LeBron James

American basketball player
“ LeBron ” redirects here. For other people with the name, see Lebrón For his son LeBron James Jr., see Bronny James

Reading: LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984 ) is an american master basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ). Nicknamed “ King James “, he is wide considered one of the greatest players in NBA history and is frequently compared to Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball player always. [ 1 ] The merely musician to have won NBA championships with three franchises ( the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Lakers ) as NBA Finals MVP, [ 2 ] James has competed in ten NBA Finals, eight of them consecutively with the Heat and the Cavaliers from 2011 to 2018. His accomplishments include four NBA championships, four NBA MVP awards, four NBA Finals MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals. During his 18-year career, James holds the phonograph record for all-time playoffs points, is third in all-time points, and eighth in career assists. James has been selected to the All-NBA Team a record 17 times ( with a criminal record of 13 First Team selections and 11 back-to-back First Team selections, the latter of which is shared with Jordan and Karl Malone ), made the NBA All-Defensive First Team five times, and has been named an All-Star 17 times, including three All-Star MVP selections. In 2021, he was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary team. James played basketball for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was heavily touted by the national media as a future NBA ace. A prep-to-pro, he was selected by Cleveland with the foremost overall pick of the 2003 NBA gulp. Named the 2003–04 Rookie of the year, he soon established himself as one of the league ‘s premier players, winning the NBA MVP Award in 2009 and 2010. After failing to win a championship with Cleveland, James left in 2010 to sign as a free agent with Miami. This motion was announced in an ESPN particular titled The Decision, and is one of the most controversial free-agent decisions in sports history. James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Heat in 2012 and 2013 ; in both of these years, he besides earned league MVP and Finals MVP. After his fourthly season with the Heat in 2014, James opted out of his sign to re-sign with the Cavaliers. In 2016, he led the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals by coming back from a 3–1 deficit, delivering the franchise ‘s foremost championship and ending Cleveland ‘s 52-year professional sports championship drought. In 2018, James exercised his contract choice to leave the Cavaliers and signed with the Lakers, where he won the 2020 championship and was awarded his fourthly Finals MVP. In 2021, James became the first base player in NBA history to accumulate $ 1 billion in earnings as an active player. [ 3 ] Off the court, James has accumulated more wealth and fame from numerous second contracts. He has been featured in books, documentaries ( including winning two Sports Emmy Awards as an executive producer ), and television commercials. He has hosted the ESPY Awards and Saturday Night Live, and won 19 ESPY Awards himself. He besides appeared in films such as Trainwreck and Space Jam: A New Legacy. James has been a part-owner of Liverpool F.C. since 2011, with the baseball club winning the 2018–2019 UEFA Champions League and 2019–2020 Premier League. Having become more involved in philanthropic and militant pursuits late in his career, James ‘s charitable organization, the LeBron James Family Foundation, helped open an elementary school, house complex, and community center/retail plaza in his hometown of Akron. [ 4 ]

early animation

James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, to Gloria Marie James, who was 16 at the fourth dimension of his give birth. [ 5 ] : 22 His beget, Anthony McClelland, has an extensive criminal record and was not involved in his life. [ 6 ] When James was growing up, life was frequently a fight for the family, as they moved from apartment to apartment in the seedier neighborhoods of Akron while Gloria struggled to find steady work. [ 7 ] Realizing that her son would be better off in a more stable family environment, Gloria allowed him to move in with the syndicate of Frank Walker, a local youth football passenger car who introduced James to basketball when he was nine years old. [ 5 ] : 23 James began playing organized basketball in the fifth grade. [ 8 ] He later played Amateur Athletic Union ( AAU ) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars. [ 7 ] The team enjoyed success on a local anesthetic and national level, led by James and his friends xian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee. [ 5 ] : 24 The group dubbed themselves the “ Fab Four ” and promised each other that they would attend high school together. [ 5 ] : 27 In a motivate that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a individual catholic school with predominantly white students. [ 9 ]

high school career

basketball

As a freshman, James averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game for the St. Vincent–St. Mary varsity basketball team. [ 10 ] The Fighting Irish went 27–0 en route to the Division III state title, making them the only boys gamey school team in Ohio to finish the season undefeated. [ 11 ] As a sophomore, James averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds with 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game. [ 12 ] For some home games during the season, St. Vincent–St. Mary played at the University of Akron ‘s 5,492-seat Rhodes Arena to satisfy ticket demand from alumni, fans, american samoa well as college and NBA scouts who wanted to see James play. [ 13 ] The Fighting Irish finished the season 26–1 and repeated as state of matter champions. [ 10 ] For his outstanding bring, James was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, becoming the first sophomore to do either. [ 10 ] Before the get down of his junior year, James was featured in Slam, an American basketball magazine, and writer Ryan Jones lauded him as possibly “ the best gamey school basketball actor in America properly now ”. [ 14 ] During the temper, James besides appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first high school basketball lowerclassman to do sol. [ 5 ] : 104 With averages of 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game, he was again named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, [ 10 ] and became the first junior to be named male basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year. [ 5 ] : 117 St. Vincent–St. Mary finished the year with a 23–4 record, ending their season with a personnel casualty in the Division II backing game. [ 5 ] : 114 Following the loss, James unsuccessfully petitioned for a change to the NBA ‘s draft eligibility rules in an attack to enter the 2002 NBA draft. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] During this time, he used cannabis, which he said was to help cope with the stress that resulted from the constant media care he was receiving. [ 17 ] Throughout his senior year, James and the Fighting Irish traveled around the nation to play a issue of nationally ranked teams, including a bet on on December 12, 2002, against Oak Hill Academy that was nationally televised on ESPN2. [ 5 ] : 142 Time Warner Cable, looking to capitalize on James ‘s popularity, offered St. Vincent–St. Mary ‘s games to subscribers on a pay-per-view footing throughout the season. [ 5 ] : 143 For the year, James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game, [ 10 ] was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team for an unprecedented third base straight year, [ 5 ] : 178 and was named Gatorade National Player of the year for the second consecutive year. [ 10 ] He participated in three year-end high educate basketball all-star games—the EA Sports Roundball Classic, the Jordan Capital Classic, and the McDonald ‘s All-American Game —losing his National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) eligibility and making it official that he would enter the 2003 NBA draft. [ 18 ] besides during his senior year, James was the centerpiece of several controversies. For his 18th birthday, he skirted submit amateur bylaw by accepting a Hummer H2 as a give from his mother, who had secured a loanword for the vehicle by utilizing James ‘s future earning ability as an NBA ace. [ 19 ] This prompted an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association ( OHSAA ) because its guidelines stated that no amateur may accept any endow valued over $ 100 as a advantage for athletic performance. James was cleared of any wrongdoing because he had accepted the lavishness vehicle from a kin member and not from an agent or any outside informant. [ 18 ] Later in the season, James accepted two atavist jerseys worth $ 845 from an urban invest store in exchange for posing for pictures, formally violating OHSAA rules and resulting in him being stripped of his senior high school school sports eligibility. [ 18 ] James appealed the opinion and his punishment was finally dropped to a two-game suspension, allowing him to play the remainder of the year. The Irish were besides forced to forfeit one of their wins, their merely official personnel casualty that season. [ 20 ] In his first game bet on after the suspension, James scored a career-high 52 points. [ 21 ] St. Vincent–St. Mary went on to win the Division II championship, marking their third class title in four years. [ 22 ]

As an lowerclassman, James played wide receiver for St. Vincent–St. Mary ‘s football team. [ 5 ] : 51 He was recruited by some Division I programs, including Notre Dame. [ 23 ] At the decision of his sophomore year, he was named first team all-state, and as a junior, he helped lead the Fighting Irish to the state semifinals. [ 12 ] He did not play during his senior class because of a wrist wound that he sustained in an AAU basketball game. [ 24 ] Some sports analysts, football critics, high school coaches, erstwhile and current players have speculated that James could have played in the National Football League. [ a ]

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers ( 2003–2010 )

2003–2004 : cub temper

James was selected by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. [ 29 ] In his first regular season bet on, he scored 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for most points scored by a prep-to-pro player in his debut performance. [ 30 ] At the decision of the season, he became the beginning Cavalier to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, [ 31 ] and with final averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per bet on, he besides became just the one-third player in league history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game as a cub. [ 32 ] Cleveland ultimately finished the temper 35–47, failing to make the playoffs despite an 18-game improvement over the previous year. [ 33 ]

