+ LEBRON JAMES BIO | OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF BBALLONE.COM LeBron James (born December 30, 1984(1984-12-30)) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. Commonly nicknamed "King James" and "The Chosen One", the Akron, Ohio-born James was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA star while still in high school, and was named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" three times. At the age of 18, he was selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers. Before his NBA debut, James signed an unprecedented US$90 million shoe contract with Nike. He has since set numerous youngest player records. In his first season, he received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and in the following three seasons received All-NBA and All-Star honors. He led the Cavaliers to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2006 and 2007; the latter year the team advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 and the NBA Finals for the first time in Cleveland's history. James is listed as a small forward, but can also play point guard and shooting guard. This versatility has led to his unofficial classification as a "point forward". James was a member of the United States men's national basketball team that won the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and he finished second in the league Most Valuable Player balloting in 2006. ----------   Early Life   --------- James was born an only child in a low-income area of Akron, Ohio to Gloria James on December 30, 1984. Gloria James was around the age of 16 at the time and just six months shy of graduating from high school. Moving frequently from one home to another, situations began to somewhat improve for James when his mother began a relationship with Eddie Jackson. James did not have much contact with his biological father and Jackson became a father figure to him. He regularly attended James' high school basketball games. ----------   High School   --------- Freshman - James attended St. Vincent - St. Mary High School in Akron. He was the starting point guard for the team. The team finished with a perfect 27-0 record and won the Division III state championship. Sophomore - Lebron James took over the team after Carter's graduation and averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals for SVSM en route to another state title. He was subsequently named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team — the first sophomore to receive each of these honors. James was also an avid football player, and was named First-Team All-State as a wide receiver. However, injury concerns led James to concentrate solely on basketball. Junior - In James' junior year his stats improved again. He averaged 29.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.3 steals and was again named Mr. Basketball of Ohio. He also earned a spot on the All-USA First Team, and was named the 2001-02 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. It was at this time that his nickname "King" James would become a household staple in Ohio. Dubbed "The Chosen One" by Sports Illustrated, James was the first high school basketball player on the cover since Kevin Garnett. LeBron James appeared in SLAM Magazine, which began his nationwide exposure. However, the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team failed to defend its state title when it moved up to the more challenging Division II and lost to Cincinnati's Roger Bacon High School. James attempted to declare for the NBA Draft, petitioning for an adjustment to the NBA's draft eligibility rules which, at the time, required prospective players to have at least completed high school. The petition was unsuccessful, but it led to an unprecedented level of attention on him as he entered his senior year. By then, James had already appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. His popularity forced his team to move their practices from the school gym to the nearby James A. Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron. NBA stars such as Shaquille O'Neal attended the games, and a few of James's high school games were even televised nationally on ESPN2 and regionally on pay-per-view. Senior - Gloria James created a firestorm of controversy when she was allowed to use her son's future earning power as collateral to secure a bank loan to buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for her son's 18th birthday. The event prompted an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Under the OHSAA guidelines, no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance. When James later accepted two throwback basketball jerseys worth $845 from NEXT, an urban clothing store in Shaker Square, in exchange for his posing for pictures to be displayed on the store's walls, OHSAA stripped him of his eligibility. James appealed and a judge blocked the ruling, reducing the penalty to a two-game suspension and allowing him to play the remainder of the season. However, James's team was forced to forfeit one of their wins as a result. Despite the distractions, the Irish won a third state title, and James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals. James was named to the All-USA First Team, and for an unprecedented third time, was selected as Mr. Basketball Ohio. He earned MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game, the EA Sports Roundball Classic, and the Jordan Capital Classic. Although it was a foregone conclusion, by participating in more than two high school all-star events, James officially lost his NCAA eligibility. James finished his high school career with 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 523 assists. * Courtesy of Wikipedia