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LeBron James

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by TyrusThomas4lyf (talk | contribs) at 00:35, 29 April 2007 (→NBA milestones: Removed uneccesary and completely arbitrary statistical cutoffs.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers
PositionSmall Forward
Personal information
Born (1984-12-30) December 30, 1984 (age 39)
Akron, Ohio
NationalityUnited States
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High schoolSt. Vincent - St. Mary HS
Akron, Ohio
NBA draft2003: 1st overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Playing career2003–present
Career highlights and awards
2003 Naismith Prep Player of the Year
2004 Rookie of the Year
2004 ESPY Best Breakthrough Athlete
2006 NBA All-Star Game MVP
Two-time All-NBA selection
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

LeBron Raymone James was born December 30, 1984, commonly nicknamed King James, is an American All-Star small forward in the National Basketball Association who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Throughout a high-profile high school basketball career, James was highly promoted within the national media in the United States as a future NBA star.[1][2] He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the age of 18, becoming only the second high school player taken first overall.

Since then, James has gone on to become one of the more prominent players in the league, setting numerous "youngest player" records. He was Rookie of the Year in 2004 and achieved All-NBA and All-Star honors in his second year.

Early life

James was born an only child in a low-income area of Akron, Ohio to the unwed Gloria James on December 30, 1984. His mother was 16 at the time and six months shy of graduating from high school. Moving frequently from one home to another,[3] situations began to somewhat improve for James, when his mother began seeing a man by the name of Eddie Jackson. James was young enough at the time to have him serve as a father figure; he did not have any contact with his biological father.[4] Jackson would often be seen supporting James later on at his high school basketball games. Starting as early as his junior year in high school, James had made it clear he was planning to pursue an NBA career following his graduation.

High school

Freshman year

James attended St. Vincent - St. Mary High School in Akron. He was the starting point guard on a team led by James' future best friend and manager Maverick Carter. Although Carter is commonly referred to as James' cousin, they are not actually related. With James at the point and the primacy of Carter, the team cruised to a perfect 27-0 record and won the Division III state championship.

Sophomore year

James took over the helm of the team after Carter's graduation and averaged 27.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and four steals for SVSM en route to another state title. He was subsequently named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team — the first sophomore to be so honored.

An avid football player in addition to basketball, James was also able to add to his resume the distinction of being First-Team All-State as a wide receiver for his high school team. However, injury concerns led James to concentrate solely on basketball.

Junior year

In James' third year of high school his stats improved even further. He averaged 29.7 points and 8.4 rebounds, and was once again named Mr. Basketball Ohio. In addition, he again found a spot on the All-USA First Team, and was named the 2001-02 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. It was then that his nickname "King" James would become a household staple in Ohio.

In his junior year, he appeared in SLAM Magazine which was the beginning of his nationwide exposure.

File:Si-cover lebron james 2002.jpg
Dubbed "The Chosen One" by Sports Illustrated, James was the first high school basketball player on the cover since Kevin Garnett.

However, the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team failed to defend its state title when it moved up to the more challenging Division II and lost to Cincinnati's Roger Bacon High School. James attempted to declare for the NBA Draft, petitioning for an adjustment to the NBA's rules of draft eligibility, which then required the completion of high school by a prospective player. The petition was unsuccessful, but it led to an unprecedented level of attention on him as he entered his senior year. By then, "King" James had already appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. His popularity soared to new heights, forcing his team to move from their playing at the school gym to the nearby James A. Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron. Celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal attended some of the games, hoping to get a glimpse of the prodigious young basketball player. A few of James's high school games were even televised nationally on ESPN2 and regionally on pay-per-view.

Senior year

Gloria James touched off a firestorm of controversy when she was allowed to use her son's future earning power as collateral to secure a bank loan to buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for her son's 18th birthday, prompting an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Under the OHSAA guidelines, no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance. When James later accepted two throwback basketball jerseys worth $845 from NEXT, an urban clothing store in Shaker Square, in exchange for his posing for pictures to be displayed on the store's walls, OHSAA stripped him of his eligibility. James appealed and a judge blocked the ruling, reducing the penalty to a two-game suspension and allowing him to play the remainder of the season. However, James's team was forced to forfeit one of their wins as a result.

Despite the distractions, the Irish won a third state title, and James, for an unprecedented third time, was named Mr. Basketball Ohio and to the All-USA First Team. He earned MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game, the EA Sports Roundball Classic, and the Jordan Capital Classic. Although it was a foregone conclusion, by participating in more than two high school all-star events, James officially lost his NCAA eligibility.