2004–2008 : get up to superstardom

James earned his first NBA All-Star Game choice in 2004–05, contributing 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a win effort for the Eastern Conference. [ 34 ] Around the league, teams took note of his rapid development, with Denver Nuggets coach George Karl telling Sports Illustrated, “ It ‘s weird talking about a 20-year-old kid being a great player, but he is a big player … He ‘s the exception to about every rule. ” [ 35 ] On March 20, James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland ‘s newly single-game points record. [ 36 ] With final averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per bet on, he was named to his first All-NBA Team. [ 12 ] Despite a 30–20 record to start the year, [ 36 ] the Cavaliers again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season 42–40. [ 37 ]
[38][39] James engages in his pre-game ritual of tossing beat chalk into the air in March 2008 ; the everyday was largely ended after 2011. At the 2006 All-Star Game, James led the East to victory with 29 points and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. [ 40 ] Behind concluding temper averages of 31.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, [ 41 ] he besides finished second in overall NBA Most Valuable Player Award vote to Steve Nash. [ 42 ] Under James ‘s leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first base clock time since 1998. [ 43 ] In his postseason debut, James recorded a triple-double in a victorious attempt versus the Washington Wizards. [ 44 ] In Game 3 of the series, he made the first game-winning fritter of his career, making another in Game 5. [ 45 ] Cleveland would go on to defeat the Wizards before being ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the second circle. [ 46 ] In 2006–07, James ‘s averages declined to 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. [ 12 ] Some analysts attributed the fall to a arrested development in his pass skills and shoot choice, which stemmed from a lack of feat and concentrate. [ 47 ] The Cavaliers finished the temper with 50 wins for the second consecutive year and entered the playoffs as the East ‘s moment source. [ 48 ] In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, James notched 48 points with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, scoring 29 of Cleveland ‘s end 30 points, including the game-winning lay-up with two seconds left in a double-overtime game against the Pistons. [ 49 ] After the game, play-by-play announcer Marv Albert called the performance “ one of the greatest moments in postseason history ” and color observer Steve Kerr described it as “ Jordan -esque ”. [ 50 ] In 2012, ESPN ranked the performance the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history. [ 51 ] The Cavaliers went on to win Game 6 and claim their first-ever Eastern Conference championship, [ 52 ] earning them a match-up with the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. [ 53 ] During the championship round, James struggled, averaging 22 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on barely 35.6 percentage shoot, [ 54 ] and Cleveland was eliminated in a sweep. [ 53 ] In February of the 2007–08 season, James was named All-Star Game MVP for the second gear time behind a 27-point, 8-rebound, and 9-assist performance. [ 55 ] On March 21, he moved past Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers ‘ all-time leading scorer in a game against the Raptors, doing so in over 100 less games than Daugherty. [ 56 ] His 30 points per crippled were besides the highest in the league, marking his beginning grade style. [ 57 ] Despite his individual accomplishments, Cleveland ‘s phonograph record fell from the year before to 45–37. [ 58 ] Seeded one-fourth in the East entering the playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards in the first cycle for the third back-to-back season before being eliminated in seven games by the eventual-champion Boston Celtics in the following round. [ 59 ] During the decisive seventh plot in Boston, James scored 45 points and Paul Pierce scored 41 in a game the Associated Press described as a “ gunfight ”. [ 60 ]

2008–2010 : most valuable player seasons

[61] James and DeShawn Stevenson in April 2008. The two had a short feud after Stevenson called James “ overrated ”. At the decision of the 2008–09 season, James finished second in NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award vote and made his inaugural NBA All-Defensive Team, [ 62 ] posting 23 chase-down blocks and a career-high 93 total blocks. [ 63 ] He besides became lone the fourth postmerger player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in a individual temper. [ 64 ] Behind his play and the acquisition of All-Star guard Mo Williams, Cleveland went a franchise record 66–16 and fell equitable one game short of matching the best home criminal record in league history. [ 65 ] With final averages of 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks per plot, James became the first gear Cavalier to win the MVP Award. [ 66 ] Reflecting on James ‘s performance for ESPN, John Hollinger later wrote, “ He ‘s having what is arguably the greatest individual season in history, and it ‘s time we gave him his due for it. ” [ 67 ] In the playoffs, Cleveland swept the Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks to earn a match-up with the Orlando Magic in the Conference Finals. [ 68 ] In Game 1 of the series, James scored 49 points on 66 percentage inject in a lose campaign for the Cavaliers. [ 51 ] In Game 2, he hit a game-winner to tie the series at 1–1. [ 69 ] Cleveland would lose the series in six games, and following the loss in Game 6, James immediately left the floor without shaking hands with his opponents, which was an act that many media members viewed as cheating. [ 70 ] [ 71 ] For the series, he averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8 assists per game, [ 72 ] finishing the postseason with a career playoff-high 35.3 points per game. [ 41 ] In February of the 2009–10 season, James was forced into a impermanent point guard role following a serial of injuries to players in the Cavaliers ‘ backcourt. [ 73 ] Behind his leadership, Cleveland lost no momentum, finishing the year with the best commemorate in the league for the second consecutive season. [ 74 ] Due in character to his increase minutes as the Cavaliers ‘ primary testis handler, James increased his statistical product, averaging 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1 forget per bet on on 50 percentage shooting en route to another MVP Award. [ 75 ] To open the playoffs, Cleveland advanced past the Bulls to earn a match-up with the Celtics in the moment round. [ 76 ] James was heavily criticized for not playing well in Game 5 of the series, shooting entirely 20 percentage on 14 shots and scoring 15 points. [ 77 ] The team suffered its worst passing in franchise history, and at the conclusion of the game, James walked off the woo to a smattering of boo from Cleveland ‘s home crowd. [ 78 ] The Cavaliers were formally eliminated from the postseason in Game 6, with James posting 27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, and nine turnovers in the lose effort. [ 76 ]

Miami Heat ( 2010–2014 )

The Decision

[79] James with the Cavaliers in November 2009. He finished his first stretch with the Cavs averaging 27.8 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. James became an unexclusive free agent at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2010. [ 80 ] During this clock time, he was contacted by several teams, including the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and Cavaliers. [ 81 ] On July 8, he announced on a live ESPN special titled The Decision that he would sign with the Heat. [ 82 ] The telecast was broadcast from the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut and raised $ 2.5 million for the charity. An extra $ 3.5 million was raised from advertising tax income, which was donated to early charities. [ 83 ] The day before the special, companion free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade besides announced that they would sign with Miami ; [ 84 ] reports late arose that back in 2006 the three had discussed among themselves their approaching 2010 rid agencies. [ 85 ] James decided to join with Bosh and Wade in part so that he could shoulder less of the unsavory burden ; he thought that his improved teammates would give him a better luck of winning an NBA backing than had he stayed in Cleveland. [ 86 ] Heat president of the united states Pat Riley played a major function in selling James on the theme of playing with Bosh and Wade. [ 87 ] James would be relieved of the burden of marking, and he thought he could be the beginning player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double in a season. [ 86 ] Upon leaving the Cavaliers, James drew intense criticism from sports analysts, executives, fans, and current and former players. The Decision itself was besides scrutinized and viewed as unnecessary. many thought that the prolong wait for James ‘s choice was unprofessional as not even the teams courting him were aware of his decision until moments before the show. [ 88 ] Upon determine that James would not be returning to Cleveland, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert published an loose letter to fans in which he aggressively denounced James ‘s actions. [ 89 ] Some angry fans of the team recorded videos of themselves burning his jersey. [ 90 ] Former NBA players, including Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, were besides critical of James, condemning him for joining with Bosh and Wade in Miami and not trying to win a backing as “ the man ”. [ 91 ] [ 92 ] [ 93 ] James drew foster criticism in a September interview with CNN when he claimed that rush might have been a factor in the side effect from The Decision. [ 94 ] [ 95 ] As a solution of his actions during the 2010 free agency period, he promptly gained a reputation as one of America ‘s most disliked athletes, which was a extremist change from prior years. [ 96 ] [ 97 ] The give voice “ taking my talents to South Beach ” became a punch line for critics. [ 98 ] [ 99 ] In review, James has expressed some regret over his treat of The Decision. [ 97 ] [ 100 ] [ 101 ]

