LeBron James, a poor kid from Akron, beat all the odds to become a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and the undisputed King of the NBA.
Credit: Fadeaway World
The basketball world continues to be blessed by LeBron James' greatness. LeBron is currently playing in his 20th season, and even though father time has finally started to show some signs in LeBron's game, he's still playing at a high level.
LeBron has single-handedly changed the way we view athletes with his incredibly long peak. Athletes are expected to continue to dominate into their late 30s, thanks to LeBron.
This is the current LeBron James, but what about his beginning? For this, we're not just talking about the beginning of his NBA career but rather LeBron's beginning.
In this article, you'll learn about how a young prince from Akron, Ohio, grew up in a tough home situation to become the king of the NBA. Fadeaway World presents the biography of LeBron James.
A King Is Born In Akron
On December 30, 1984, LeBron James was born to Gloria James and Anthony McClelland. Gloria and Anthony didn't have a relationship. They were just a fling that ended up bringing LeBron into the world.
As a child, LeBron grew up without a father, as Anthony was never in his life. Anthony spent a lot of time in prison for various reasons, including arson and theft. To this day, LeBron has never met his biological father.
When he was young, LeBron could never get used to an actual home. His mother moved him from apartment to apartment as she went through various jobs.
Akron, Ohio, isn't the best area to live in, and the residents don't have the most money. Times were hard for a young LeBron, especially without a father in his life. LeBron had no one to look up to.
Then, things would turn in LeBron's favor when he was nine. Frank Walker was a local youth football coach, and he agreed to let LeBron stay with him to help give him the much-needed structure he needed in life.
It was with Frank Walker that LeBron first started playing the game of basketball. Walker introduced LeBron to the game, and he quickly fell in love with it.
It was in fifth grade when LeBron started to play organized basketball. LeBron was naturally gifted at sports, including basketball.
The more he played, the better LeBron got. He played for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), and he saw success on a national level.
By the time LeBron reached high school, he had shocked many people by choosing the private Catholic school, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. This decision by LeBron turned out to be the right one.
LeBron, along with Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee, his childhood friends, started what was known as the “Fab Four.” Even though there was a “Fab Four,” LeBron would quickly stand out as the number one attraction.
LeBron dominated as a freshman, averaging 21.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while leading St. Vincent–St. Mary High School to a 27–0 record. This undefeated record was impressive, but this wasn't all.
LeBron led his school to a Division III state title by scoring 25 points in the championship game. This was a great start to his high school career, but it would only get better.
As a sophomore, LeBron averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. He led St. Vincent–St. Mary High School to a 26-1 record, and he became the first sophomore to be named to the USA Today All-USA First Team.
LeBron also became the first sophomore to be named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball.” Like his freshman year, LeBron led his school to a Division III state title.
LeBron was now starting to gain attention from top colleges, as they could tell his game was different from other high school players. But as of now, LeBron was focused on his junior year and winning his third straight Division III state title.
This, unfortunately, would not happen for LeBron. St. Vincent–St. Mary High School would have to move up to Division II because of increased enrollment. This led to LeBron's team playing tougher competition.
LeBron would dominate the season, finishing with averages of 29.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals. He was named Mr. Basketball of Ohio for the second straight year, earned a spot on the All-USA First Team, and was named the 2001–2002 boys' basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year.
St. Vincent–St. Mary High School finished with a 23–4 record, and they'd make it to the Division II championship game. There, they'd suffer a shocking loss, losing 71-63 to Roger Bacon High School.
LeBron scored 32 points in the game, but he didn't get much help as only one of his teammates reached double figures. This would later be a similar situation for LeBron during his first stint in Cleveland...
While LeBron was dominating basketball in high school, he was also excelling in another sport: football. He played during his junior and sophomore years, collecting 23 receiving TDs.
LeBron became a top prospect in football, but he'd let go of the game for his senior year. As a senior, LeBron was ready to redeem himself on the basketball court.
Now, this redemption LeBron had to do as a senior didn't come as his first choice, believe it or not. After his junior year, LeBron made a bid to skip his senior year to enter the NBA Draft. He was denied.
As a senior, LeBron was the man once again, averaging 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals. LeBron was named to the All-USA First Team for the third time, selected as Mr. Basketball of Ohio, and was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year.
LeBron led St. Vincent–St. Mary High School to a 26-1 record as a senior, with the one loss coming after the school had to forfeit because LeBron accepted free throwback jerseys.
By accepting these jerseys, LeBron was initially suspended indefinitely for his senior year. After appealing the decision, they allowed LeBron to play but gave them their only loss of the season. This wouldn't be the end of LeBron's trouble off the court... More on that later.
