NBA star LeBron James buys a $20-million estate in Brentwood

 

NBA superstar LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers has purchased an estate in Brentwood.

The 9,440-square-foot house was not marketed for sale in the Multiple Listing Service, but public records show the property sold several weeks ago for $20,986,500.

Built in 2011 and designed by architect Ken Ungar, the charming Traditional-style home has a gabled roof, dormer windows and black shutters. A bay window punctuates a two-story stretch of stone facade along the front of the house.

LeBron James sells his Florida waterfront compound for $13.4 million

Beyond the front portico are living spaces such as a central entry hall with a sweeping staircase, a formal dining room, a round breakfast room, six bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

Balcony and deck space off the back of the house extend the living areas outdoors. Lawn and a swimming pool semi-circular spa/fountain complete the grounds.

A gated driveway leads to a three-car garage.

Hat tip goes to Variety for breaking the story.

The 11-time NBA All-Star, 30, sold his Contemporary compound along the ocean in Coconut Grove, Fla., this summer for $13.4 million.

Would LeBron James have made a great 'Mad Men' character?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James and the Cavaliers play Friday in New York, where once last season James filmed a car commercial in 90 seconds.

In New York and in James' world are where the unbelievable is possible. James, popping onto West 34^th Street, just a few blocks from Madison Avenue, to tape a commercial for Kia in less than two minutes? Why not?

James is truly among the modern-day Mad Men. At age 30, the $44 million he earns annually through endorsements is the fourth-highest among any athlete in the world, according to Forbes.

As James descends once again upon the advertising capital of the world, we pause to consider some of James' most complex, and at times, messy marketing partnerships. Like the characters in a Matthew Weiner drama, James' marketing portfolio is complicated, dotted with conflict and break-ups, power plays and loyalty.

He occasionally says things that would not seem to be in lockstep with a company he represents. But as crazy as it sounds, James' periodic missteps may actually build, rather than tear down, his believability as a spokesman.

"The interesting challenge for brands right now, in this recent section of current digital age, they've lost a lot of control of their brands," said Paul Swangard, a sports marketing expert at the University of Oregon.

"Almost as the outcome of this reality, the endorsers have the ability now to not have to toe the party line," Swangard said. "Brands have begun to appreciate those associations with endorsers who are willing to be critics as much as they are proponents. In a sense, the days of being so squeaky clean in endorsing the product is beginning to lose its credibility."

The King of Crossover

Some examples to consider for James, presented at first without deeper context:

• He made it pretty clear in February he didn't eat McDonald's any more. He and the fast-food giant have since mutually ended their partnership.

• On the Tonight Show, James told Jimmy Fallon his children ask for "iPads and iPods." But he's a spokesman for Samsung.

• A Kia "ambassador" as the pitchman for the Kia K9000, James is often seen riding in a Mercedes, including for his arrival to his Akron movie premiere of Trainwreck last summer.

• James drinks Gatorade on the bench, but he endorses Powerade.

• James didn't like the fit of Nike's LeBron 11 basketball shoe in 2013, and wouldn't wear them.

What these instances meant to the companies is unknown. Kia, McDonald's and Samsung all declined to comment for this story. Nike and Coke remain two of James' strongest, most visible partners, and James' camp insists the end of his relationship with McDonald's was related solely to his growing ownership stake and spokesman role with Blaze Pizza.

As for James?

"He has much more power in that environment today," Swangard said. "I think he has less risk because he has less downside.

"LeBron remains a signature asset for lots of what I would describe as non-endemic brands. He's culturally relevant, he in some cases polarizes, he remains incredibly relevant with crossover appeal."

James' position of enormous wealth and influence allowed him to increase his ownership in Blaze Pizza, a growing fast-food chain of pizza restaurants last month. He now owns more than 10 percent of the company.

So when he promotes Blaze on, say, Twitter, where James has more than 24 million followers, he's lending his voice to a company he's already endorsed with his financial investment.

"Do we really think he's eating a pie every morning?" said David Carter, executive director of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

"Do you think anyone believes Blake Griffin drives a Kia, or Tiger (Woods) a Buick? Authenticity matters, but it comes in any forms. In LeBron's case, you have a world-class athlete endorsing a pizza chain. We know he's not eating there every day or even very often, but he has equity in the company, so he believes in it."