2010–2011 : class of media and fan scrutiny

James officially signed with the Heat on July 10, 2010, through a sign-and-trade deal which sent two second and two first turn draft picks to the Cavaliers and gave the team the choice to swap first circle picks with the Heat in 2012. [ 102 ] [ 103 ] As separate of the first base player-created NBA superteam [ 104 ] he became only the third reigning MVP to change teams and the first since Moses Malone in 1982. [ 105 ] That even, the Heat threw a welcome party for their newfangled “ big three “ at the American Airlines Arena, an event that took on a rock concert atmosphere. [ 106 ] During the gather, James predicted a dynasty for the Heat and alluded to multiple championships. [ 107 ] [ 108 ] Outside of Miami, the spectacle was not well-received, furthering the negative public percept of James. [ 109 ] Throughout the 2010–11 season, the media and opposing fanbases treated James and the Heat as villains. [ 110 ] To begin the year, they struggled to adjust to these new circumstances, going only 9–8 after 17 games. [ 111 ] James belated admitted that the changeless negativity surrounding the team made him play with an angrier demeanor than in years past. [ 110 ] On December 2, James faced the Cavaliers in Cleveland for the first time since departing as a free agent. [ 112 ] He scored 38 points and led Miami to a win while being booed every meter he touched the ball. [ 113 ] The Heat finally turned their season around and finished as the East ‘s second sow, [ 114 ] with James averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists per game on 51 percentage shooting. [ 41 ] In the Conference Semifinals, James and his teammates found themselves matched up with the Celtics for the moment consecutive class. [ 115 ] In Game 5, he scored Miami ‘s final ten-spot points to help seal a series-clinching succeed. [ 116 ] After the final examination buzzer, he excellently knelt on the court in an emotional moment, later telling reporters that it was an extremely personal victory for him and the team. [ 117 ] The Heat finally advanced to the Finals, where they were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks in six games. [ 115 ] James received the brunt of the criticism for the loss, averaging lone three points in fourth quarters in the series. [ 118 ] His Finals scoring average of 17.8 points per crippled signified an 8.9-point drop from the regular temper, the largest point slump in league history. [ 119 ]

2011–2013 : back-to-back championships

The 2011–12 season was delayed by the 2011 NBA lockout. That summer, James worked with Hakeem Olajuwon in rate to improve his post game. [ 120 ] [ 111 ] [ 121 ] Years late, James revealed that during the lockout he received shrink offers to play professional football from the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks [ 122 ] and that he gave the idea of playing football dangerous circumstance and even began training with it in heed. [ 123 ] Humbled by the Heat ‘s loss to the Mavericks, the have inspired James to leave behind the villain role that he had been embracing, which helped him regain a sense of joy on the motor hotel. [ 110 ] Behind James ‘s extend skillset, [ 121 ] Miami began the year with a franchise-best 18–6 record. [ 124 ] He was finally named MVP for the third base time, finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 53 percentage inject. [ 125 ]
[126] James stands at midcourt during a dead ball on January 16, 2013. On that night, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points. In the irregular polish of the playoffs, Miami temporarily lost Bosh to an abdominal injury and found themselves trailing the Indiana Pacers 2–1. [ 127 ] James responded with a 40-point, 18-rebound, and 9-assist out in Game 4 to help even the series. [ 128 ] To compensate for Bosh ‘s absence, the Heat embraced a small-ball lineup with James at power forward, which they retained even after Bosh ‘s return in the Conference Finals against the Celtics. [ 129 ] [ 130 ] Facing elimination in Game 6, James recorded 45 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Heat to victory in what The New York Times called a “ career-defining performance ”. [ 131 ] Miami won Game 7 to advance to the Finals, earning them a match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder and James ‘s budding rival, Kevin Durant. [ 132 ] Late in Game 4 of the series, James hit a three-pointer to give the Heat a lead, helping them win the plot despite missing time with leg cramps. [ 133 ] In Game 5, he registered a triple-double as Miami defeated Oklahoma City for their second-ever championship and James ‘s inaugural backing. [ 134 ] 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. [ 135 ] His entire postseason run, in which he averaged 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game, was subsequently ranked the second good in modern NBA history by ESPN. [ 136 ] In February of the 2012–13 season, James averaged 29.7 points and 7.8 assists per game while setting multiple shooting efficiency records. [ 137 ] [ 138 ] That like calendar month, the Heat besides began a 27-game acquire streak, which is the third base longest in NBA history. [ 139 ] Based on these accomplishments, James ‘s performance was described as a “ month for the ages ” by Sports Illustrated. [ 140 ] Miami finally finished the year with a franchise and league well 66–16 read, [ 141 ] and James was named MVP for the fourth time, falling merely one vote diffident of becoming the beginning player in NBA history to win the award unanimously. [ 142 ] His final temper averages were 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 56.5 percentage inject. [ 41 ] In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, James scored a buzzer-beating lay-up to give Miami a one-point victory against the Pacers. [ 143 ] Throughout the series, his supporting draw struggled significantly, and his add grade load prompted him to compare his responsibilities to those of his “ Cleveland days ”. [ 144 ] Despite these struggles, the Heat advanced to the Finals for a meeting with the Spurs, [ 145 ] signifying a replay for James from his first Finals six years earlier. [ 146 ] At the begin of the series, he was criticized for his miss of aggression and poor people changeable survival as Miami fell behind 2–3. [ 72 ] [ 145 ] [ 147 ] In Game 6, he recorded his second triple-double of the series, including 16 fourth one-fourth points, to lead the Heat to a rejoinder victory. [ 148 ] In Game 7, he tied the Finals record for most points scored in a Game 7 victory, leading Miami over San Antonio with 37 points. [ 149 ] He was named Finals MVP for the second straight season, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for the championship round. [ 150 ]

2013–2014 : Final temper in Miami

On March 3 of the 2013–14 temper, James scored a career-high and franchise-record 61 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. [ 151 ] Throughout the year, he was one of the few staples for a Heat roll that used 20 unlike starting lineups due to injuries, [ 152 ] finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 56.7 percentage shooting. [ 41 ] In the second round of the playoffs, he tied a career postseason-high by scoring 49 points in Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets. [ 153 ] In the next polish, Miami defeated the Pacers to earn their fourth consecutive Finals moor, becoming one of alone four teams in NBA history to do thus. [ 154 ] In Game 1 of the Finals, James missed most of the fourth quarter because of leg cramps, helping the Spurs take an early series leave. [ 155 ] In Game 2, he led the Heat to a series-tying victory with 35 points on a 64 percentage shooting pace. [ 156 ] San Antonio finally eliminated the Heat in five games, ending Miami ‘s quest for a three-peat. [ 157 ] For the Finals, James averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per bet on. [ 158 ]

hark back to the Cavaliers ( 2014–2018 )

On June 25, 2014, James opted out of his narrow with the Heat, and on July 1, he officially became an nonsensitive unblock agent. [ 159 ] On July 11, he revealed via a first-person test in Sports Illustrated that he intended to return to the Cavaliers. [ 160 ] In contrast to The Decision, his announcement to return to Cleveland was well received. [ 161 ] [ 162 ] [ 163 ] On July 12, he officially signed with the team, [ 164 ] who had compiled a league-worst 97–215 record in the four seasons following his passing. [ 165 ] A month after James ‘s sign, the Cavaliers acquired Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves, forming a newly star trio along with Kyrie Irving. [ 166 ]