LeBron would go on to win the Division II championship game, earning his redemption after last year's championship defeat. After the season was over, LeBron played in three basketball tournaments.
LeBron played in the McDonald's All-American Game, the Jordan Capital Classic, and the EA Sports Roundball Classic. He was named MVP in all three tournaments.
LeBron had already decided to take the leap to the NBA, which was good. Since he played in more than high school all-star events, James officially lost eligibility.
More trouble came LeBron's way during his senior year when LeBron's mother took out an $80,000 loan to buy LeBron a Hummer H2 for his 18th birthday. This caused a problem since OHSAA guidelines state that no amateur could accept any gift valued over $100.
Luckily, everything was sorted out, and LeBron jumped into his first “decision” of his young career. He entered the 2003 NBA Draft.
The King Arrives To The NBA
There was no surprise when LeBron James' name was called first in the 2003 NBA Draft. What was surprising, in a way, was the team that secured that top draft pick to select the future king of the NBA.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are as close as a home team for LeBron that you're going to get. Akron, LeBron's home, is just a 40-minute drive to Cleveland, so when the Cavs picked LeBron, it appeared to be a match made in heaven.
From day one, LeBron wanted to deliver the city of Cleveland a championship. The Cavs had never won an NBA title and the last championship the city saw occurred in 1964 when the Cleveland Browns of the NFL defeated the Baltimore Colts 27-0.
Things wouldn't be so easy for LeBron to start his career. Yes, he'd squeak out a Rookie of the Year win over Carmelo Anthony, but his Cavaliers would fail to make the playoffs, finishing with a 35-47 record.
As a rookie, LeBron averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. He would raise these averages to 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game during his second season.
Despite LeBron's rise in the level of his play, his Cavaliers failed to reach the playoffs again after finishing with a 42-40 record. This would be the last time a LeBron James team would fail to reach the playoffs in 13 years.
LeBron would lead the Cavs to 50 wins the following season, which was good enough for a fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. He also averaged a career-high 31.4 points per game.
In his first playoff game, LeBron showed the entire world that he belonged in the postseason. LeBron recorded a triple-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists as the Cavs easily took care of the Wizards by defeating them 97-86.
In Game 3, his first road playoff game, LeBron scored 41 points (a record for points for a playoff road debut) and hit the game-winning layup with 5.7 seconds remaining; the Cavs won 97-96.
In Game 5, LeBron would nail another game-winning layup on his way to scoring 45 in a 121-120 overtime victory. Then, a Damon Jones jumper sealed the series victory when the Cavs won Game 6 114-113 over the Wizards.
The Cavs would fall to the team with the best record all season, the Detroit Pistons, in seven games in the semifinals round, but the following season, LeBron would deliver one of the greatest playoff performances we've ever seen against the Pistons.
The Cavaliers won the same amount of games in the 2006-07 season as they did in the 2005-06 season, which was 50. This time, the Cavs entered the playoffs as the second seed, and they'd meet the Wizards in the opening round once again.
This time, the Cavs would sweep the Wizards and move on to the semifinals to play the New Jersey Nets. The Nets wouldn't give the Cavs too much trouble, as Cleveland would eliminate New Jersey in six games.
This set up the Cavs-Pistons rematch, this time in the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron's first trip to this round. In Game 1, everyone believed the stage was too big for the kid from Akron.
LeBron scored just 10 points on 5-15 shooting in Game 1. By Game 5, LeBron proved to be perfectly comfortable in the Eastern Conference Finals.
LeBron delivered one of the greatest playoff performances in league history when he dropped 48 points on 18-33 shooting. This game was more than just LeBron's 48 points. That wasn't necessarily what made King James' performance so special.
What LeBron did at the end of the game is what truly made LeBron a legend in the game of basketball. With 6:05 remaining in the game, the Cavs were holding on to a 79-78 lead.
At this point, LeBron had 19 points, and he was playing pretty well. The rest of his teammates seemed out of it like they were ready to bow down to the mighty Pistons... But not LeBron.
For the remainder of the game, LeBron would score 25 consecutive points for the Cavs and 29 out of the last 30 for his Cleveland squad. Yes, you read that correctly; LeBron scored 25 straight points for Cleveland and 29 out of the last 30 points to lead the Cavs to a 109-107 victory in double overtime.
The Cavaliers would defeat the Pistons in six games to reach the NBA Finals, a first for the Cavs and LeBron. Unfortunately, LeBron and the Cavs weren't on the same level as the San Antonio Spurs, as San Antonio swept the Cavs 4-0.
LeBron was starting to grow frustrated with the Cavaliers' front office. He didn't believe the front office was working hard enough to put good players around him, and he had a point.