A source with direct knowledge of James' business dealings insists the sole reason James didn't continue his relationship with McDonald's was because of Blaze. He couldn't rightly endorse two fast-food chains.

Intertwined interests

But a similar apparent conflict of interest exists with two of James' other partnerships, Samsung and Apple.

For years, James has pitched Samsung's smart phones, and by proxy the company's tablet computers. James was also an original investor in Beats by Dre headphones, which in 2014 was acquired by Apple. James made a reported $30 million off the deal, and continues to cut commercials for the headphones – even though Beats is now under the corporate umbrella of Samsung's top competitor.

During the NBA Finals, James gave each teammate an Apple Watch, delivered by Apple executives at the team hotel in San Francisco. His teammates also receive Samsung products from James, too, but the timing of the Apple Watch – during the height of the NBA season – was at minimum inconvenient for Samsung.

And as James and Fallon were goofing off on the Tonight Show in July, where James was visiting to promote his movie, he said his children "ask for iPads and iPods" before catching himself and adding: "and Samsung tablets and Samsung, all, everything."

"He is finding it increasingly hard to separate both his business interest and his consumer interests in Apple from his contractual arrangement with Samsung," said Sangard, the University of Oregon expert who also works as a consultant. "Where he is in his career portfolio, with the kinds of brands he enjoys relationship with, I would counsel him he'd be much better off finding those natural and sustainable lanes. The sooner he steps away from Samsung, the easier it will be for him to try to avoid this kind of conflict."

To which a source close to James replied: "There are millions of people in the world who use Samsung phones and listen to Beats."

A beneficial partnership

The gold standard for James' marketing partnerships is Nike, the shoe and sports apparel giant which inked him to a $90 million shoe contract 13 years ago and never let go. Before the start of training camp this season, Nike held a pep rally starring James to promote his latest signature shoe at the University of Akron.

The arrangement is crucial for both sides. James has built his image off the court in part through Nike and its commercials. Nike, meanwhile, sells hundreds of millions of dollars worth of James' signature shoe.

James clearly uses the Nike products he sells – not just on the court, but when he's lounging in sweats or T-shirts. Nike, as it does with all its "signature" athletes, sends a representative with James to most places he travels throughout the year for support.

So when the LeBron 11s were too tight for James to wear in 2013, he took his complaint directly to Nike (before the media figured out there was an issue) to get to work on a solution.

"To be honest, he's an awesome partner," said Kevin Dodson, senior product line manager for Nike. "I mean, I've worked with athletes in Major League Baseball and the NFL, and worked with a number of professional basketball players, he's awesome to deal with. It's an honest relationship, so, he will observe and ask questions. We don't ever want him to feel like he doesn't have to be honest with what he's feeling.

"We just want to make sure he is happy and has the product that he needs, but he also has to be honest with us, and he is," Dodson said.  

LeBron James' seventh greatest moment: Euphoria stripped

Last week, you voted for the best LeBron James performances of all time. Here is No. 7 moment as voted by you, the FtS community. Read about the No. 8 moment here.

When looking back at this series, two things stand out most about the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic. First is the small-ball dominant lineups that Orlando would employ to take out the top-ranked Cavs and eventually change the way the game is played today. Second, of course, is the game-winner from LeBron in Game 2.

What people don't talk about when reminiscing of this series is the level of play that LeBron was at over the course of these six games. Buzzer beater aside, LeBron was a one-man wrecking crew in this series, doing all that he could do possibly do to win, yet coming up short. Comparisons to this past year's Finals would seem valid, except the fact that the Cavs were the favorite and that LeBron was super-duper efficient this series.

That last part is crucial, mainly because efficiency is a very important part in the value of a player, but also because his Game 1 performance was out-of-this-world good. As in, "he took 30 shots and made 66.7 percent of those shots" good. Since 1985, only four other players have taken 30 shots and have made 66.7 percent of them in a playoff game, all of whom are currently in the Hall of Fame.

Look at it this way: in this year's Finals, LeBron took at least 30 shots five times in this year's Finals, and exactly zero of those times did he shoot above 50 percent from the field. Yes, the talent around LeBron was better in the 2009 ECF than in the 2015 Finals. Yes, 2015 Golden State was a better team than 2009 Orlando. But the lack of talent was still there in 2009 and the both Golden State and Orlando were the top-tanked defense in their respective years.

