Basketball Player Lebron James Biography

Lebron James Biography

Basketball player. Born December 30th, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. LeBron James has emerged as one of the leading players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). At an early age, he showed a natural talent for basketball. James was recruited by St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to join their basketball team in 1999.
As a freshman, James averaged 18 points per game. He helped the team to a Division III state title by scoring 25 points in the championship game. Word of his advanced basketball skills spread, and James received several honors for his performance. As a high school sophomore, he was chosen for the USA Today All-USA First Team. James was the first sophomore ever selected for this award. His team also won the Division III state title for the second year in a row.
The following school year, he was named PARADE magazine's High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year. Sportswriters were comparing him to such legendary basketball stars as Michael Jordan. After the end of his junior year, James was such a strong player that he contemplated turning professional.
Deciding to finish his education, James had a tremendous senior year on the court. He averaged 31.6 points per game, helping his team clinch their third state title. The team also earned the top national ranking that year. Overall, James scored 2,657 points, 892 rebounds, and 523 assists during his four years at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.
With his impressive record, it was no surprise that James was the first player picked in the 2003 NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers signed the powerful young forward, and he proved to be a valuable addition to the then-struggling franchise. The team had ended the previous season in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Around this time, James also signed several endorsement deals, including one with Nike for $90 million.
During the 2003-2004 season, James made history, becoming the first member of the Cavalier franchise to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He was also the youngest player ever at only 20 years oldto receive this honor. Averaging 20 points per game, James was one of three rookies to accomplish this feat, putting him in the same company as Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.
During the summer of 2004, James made his Olympic debut at the summer games in Athens, Greece, as part of the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team. He and his teammates won bronze medals after defeating Lithuania. Argentina took home the gold after beating Italy in the finals.
Outside of sports, James went through some changes in his personal life around this time. He became a father for the first time in October 2004 when he and girlfriend Savannah Brinson welcomed a son, LeBron Jr.
James continued to excel professionally in the NBA the following season, upping his average points per game to 27.2. He again made NBA history in 2005 by becoming the youngest player to score more than 50 points in one game. He was selected for the NBA All-Star game for the first time, a feat he would repeat several times over the next few seasons.