2014–2016 : Ending Cleveland ‘s championship drought

[167][168] James throws a crack as Gorgui Dieng defends in December 2014. Later that season, James reached several pass milestones, including becoming the Cavaliers ‘ all-time assists leader. In January of the 2014–15 season, James missed two weeks due to exit stifle and lower back strains, which at the prison term represented the longest stretch of miss games in his career. [ 169 ] In total, he played a career-low 69 games and his concluding averages were 25.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per crippled. [ 41 ] In the second round off of the playoffs, he hit a baseline jumper at the doorbell to give Cleveland a 2–2 series affiliation with the Bulls. [ 170 ] In the Conference Finals, the Cavaliers defeated the Hawks to advance to the Finals, making James the first player since the 1960s to play in five straight Finals. [ 171 ] For most of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Irving and Love were sidelined due to injury, giving James more dysphemistic responsibilities. [ 171 ] Behind his leadership, the Cavaliers opened the serial with a 2–1 lead before being eliminated in six games. [ 172 ] Despite the loss, he received unplayful consideration for the Finals MVP Award, [ 173 ] averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game for the championship round. [ 172 ] During the 2015–16 season, James was criticized for his function in several off-court controversies, including the midseason fuel of Cavaliers ‘ bus David Blatt. [ 174 ] [ 175 ] Despite these distractions, Cleveland finished the class with 57 wins and the best record in the East. [ 176 ] James ‘s final examination averages were 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on 52 percentage inject. [ 41 ] In the playoffs, the Cavaliers advanced comfortably to the Finals, losing only two games en road to a replay with the Warriors, [ 176 ] who were coming off a record-setting 73-win season. [ 177 ] To begin the series, Cleveland fell behind 3–1, including two gala losses. [ 178 ] James responded by registering back-to-back 41 point games in Games 5 and 6, leading the Cavaliers to two straight wins to stave off elimination. [ 179 ] In Game 7, he posted a triple-double and made a number of key plays, including “ The Block “ on Andre Iguodala, [ 180 ] as Cleveland emerged victorious, winning the city ‘s inaugural professional sports style in 52 years and becoming the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit in the Finals. [ 181 ] James became just the third gear actor to record a triple-double in an NBA Finals Game 7, [ 182 ] and behind series averages of 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 2.6 steals per game, [ 178 ] he besides became the first player in league history to lead both teams in all five statistical categories for a playoff round of golf, culminating in a consentaneous Finals MVP choice. [ 183 ]

2016–2018 : end of second base least sandpiper in Cleveland

James dunking in October 2016 The 2016–17 season was marred by injuries and unexpected losses for the Cavaliers ; [ 184 ] James late described it as one of the “ strangest ” years of his career. [ 185 ] Following a January frustration to the New Orleans Pelicans, he publicly criticized Cleveland ‘s front office for constructing a team that he felt was besides “ acme heavy ”, for which he received countercriticism. [ 186 ] The Cavaliers finished the season as the East ‘s second seed, with James averaging 26.4 points and career highs in rebounds ( 8.6 ), assists ( 8.7 ), and turnovers ( 4.1 ) per game. [ 41 ] In Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs, he registered 41 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Pacers, leading Cleveland to a rejoinder victory after trailing by 25 points at halftime, representing the largest halftime deficit overcome in NBA playoff history. [ 187 ] In Game 5 of the Conference Finals against the Celtics, James scored 35 points and surpassed Michael Jordan as the league ‘s all-time postseason scoring leader. [ 188 ] The Cavaliers won the game and the series, advancing to the Finals for the third consecutive time against the Warriors, who had signed James ‘s rival Kevin Durant during the off-season. [ 189 ] Behind averages of 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists per game, James became the first musician to average a triple-double in the Finals, but Cleveland was defeated in five games. [ 190 ]
[191] James protects the ball from Kyrie Irving in October 2017. The two were teammates in Cleveland for three seasons. anterior to the startle of the 2017–18 season, the Cavaliers overhauled their roll by trading Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, who requested a trade in part because he no longer wanted to play with James. [ 191 ] After a dense begin to the year, Cleveland rebounded by winning 18 of 19 games in December. [ 192 ] Their reversal began with a victory over the Wizards on November 3 where James scored 57 points, which represented the second-highest point total of his career and tied a franchise record. [ 193 ] On November 28, James was ejected for the first prison term in his career in a game against the Heat when he rushed over to argue with referee Kane Fitzgerald about a no-call on his drive to the basket. Fitzgerald gave James an immediate technical fetid before ejecting him with 1:56 remaining in the stern and the Cavs head by 23. When asked about the situation, James stated, “ I got fouled and showed my frustration to the referee, and he sent me to the locker room. That especial meet, I got fouled all the way up the woo. That ’ s what it was about. I said what I had to say and I moved on, but he decided I should get ( ejected ). We got the succeed, that ’ s what ’ s most crucial. ” [ 194 ] [ 195 ] [ 196 ] In January, the Cavaliers had a lose record, and James was criticized for his lackluster feat. [ 197 ] James won his third base NBA All-Star Game MVP award after posting 29 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and several key plays to help Team LeBron win 148–145 over team Curry. [ 198 ] Following another turn of trades in February, Cleveland returned to form and James reached a number of historic milestones ; on March 30, he set an NBA record with 867 straight games scoring in double digits. [ 199 ] James finally finished the season with averages of 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 4.2 turnovers per game. [ 41 ] In the playoffs, James guided the Cavaliers to another Finals rematch with the Warriors. [ 200 ] Along the manner, he had some of the most memorable moments of his career, including a game-winning blast against the Pacers and another against the Raptors. [ 201 ] In the first game of the Finals, James scored a playoff career-high 51 points, but Cleveland was defeated in overtime. [ 202 ] Following the frustration, James injured his hand after punching a wall in the footlocker room, which hindered his effectiveness for the remainder of the series. [ 203 ] The Cavaliers lost the series in four games, with James averaging 34 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 10 assists per game for the Finals. [ 204 ]

Los Angeles Lakers ( 2018–present )

2018–2019 : injury and playoff miss

Lebron James posting up against Bradley Beal in December 2018 On June 29, 2018, James opted out of his narrow with the Cavaliers and became an unexclusive free agent. [ 205 ] On July 1, his management caller, Klutch Sports, announced that he would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers ; [ 206 ] the share was officially completed on July 9. [ 207 ] In an interview with Sports Illustrated, James ‘s agent, Rich Paul, explained : “ In 2010, when he went to Miami, it was about championships. In 2014, when he went back to Cleveland, it was about delivering on a promise. In 2018, it was just about doing what he wants to do. ” [ 208 ] Reaction to the move was more positive than his original departure from the Cavaliers, albeit hush shuffle, as some onlookers felt that Los Angeles was not his optimum destination. [ 209 ]

The Lakers expected James to make them championship contenders again after having missed the playoffs since 2014 and not appearing in the Finals since 2010. [ 210 ] [ 211 ] Following his sign, the team rounded out their roll with a controversial collection of playmakers and veterans. To begin the 2018–19 season, the team struggled to find effective lineups and recorded entirely two wins through their inaugural seven games. [ 212 ] In November, they began a turnaround, which included two of James ‘s strongest performances of the season. On November 14, he registered 44 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in a victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, [ 213 ] and four days late, he scored a season-high 51 points in a win over the Heat. [ 214 ] After blowing out the Warriors on Christmas Day, Los Angeles improved their phonograph record to 20–14, but James suffered a breakwater injury, [ 215 ] the first major injury of his career. [ 216 ] He missed a then-career-high 17 consecutive games, and the Lakers fell out of playoff competition without him. [ 215 ] The team was ineffective to recover and failed to qualify for the postseason after a 106–111 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on March 22, 2019, marking the first clock time that James missed the playoffs since 2005 and the beginning time he failed to reach the Finals since 2010. [ 217 ] On March 7, 2019, the Lakers announced that James would begin a minutes restriction, [ 218 ] and on March 30, he was officially ruled out for the remainder of the temper. [ 219 ] James ‘s final averages were 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per crippled, and despite his discrepant campaign, he was ultimately named to the All-NBA Third Team, marking the first gear time in 12 years that he did not make the All-NBA First Team. [ 41 ]

2019–2020 : fourth NBA backing

During the offseason, the Lakers hired Frank Vogel as their raw headway passenger car, and traded the majority of their young congress of racial equality to the Pelicans for ace big man Anthony Davis. [ 220 ] James immediately embraced Los Angeles ‘s much-improved roll by transforming his play style, moving to full-time point guard, and competing with a more reproducible defensive campaign. [ 221 ] Behind James ‘s leadership, the Lakers opened the 2019–20 season with a 17–2 criminal record, matching the best start in franchise history. [ 222 ] On January 25, 2020, James passed team legend Kobe Bryant for third on the all-time regular temper scoring list, the day before Bryant ‘s death in a helicopter crash. [ 223 ] In early March, before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, James led the Lakers to a victory over the Bucks in a match-up of conference leaders, followed by a streak-breaking succeed against the Clippers. [ 224 ] Play resumed in July and concluded in August within the confine NBA Bubble, and James ended the regular season as the league leader in assists for the first time in his career, averaging 10.2 assists per game. [ 225 ] James earned a record 16th All-NBA Team survival as separate of the First Team, extending his record First Team selections to 13. [ 226 ] The Lakers entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the West and advanced to the Finals convincingly, with only three total losses along the way. [ 227 ] In Game 5 of the Conference Finals against the Nuggets, James helped clinch the conference championship by scoring a game-high 38 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter. [ 228 ] In the Finals, James and his teammates found themselves matched up with his former team, the Heat, and promptly took control of the series with a 2–0 run. [ 229 ] In Game 5, James turned in his best statistical operation of the Finals, registering 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists in a memorable duel with Miami ‘s star player, Jimmy Butler, but Los Angeles was ultimately defeated in a three-point game. [ 230 ] The Lakers ultimately eliminated the Heat in Game 6, which earned James his fourth NBA backing and fourth Finals MVP Award. [ 231 ] At 35 years and 287 days previous, he became the second-oldest player in league history to win the award, [ 232 ] and the lone player in NBA history to win the award with three different franchises. [ 233 ] James and teammate Danny Green besides became the third and fourth players in NBA history to win at least one backing with three different teams each. [ 234 ]