Not only is putting up an insane field goal percentage against the best defense in the league extremely impressive, but also is the 49 points, six rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals that went along with that. Since 1985, no one else has achieved that statline in a playoff game.

The fact this game is rarely brought up when speaking about LeBron is not surprising. The Cavs were heavy favorites and lost the series, and little does history reward the losers. However, this was no ordinary performance. This was a performance that few have ever seen. This was LeBron at the peak of his talents doing things only he can do.

LeBron's not the only player to play well in losses. In fact, the player he is most compared to has one of the greatest performances in a playoff loss of all-time, if not the greatest. The circumstances were vastly different between Jordan's and LeBron's game, but they were each great in there own rights. And to be fair, LeBron's game is right behind Jordan's in terms of game score.

Even though there are more memorable outcomes from this series, the level that LeBron performed at in Game 1 should not be washed away over the years.

LeBron James puts the NBA on notice: A look at his career debut in Sacramento

What is LeBron James? Why is LeBron James? For twelve years the man that has put his stamp on the NBA like few others has been steadily building a legacy. He's been to the NBA Finals six times. He's won two championships. He's put together historic performances that often have felt inevitable. This Fear the Sword series covers them.

But there have been trials and tribulations and some hiccups. We've learned a lot about James, though at times it seems like we don't know very much about him at all. In terms of the player, though, it's easy to forget what kind of enigma he was coming out of high school. He played Ohio Division III ball at Akron St. Vincent St. Mary, and while his team of course scheduled some of the toughest teams in the country, the state tournaments felt like coronations his freshman and sophomore years. His junior year they were bumped to Division II and actually lost in the title game before James won a third title in four years as a senior.

Dominating? Absolutely. He was bigger and stronger than everyone else, and the incredible vision was already there. He passed almost to a fault. His handle was a bit suspect, and he wasn't much of a shooter. What might happen when he got to the NBA and couldn't impose his will on the game from sheer force? What position did he play? His coach thought he might be a point guard. His size indicated that he was a small forward that could play some at the four if he bulked up.

I was lucky enough to see him play in high school. He came to Toledo as part of the state tournament. He was already nationally famous, and people locally were curious. It was clear he was an exceptional force. It wasn't clear what kind of scorer he could be.

By the time LeBron's career kicked off in Sacramento, he had already signed a $90 million deal with Nike. He had been the number one pick of the draft of a team that openly tanked to put themselves in the position to take the hometown kid. He was selected above Carmelo Anthony, who had led Syracuse to a title in his only collegiate season, and Darko Milicic, who was a mystery but appeared to be an athletic 7 foot monster. There was a lot at stake for just about everyone, and it was on the shoulders of one 18 year old.

To belabor the point: James was hyped on a level rarely seen, but he wasn't a slam dunk all-time great. Brian Windhorst reminding us about his first preseason:

Then there was his less-than-inspiring first preseason. During two scrutinized exhibition games two weeks earlier in Los Angeles, including one on national TV, James shot a combined 8-of-31. He barely cracked 30 percent shooting during the preseason and teams were already backing off him and daring him to shoot.

After noticing a light pregame shooting workout before an ensuing preseason game in Bakersfield, Calif., one national writer asked if the hype surrounding James was an acronym for "Hey, You Practice Enough?"

So what happened? James managed to give a glimpse of just about everything that would make him special in the first quarter of his first game of his first professional season? He made jumpers, he threw no look passes, he tossed lobs, he broke away in transition, and he dunked. When it was all over, the Cavs had lost the battle (Sacramento won going away) but it was clear they would win the war. For a franchise stuck in a rut, that called Ricky Davis its best player (or atleast, he would), they had struck gold.

He finished 25 points, nine assists, four steals, six rebounds, just two turnovers. James would bulk up, he'd rise to levels of efficiency and usage rarely seen from wing players. He'd become a juggernaut in the post in Miami. He'd add a three point shot and become a capable ball handler. There were many things that he was not that night in Sacramento that he would ultimately become. He wasn't a four time MVP, he wasn't an NBA champion.

But nearly everyone who walked out of ARCO arena that night was a believer. Twelve years later, all that's left is the promised land.

