LeBron Raymone Jamesborn December 30, 1984) is an American professional
basketball player for the
Cleveland Cavaliers of the
National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and weighing 250 lb (113 kg), he has started at the
small forward and
power forward positions. James has won two
NBA championships, four
NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, two
NBA Finals MVP Awards, two
Olympic gold medals, an
NBA scoring title, and the
NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He has also been selected to 11
NBA All-Star teams, 11
All-NBA teams, and six
All-Defensive teams, and is the
Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer.
James played high school basketball at
St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of
Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar. After graduating, he was selected with the
first overall pick in the
2003 NBA draft by the Cavaliers. James led
Cleveland to the franchise's first
Finals appearance in
2007, losing to the
San Antonio Spurs. In 2010, he left the Cavaliers for the
Miami Heat in a highly publicized
ESPN special titled
The Decision. James played four seasons for the Heat, reaching the Finals all four years and winning back-to-back championships in
2012 and
2013. In 2013, he led Miami on a 27-game winning streak, the
second longest
in league history. Following his final season with the Heat, James
opted out of his contract and rejoined the Cavaliers. Behind his
leadership, Cleveland advanced to the
Finals before losing to the
Golden State Warriors.
Off the court, James has accumulated considerable wealth and fame as a
result of numerous endorsement deals. His public life has been the
subject of much scrutiny and he has been ranked as one of America's most
influential and popular athletes. He has been featured in books,
documentaries, and television commercials, and has hosted the
ESPY Awards and
Saturday Night Live.
