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| Birth Name(s) : LeBron James |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Athlete |
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Full LeBron James Biography
Before his NBA debut, James signed an unprecedented US$90 million shoe contract with Nike. He has since set numerous youngest player records. In his first season, he received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and in the following three seasons received All-NBA and All-Star honors. He led the Cavaliers to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2006 and 2007; the latter year the team advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 and the NBA Finals for the first time in Cleveland's history.
James attended St. Vincent - St. Mary High School (SVSM) in Akron, Ohio and was named the starting point guard for the Fighting Irish. He averaged 18 points and 6.2 rebounds, and led the team to a 27–0 record, en route to the Division III state title.
In his sophomore year, James averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals. He led the team to a 26–1 record and Division III state title for the second straight season. He was the first sophomore to be named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" and also became the first sophomore player ever selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team.
As an avid football player, James was also named First-Team All-State as a wide receiver. However, injury concerns led James to concentrate solely on basketball.
Gloria James created 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. The event prompted 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. That forfeit loss was the team's only official loss that season.
In the 2004-05 season, James was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game and recorded 13 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds, as the Eastern All-Stars defeated the Western All-Stars 125–115. During the season, James became the youngest player in league history to register a triple-double, score 50 points in a game, and make the All-NBA Team. He averaged 27.2 points, 7.2 assists, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. However, the Cavaliers failed to reach the playoffs again and finished with a 42–40 regular season record.
At the end of the season, James negotiated a three year contract extension, with a player option for a fourth year. The contract is worth US$60 million and begins at the start of the 2007-08 NBA season. Although it is for fewer years and less money than the maximum he could sign, it allows him the option of seeking a new contract worth more money as an unrestricted free agent following the 2010 season.
James scored only 20 points in Game 6, but lead Cleveland to a 98-82 win and their first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history, against the San Antonio Spurs.
James was named as one of three captains for the U.S. Men's Basketball National Team from 2006–2008, alongside Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. After failing to win the 2006 World Championships, the team competed at the 2007 Tournament of Americas Olympic Qualifiers to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. During the gold medal game against Argentina, James recorded 31 points, the most by an American in an Olympic qualifier, as the United States captured gold medal honors.
Although James exhibits exceptional offensive ability, he has yet to be featured on the NBA All-Defensive Team and has struggled with his free throw shooting — he averaged a subpar .698 free throw accuracy in the 2006-07 season.
Despite being compared to players such as Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and Magic Johnson, James considers Penny Hardaway as the player whose talents are most similar to his. "Penny sees the whole floor and can score," James said. "He's still one of my favorite players of all-time."
During the 2007-08 offseason, James received Lasik eye surgery to improve his vision. On October 4, 2007, James appeared at Jacobs Field for Game 1 of the 2007 American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, wearing a Yankees hat. James did admit that he is a Yankees fan. Because of this, James received criticism from some Indians fans who were also Cavaliers fans. |
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