LeBron James: Championship not a requirement of a great team

LeBron James played for a 66-win team. Didn’t win a title.

LeBron and his teammates proved it wasn’t a fluke the next season, winning 61 games. Didn’t win a title.

LeBron joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form a team many feared would destroy the NBA’s competitive balance. Didn’t win a title.

LeBron formed yet another super team with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Didn’t win a title.

But – at least in LeBron’s eyes – that doesn’t mean those teams necessarily fell short of greatness.

LeBron, via Bleacher Report:

If you don’t know the history of the game, man, you’ll forget how many great teams didn’t win championships. And that doesn’t mean they wasn’t great, though.

LeBron was referring to the 2000 Western Conference finals. The eventual-NBA-champion Lakers beat the Trail Blazers in seven games. Portland – with a starting lineup of Damon Stoudamire, Steve Smith, Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace and Arvydas Sabonis – won 59 games and crushed the Jazz and Timberwolves before running into the Lakers.

I agree with LeBron’s premise. A team can be great without winning a title. Sometimes, a team just catches the wrong breaks, like playing in a season where there are multiple great teams.

Those Trail Blazers were borderline great, with both past and future success to support their consistency. They just ran into Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Nothing Portland could do about that.

But a title is an important consideration – the most important – when determining a team’s greatness. Personally, I think the 1999-00 Trail Blazers fall just short, but either argument is reasonable.

And for what it’s worth, I think all of LeBron’s title-less teams fall short of greatness for similar reasons, though last year’s Cavaliers played great between their midseason trades for Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith and the postseason injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

By this measure, Michael Jordan can't touch LeBron James

IN THE FIRST 239 days of 2015, 185 black men were murdered in the city of Baltimore. In post-Katrina New Orleans, FiveThirtyEight concluded, black residents are more likely to live in poverty than before the hurricane 10 years ago. The Washington Post recently released data indicating that every nine days, on average, American police kill an unarmed black man. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 9.1 percent black unemployment rate for July, nearly twice the rate of whites.

White America grows exasperated by the insistence that race still matters, but these facts are a neon sign pointing not at post-racialism but to an entrenched underclass. In Akron, Ohio, hometown of LeBron James, the black poverty rate is 28 percent, 12 points higher than the state average. To James, the numbers are not just a topic, ammunition for winning an argument, but statistical recognition of his life before fame. Days after the anniversary protests marking Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri, James partnered with the University of Akron and countered the numbers with other numbers, pledging $41 million to send as many as 2,000 at-risk Akron kids to college.

It was a massive initiative, a reminder that, in addition to protest and pressure, the rhetoric of pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps means nothing without boots. It was also something else: proof that James is the signature socially conscious athlete of his time. By this measure he need not aspire to be Michael Jordan. He's already run right past him.

James and Dwyane Wade organized the first athlete protest of the killing of Trayvon Martin. James used his power to rally players and challenge the NBA to be decisive on Donald Sterling. James wore an i can't breathe shirt in warm-ups to show solidarity with young black men disposable to society because they lack his talent. Instead of blaming hip-hop or admonishing the less fortunate, he confronted the "dead or in jail" narrative that permeates black male life with a real program backed by real money. He wrote an enormous check as part of staring down a bitter truth: If "dead or in jail" is as good as it gets for black boys who don't have a blinding 40-yard dash time or a bull's-eye jumper, then at this late date in the American story, integration has been a colossal failure.

James does not live independent of his environment, and neither did Jordan. James is in the prime of his youth and earning power amid national protest and Black Lives Matter. His generation is not a new target of police brutality; it is the latest edition of the same old target. He grew up witnessing the collision between the progress of some and the dead ends for most of the kids who look like him, at a time when the term "post-racial" sounds not only ridiculous but naive. America could not be more racial than it is right now.

Jordan, meanwhile, came of age during the most comprehensive wave of conservatism in the 20th century, a political retrenchment that followed the sweeping social ambition of Lyndon Johnson. Jordan was 15 when the Supreme Court struck down minority set-asides in the landmark Bakke case, limiting affirmative action, and 18 when President Ronald Reagan fired 11,000 striking air traffic controllers. Jordan's 1980s were a market correction of the 1960s, not a time of protest or challenge but one of accumulating individual wealth while Great Society, labor union and New Deal gains and attitudes were being scaled back. Jordan's time was when money was celebrated as the only measure. Greed is good.

