"LeBron" redirects here. For his son LeBron James Jr., see Bronny James.

For other people with the

name, see Lebrón.

James with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022

No. 23 – Los Angeles Lakers

Position Small forward / power forward

League NBA

Personal information

Born December 30, 1984 (age 39)

Akron, Ohio, U.S.

Listed height 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)

Listed weight 250 lb (113 kg)

Career information

High school St. Vincent–St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)

NBA draft 2003: 1st round, 1st overall pick

Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers

Playing 2003–present
career

Career history

2003–2010 Cleveland Cavaliers

2010–2014 Miami Heat

2014–2018 Cleveland Cavaliers

2018–present Los Angeles Lakers

Career highlights and awards

● 4× NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)
● 4× NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013, 2016,
2020)
● 4× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009, 2010,
2012, 2013)
● 19× NBA All-Star (2005–2023)
● 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008,
2018)
● 13× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2018,
2020)
● 3× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007,
2021)
● 3× All-NBA Third Team (2019, 2022, 2023)
● 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team
(2009–2013)
● NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2014)
● NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)
● NBA All-Rookie First Team (2004)
● NBA scoring champion (2008)
● NBA assists leader (2020)
● NBA 75th Anniversary Team
● AP Athlete of the Decade (2010s)
● 4× AP Athlete of the Year (2013, 2016,
2018, 2020)
● 3× Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the
Year (2012, 2016, 2020)
● USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
(2012)
● 2× National high school player of the year
(2002, 2003)
● McDonald's All-American Game MVP
(2003)
● 2× First-team Parade All-American (2002,
2003)
● 3× Ohio Mr. Basketball (2001–2003)
● 3x USA Today All-USA First Team
(2001-2003)
● No. 23 retired by St. Vincent–St. Mary

Stats at NBA.com

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
 hide

Medals

Men's
basketball

Representing
the
United States

Olympic
Games

T
2008 e
Beijing a
m

T
2012 e
London a
m

T
2004 e
Athens a
m

FIBA World
Championshi
p

2006
Japan

FIBA
Americas
Championshi
p

2007
Las
Vegas

LeBron Raymone James Sr. (/ləˈbrɒn/ lə-BRON; born December 30, 1984) is an American
professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the
history of the sport and is often compared to Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball
 [a]
player of all time. He has competed in 10 NBA Finals (with eight consecutive appearances from
[1]
2011 to 2018) winning four NBA championships. He also won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 with
the Lakers, and two Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. men's national team.

Individually, James is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and ranks fourth in career assists,
has won four Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, four Finals MVP Awards, three All-Star Game
MVP Awards, and was named the inaugural NBA Cup MVP. He has been named an All-Star 19
[2][3]
times, selected to the All-NBA Team 19 times (including 13 First Team selections) and the
All-Defensive Team six times, and was a runner-up for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
[4][5]
twice in his career. Noted for his longevity, as of January 2024, he is the oldest player in the
[6]
NBA.

James grew up playing basketball for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron,
Ohio. He was heavily touted by the national media as a future NBA superstar for his all-around
[7]
scoring, passing, athleticism and playmaking abilities. A prep-to-pro, he was selected by the
Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. Named the 2004 NBA Rookie of
[8]
the Year, he soon established himself as one of the league's premier players, leading the Cavaliers
[4]
to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2007 and winning the NBA MVP award in 2009 and 2010.
After failing to win a championship with Cleveland, James left in 2010 as a free agent to join the
[9]
Miami Heat; this was announced in a nationally televised special titled The Decision and is among
[10]
the most controversial free agency moves in sports history.

James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Heat in 2012 and 2013; in both of
these years, he also earned the league's MVP and Finals MVP awards. After his fourth season with
the Heat in 2014, James opted out of his contract and re-signed with the Cavaliers. In 2016, he led
the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in the Finals by coming back from a 3–1
[11]
deficit, delivering the team's first championship and ending the Cleveland sports curse. In 2018,
James exercised his contract option to leave the Cavaliers and signed with the Lakers, where he
[12]
won the 2020 NBA championship and his fourth Finals MVP. James is the first player in NBA
[13]
history to accumulate $1 billion in earnings as an active player. On February 7, 2023, James
surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the leading scorer in league history.

Off the court, James has earned more wealth and fame from numerous endorsement contracts. He
has been featured in books, documentaries (including winning three Sports Emmy Awards as an
executive producer), and television commercials. James was among Time's 100 most influential
people in the world in 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2019. He has won 20 ESPY Awards, hosted Saturday
Night Live, and starred in the sports film Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). James has been a
part-owner of Liverpool F.C. since 2011 and leads the LeBron James Family Foundation, which has
[14][15]
opened an elementary school, housing complex, retail plaza, and medical center in Akron.

Early life
James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio, to Gloria Marie James, who was 16 at the
[16]: 22
time of his birth. His father, Anthony McClelland, has an extensive criminal record and was not
[17][18][19]
involved in his life. When James was growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as
they moved from apartment to apartment in the seedier neighborhoods of Akron while Gloria
[20]
struggled to find steady work. Realizing that her son would be better off in a more stable family
environment, Gloria allowed him to move in with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football
[16]: 23
coach who introduced James to basketball when he was nine years old.

[21]
James began playing organized basketball in the fifth grade. He later played Amateur Athletic
[20]
Union (AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars. The team enjoyed success on a
local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie
[16]: 24
McGee. The group dubbed themselves the "Fab Four" and promised each other that they
[16]: 27
would attend high school together. In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to
attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a private Catholic school with predominantly white
[22]
students.