despite the distractions, the Irish won a third state title, and James, for an unprecedented third time, was named Mr. Basketball Ohio and to the All-USA First Team. He earned MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game, the EA Sports Roundball Classic, and the Jordan Capital Classic. Although it was a foregone conclusion, by participating in more than two high school all-star events, James legally lost his NCAA eligibility. NBA career Rookie season In what was one of the most anticipated NBA drafts in recent memory, James was the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Because of immense public interest in James, he became an instant celebrity. Even before James played a single NBA game, he was awarded an unprecedented $90 million shoe contract by Nike. LeBron James on the shootout practice with US national team before the game vs. Serbia and Montenegro in Belgrade, August 6, 2004. In his first NBA basket, he came up with a steal and a fast-break dunk for two points. That lead the way to netting 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and four steals on 12-of-20 shooting in his first regular season NBA game against the Sacramento Kings. He went on to win Rookie of the Year honors. He finished his rookie season with 20.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only three players to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in a rookie season. The Cavaliers improved by 18 wins in his first season, but failed to make the playoffs. 2004-05 season In the offseason, James played for Team USA in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece where he and his teammates won the bronze medal in men's basketball, the first time an American Olympic team using NBA players (called the Dream Teams) failed to win the gold medal. Due to coach Larry Brown's preference for experienced players, James' minutes on the court were limited. In the 2004-2005 season, James became the youngest player to register a triple-double (double digits in three statistical categories such as points, assist, rebounds) and the youngest player to score 50 points in one game (56 points in a loss to the Toronto Raptors), making his first All-Star team in the process. James's season averages also improved statistically (27.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 7.2 apg). He joined a select group of players to average over 25 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds in a season and was the youngest on that list by far. Again, the Cavaliers failed to reach the playoffs (this time by only one game), finishing two games over the .500 mark. 2005-06 season The Cavaliers made several off-season moves in the summer of 2005, adding Larry Hughes (from the Washington Wizards), Damon Jones (from the Miami Heat) and Donyell Marshall (from the Toronto Raptors). The Cavs' front office underwent substantial management changes at this time as well. Long-time owner Gordon Gund sold the franchise to Dan Gilbert, who subsequently replaced General Manager Jim Paxson with former Cavs player Danny Ferry, and brought in Mike Brown as the new head coach. At the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, James led the Eastern Conference team to victory with a 29-point, six-rebound performance. He was awarded the game's MVP, becoming the youngest player to do so. James finished the season with 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game, joining Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in a single season. James also became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 30 points per game in a season. One of James' highlights in the season was going for nine straight games with 35+ points. The only other players since 1970 to accomplish that feat were Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. MVP candidacy Following the 2005-2006 regular season, James was one of the top candidates for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He was third in the league in scoring, and second in the league in PER behind Kevin Garnett. He also finished first among forwards with 6.6 apg and 31.4 ppg.[1] James finished second to Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns in MVP voting. James was awarded co-MVP honors with Nash by The Sporting News, an award given by that publication based on voting of the thirty General Managers in the league. 2005-06 Playoffs On March 29, 2006, the Cavaliers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1998. In just three years, James had transformed the Cavaliers from a lottery team (17-65 the season before he arrived) into a playoff contender, ending the 2005-2006 season with a 50-32 record, 4th in the Eastern Conference. On April 22 James made his playoff debut against the Washington Wizards and recorded a triple-double, with 32 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in the Game 1 victory. He became the third player in NBA history to register a triple-double in his playoff debut, joining Johnny McCarthy (1960) and Magic Johnson (1980). On April 28 in Game 3, he became the first player to score over 40 points in his first playoff road game, with 41 in a win over the Wizards. The Cavaliers won the series 4 games to 2, and James tallied 35.7 points per game while shooting 51% from the field. His scoring average is third all-time behind Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for a player's first playoff series. James led the Cavaliers to a 3-2 series lead over the defending Eastern Conference champion and divisional rival Detroit Pistons. The Pistons, however, eliminated the Cavs by winning the final two games. James averaged 30.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 5.8 apg in his first ever playoff tenure in the NBA. Player profile Although James primarily plays small forward, he is sometimes described as a "point forward" due to his ability to handle and pass the ball. He has a career average of 6.6 apg. James' overall skill sets and on-court play have led to comparisons to NBA greats such as Magic Johnson and his childhood idol Michael Jordan.