The similarities between James and Jordan end when their shared No. 23 jersey rests on a hanger, for Jordan has never been known for a single courageous social act. While James attempts to bridge the powerless to a future, Jordan sued a defunct supermarket chain and won $8.9 million over an advertisement that reportedly yielded all of $4. (Jordan said he planned to donate the money to charity.)

James has accepted a challenge of his times so foreign to the 1980s, making him an heir not to Jordan but to the civil rights movement, to Jim Brown and Bill Russell, to the idea of the athlete as activist. Every day of his career has existed under the shadow of Jordan, but as citizen, LeBron does not look up to Michael. It should be the other way around.

LeBron James and Chandler Parsons not at Team USA minicamp. Yet?

Paul George was excused from Team USA’s minicamp after Monday’s meeting.

But he’s not the only one of the 34 players expected in Las Vegas this week who missed Tuesday’s practice.

Marc Stein of ESPN:

Of the 34 players listed on USAB’s roster this week, only three were not in attendance for Tuesday’s practice:LeBron James, George and Dallas Mavericks swingman Chandler Parsons, who is recovering from recent knee surgery. But both James and Parsons are expected to be with the team Wednesday to ensure they are considered for the Summer Games in Brazil.

Remember, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo called the minicamp mandatory to be considered for the 2016 Olympics. (However, that’s not exactly true for at least Kobe Bryant and Andre Iguodala.)

LeBron was always expected to attend just part of the camp, and Colangelo seemed cool with that. It’s about showing commitment to Team USA – not going through a full week of practice.

Parsons, who had knee surgery in the spring, surely won’t get on the court. But, again, that’s not necessary to meet Colangelo’s requirement. Parsons just needs to show up in Las Vegas. Considering his gallivanting with DeAndre Jordan, we know Parsons can physically handle appearing in Vegas.

I expect both players will show up. LeBron will keep the door open for his assured spot on the 2016 Olympic team. Parsons will keep himself from getting eliminated, though he’d still face long odds for making the 12-man roster.

LeBron James promises major announcement

LeBron James has called a news conference Thursday afternoon to make an announcement involving his foundation and Akron.

The Cavs star will make the announcement at Cedar Point where his LeBron James Family Foundation is hosting its annual
I PROMISE Family Reunion.

As many as 5,000 Akron kids and their families are expected at the amusement park as part of his effort to encourage students to stay in school and earn good 

NBA schedule to feature plenty LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Lakers

As usual, the TV networks will give the superstars tons of face time.

If you enjoyed the 2015 NBA Finals, you'll probably enjoy the 2015-16 NBA season as well.  

The champion Warriors and runner-up Cavs will be featured on national television a league-leading 25 times apiece next season. The league announced its schedule Wednesday evening.

Following close behind will be the high-flying Clippers and star-studded Thunder, who have 24 national appearances each. The Bulls (23) and Spurs (21) are behind them while the Lakers will have just two fewer national television appearances (19) than they did wins in 2015 (21).

All of those teams, except the Spurs, will be featured in the NBA's Christmas Day lineup. The Cavs will travel to the Warriors, the Clippers and Lakers will square off in Staples Center, while the Thunder and Bulls will match up in Oklahoma City. The Knicks, who will see their national appearances drop from 16 to seven, have had their matchup against the Nets dropped from the Christmas lineup.  

The Cavs and Warriors will headline the league's opening night on Oct 27. The Cavs will face the Bulls in a rematch of their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup from last spring while the Warriors will take on the Pelicans in a rematch of their first-round matchup. 

Uninterrupted: LeBron James vs. Drake Kickball Game in Toronto

Uninterrupted is a platform that allows personalities to connect with fans on a much deeper level, with insight and content not fit for other platforms, media outlets or channels.

Interested fans get a unique perspective that brings them closer than ever to the personalities they care about.

Check out the video above as Drake references his beef with Meek Mill before a kickball game against LeBron James.

Jamaal Charles: I'm the LeBron James of football

Year in, year out, Jamaal Charles is one of the most underrated running backs in the league.

He's rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his last five healthy seasons, but never leads the league in rushing, always overshadowed by Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray.

