LeBron James
Born 1984 · Age 41
American professional basketball player, considered one of the greatest of all time; four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP, plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. Off-court entrepreneur, philanthropist, actor, and owner/investor.
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Life & Career Timeline
Introduced to basketball by Frank Walker
Moved in with Frank Walker's family; Walker introduced LeBron to organized basketball at about age nine.
Began organized basketball (fifth grade)
Started playing organized basketball in fifth grade.
Played AAU for Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars
Competed in AAU basketball with local teammates (the 'Fab Four'), gaining regional and national attention.
Freshman season at St. Vincent–St. Mary HS, undefeated state title
As a freshman averaged ~18 PPG and helped St. Vincent–St. Mary finish 27–0 and win the Division III state title.
First Ohio Mr. Basketball
Began a streak of three consecutive Ohio Mr. Basketball awards (2001–2003).
Featured in Slam magazine (summer 2001)
Ryan Jones profiled the 16-year-old as possibly the best high school player in America at the time.
Sophomore season — repeat state champion; Ohio Mr. Basketball
Averaged 25.3 PPG; St. Vincent–St. Mary finished 26–1 and repeated as state champions. Named Ohio Mr. Basketball and USA Today All-USA First Team (first sophomore ever).
Appeared on Sports Illustrated cover as underclassman
Became the first high-school underclassman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Junior-year honors: State and national awards
Named Ohio Mr. Basketball again and became the first junior named Gatorade National Player of the Year; averaged ~28 PPG.
Received Hummer H2 for 18th birthday (controversy)
Accepted a Hummer H2 from his mother on his 18th birthday; investigated under OHSAA rules but cleared (gift from family).
Scored 52 in first game back after suspension
Returned from the two-game suspension and scored a career-high 52 points in a high-school game.
Senior season — national accolades & loss of NCAA eligibility
Averaged ~30.4 PPG in senior year, named USA Today All-USA First Team for third straight year, Gatorade National POY again; participated in McDonald's All-American; lost NCAA eligibility after accepting jerseys but penalty later reduced to two-game suspension.
Signed unprecedented Nike endorsement (pre-NBA)
Signed a long-term Nike contract reportedly worth about $90 million before playing a professional game.
Declared for 2003 NBA Draft / left NCAA eligibility
Lost NCAA eligibility and officially entered the 2003 NBA draft.
Selected 1st overall in 2003 NBA Draft by Cleveland Cavaliers
Taken with the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft by his hometown Cavs.
NBA debut — scored 25 points
In his first regular-season NBA game scored 25 points vs. Sacramento, setting a record for a prep-to-pro debut performance.
Olympic bronze medal (Athens 2004)
Won Olympic bronze medal with Team USA men's basketball at the 2004 Athens Games.
NBA Rookie of the Year
Won NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging ~20.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 5.9 APG in his rookie season.
First NBA All-Star selection (starter)
Selected as a starting forward for the Eastern Conference All-Star team (first All-Star appearance).
Named to Time's 100 Most Influential (first time)
Named to Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People (also later selected in 2013, 2017, 2019).
Scored 56 points (Cavaliers single-game record)
Scored 56 points in a regular-season game vs. the Toronto Raptors, establishing a Cavaliers single-game record at the time.
Signed 3‑year, $60M extension with Cavaliers (offseason)
Agreed to a three-year, $60 million extension with a fourth-year player option to align future free agency with peers (Wade/Bosh).
All-Star Game MVP (2006)
Led the East to victory in the All-Star Game scoring 29 points and was named All-Star Game MVP.
First All-Star Game MVP of multiple (2006; later 2008, 2018)
Won the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 2006 (later also in 2008 and 2018).
Led Cavaliers to franchise's first NBA Finals (2007)
Guided Cleveland past Washington and New Jersey and through the Eastern Conference to reach the 2007 NBA Finals (lost to SA Spurs).
Epic Game 5 vs. Pistons — 48 points and 25 of team's last 30
Scored 48 (including 29 of Cleveland's last 30) in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals — widely regarded as one of the greatest playoff performances.
Came off the bench for first time in career
Entered a game off the bench for the first time to avoid potential fan reaction tied to a teammate dispute.
NBA scoring champion (2007–08)
Led the league in scoring for the 2007–08 season (first scoring title).
Olympic gold medal (Beijing 2008)
Won Olympic gold as a member of the 2008 'Redeem Team'.
Became Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer (passing Brad Daugherty)
Surpassed Brad Daugherty as the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
Published memoir 'Shooting Stars' (cowritten)
Published Shooting Stars (2009) co-written with Buzz Bissinger about his high-school years and rise to stardom.
First NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award
Won his first NBA MVP after averaging 28.4 PPG and leading Cleveland to 66 wins (franchise record at the time).
Second consecutive NBA MVP (2010)
Won back-to-back league MVP awards for the 2009–10 season.