2020–2021 : back-to-back chase

The 2020–21 temper, reduced to 72 games for each team and starting on December 22, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, began after the shortest offseason in NBA history with a 116–109 loss to the Clippers. [ 235 ] On December 31, 2020, James became the first player in NBA history to score 10 points or more in 1,000 back-to-back games in a 121–107 acquire against the Spurs. [ 236 ] On February 13, 2021, James recorded 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists in a 115–105 acquire, the Lakers ‘s seventh consecutive victory, over the Grizzlies. [ 237 ] In a 109–98 loss to the Nets on February 18, James became the third player in NBA history with 35,000 career points, joining Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone ; [ 238 ] at 36 years and 50 days, he was the youngest player to reach the milestone. [ 239 ] On March 20, James sprained his ankle against the Hawks [ 240 ] but was able to hit a three-point stroke afterwards to keep his 10-points streak active before exiting the plot. [ 241 ] By March, the Lakers were No. 2, two games behind the Jazz, but then went 14–16 without Davis and 6–10 without James, falling to No. 5. [ 242 ] James returned on April 30, after missing 20 games, the longest absence of his career. [ 243 ] In May, James was sidelined again after leaving a game against the Raptors [ 244 ] but returned for the final two games [ 245 ] [ 246 ] to finish with averages of 25.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists on 51.3 % shoot in 45 out of 72 games ; [ 247 ] this was his seventeenth consecutive season averaging at least 25 points per game, the most in NBA history. [ 248 ] In an injury-laden season, the Lakers ended with a 42–30 record, finishing No. 7 due to tiebreakers and facing the No. 8-seed Warriors in the play-in tournament. [ 249 ] The Lakers won 103–100 after James scored the enterprise, three-point shot in the final minute, posting a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, along with 2 steals and 1 block. [ 250 ] His 34-foot ( 10 meter ) shot before the snapshot clock doorbell was his longest basket of the season american samoa well as his longest enterprise snapshot in the close three minutes of a game in his career. [ 251 ] In the first polish of the playoffs, the Lakers faced the No. 2 seeded Suns, the first prison term in James ‘s career that he did not have home court advantage in the possibility series. [ 252 ] [ 253 ] Los Angeles was improving 2–1 before Davis suffered a strain groin in Game 4, in which James finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-for-21 shoot, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. [ 254 ] The Lakers lost to the Suns in six games, making it the first time James lost in the first round in his career. [ 252 ] James finished the series averaging 23.3 points, his fourth-lowest score output for a series over his career and his lowest scar since averaging 22.8 in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals. [ 255 ] James made his seventeenth straight All-NBA Team excerpt, [ 256 ] extending the record for most selections in NBA history, [ 257 ] being named for the third fourth dimension to the All-NBA Second Team. [ 258 ]

2021–2022

In a game against the Detroit Pistons on November 21, 2021, James was ejected in the third base quarter after getting into a hassle with Isaiah Stewart during the 121-116 winnings. It was the second time in his career that he was ejected from a game. [ 259 ] The following day, it was announced that James would be suspended one plot for his actions. [ 260 ] On November 19, 2021, James was fined $ 15,000 for an abhorrent gesture he made on November 17 after making a shoot late in the Lakers ‘ overtime victory against the Pacers at their homecourt in which the Lakers won 124-116. He was besides warned by the NBA for using corrupt terminology during an interview with ESPN after the victory against the Pacers when discussing his former suspension. [ 261 ]

National team career

James made his debut for the United States national team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. [ 262 ] He spent the Games by and large on the bench, [ 263 ] averaging 14.6 minutes per game with 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per plot in eight games. [ 262 ] Team USA finished the competition with a bronze decoration, becoming the first U.S. basketball team to return home plate without a gold decoration since adding active NBA players to their lineup. [ 264 ] James felt his limited act time was a “ lowlight ” and believed he was not given “ a fair opportunity to play ” ; [ 263 ] his position during the Olympics was described as “ disrespectful ” by columnist hadrian Wojnarowski. [ 265 ] At the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, James took on a greater character for Team USA, averaging 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as co-captain. [ 266 ] [ 267 ] The team finished the tournament with an 8–1 record, winning another bronze decoration. [ 266 ] James ‘s behavior was again question, this clock time by teammate Bruce Bowen, who confronted James during tryouts regarding his discussion of staff members. [ 265 ] [ 268 ]
James dunking in a 2012 Team USA exhibition game Before naming James to the 2008 Olympic team, Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo and bus Mike Krzyzewski gave James an ultimatum to improve his attitude, and he heeded their advice. [ 265 ] [ 269 ] At the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, he averaged 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per crippled, including a 31-point performance against Argentina in the championship game, the most ever by an American in an Olympic qualifier. [ 270 ] Team USA went 10–0, winning the gold decoration and qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. [ 262 ] James credited the team ‘s attitude and experience for their improvement, saying : “ I do n’t think we understood what it meant to put on a USA uniform and all the people that we were representing in 2004. We decidedly know that now. ” [ 271 ] At the Olympics, Team USA went unbeaten, winning their first gold decoration since 2000. [ 272 ] In the concluding game, James turned in 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists against Spain. [ 273 ] James did not play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship but rejoined Team USA for the 2012 Olympics in London, England. [ 274 ] He became the leader of the team, with Bryant, who would soon be 34, stepping back. [ 275 ] James facilitated the discourtesy from the post and perimeter, called the defensive sets, and provided scoring when needed. [ 276 ] During a game against Australia, he recorded the first triple-double in U.S. Olympic basketball history with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. [ b-complex vitamin ] Team USA went on to win their second square gold decoration, again defeating Spain in the concluding game. [ 278 ] James contributed 19 points in the win, becoming the all-time leading scorer in U.S. men ‘s basketball history. [ 262 ] [ 278 ] He besides joined Michael Jordan as the alone players to win an NBA MVP award, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, and Olympic aureate decoration in the lapp class. [ 279 ] Afterwards, Krzyzewski said James “ is the best player, he is the best drawing card and he is vitamin a ache as anybody playing the game right now. ” [ 280 ]

Player profile

Standing 6 feet 9 inches ( 2.06 meter ) tall and weighing 250 pounds ( 113 kilogram ), James has played the majority of his career at the little fore and power forward positions [ 281 ] but has besides been deployed at the other positions when necessary. [ 282 ] His bring expressive style, which is athletic and versatile, has drawn comparisons to Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. [ 121 ] [ 283 ] [ 284 ] [ 31 ] [ 285 ] Through the 2020–21 season, James ‘s career averages are 27.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. [ 41 ] Since 2011, he has been ranked the best musician in the NBA by ESPN and Sports Illustrated. [ 286 ] [ 287 ]