So it's no surprise that, in an effort to earn some respect, Charles compared himself to one of the all-time greats on Saturday.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm the LeBron of football," Charles told reporters at Chiefs camp, according to Terez Paylor of The Kansas City Star, "because I can do so much."

Charles may have gone out on a limb here, but his boast is a comparison worth exploring.

While James is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, as capable on offense as he is on defense, Charles is a top dual threat out of the backfield; he ranked in the top ten in all-purpose yards in four of the last six seasons and is a fantasy workhorse.

Still, King James does undoubtedly surpass Charles in one significant category: championships.

LeBron has appeared in six NBA Finals, including the last five, and won two of them. Charles' Chiefs haven't won the Super Bowl since the Nixon administration and their last appearance in the postseason resulted in a heartbreaking comeback loss to the Colts.

Until Charles leads Kansas City to at least one playoff victory, he should probably slow his roll and tone down the LeBron comparisons -- unless he wants to compare hairlines, of course.

The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Tom Brady's lawsuit and debates which veteran players are most likely to be cut.

LeBron James scores a major Hollywood deal

Basketball legend teaming up with Warner Bros., report says.

Basketball legend LeBron James has a career in film and television pretty much prepared after he hangs up his basketball jersey.

James’ production company, SpringHill Entertainment, is partnering with Time Warner’s  TWX -0.77%  Warner Bros. Entertainment, The Wall Street Journal reports.

James has already proven his acting chops, such as in the recently released movie “Trainwreck.” But the deal with Warner Bros. mints him as a budding entertainment industry executive.

“To be able to partner with Warner Bros. will allow me to do some things I’ve always dreamed of,” James told the newspaper.

James and business partner Maverick Carter started SpringHill Entertainment in 2013 and were looking for a studio partnership before signing with Warner Bros.

“This is not a vanity deal,” Kevin Tsujihara, Warner Bros.’ CEO, told the paper. “Warner Bros. always needs to be thinking about bringing fresh perspectives and diverse voices into the company.”

The deal will enable Warner Bros. and SpringHill to co-produce and co-own all created content. The specifics of the deal weren’t released, however.

“This is not about making a movie or a couple of TV shows,” Carter told the publication. “We want to build a company.”

News of the deal had news outlets speculating that “Space Jam 2” may be in the works — a sequel to the 1996 classic movie Space Jam from Warner Bros. that starred Michael Jordan.

There have been other NBA stars who’ve cemented their status as business powerhouses. Magic Johnson has a burgeoning business, which Fortune wrote about last year.

Cleveland Cavaliers signing Richard Jefferson is a boost for bench -- Terry Pluto (photos)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers signing Richard Jefferson to a veteran's minimum contract for one season?

Why not?

Bring in another shooter.

That obviously is the plan of General Manager David Griffin.

Griffin believes that opposing teams stack the lane against the Cavs, wanting to stop LeBron James and Kyrie Irving from driving to the rim. The main way to make those defenses suffer is to drill 3-point shots.

That's what made J.R. Smith so valuable last season.

In the regular season, only Houston attempted more 3-point shots than the Cavs. That's right, the Cavs even fired up more shots from beyond the arch than Golden State, which ranked No. 4.

More notable, the Cavs shot .367 on 3-pointers. That was No. 5 in the league. Golden State led at .398.

So the Cavs take a lot of 3-pointers, and they make a lot. And Jefferson will help continue that trend.

Once upon time, Jefferson was a 17-point scorer in his first seven NBA seasons with the Nets. Four times in his career, he's averaged at least 19 points a season.

But the athletic Jefferson has recreated himself as a stationary 3-point shooter. It's how you stay in the league for what will be his 15th season. Jefferson has shot at least 41 percent from 3-point range in six of his last seven season -- including .426 (66-of-155) with Dallas in 2014-15.

STILL NEED SMITH

The Cavs still need Smith, or someone such as Smith. Common sense says Smith returns to the Cavs.

Of course, common sense has not always ruled in the career of Smith. He should have taken the $6.4 million player option for 2015-16 and been back with the Cavs. Right now, his options are very limited. He may have to return to the Cavs on a contract cheaper than his $6.4 million option. We'll see.