Became unrestricted free agent
Officially entered free agency on July 1, 2010.
The Decision (ESPN special) — announced joining Miami Heat
Announced on an hour-long live ESPN special that he would sign with the Miami Heat; the telecast raised $2.5M for the Boys & Girls Club and $3.5M in advertising revenue that was donated to charities.
Signed 6‑year, $110M sign-and-trade with Miami Heat
Officially signed a 6-year, $110 million contract (via sign-and-trade) with the Miami Heat; Cleveland received draft picks as part of the deal.
Part-owner of Liverpool F.C.
Became a part-owner/investor in Liverpool Football Club (Fenway Sports Group deal finalized in 2011).
First NBA championship (Heat) and Finals MVP (2012)
Won his first NBA title with the Miami Heat over the Oklahoma City Thunder and was unanimously chosen as the Finals MVP.
Olympic gold medal (London 2012)
Won Olympic gold with Team USA at London 2012.
Heat's 27-game winning streak (team milestone during season)
Participated in and contributed to the Miami Heat's 27-game winning streak during the 2012–13 season (third-longest in NBA history).
Second straight NBA championship and back-to-back Finals MVPs (2013)
Helped Miami win a second consecutive title (2013) and earned Finals MVP honors again; also won his fourth regular-season MVP (2013).
Youngest player to reach 20,000 career points
Became the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points.
Became Cavaliers' all-time assists leader (season milestone)
Reached passing milestones upon return to Cleveland, including becoming the franchise's all-time assists leader that season.
Opted out of Heat contract
Opted out of his contract with the Miami Heat on June 25, 2014 and became a free agent on July 1.
Announced return to Cleveland via Sports Illustrated essay
Published a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated announcing his intention to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Signed two‑year, $42.1M contract with Cavaliers (return)
Officially signed a two-year deal worth $42.1 million to rejoin Cleveland; Cavaliers subsequently acquired Kevin Love to form a new star trio.
Declined $21.5M option; re-signed two‑year, $46.9M with Cavs
Declined his $21.5M player option and re-signed on a two-year, $46.9M contract (second-year player option included).
2015 NBA Finals — outstanding individual performance (lost)
Led an injury-riddled Cavaliers to the Finals vs. Golden State and averaged historically high Finals numbers (35.8 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 8.8 APG) but the Cavs lost in six games.
Signed three‑year, $100M contract with Cavaliers (post-championship)
Re-signed with Cleveland on a three-year, $100 million deal with final year as a player option.
Cleveland wins first NBA title (2016) — Game 7 triple-double; Finals MVP
Led Cavaliers in comeback from 3–1 deficit vs. Golden State, posted a triple-double in Game 7, earned unanimous Finals MVP and delivered Cleveland's first pro sports title in 52 years.
Broke Michael Jordan's all-time playoff scoring mark
Surpassed Michael Jordan as the NBA's all-time postseason leading scorer (achieved during 2017 playoffs).
Opened I PROMISE School (LeBron James Family Foundation)
The LeBron James Family Foundation opened an elementary school (I PROMISE School) in Akron; foundation has also opened housing complex, retail plaza, and medical center in Akron.
Played first full 82-game season; Cavaliers to Finals (swept)
Played all 82 regular-season games for the first time; Cavaliers lost in the 2018 Finals in a sweep to Golden State.
Signed with Los Angeles Lakers
Joined the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency (2018), beginning a new chapter in the Western Conference.
Won Sports Emmy Awards as executive producer (multiple)
As an executive producer, James has won multiple Sports Emmy Awards (three overall as noted in sources).
Won 4th NBA championship (Lakers) and 4th Finals MVP
Led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title in the COVID-19 bubble and was named Finals MVP — becoming the first player to win Finals MVP with three different franchises.
Starred in Space Jam: A New Legacy (film)
Played the lead role in the 2021 sports/fantasy film Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Won inaugural NBA Cup and NBA Cup MVP
Won the NBA Cup with the Lakers and was named the inaugural NBA Cup MVP (2023).
First active NBA player to accumulate $1 billion in career earnings (milestone)
Declared as the first NBA player to accumulate $1 billion in earnings while still an active player.
Became NBA's all-time leading scorer (surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
Surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer in February 2023.
Recorded 40,000 career points (Britannica note)
Reached the 40,000 career point milestone — Britannic sources record this milestone as reached in 2024.
Became first father-son teammates in NBA history (with Bronny)
Teamed up with son LeBron 'Bronny' James on the Lakers, the first father-son teammates in NBA history.
Olympic gold and Olympics MVP (Paris 2024)
Won Olympic gold with Team USA in Paris and was named the tournament's MVP (Olympics MVP 2024).
Inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (as 2008 Olympic team member)
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025 as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team; among the first active players (with Chris Paul) to be inducted while still active.
Key Achievement Ages
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