offense

[288] James drives to the basket in March 2008. A deft finisher, he led the NBA in scoring and shooting percentage at the brim in 2013. As an 18-year-old cub, James led the Cavaliers in scoring. [ 289 ] He holds numerous “ youngest to ” distinctions, [ 290 ] [ 291 ] including being the youngest player to score 30,000 career points. [ 292 ] During his first stint in Cleveland, he was chiefly used as an on-ball degree ahead, and although his shooting tendencies were perimeter-oriented, [ 121 ] he established himself as one of the best slashers and finishers in basketball. [ 293 ] [ 294 ] His combination of travel rapidly, adeptness, and size often created matchup problems for opposing teams because he was able of blowing by larger defenders and overpowering smaller ones. [ 295 ] These qualities became more apparent in transition, where he developed a reputation for grabbing defensive rebounds and then beating the defense downcourt for highlight bobbin baskets. [ 296 ] Around this clock time, James was frequently criticized for not having a authentic jump changeable or position game. [ 297 ] Teams would try to exploit these weaknesses by giving him space in the half court and forcing him to settle for three-pointers and long two-pointers, a strategy excellently used by Spurs passenger car Gregg Popovich in the 2007 Finals, where James converted on only 36 percentage of his field goals in four games. [ 298 ] In Miami, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed James ‘s function to a more unconventional one. [ 121 ] James spent more meter in the post and improved his shot survival and accuracy on jump shots. [ 121 ] [ 299 ] He besides learned how to work as an off-ball tender in the Heat ‘s “ pass-happy ” crime. [ 300 ] Behind these improvements, James ‘s overall score efficiency rose to historically big levels. [ 301 ] During this fourth dimension, ESPN ‘s Tom Haberstroh called James ‘s free-throw shooting his biggest weakness, describing it as “ average ”. [ 302 ] Upon returning to the Cavaliers, James began to experience insidious age-related declines in productivity, [ 303 ] posting his lowest marking averages since his cub season in 2015 and 2016. [ 41 ] [ 304 ] His shooting besides temporarily regressed, and he briefly ranked as the NBA ‘s worst high-volume taw from outside the rouge. [ 305 ] Despite these changes, he remained an elect offensive musician who beat defenses with body control, force, and varying attacking speeds. [ 295 ] For most of his career, James has controlled the umbrage as the primary coil ball handler on his team. [ 306 ] His playmaking ability is generally considered one of his prime minister skills, and some analysts rank him among the greatest passers in NBA history. [ 307 ] By exploiting his size, vision, and the attention he garners from opposing defenses, [ 308 ] James creates easy points for his teammates with accurate assists. [ 309 ] He executes unconventional passes, including after leaving his feet and through defensive traffic. [ 310 ] His preternatural leaning to find the overt serviceman has helped force NBA teams to incorporate some elements of zone into their schemes to better cover the weak side of the court and prevent James from passing to open shooters. [ 295 ] Early in James ‘s career, he was criticized for overpassing in imperativeness situations ; specifically, for passing alternatively of shooting in the wan seconds of close games. [ 311 ] [ 312 ] however, as his career progressed, James ‘s batch performance was viewed more favorably. [ 313 ]

defense

At the beginning of James ‘s NBA career, he was considered a poor people defensive player, [ 314 ] but he improved steadily through the years. In 2009, he became adept at the chase-down freeze, which involves coming in from behind the enemy in passage to block the shot. [ 63 ] In Miami, he developed into a more versatile defensive actor, and the Heat relied on him to guard all five positions. [ 315 ] Along with Shane Battier and Dwyane Wade, Miami used James in an ultra-aggressive defensive scheme, [ 316 ] with James cheating off the testis to help out inside or get into rebounding position. [ 317 ] Beginning in 2014, some analysts reported a regression in his defensive impact, stemming from a miss of attempt and expected age-related declines. [ 318 ] [ 319 ] During his moment stint in Cleveland, his defense mechanism increasingly declined. After lost drives on offense, he much dawdled back on defense while complaining to the referees ; he provided less help off the ball, and was less aggressive in switching. [ 320 ] James himself admitted to taking plays off at times, referring to this approach as “ chill mode ”. [ 321 ] He finally developed a repute for raising his defensive tied in the playoffs, which some analysts referred to as “ Playoff LeBron ”. [ 322 ]

bequest

[323] James with the Cavaliers in 2017. NBA analyst Brian Windhorst, who spent his career covering James, recounted : “ No one has ever had as much hype as James has had to live up to, and James has delivered on every last drop. ” James left high school as one of the most hype prospects in NBA history. [ hundred ] Upon entering the NBA, he made an immediate impingement and was voted Rookie of the year in his debut season. [ 328 ] As of June 2021, he has been named to 17 All-NBA Teams, including 13 times to the first-team, which are both NBA records. [ 329 ] His four MVP awards are matched only by Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell ; James and Russell are the only players to win four MVP awards in a five-year bridge. [ 330 ] James has besides won four Finals MVP Awards, which is the second-most all-time, [ 331 ] and earned All-Defensive honors every temper from 2009 to 2014. [ 41 ] While James has never won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, he has finished second in the vote twice and lists it as one of his main goals. [ 62 ] [ 332 ] His teams have appeared in the Finals ten times and won four championships. His ten Finals appearances are tied for third all-time. [ d ] Some analysts have criticized him for not having a better Finals commemorate, while others have countered that James normally performed well but his team was defeated by victor competition. [ 334 ] [ 335 ] [ 336 ] On the footing of his career longevity and on-court performances, sports publications have systematically included James in rankings of the best basketball players in history, [ e ] and in December 2019, he was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s. [ 343 ] In summation to praising James ‘s on-court accomplishments, analysts have besides noted James ‘s influence on player authorization throughout the NBA, which stemmed from his willingness to change teams during free agency. Ben Golliver of The Washington Post opined that James ‘s move to the Heat in 2010 “ defined a ten of player movement ”, and that he “ basically flipped the power libra between stars and their organizations. ” [ 344 ] James ‘s companion players have besides remarked on his influence, such as Warriors forward Draymond Green, who reflected : “ We ‘ve taken control of our destiny. And I think a draw of people hate that [ … ]. I think the doors that he ‘s opened for athletes and specially basketball players is his biggest skill. ” [ 345 ] James is besides discussed within the context of being the greatest basketball player of all-time, which has resulted in frequent comparisons to Michael Jordan. [ 1 ] In a 2016 interview with Sports Illustrated, James acknowledged that his motivation was surpassing Jordan as the greatest. [ 346 ] In February 2018, The Ringer spent an entire workweek devoted to both players, with Bill Simmons ultimately concluding that Jordan was still ahead. [ 347 ] In polls, James has ranked second behind Jordan. [ 348 ] [ 349 ] [ 350 ] The results strongly correlate with age, with older voters more normally choosing Jordan. [ 349 ] [ 350 ] Davis et al. of Business Insider stated : “ The datum would suggest that younger, more-engaged NBA fans lean toward James, as he ‘s still playing. Older generations who watched Jordan play and tune in less today list toward Jordan. ” [ 350 ] Referring to James as the best rival to Jordan ‘s status as the greatest basketball player of all time, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports stated that “ the gross profit for error where Jordan is involved is overwhelmingly slender ” and that “ in the rings-obsessed basketball discussion ”, Jordan having more titles and an “ unblemished Finals record holds meaning weight. ” [ 346 ]

Off the court

personal life

James married his high school smasher Savannah Brinson on September 14, 2013, in San Diego, California. [ 351 ] They have three children : sons Bronny ( b.2004 ) and Bryce ( b.2007 ) and daughter Zhuri ( b.2014 ). [ 352 ] During his stretch with the Heat, James resided in Coconut Grove, where he bought a $ 9 million three-story mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay. [ 353 ] In November 2015, James bought a 9,350 square-foot ( 870 m2 ) East Coast-style sign of the zodiac in Brentwood, Los Angeles for about $ 21 million. [ 354 ] James owns another home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, which he purchased for $ 23 million in December 2017. [ 355 ] [ 356 ] In January 2009, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic discovered a growth in the right side of James ‘s jaw. Biopsy results showed that James developed a benign chew tumor, specifically in his parotid gland which required a 5-hour surgery to remove on June 2 after the end of the Cavaliers ‘ race in the 2009 NBA playoffs. [ 357 ] [ 358 ] [ 359 ] [ 360 ] In a 60 Minutes interview with correspondent Steve Kroft that was broadcast on March 29, 2009, James declared Kobe Bryant the best player in the NBA at that prison term. [ 361 ] [ 362 ] James later spoke with the media in 2015 submit that he regrets not playing Kobe in the 2009 NBA Finals. James stated, “ I did n’t hold up my end of the bargain in 2009 for the fans, for us, to meet in the Finals. I know the worldly concern wanted to see it. I wanted it, we wanted it. He held up his end and I did n’t hold up my end, and I hate that. I hate that that did n’t happen. ” [ 363 ] James rescued boyfriend basketball actor Carmelo Anthony from the water during a boating excursion in the Bahamas with Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul when Anthony was carried away from the boat by the current. [ 364 ] Anthony described the incident in an Instagram Live session in March 2020. [ 365 ] James invests heavy in his health, reportedly having spent $ 1.5 million a year to pay for personal chefs and trainers, vitamin a well as physical recovery therapies. [ 366 ] He has a heavy exert regimen and dietary habits that some consider atypical for a top athlete. Tristan Thompson stated that James eats desserts with every meal. Kyle Korver claims James ‘ fitness routine is matchless. [ 367 ] On September 28, 2021, James confirmed that he had received a COVID-19 vaccine. [ 368 ]