LeBron's 2007 team had no business making the NBA Finals, but LeBron's greatness led them there. LeBron would have some good moments during the next three years.
LeBron led the league in scoring in 2007-08 with 30.0 points per game. He scored 45 points in a memorable Game 7 duel vs. Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics in the 2008 semifinals.
Despite LeBron's 45 points, his undermanned Cavs lost Game 7 against the Celtics, but his Game 2 performance in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals resulted in an epic victory.
The Cavaliers finished the 2008-09 season with a franchise record of 66 wins. LeBron would win his first MVP award that season after averaging 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game.
In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic, after scoring 49 points in a Game 1 loss, LeBron delivered an epic shot at the end of Game 2. With 1.0 seconds remaining in the game, the Cavs trailed 95-93.
LeBron caught the inbounds pass and fired up a three to beat the buzzer. The shot rattled in, and the entire building in Cleveland erupted.
LeBron and the Cavs would lose the series in six games. This was a huge letdown for LeBron and his team. The following season, the Cavs made it to the semifinals and played the Boston Celtics.
This would not end well for LeBron. In Game 5, LeBron was accused of quitting on his teammates in the Cavs' 120-88 defeat. He scored 15 points on 3-14 shooting. What made things worse was he only attempted four shots in the second half.
After the Cavs' Game 6 94-85 loss, LeBron walked into the tunnel after the game and took his Cavs' jersey off. The look on his face looked like a man who had been through enough.
LeBron was a free agent after the season was over, and this led to many people believing LeBron would leave Cleveland after the season. Would he? I supposed that would have to be a decision LeBron would have to make himself.
LeBron's Decision Leads To Championships For King James
The NBA media gathered around as ESPN put together a segment titled “The Decision.” This live special lasted for 75 minutes with commercials, and what LeBron said shocked the NBA world and broke the hearts of all Cavaliers fans.
“In this fall... this is very tough... in this fall, I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat,” LeBron said. “I feel like it's going to give me the best opportunity to win and to win for multiple years, and not only just to win in the regular season or just to win five games in a row or three games in a row, I want to be able to win championships. And I feel like I can compete down there.”
LeBron's decision to leave Cleveland to head to Miami led to riots in the streets of Cleveland. Fans burned LeBron's jersey, some screamed, while others cried.
On December 2, 2010, LeBron returned to Cleveland for the first time, and the atmosphere was like nothing LeBron had ever seen before. The fans booed him louder than anyone had heard a boo before.
They cursed at him and held up signs stating their displeasure with LeBron's decision, but LeBron would get the last laugh. The King scored 38 points on 15-25 shooting. He also collected 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
LeBron led the Heat to a 118-90 victory, and the Heat would storm their way into the 2011 NBA Finals. The Heat played the Dallas Mavericks and were the heavy favorites.
What happened in the 2011 Finals wasn't what anyone saw coming. Not only did the older Mavs outplay the younger Heat, but LeBron also disappeared in the series. This was no more true than his Game 4 performance.
LeBron scored just 8 points on 3-11 shooting. He wasn't aggressive down the stretch of the game when the Heat needed him the most, and Miami fell 86-83 to Dallas.
The Mavs would win the title in six games, ending a promising start to LeBron's tenure in Miami. LeBron would, however, bounce back in a big way.
The following year LeBron would win his third MVP award on averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. The season started late because of a lockout, and in the 66 games played, LeBron led the Heat to a 46-20 record.
The Heat entered the playoffs as the second seed. They'd have no problem in the first two rounds, but in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics.
LeBron found his Heat trailing 3-2 to the Celtics heading into a win-or-go-home Game 6 in Boston. Everyone figured LeBron would shrink in the moment, as he had done in the 2011 NBA Finals. This wouldn't happen, as LeBron played like a man possessed.
LeBron tore apart the Celtics from the start, seemingly nailing every shot he took. The Celtics didn't have a chance. They'd lose 98-79 to Miami, and LeBron finished with 45 points on 19-26 shooting. He also added 15 rebounds.
The Heat would eliminate the Celtics in seven games to advance to the 2012 NBA Finals to face a young Oklahoma City Thunder team that featured Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
The Thunder's youth would hurt them as Miami defeated Oklahoma City 4-1. LeBron was finally a champion and a Finals MVP after averaging 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists.
LeBron would make it back to the NBA Finals in the next two seasons; both times, his Heat would play the San Antonio Spurs. In the 2012-13 season, LeBron would win his fourth MVP award and his second championship in an epic seven-game series victory that saw a dramatic Game 6 comeback, thanks to a Ray Allen three-pointer.
The following season, LeBron and the Heat would lose to the Spurs in five games. This loss would be the end of LeBron's tenure. After the season, he'd shock the world again when he announced he'd be returning to the Cavs.
