[422][423], During the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, a statement James made about a now-deleted tweet[424] by Daryl Morey, in which Morey expressed support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, became the subject of controversy. [253] He holds numerous "youngest to" distinctions,[254][255] including being the youngest player to score 30,000 career points. "[307], James is also discussed within the context of being the greatest basketball player of all-time, which has resulted in frequent comparisons to Michael Jordan. "[306] James's fellow players have also remarked on his influence, such as Warriors rival Draymond Green, who reflected, "[Players have] taken control of our destiny. ", "LeBron James' Kids: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", "LeBron James and Savannah Brinson are engaged", "Miami heat: LeBron James buys $9M mansion in Coconut Grove, Fla", "LeBron James Snags Brentwood Mansion for $21 Million", "LeBron recalls Melo ocean rescue ahead of series", "LeBron James Recalls Rescuing Carmelo Anthony During Bahamas Vacation", "The Dirty Diet Behind LeBron James' Supernatural Rig", "LeBron James is the 'face' of the NBA, but is Stephen Curry next? [429] James spoke in support of the "More Than A Vote" movement and encouraged members of the African-American community to vote. LeBron James, left, goes up for a shot over Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris during a Lakers loss on Jan. 27. [392], In February 2019, it was revealed that James would executive produce rapper 2 Chainz's new album Rap or Go to the League. [320], James invests heavily in his health. James had another strong regular season in 2015–16 but, once again, truly shined in the playoffs. Is this the direction our country is heading? Too bad he traveled. [61][294] His teams have appeared in the Finals ten times and won four championships. After failing to win a championship with Cleveland, James left in 2010 to sign as a free agent with Miami. [147] Throughout the year, he was one of the few staples for a Heat roster that used 20 different starting lineups due to injuries,[148] finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 56.7 percent shooting. [284], James left high school as one of the most hyped prospects in NBA history. [119][247][248][30][249] As of September 2020, James's career averages are 27.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. (Matt Slocum / Associated Press) “You still have got to keep him out of the paint because his paint attacks create fouls, create other threes for other people and create easy twos. [369] In 2011, James co-founded the designer retail store UNKNWN in Miami, Florida. lebron james reacts to tom brady’s 10th super bowl appearance: ‘at our age, we can still dominate our sport’ "So, I'm minding my own business, and Chris has been a Hawks fan forever. He won a third championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. At the age of 36, he’s a legitimate MVP candidate for … [123] James responded with a 40-point, 18-rebound, and 9-assist outing in Game 4 to help even the series. [360] His signature shoes have performed well for Nike. [167] For most of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Irving and Love were sidelined due to injury, giving James more offensive responsibilities. [238] He became the leader of the team, with Bryant, who would soon be 34, stepping back. [40], In the conference semifinals, James and his teammates found themselves matched up with the Celtics for the second consecutive year. [211] James's final averages were 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, and despite his inconsistent campaign, he was ultimately named to the All-NBA Third Team, marking the first time in 12 years that he did not make the All-NBA First Team. [63] Behind his play and the acquisition of All-Star guard Mo Williams, Cleveland went a franchise record 66–16 and fell just one game short of matching the best home record in league history. [432] In response, senior White House advisor Jared Kushner stated that he was planning to reach out to James regarding the boycott. LeBron James, in full LeBron Raymone James, byname King James, (born December 30, 1984, Akron, Ohio, U.S.), American professional basketball player who is widely considered one of the greatest all-around players of all time and who won National Basketball Association (NBA) championships with the Miami Heat (2012 and 2013), the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016), and the Los Angeles Lakers (2020). ", "NBA Finals: LeBron James finding new ways to define greatness", "LeBron James passes Wilt Chamberlain for fifth on NBA's all-time scoring list", "LeBron James scores 51 points, Lakers roll past Heat 113–97", "With LeBron back, Lakers outlast Clippers in OT 123–120", "First LeBron James, now Anthony Davis: The time to pity the Lakers has passed", "Lakers officially eliminated from NBA postseason contention by D'Angelo Russell and the Nets", "Report: Lakers, LeBron agree to minutes restriction", "Lakers shut down LeBron James for rest of season", "Lakers to acquire NBA superstar Anthony Davis in trade with Pelicans", "LeBron James has approached this Los Angeles Lakers season differently", "Lakers romp to 10th straight victory, 125–103 over Wizards", "LeBron James Surpasses Kobe Bryant in NBA's All-Time Scoring List", "LeBron & Co. snap Clippers' streak at 6 with 112-103 victory", "Lakers News: LeBron James Wins First Career NBA Assists Title", "James, Lakers beat Nuggets in Game 5 to reach NBA Finals", "Halfway home: Lakers top Heat 124-114 for 2-0 Finals lead", "Heat force Game 6, top Lakers to stave off elimination", "LeBron James wins fourth NBA Finals MVP award, becomes first player to earn honor with three different teams", "The oldest Finals MVPs in NBA history (featuring LeBron James at No. He then said that "Our youth deserve better!! Updates? [52], In February of the 2007–08 season, James was named All-Star Game MVP for the second time behind a 27-point, 8-rebound, and 9-assist performance. [22] At the conclusion 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. [173] To begin the series, Cleveland fell behind 3–1, including two blowout losses. [116] The Heat eventually advanced to the Finals, where they were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks in six games. James also helped Miami win 27 consecutive games that season (the second longest such streak in NBA history), and he was rewarded with his fourth league MVP award. [40] In the playoffs, the Cavaliers advanced comfortably to the Finals, losing only two games en route to a rematch with the