Public image

By 2015, James was considered by many people, including his companion NBA players, to be the “ front of the NBA ”. [ 369 ] His opinions have yielded significant influence on people who make important league decisions ; in 2014, he asked commissioner Adam Silver to increase the duration of the All-Star violate, and the request was granted the take after season. [ 370 ] On February 13, 2015, James was elected the first base vice president of the National Basketball Players Association ( NBPA ). [ 371 ]
Throughout his career, James has been ranked by Forbes as one of the world ‘s most influential athletes, [ 374 ] [ 375 ] and in 2017, he was listed by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the worldly concern. [ 376 ] During his first stint with the Cavaliers, he was adored by local fans, and Sherwin-Williams displayed a elephantine Nike-produced banner of James on its populace headquarters. [ 377 ] Despite their affection for James, Cleveland fans and critics were frequently annoyed when he sported a Yankees hat when he attended Cleveland Indians baseball games versus the New York Yankees. [ 378 ] Following his actions during the 2010 free agency period and The Decision, he was listed as one of most disliked athletes in the US. [ 379 ] By 2013, his picture had largely recovered and he was reported by ESPN as the most popular player in the NBA for the second fourth dimension in his career. [ 380 ] In 2014, he was named the most popular male athlete in America by the Harris Poll. [ 381 ] He has led the league in new jersey sales six times. [ 382 ] Memorabilia associated with James is highly sought afteɾ ; two of James ‘s cub cards are among the most expensive basketball cards always sold at auction, and one of those cards besides briefly held the record for the most expensive contemporary sports card when it sold for $ 1.8 million at auction in July 2020. [ 383 ] A Mike Trout cub batting order broke the record for a contemporary card the following month. [ 384 ] All jerseys worn in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game were auctioned by the NBA and NBPA to raise funds for charity ; James ‘s new jersey sold for $ 630,000, setting a read for a contemporary sports jersey. [ 385 ] In March 2008, James became the first black man—and third base world overall after Richard Gere and George Clooney —to appear on the cover of Vogue, when he posed with Gisele Bündchen. [ 386 ] In answer, ESPN columnist Jemele Hill considered the embrace offensive and “ memorable for the incorrect reasons ”, describing the demeanor of James and his holding Bündchen as a mention to authoritative imagination of the movie monster King Kong, a dark feral capturing his fair-skinned beloved interest. [ 372 ] [ 373 ]

Media digit and business interests

James is represented by agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. [ 387 ] His first agent was Aaron Goodwin, whom he left in 2005 for Leon Rose. Rose joined creative Artists Agency ( CAA ) in 2007, and he worked with fellow CAA agent Henry Thomas, who represented Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, to bring James to Miami in 2010. James left CAA for Paul in 2012. [ 388 ] James, Paul, Maverick Carter, and Randy Mims—all childhood friends—formed agent and sports-marketing company LRMR after James left Goodwin. LRMR handles James ‘s market, including the selling of The Decision, for which it was criticized. [ 389 ] [ 390 ] Throughout his career, James has taken a alone approach to his NBA contracts, normally opting to sign shorter-term deals in club to maximize his earnings potential and tractability ; [ 391 ] [ 103 ] [ 392 ] in 2006, he and the Cavaliers negotiated a three-year, $ 60 million contract extension alternatively of the four-year maximum as it allotted him the option of seeking a new compress worth more money as an unrestricted free agent following the 2010 temper. [ 393 ] This move ultimately allowed James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh to sign together with the Heat. [ 394 ] During his second gear scrimp in Cleveland, based on a negotiation scheme devised by NBA agentive role Mark Termini, who worked with Paul and specialized in contract negotiation and structure, [ 395 ] he began opting out and re-signing on new contracts after each season in ordain to take advantage of higher salaries resulting from the NBA ‘s rising wage cap. [ 164 ] [ 396 ] [ 397 ] [ 398 ] In 2016, he signed with the Cavaliers on a three-year deal, [ 399 ] becoming the highest-paid player in the league for the beginning time in his career. [ 400 ] James has signed numerous sanction contracts ; some of the companies that he has done occupation with are Audemars Piguet, [ 401 ] Beats by Dre, [ 402 ] Coca-Cola, [ 403 ] Dunkin ‘ Brands, [ 404 ] McDonald ‘s, [ 405 ] Nike, [ 403 ] and State Farm. [ 406 ] Coming out of eminent school, he was the target of a tripartite wish war among Nike, Reebok, and Adidas, [ 407 ] finally signing with Nike for approximately $ 90 million. [ 408 ] His signature shoes have performed well for Nike. [ 409 ] In 2011, Fenway Sports Group became the sole global seller of his rights, and as part of the hand, he was granted a minority stake in the English Premier League football cabaret Liverpool, [ 410 ] who he has claimed his hold for. [ 411 ] As a result of James ‘s endorsement money and NBA wage, he has been listed as one of the world ‘s highest-paid athletes. [ 412 ] In 2013, he surpassed Kobe Bryant as the highest pay basketball actor in the populace, with earnings of $ 56.5 million. [ 413 ] In 2014, James realized a profit of more than $ 30 million as part of Apple ‘s acquisition of Beats Electronics ; he had in the first place struck a hand to get a small stake in the company at its origin in exchange for promoting its headphones. [ 414 ] In 2015, he was ranked the one-sixth highest earning sportsperson, [ 415 ] and third base highest in 2016 ( after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ). [ 416 ] James has stated that he would like to own an NBA team in the future, albeit in a hands-off capacity. [ 417 ] In 2011, James co-founded the graphic designer retail memory UNKNWN in Miami, Florida. [ 418 ] James and comedian Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards. [ 419 ] In other comedic pursuits, he hosted the 33rd-season premier of Saturday Night Live. [ 420 ] He has besides tried his hand at act, appearing in a cameo function on the HBO series Entourage. [ 421 ] In 2015, he played himself in the Judd Apatow film Trainwreck, [ 422 ] receiving positive reviews for his performance. [ 423 ] That like year, James ‘s digital television ship’s company, Uninterrupted, raised $ 15.8 million from Warner Bros. Entertainment and Turner Sports to help expand the company ‘s efforts to bring athlete-created message to fans. It is hosted on Bleacher Report and is used by several other athletes including Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski and cornerback Richard Sherman. [ 424 ] James and his clientele partner Maverick Carter own production party SpringHill Entertainment, [ 425 ] whose foremost sour was the Lions Gate documentary More Than a Game, which was released in 2009 and chronicled James ‘s high school years. [ 426 ] Series produced by SpringHill include the NBC game appearance The Wall, [ 427 ] the Disney XD sports objective usher Becoming, [ 428 ] the Starz situation comedy Survivor’s Remorse, [ 429 ] and the enliven vane series The LeBrons. [ 430 ] In 2016, CNBC aired an unscripted series hosted by James called Cleveland Hustles, where four energetic Northern Ohio entrepreneurs will be financed on the condition of revitalizing a vicinity in Cleveland. [ 431 ] In the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, a 60-minute Vince Carter documentary entitled The Carter Effect was executive produced by James and Maverick Carter along with knocker Drake and Future the Prince. [ 432 ] [ 433 ] In February 2018, it was announced that James ‘s production company will produce a newly film in the House Party series with James expected to make a cameo. [ 434 ] Later that month, Fox News host Laura Ingraham told James to “ shut up and dribble ” as a reaction to his political agenda. [ 435 ] This largely contributed to James creating a documentary serial looking at the changing function of athletes in the current political and cultural climate, competently named, Shut Up and Dribble on Showtime. [ 436 ] James partnered with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2018 to found Ladder, a company that developed nutritional supplements to help athletes with dangerous cramps after dealing with that issue during the 2014 Finals. [ 437 ] In 2012, James, Carter and Paul Wachter made an investment of less than $ 1 million in the Pasadena -based fast casual chain Blaze Pizza ; their investment had grown to $ 25 million by 2017. [ 438 ] James belated became a spokesman for the company and began appearing in advertisements after ending his shrink with McDonald ‘s. [ 438 ] During the 2019 off-season, James filed for a trademark through a beat company on the term “ Taco Tuesday “ for manipulation in downloadable audio/visual works, podcasts, social media, on-line marketing, and entertainment services. [ 439 ] This was related to James ‘s use of the condition on Instagram for his family ‘s greaser dinners. The request was denied by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, stating that Taco Tuesday was “ a commonplace condition, message or construction widely used by a diverseness of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment. ” [ 440 ] In February 2019, it was revealed that James would executive produce rapper 2 Chainz ‘s new album Rap or Go to the League. [ 441 ] A Def Jam iron release said the purpose of the album is “ celebrating black excellence and focusing on the baron of department of education and entrepreneurship. ” The press publish besides says the title “ challenges the impression that the only manner out of the inner city is either to become a knocker or a ball actor. ” [ 442 ] As of September 2019, James is the most adopt basketball player on Instagram. [ 443 ] In November 2020, James became an saint investor of the tequila and mescal party Lobos 1707. [ 444 ] After personal frustration with comments on the Black Lives Matter drift made by republican U.S. senator Kelly Loeffler, who at the time was the owner of the WNBA ‘s Atlanta Dream, James assisted Dream player Renee Montgomery in her ultimately successful command to buy the team in March 2021. [ 445 ] besides in 2021, James joined Fenway Sports Group as a collaborator, making him a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network, Roush Fenway Racing, and Liverpool F.C., the latter of which he already owned a two-percent share in individually. [ 446 ] The investment made James and Carter the company ‘s first black partners. [ 446 ]

