James, LeBron Raymone, 1984–, American basketball player, b. Akron, Ohio. The number-one draft pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers at age 18, “King James” has become one of the National Basketball Association's authentic superstars. A versatile small forward, adept at both scoring and passing, he was named Rookie of the Year in 2004, and in 2007 led the Cavs to the NBA finals, where they lost to San Antonio. An NBA All-Star from 2005 on and four times the league's most valuable player (2009–10, 2012–13), he led the league in scoring in 2008 and became the youngest player to score 10,000 (2007), 20,000 (2013), and 30,000 points (2018). In 2010 he became a free agent and, after a highly public scramble for his talents, announced he would sign with the Miami Heat. He led the Heat to the NBA finals in 2011–14 and to the championship in 2012–13, when he was named the finals MVP. In 2014, he left Miami to return to Cleveland, leading them to the finals in 2015–18 and to the championship in 2016, when he again was the finals MVP. His eight straight finals appearances are an NBA record. In 2018 he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, and in 2020 led them to the championship, becoming the first player to lead three different teams to the top of the NBA. He again was the finals MVP. James also has been a member of the bronze-medal 2004 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team and the gold-medal 2008 and 2012 teams.
See his Shooting Stars (2009, with B. Bissinger).
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