The King Returns To Cleveland And Delivers On His Promise
LeBron James promised to deliver an NBA championship to the city of Cleveland when he started his career with the Cavs. This didn't happen, and he left to Miami.
After returning to Cleveland, LeBron was an overall better player. He learned a lot from Dwyane Wade during his time in Miami, and he was a much better leader.
This time, LeBron had better players around him in Cleveland with Katie Irving and Kevin Love. Those two players would both get injured and have to miss all or most of the Cavs' trip to the 2015 NBA Finals.
LeBron would have to now play with a team of role players while taking on the surprising Golden State Warriors, who were led by first-time MVP Stephen Curry. The Cavs were given no shot to win with Irving and Love out.
The predictions would be right, as the Cavs lost 4-2 to the Warriors. LeBron played his heart out, averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists in the six-game series.
The following year the two teams would meet again in the Finals. This time the Cavs had Irving and Love, but they were still given no chance at winning.
In the 2015-16 season, the Warriors set the record for wins by going 73-9, surpassing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls that went 72-10. After the Cavs fell 3-1 in the series, the entire world was ready to throw the Warriors a parade and call them the best team in the history of the NBA.
LeBron James had other ideas. Just like when he decided to take over Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons in 2007, LeBron took over the rest of the Finals.
The next two games of the series saw an eruption from LeBron. He scored 41 points in both Game 5 and Game 6, giving the Cavaliers victories in both games.
This set up a legendary Game 7. No team has ever come back from being down 3-1 in a Finals series, but LeBron didn't care about that.
LeBron scored 27 points while collecting 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. LeBron's scoring wouldn't be the topic of discussion about LeBron's performance. Instead, it would be his defense: his key block on Andre Iguodala with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter.
The game was tied 89-89, and Iguodala thought he was going to have an easy fastbreak layup, giving the Warriors the lead and the momentum. LeBron's block took that away from the Warriors, and after a Kyrie Irving three-pointer with 53 seconds left, LeBron knew he'd deliver on his promise to Cleveland.
The Cavs won 93-89, completed history with their 3-1 comeback, and LeBron was fittingly named the Finals MVP for the third time in his career. LeBron made personal history as well in the 2016 Finals. He became the first player in Finals history to lead both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
This performance firmly put LeBron in the G.O.A.T. debate. If you asked LeBron himself, it made him the G.O.A.T.
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“At that moment, I was like, ‘I’m the greatest basketball player people have ever seen,’” James said about his 2016 NBA Finals performance. “In all facets. I can play the one through five; I can guard one through five. Did something that’s never been done in the history of the sport. Teams that go down 3-1 were 0 for like 32 in Finals history. There’s nobody ever coming out of that. And nobody gave us a chance. I just felt like, ‘Ain’t nobody better than me at this.’ I felt like Jay-Z when he made The Blueprint.”
After the 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron would lead the Cavs back to the Finals in the next two years. Both series ended in a loss for LeBron, but he would make history by becoming the first player to average a triple-double in a Finals series. He did this in 2017 by averaging 33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game.
LeBron Goes To Hollywood And Wins Another Title As He Approaches NBA Scoring Record
LeBron became a free agent before the 2018-19 season, and he'd once again leave Cleveland, this time to join the Los Angeles Lakers, his current NBA team. He is now in his fifth season with the Lakers, and his time in Hollywood has been up and down.
LeBron had good moments, like winning the 2020 NBA Finals and the Finals MVP, the fourth in his career in both categories. But there's also been some bad moments, like missing the playoffs in 2019 and in 2021.
LeBron is currently inching closer to taking over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record. If LeBron stays healthy, he'll easily pass Kareem this season.
On top of being a great basketball player, LeBron is a great husband to his wife, Savannah, who was his high school sweetheart. They married on September 14, 2013. LeBron is raising three great kids, LeBron "Bronny" James Jr., Bryce Maximus, and Zhuri Nova.
LeBron's two sons, Bronny and Bryce, are following in their father's footsteps by pursuing careers in basketball. As he is playing in his 20th season, LeBron's first goal is to win a title, but he also has another goal, which may mean more than winning a fifth ring.
LeBron plans on playing alongside both Bronny and Bryce in the NBA. This is a long shot to happen, especially to play with Bryce, as he's only 15.
Still, people thought LeBron coming into the league out of high school and dominating was a long shot. They thought leading his Cavs to a historic comeback to beat the 73-win Warriors was a long shot in 2016, as well.
It's safe to say you never doubt King James because if you do, he'll make you pay. It's time to stop all the hate and appreciate greatness while he's still playing and at a high level.
Can you do that? If so, then maybe you, too, can become King, like LeBron James.
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