activism

James is an active assistant of non-profit organizations, including after-school All-Stars, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Children ‘s Defense Fund. [ 447 ] [ 448 ] [ 449 ] He besides has his own charity foundation, the LeBron James Family Foundation, which is based in Akron. [ 450 ] Since 2005, the foundation has held an annual bike-a-thon to raise money for assorted causes. [ 451 ] In 2015, James announced a partnership with the University of Akron to provide scholarships for angstrom many as 2,300 children beginning in 2021. [ 452 ] In 2016, he donated $ 2.5 million to the Smithsonian National Museum of african american History and Culture to support an parade on Muhammad Ali. [ 453 ] In 2017, he received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the NBA for his “ great service and dedication to the community. ” [ 454 ] In November of that lapp year, the Akron School Board approved the “ I Promise School “, a public elementary school created in a partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation to help struggling elementary school students stay in school. [ 455 ] James later reflected that it was his most significant professional skill of his life. The school officially opened on July 30, 2018. [ 456 ]
Throughout his career, James has taken stances on controversial issues. On respective occasions, he mentioned a touch of obligation to effect change using his condition. [ 457 ] Those include the War in Darfur, [ 458 ] [ 459 ] [ 460 ] [ 461 ] the Trayvon Martin case, [ 462 ] the now-former NBA owner Donald Sterling ‘s racist comments in 2014, [ 457 ] the Michael Brown verdict, [ 463 ] and the death of Eric Garner. [ 464 ] Following a racist incidental at his Los Angeles home in 2017, James expressed that “ being black in America is ruffianly. We got a hanker way to go for us as a company and for us as african Americans until we feel equal in America. ” [ 465 ] Later on that year, in the aftermath of the Unite the Right rally, James questioned the “ Make America Great Again “ motto and said : “ It ‘s deplorable what ‘s going on in Charlottesville. Is this the direction our area is heading ? Make America Great Again huh ? Our youth deserve better ! ! ” [ 466 ] James besides called Trump a “ buttocks ” after the president rescinded a White House invitation to Stephen Curry. [ 467 ] During a 2018 consultation with CNN journalist Don Lemon, James accused Trump of attempting to divide the nation with sports, suggesting that “ sports has never been something that divides people it ‘s always been something that brings person together. ” He declared that he would “ never sit across from him. I ‘d sit across from Barack [ Obama ] though. ” [ 468 ] [ 469 ] In response, Trump tweeted : “ LeBron James was just interviewed by the dumbest serviceman on television, Don Lemon. He made LeBron look smart, which is n’t easily to do. ” [ 470 ] [ 471 ] James has supported Colin Kaepernick in the aftermath of his engagement in the home anthem protests, saying that he was being blackballed from a new shrink in the National Football League, and that he would hire him if he owned a football team. [ 472 ] He has worn his clothe in a usher of defend respective times. [ 473 ] [ 474 ] In June 2008, James donated $ 20,000 to a committee to elect Barack Obama as president of the united states. [ 475 ] Later that year, James gathered about 20,000 people at the Quicken Loans Arena for a wake of Obama ‘s 30-minute American Stories, American Solutions television ad. [ 476 ] The ad was shown on a big sieve above the stagecoach, where Jay-Z late held a rid concert. [ 476 ] In November 2016, James endorsed and campaigned for Hillary Clinton for the 2016 presidential election. [ 477 ] [ 478 ] During the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, a statement James made about a now-deleted pinch [ 479 ] by Daryl Morey, in which Morey expressed confirm for the pro-democracy campaign in Hong Kong, became the subject of controversy. James said Morey was “ misinformed ”. [ 480 ] He has taken diverse other stands on issues regarding sports, such as the Kaepernick controversy and the Houston Astros signboard stealing scandal. [ 481 ] [ 482 ]
In August 2020, James wore a change MAGA hat that called for the check of the police officers involved in the shoot of Breonna Taylor. [ 483 ] On August 19, 2020, he announced his intentions to campaign for presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running-mate Kamala Harris in advance of the 2020 presidential election. [ 484 ] James spoke in support of the More Than a Vote campaign and encouraged members of the African-American community to vote. [ 485 ] He said : “ People in our community have been just lied to for so many years. We have people that have had convictions in the past, that ‘ve been told they can not vote because they got a conviction. That is voter suppression. ” [ 486 ] On August 27, James and his Lakers teammates a well as the Milwaukee Bucks began boycotting the 2020 NBA playoffs to protest the shoot of Jacob Blake. [ 487 ] In response, elder White House adviser Jared Kushner stated that he was planning to reach out to James regarding the boycott. Following a players ‘ committee to discuss the boycott, James and others reached out to Barack Obama, who reportedly advised them to continue playing and finish that year ‘s NBA temper. [ 488 ] On April 21, 2021, in response to the death of Ma’Khia Bryant, James took to Twitter and posted a mental picture of the police policeman who is believed to have fatally guess Bryant, saying : “ YOU ‘RE following # ACCOUNTABILITY. ” He subsequently deleted the post, explaining : “ I ‘m indeed blasted run down of seeing Black people killed by police. I took the tweet down because its being used to create more hate -This is n’t about one policeman. it ‘s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am then desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY. ” [ 489 ]

NBA career statistics

Legend

Games played

Games started

MPG

Minutes per game

FG%

Field goal percentage

3P%

3-point field goal percentage

FT%

Free throw percentage

RPG

Rebounds per game

APG

Assists per game

SPG

Steals per game

BPG

Blocks per game

PPG

Points per game

Bold

Career high

†

Won an NBA championship
*

Led the league

NBA record

even season

Playoffs

Awards and honors

James ( center ) celebrates during the Heat ‘s 2012 championship parade

USA Basketball[491]

High school[10]

Media

2020 Outstanding Long Sports Documentary (as executive producer of What’s My Name? – Muhammed Ali Part 1)[508]
2021 Outstanding Edited Sports Series (as executive producer of The Shop: Uninterrupted)[509]

State/Local

6× Cleveland Sports Awards Professional Athlete of the Year: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2015, 2016[510]
South Main Street in downtown Akron renamed King James Way[511]
Six-story commemorative banner in downtown Akron[511]
Featured on Space Jam inspired mural in Akron near his alma mater (St. Vincent St. Mary) and his I Promise school.[512]
Featured on “Cleveland is the Reason” mural in downtown Cleveland (with other notable Cleveland area figures)[513]
Honorary lockers at Ohio State’s football and basketball facilities[514][515]

Filmography

film

television receiver

Akron Endeavors

Public and charitable initiatives undertaken by James in his hometown of Akron, Ohio ( under the LeBron James Family Foundation banner ) :