NBA career

Rookie season

James was selected as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to his first official NBA game, James signed an unprecedented $90 million shoe contract by Nike, Inc.,[5] and an exclusive multiyear contract with Upper Deck trading cards that included a $1 million signing bonus.[5]

Facing the Sacramento Kings in his first NBA game, James recorded 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals on 60% field goal shooting.[6] He concluded his rookie season averaging 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game and earned Rookie of the Year honors.[7] He joined Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only three players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in their rookie season.[8] The Cavaliers improved by 18 wins and concluded the regular season with a 35-47 record, but failed to make the playoffs.[9]

2004-05 season

In the 2004-05 season, James was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game appearance and recorded 13 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds, as the Eastern All-Stars defeated the Western All-Stars 125–115.[10] As the season progressed, James became both the youngest player to register a triple-double and the youngest player to score 50 points in a game.[8] His season averages improved to 27.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 7.4 rebounds per game.[7] However, the Cavaliers once again failed to reach the playoffs, finishing with a 44–38 regular season record.

2005-06 season

File:Sporting News LeBron.jpg
LeBron James featured on the cover of TSN, James would be named Co-MVP by TSN in the 05-06 season.

In the 2005-06 season, James was elected to his second straight All-Star Game appearance and led the Eastern All-Stars to a 122-120 victory, with 29 points, 2 assists, and 6 rebounds. He became the youngest All-Star MVP at 21 years, 51 days.[11]

James concluded the regular season averaging 31.4 points, 6.6 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, joining Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in a single season.[12] He became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 30 points per game in a season. Throughout the season, James was also named NBA Player of the Week an unprecedented three weeks in a row and concluded the season with five Player of the Week mentions. During one stretch of the season, James joined Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the only other players since 1970 to score 35 or more points in nine consecutive games.[13]

MVP candidacy

Following the 2005-06 regular season, James was one of the top candidates for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. James finished second to Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns in NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting. James was awarded co-MVP honors with Nash by The Sporting News, an award given by that publication based on voting of the thirty general managers in the league.

Playoffs

On March 30, 2006, the Cavaliers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1990. In three years, James managed to transform the Cavaliers from a lottery team (15-67) the season before he arrived) into a playoff contender. They concluded the 2005-06 season with a 52-30 record and ranked third in the Eastern Conference.

On April 22, James made his playoff debut against the Washington Wizards and recorded a triple-double, with 35 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds in the Game 1 victory. He became the third player in NBA history to register a triple-double in his playoff debut, joining Johnny McCarthy (1960) and Magic Johnson (1980). Subsequently, in Game 2, James fell one rebound shy of a second consecutive triple-double in as many games, with 35 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds. In Game 3, he became the first player to score over 40 points in his first playoff road game, with 44 in a win over the Wizards. The Cavaliers won the series 4 games to 2, and James tallied 36.7 points per game while shooting 57% from the field. His scoring average is third all-time behind Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for a player's first playoff series.

James led the Cavaliers to a 3-2 series lead over the defending Eastern Conference champion and divisional rival Detroit Pistons, a feat thought to be near-impossible, considered the Pistons' strong reputation as a feared defensive as well as offensive team. The Pistons, however, eliminated the Cavs by winning the final two games. James averaged 32.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and 7.8 apg in his first ever playoff appearance in the NBA.

Contract extension

James has negotiated a contract extension for three years (with a player option for a fourth year) worth $60 million that will begin in the 2007-08 NBA season. The deal is for fewer years (and less money) than the maximum contract he could sign, but would lead to free agency faster. Also in the NBA, a player with fewer than 7 years experience can only be paid a maximum of 25% of a team's salary cap. A player beyond 7 years experience can receive 30% of a team's salary cap under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement that took effect in the 2005-2006 NBA season. This has augmented concerns that he may leave for a bigger market, once the three-year contract expires.

2006-07 season

During the 2006-07 season, James was elected to his third consecutive All-Star game appearance, where he played a game high 32 minutes and finished with 28 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds.[14] For the regular season, the Cavaliers managed to tie the previous season's record with 52 wins and clinched an Eastern Conference second seed playoff berth. James concluded the season averaging 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.6 steals. He joined Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists for three consecutive years.[15]

United States National Team

Olympic medal record
Men's Basketball
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens United States

Following his rookie campaign, James played on the 2004 US Olympic Basketball Team in Athens, Greece, where he and his teammates won the bronze medal in men's basketball. It was the first time a US Olympic team, with NBA players, failed to win the gold medal. Limited to 14.6 minutes per game, in part because of coach Larry Brown's preference for more experienced players, James averaged just 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.[16] He also competed in the 2006 World Championships in Japan. But again, despite the high expectations, the team has finished with another bronze medal.

