LeBron James
The NBA's all-time leading scorer and a four-time champion.
LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, not the Phoenix Suns. Nicknamed "King James," he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and has won four NBA championships from 10 NBA Finals appearances, including eight consecutive appearances between 2011 and 2018. He has won three Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. national team. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, James gained national attention at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School and was heavily touted as a future NBA superstar for his all-around scoring, passing, athleticism and playmaking abilities.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Small forward; power forward
- League
- NBA
- Team
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Born
- 30 December 1984
- Birthplace
- Akron, Ohio, U.S.
- High school
- St. Vincent–St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
- Draft round
- 1
- Drafted by
- Cleveland Cavaliers
Lore & Background
LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, to 16-year-old Gloria Marie James. His father, Anthony McClelland, was not involved in his life. During his childhood, the family often struggled, moving between apartments while Gloria sought steady employment. She allowed him to live with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football coach who introduced James to basketball when he was nine. James began playing organized basketball in the fifth grade and later competed in AAU basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars. The team, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee, called themselves the "Fab Four" and agreed to attend high school together at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. As a freshman, James averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds per game, leading the Fighting Irish to a 27–0 season and the Division III state title. As a sophomore, he averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 steals per game, becoming the first sophomore named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team. During his junior year, James appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the first high school basketball underclassman to do so, and became the first junior to be named male basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year. In his senior year, he averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game, was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team for an unprecedented third consecutive year, and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Reader's Guide
LeBron James holds several individual honors, including four NBA MVP awards, four Finals MVP awards, the Rookie of the Year award, three All-Star Game MVP awards, the inaugural NBA Cup MVP, and the Olympics MVP in the 2024 Summer Olympics. He is a record 22-time All-Star and 21-time All-NBA selection (including a record 13 First Team selections), and has made six All-Defensive Teams. The oldest active player in the NBA, he holds records for the most seasons played with 23, the most games played, the most minutes played, and the most field goals made in league history. In addition to ranking fourth in NBA career assists and sixth in NBA career steals, James is the first player in NBA history to accumulate $1 billion in earnings as an active player. He has been listed by Forbes as one of the world's ten highest-paid athletes fifteen times. He was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2005, 2013, 2017, and 2019—the most selections for a professional athlete. Off the court, James has earned further wealth and fame from numerous endorsement contracts.
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