Warriors,[172] who were coming off a record-setting 73-win season. [8], As a freshman, James averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game for the St. Vincent-St. Mary varsity basketball team. [17] James appealed the ruling and his penalty was eventually dropped to a two-game suspension, allowing him to play the remainder of the year. Take a look back through LeBron James' storied career, from his high school days at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron to his time with the Lakers. The request was denied by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, stating that Taco Tuesday was "a commonplace term, message or expression widely used by a variety of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment. ", "LeBron James: Two Sports, One Superstar", "LBJ and NFL: A fantasy based in reality", "Theismann: LeBron James is 'talented enough' to be an NFL QB", "Could LeBron James Really Play in the NFL? [282] James himself admitted to taking plays off at times, referring to this approach as "chill mode". [331] Following his actions during the 2010 free agency period and, more specifically, The Decision, he was listed as one of most disliked athletes in the US. After the Cavaliers upset the favoured Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals, but James’s impressive postseason play led many observers to place him among the very best players in the league. [86] James would be relieved of the burden of scoring, and he thought he could be the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double in a season. [110] James later admitted that the constant negativity surrounding the team made him play with an angrier demeanor than in years past. The press release also says the title "challenges the notion that the only way out of the inner city is either to become a rapper or a ball player". [58] During the decisive seventh game in Boston, James scored 45 points and Paul Pierce scored 41 in a game the Associated Press described as a "shootout". [311][312] Davis et al. Standing 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) tall and weighing 250 pounds (113 kg), James has played the majority of his career at the small forward and power forward positions, but has also been deployed at the other positions when necessary. About. [172] James's final averages were 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on 52 percent shooting. [146], On March 3 of the 2013–14 season, James scored a career-high and franchise-record 61 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. [11] 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, as well as college and NBA scouts who wanted to see James play. The Irish were also forced to forfeit one of their wins, their only official loss that season. He had arguably his greatest individual season in 2012–13, as he averaged 26.8 points, 7.3 assists, and a career-high 8.0 rebounds per game while posting a .565 field-goal percentage, a remarkable rate of made shots for someone who so frequently played away from the basket. [317] In November 2015, James bought a 9,350 square-foot (870 m2) East Coast-style mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles for about $21 million. James's ability to cope with that pressure has proven to be a critical factor in his success. [170][171] Despite these distractions, Cleveland finished the year with 57 wins and the best record in the East. [228][229], At the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, James took on a greater role for Team USA, averaging 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as co-captain. [40], During the offseason, the Lakers hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach, and traded the majority of their young core to the Pelicans for superstar big man Anthony Davis. [4]:24 The group dubbed themselves the "Fab Four" and promised each other that they would attend high school together. [246] His playing style, which is athletic and versatile, has drawn comparisons to Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. He led the Cavaliers to a rematch against the Warriors, who had set a league record with 73 wins during the regular season, in the NBA finals. James piloted the Cavaliers to a team-record 66 wins during the 2008–09 season, which helped to earn him the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. 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. James played basketball for St. Vincent–St. His ten Finals appearances are tied for third all-time. James was cleared of any wrongdoing because he had accepted the luxury vehicle from a family member and not from an agent or any outside source. [230] James's behavior was again questioned, this time by teammate Bruce Bowen, who confronted James during tryouts regarding his treatment of staff members. Trivia. [47] In Game 5 of the NBA Conference Finals, James notched 48 points with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, scoring 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points, including the game-winning layup with two seconds left in a double-overtime game against the Pistons. [280][281] During his second stint in Cleveland, his defense progressively declined. Older generations who watched Jordan play and tune in less today lean toward Jordan. [2] He has competed in ten NBA Finals, including eight consecutive with the Heat and Cavaliers from 2011 through 2018. [112] The Heat eventually turned their season around and finished as the East's second seed,[113] with James averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists per game on 51 percent shooting. [259] 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 famously used by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in the 2007 Finals, where James converted on only 36 percent of his field goals in four games. [384][385] In February 2018 it was announced that James's production company will produce a new film in the House Party series with James expected to make a cameo. LeBron James took his scoring prowess to new heights on Dec. 30. ", "Ranking the 25 greatest players in NBA history", "Bleacher Report's All-Time Player Rankings: NBA's Top 50 Revealed", "LeBron James named AP top male athlete of decade", "LeBron James's 'Decision' defined a decade of player movement", "Warriors' Draymond Green credits Lakers' LeBron James for helping to empower NBA players", "LeBron James' quest to catch Michael Jordan faces an obstacle both utterly unparalleled and strangely familiar", "NBA players overwhelmingly vote Michael Jordan as the GOAT over LeBron James, Kobe Bryant", "Candid Coaches: Who's the real GOAT -- Michael Jordan or LeBron James?