Smith averaged 12.8 points in the postseason, shooting .403 from the field and .359 from 3-point range. He was a 50 percent shooter in the Atlanta and Chicago series. It was in The Finals that he faltered, shooting only .312 from the field.

It would appear that the only teams with salary cap room to give Smith a significant contract are Portland and Philadelphia. It's doubtful the always-building Sixers will sign Smith. I've not heard anything about Portland being interested.

BENCH PROTECTION

Jefferson will replace Shawn Marion, who fell out of favor with Coach David Blatt.

Blatt also likes shooters, and that wasn't Marion.

The 6-foot-7 Marion never left the bench in The Finals. He played a grand total of 25 minutes in the entire postseason. Marion retired after the season.

Mike Miller quickly picked up his player option for this season. The 6-foot-8 veteran is 35. He had a very frustrating season, shooting only 35 percent from the field -- 33 percent on 3-pointers. He was horrible on defense.

Miller played a total of 28 minutes in The Finals, attempting only two shots. He made one. He had one rebound, no assists. He was timid when on the court in terms of trying to impact the game.

It's hard to count on Miller for much. That's another reason Jefferson was signed. He replaces Marion, and hopefully can deliver more than Miller did in 2014-15.

At this stage of his career, Jefferson is not a heavy-duty player in terms of minutes.

But he can still play, both shooting guard and small forward. Dallas wanted him back for a second season. In fact, Jefferson committed to returning to the Mavs, but changed his mind when the Cavs offered him a chance to play for a title.

Dallas lost to Houston in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Jefferson played 51 postseason minutes, scoring 15 points and shooting 5-of-14 from the field. So he wasn't used that much, but the Mavericks at least believed he could help off the bench.

That was not case with Miller and Marion for the Cavs in the postseason.

So yes, Jefferson should be an upgrade.

Cleveland Cavaliers J.R. Smith fights the obstacles of money and self: Bill Livingston (photos)

CLEVELAND, Ohio –-J.R. Smith is the ultimate "No! No! Yes!" shooter. His hot-and-cold shooting was acceptable until he became a "No! No! I told you so!" shooter for the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Some coaches consider bad shots turnovers. Cavaliers coach David Blatt had no better option than the inconsistent Smith for offense behind LeBron James. Seldom was heard a discouraging word from Blatt, although Smith's body language was a basketball Book of Lamentations, a volume of dejection and defeatism.

Smith's struggles were not confined to the 31.2 percent he shot from the field in the Finals in his own little Mo Williams die-down-in-the-moment experience, either.

Smith followed his Finals bust with the vainglory of opting out of his Cavs' contract. He is still seeking a bigger free agent contract after his performance had sabotaged chances of it.

It showed that having James in his corner, with its promise a future of championship contention and playoff eligibility in the weak Eastern Conference, playing with teammates he liked, and enjoying the mostly uncritical love of Cavs fans might be a mighty wind wafting him back to Cleveland, but nothing is more powerful than the Almighty Dollar.

Athletes are free to get all they can in the marketplace. Tristan Thompson's timing in his contract year was as brilliant as Smith's was baffling.

For his part, Smith isn't going to play a more important role in winning a championship anywhere else than here. It won't be as big as the one into which injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving catapulted him the playoffs, however. That's a good thing.

With Smith's history of inconsistency, his misses won't be as critical with bottom-dwelling Philadelphia, which, other than Cleveland, is reportedly the only team that has shown any real interest in him.

How happy would Smith be on a 76ers team that has tanked more often than scuba divers? He would, in essence, be what World B. Free was in the 1980s with the Cavs. Free put fans in the seats, stole some games and gave the fans hope. It was all that could be expected in that benighted era of Ted Stepien's clueless ownership.

The difference is that Free could create his own shot much more easily than Smith.

Smith's role here was as a classic streaky sixth man, who either shoots the Cavs back into or out of games. So fragile had his confidence become as the Finals wore on that fans held their breath when he let fly with his opening salvo, knowing that a make could lead to an unstoppable binge and a miss could plunge Smith's confidence even farther down the drain.

Smith's three-point barrage kept the season afloat in the fourth game of the second-round series with Chicago until James could save it with a last-second basket. But that series was only in jeopardy in the first place because Smith's vicious elbow to the head of Boston's Jae Crowder earned him a two-game suspension at the start of the Bulls series.