James has been named as one of three captains for the USA Men's Basketball National Team from 2006-2008, alongside Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. After failing to win the 2006 World Championships, the team will have to compete at the Tournament of Americas Olympic Qualifiers in 2007 in order to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Player profile

The three-time All-Star and 2006 All-Star MVP LeBron James mostly plays the guard / forward position, as well as occasionally point forward. He has established himself as a legitimate triple-double threat, averaging 26.5 points, 6.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game. In the 2005-06 season, James ranked among the league leaders in triple-doubles, and has 12 in his career (10 - Regular Season, 2 - Postseason). James is considered one of the few players in the league who can at times play three or more positions, combining the length and quickness of a small forward, the size of a power forward and the court vision and ball-handling of a guard.

James' overall skill sets and on-court play have led to comparisons to NBA greats such as Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan[17]. Due to James' versatile gameplay, others consider him more in the vein of NBA legend Oscar Robertson, who was known for his great all-around play. James envisions himself as being a modern day version of Penny Hardaway who is one of his all time favorite players [1][2]. James relies on his quickness, size and strength to get to the basket, and is adept at drawing contact and the resulting foul. In the 2006 season he led the league in completed traditional three point plays. Among issues of his game, James is not known for his defense. He has yet to be featured on any of the NBA all-defensive teams [18] James has also experienced inconsistencies with his free throw shooting.

Statistics

SEASON TEAM GP MPG SPG BPG RPG APG PPG Hi 40+ 50+ TD MVP
'03-04 Cleveland 79 39.5 1.6 0.7 5.5 5.9 20.9 41 1 0 0 9th
'04-05 Cleveland 80 42.4 2.2 0.6 7.4 7.2 27.2 56 5 1 4 6th
'05-06 Cleveland 79 42.5 1.6 0.8 7.0 6.6 31.4 52 10 2 5 2nd
'06-07 Cleveland 78 40.9 1.6 0.7 6.7 6.0 27.3 41 1 0 1 N/A

TD = Triple-doubles

MVP = MVP voting

Awards and honors

Career Summary

  • NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006
  • 3-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007
  • 2-time All-NBA:
    • First Team: 2006
    • Second Team: 2005
  • NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004
  • NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004
  • NBA regular-season leader, field goals made: 2005 (795)
  • NBA regular-season leader, minutes played: 2005 (3,388)
  • NBA regular-season leader, minutes played: 2007 (3,190)
  • Career 40+ Point Games (Regular Season): 17 (as of the end of 06-07 season)
  • Career 50+ Point Games (Regular Season): 3 (as of the end of 06-07 season)
  • Career 40+ Point Games (Postseason): 2 (as of the end of 05-06 post-season)
  • Career triple-doubles (Regular Season): 10 (as the end of 06-07 season)
  • Career triple-doubles (Postseason): 2 (as of the end of 05-06 season)
  • Led the league in traditional three-point plays with (79) in the 2005-06 NBA season[19]

Personal records

James owns numerous NBA "youngest player" records*:

  • Youngest player in NBA history and the first Cavalier to be named NBA Rookie of the Year, at 19 years of age.
  • Youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his career (20 years, 20 days), with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on January 19, 2005 vs. the Portland Trail Blazers.
  • Youngest player in NBA history to score 50 points in one game (20 years, 80 days), with 56 points vs. the Toronto Raptors on March 20, 2005.
  • Youngest player in NBA history to score 2000 points in a season (2004-2005 season).
  • Youngest player in NBA history to average 30 points per game in a season (2005-2006 season).
  • Youngest player in NBA history to reach:
  • 1,000 points*
  • 2,000 points*
  • 3,000 points*
  • 4,000 points*
  • 5,000 points*
  • 6,000 points
  • 7,000 points
  • 8,000 points
  • Youngest player in NBA history to win an All-Star Game MVP (21 years, 55 days)
  • Youngest player in NBA history to be named to the All-NBA first team (21 years, 138 days)
  • Youngest player in NBA history to lead the entire league in All-Star voting (22 years, 26 days)

* Beginning in 2006 the NBA introduced an age requirement restrictions. Prospective high school players must now wait a year before entering the NBA, making these records more difficult to break.