[2] Due to James' versatile gameplay, others consider him more in the vein of the legendary Oscar Robertson, who was known for his great all-around play. In the 2005-06 season, James ranked among the league leaders in triple-doubles, and has 11 in his career. James relies on his quickness, size and strength to get to the basket, and is skilled at drawing contact and the resulting foul. In the 2006 season he led the league in completed traditional three point plays. Among his less developed areas according to analysts of James' game, are that his defensive efforts lag behind his offensive skills, as he has yet to receive a significant amount of votes for any of the defensive teams, receiving only 3 votes in 2006.[3] Awards and honors Olympic medal record Men's Basketball Bronze 2004 Athens United States NBA highlights TSN NBA Co-MVP: 2006 (Steve Nash is the other player to win the award) NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006 2-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006 2-time All-NBA: First Team: 2006 Second Team: 2005 NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004 TSN NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004 NBA regular-season leader, field goals made: 2005 (795) NBA regular-season leader, minutes played: 2005 (3,388) Career triple-doubles: 11 (as of May 15, 2006) Led the league in traditional three-point plays with (79) in the 2005-06 NBA season.[4] NBA milestones James owns numerous NBA "youngest player" records: Youngest player in NBA history and the first Cavalier to be named NBA Rookie of the Year, at 19 years of age. Youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his career (20 years, 20 days), with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on January 19, 2005 vs. the Portland Trail Blazers. Youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in one game (20 years, 80 days), with 56 points vs. the Toronto Raptors on March 20, 2005. Youngest player in NBA history to score 2000 points in a season and average 30 points per game in a season (2005-2006 season). Youngest player in NBA history to reach: 1,000 points* 2,000 points* 3,000 points* 4,000 points* 5,000 points* 6,000 points in his career (21 years, 89 days) set on March 29, 2006 vs. the Dallas Mavericks. Youngest player in NBA history to win an All-Star Game MVP (21 years, 55 days) Youngest player in NBA history to be named to the All-NBA first team (21 years, 138 days) Personal records One of only three players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his rookie season (joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan). One of only five players in NBA history to average over 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in a season (joining Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek) One of only four players in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in a single season One of only three players since 1970 to record nine straight games of scoring 35 or more points. One of only three players in NBA history to record a triple-double in his playoff debut (joining Magic Johnson and Johnny McCarthy). The first player to score more than 40 points in his first playoff road game, with 41 points in Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Playoffs. Cavaliers franchise records (10) Points Game: 56 (March 20, 2005 vs. Toronto Raptors). Game, playoffs: 45 (May 3, 2006 vs. Washington Wizards). Half, playoffs: 25 (1st half, April 30, 2006 vs. Washington Wizards). [5] Quarter: 21 (4th quarter, April 5, 2006 vs. New York Knicks). Quarter, playoffs: 18 (1st quarter, April 30, 2006 vs. Washington Wizards) [6] Season: 2,478 (2005-06) Scoring average, all-time: 26.5 Scoring average, month: 32.9 (March 2006) [7] Consecutive games scoring at least 35 points: 9 (March 22–April 8, 2006) [8] Field goals made Game: 19 (3 times, most recently April 5, 2006 vs. New York Knicks) High school achievements 2001 USA Today All-USA First Team (first sophomore to receive this honor) Ohio Mr. Basketball (first sophomore to receive this honor) Adidas ABCD Camp Underclassmen MVP 2002 USA Today High School Player of the Year Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player of the Year USA Today All-USA First Team Ohio Mr. Basketball 2003 USA Today High School Player of the Year Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player of the Year USA Today All-USA First Team Ohio Mr. Basketball Ohio Division II Player of the Year Naismith High School Player of the Year Morgan Wootten Award (McDonald's National Player of the Year) McDonald's High School All-American McDonald's High School All-American Game MVP Jeremy Nathaniel Memorial Classic MVP Jordan Capital Classic MVP EA Sports Roundball Classic MVP Trivia He has one son, LeBron James Jr., born on October 6, 2004, to Savannah, James' high school sweetheart. Wore jersey #32 as a freshman while at Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School before later adopting the number #23 in tribute to Michael Jordan. He currently still wears #23 with the Cavaliers. He made a guest appearance on his favorite show, The Simpsons, in the episode "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass". Further reading Jones, Ryan: King James: Believe the Hype, St. Martin's Griffin 2003. ISBN 0312322291 Morgan, David Lee: LeBron James: The Rise of a Star, Gray & Company Publishers 2003. ISBN 1886228744 External links Official site NBA.com Profile - LeBron James LeBron James career statistics at Basketball-Reference.com LeBron James at ESPN.com LeBron James at the Internet Movie Database Fantasy NBA Basketball Stats - LeBron James LeBron James at Yahoo! Sports Bernard G. Watkins - an alternate view on LeBron The LeBron Phenomenon LeBron James Profile (InterBasket) LeBron Day 2005 2004 St. Vincent - St. Mary High School Official Web Site LeBron James - Unofficial Fansite Preceded by: Amare Stoudemire NBA Rookie of the Year 2004 Succeeded by: Emeka Okafor Preceded by: Allen Iverson NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 2006 Succeeded by: TBD Search Term: "LeBron_James" Categories: 1984 births | American basketball players | African American basketball players | Olympic competitors for the United States | Akronites | Cleveland Cavaliers players | Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics | NBA high school players | Living people | McDonald's High School All-Americans | Roman Catholic sportspeople