NBA milestones

  • One of only three players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his rookie season (joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan)[8]
  • One of only five players in NBA history to average over 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists in a season (joining Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek))[8]
  • One of only three players in NBA history to record a triple-double in his playoff debut (joining Magic Johnson and Johnny McCarthy).[20]

Cavaliers franchise records (10)

High school achievements

2001
USA Today All-USA First Team (first sophomore to receive this honor)
Ohio Mr. Basketball (first sophomore to receive this honor)
Adidas ABCD Camp Underclassmen MVP
2002
USA Today High School Player of the Year
Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player of the Year
USA Today All-USA First Team
Ohio Mr. Basketball
2003
USA Today High School Player of the Year
Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player of the Year
USA Today All-USA First Team
Ohio Mr. Basketball
Ohio Division II Player of the Year
Naismith High School Player of the Year
Morgan Wootten Award (McDonald's National Player of the Year)
McDonald's High School All-American
McDonald's High School All-American Game MVP
Jeremy Nathaniel Memorial Classic MVP
Jordan Capital Classic MVP
EA Sports Roundball Classic MVP

Advertising and promotions

In 2003 Nike signed James to a $90 million shoe contract. James has also signed endorsement contracts with Bubblicious, Sprite, Powerade, and Upper Deck. In 2005, Nike released a series of advertisements called "Meet the LeBrons," featuring James in four distinct personalities. One of James' current promotions/ads are the sprite sublymonal. As evident with the "Meet the LeBrons" ad campaigns, and any other sort of media recognition in general, James is on a short list of NBA players that are commonly referred to by simply their first name on first reference.

Trivia

References

  1. ^ Jones, Ryan: King James: Believe the Hype, St. Martin's Griffin 2003. ISBN 0-312-32229-1
  2. ^ Morgan, David Lee: LeBron James: The Rise of a Star, Gray & Company Publishers 2003. ISBN 1-886228-74-4
  3. ^ cleveland.com, LeBron James, accessed April 27, 2007
  4. ^ espn.com, NEXT: LeBron James, accessed April 27, 2007
  5. ^ a b sportingnews.com, NBA: Cha-Ching! James gets Nike bonanza, accessed April 27, 2007.
  6. ^ basketball-reference.com, James 2003-04 Game Log, accessed April 27, 2007.
  7. ^ a b nba.com, LeBron James: Player Info Page, accessed April 27, 2007.
  8. ^ a b c d nba.com, LeBron James: NBA Bio, accessed April 27, 2007.
  9. ^ basketball-reference.com, 2003-04 Cleveland Cavaliers accessed April 27, 2007.
  10. ^ nba.com, 2005 All-Star Game, accessed April 27, 2007.
  11. ^ nba.com, James Wins MVP as East Rallies Past West, accessed April 27, 2007.
  12. ^ usabasketball, USA Basketball: LeBron James Bio, accessed April 27, 2007.
  13. ^ nba.com, 2006 NBA MVP Candidate - LeBron James, accessed April 27, 2007
  14. ^ nba.com, 2007 All-Star Game: Box Score, accessed April 19, 2007
  15. ^ "Now playoff-bound, Cavs' 50th win caps season". ESPN.com.
  16. ^ usabasketball, USA Season Box Score, accessed April 25, 2007
  17. ^ DuPree, David (April 21). "King James' next conquest". USA Today. Retrieved August 21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate=, |date=, and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "All-Defense Selections by Player". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Make LeBron shoot two: Haywood's hard foul alters Cavaliers-Wizards series". AP. April 26, 2006. Retrieved August 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ espn.com, LeBron's playoff debut triple-double carries Cavs, accessed April 27, 2007.
  21. ^ a b "Arenas fuels Wiz with spectacular second half". Associated Press. April 30, 2006. Retrieved August 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "LeBron James Named NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Month". Retrieved August 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "James, Cavaliers End Nets' Winning Streak". nba.com. April 8, 2006. Retrieved August 21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ Windhorst, Brian (June 5, 2005). "Mystery man behind scenes". Akron Beacon Journal. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ sports.yahoo.com, Cavaliers star LeBron James expecting second child, accessed April 27, 2007.


Preceded by NBA first overall draft pick
2003 NBA Draft 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NBA
Rookie of the Year
2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NBA All-Star Game
Most Valuable Player
2006 		Succeeded by

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