In Smith's epic performance against Atlanta in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals, he scored 28 points on eight of 12 3-pointers, some of them step-back, odds-mocking shots from the fringes of possibility.

That was the Smith of boom times. After the bubble burst, Smith allowed the shooting slump to affect his defense although he still made hustle plays.  

Smith is smart guy who posts comments, sometimes provocative, sometimes funny, on Instagram.

One was a selfie he took of himself on the interview podium, along with Tristan Thompson and James, after the sweep of Atlanta when the Cavs were headed to the Finals. After spending the first 37 games of the season being part of the blight of the Knicks' rebuilding, it was as if Smith couldn't believe he was here.

The Instagram that captured Smith best (No. 12 in the linked story) was one in which he was reflecting on his past. Smith pictured Smith in a Knicks uniform, guarding Smith in a Cavs uniform. It was J.R. stopping himself, J.R. facing his own worst enemy.

At this moment, the podium selfie is a remembrance of time past. Smith can return to the Cavs, but probably for less money than the $6.4 million for one season he thought he could beat.

The grass was browner on the other side of the fence. But once again -- No! No, J.R.! -- Smith couldn't get out of his own way.

Stephen Curry said LeBron James was "very vocal" in NBA players' union meeting

LAS VEGAS –- Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Drew Gooden said it was good to not only see LeBron James seated up front with union leadership Monday, but to see him at a National Basketball Players' Association meeting at all.

"I'm jokingly saying this because I'm his boy, I'd never seen 'Bron at a meeting before," said Gooden, now with the Washington Wizards, following the players' union summer meetings at the Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas. "It was good to see where he's at and the value of him being there as a union."

James was elected the union's first executive vice president during the All-Star break, and this was his first meeting filling that chair.

James' election and his message Monday, according to several players who attended the meetings, was one about unity, power for the players, and union participation (like, say, showing up for the meetings) ahead of likely new collective bargaining sessionswith NBA owners over the next two years.

Either side can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, and the players have their eye on pulling in a larger share of the $24 billion a nine-year TV dealwill pump into the league beginning in 2016.

The players took no action on the collective bargaining agreement – it's way too early for that – nor did they do anything formal with issues like cameramen being too close to the court.

But players described a lively discussion led by James, union president Chris Paul, and others like Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and even former Cavalier Lou Amundson about getting on the same page as a union before going back to the bargaining table.

"We have a lot of voices, a lot of people were vocal, but he talked about what it takes to get to the next level as a union," said Stephen Curry, the reigning NBA MVP. "It wasn't anything specific, but he was very vocal."

Amundson, whom the Cavs traded to New York as part of the deal for J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, said "I think we're in a really unique position right now as a union, with the growth of this league and all the money coming in to increase our significance in this collective bargaining situation with the NBA."

"Going into the last lockout, I felt like that was a big issue for us," Amundson said. "The more unified and the more significant that we are, the more money we have coming in and the more streams of revenue we have, the better off we are going into negotiations.

"A lot of the meeting was geared toward how do we do that? There were a lot of good ideas. I think LeBron made some good points about kind of our strategy going forward with that."

James politely declined comment as he whisked away in a black SUV from the Four Seasons. But in October, before he held a formal position of power in the union, he spoke at length about the need for more players to understand the business side of basketball and how to maximize earning potential.

James also believes unity is key in negotiating with the owners, especially after 2011 negotiations which produced a lockout and large concessions from the players - in their view. Under the current agreement, they'll get 51 percent of the new TV money.)

Former Cavalier and current San Antonio sharpshooter Danny Green said James "pretty much helped the players understand things about backing the union.

"And letting them know we should have faith in some of the decisions they made," Green said. "He did a great job for his first time. He understands it well, he broke it down well for guys to understand. Chris did a good job also. He (LeBron) did what all great rep leaders do, he broke it down for us so we can understand and make decisions and pass it on to our teammates for votes."

Gooden said after playing 12 seasons without much participation in union affairs, James served Monday as the "voice of the guys on the other side of the podium.

"I'm glad he's here to bridge that gap," Gooden said.

LeBron James set for NBA union meeting with players feeling powerful

LAS VEGAS – A red carpet steered a few of the NBA's brightest stars, past greats, and some of its rank-and-file players through a Vegas casino and past gathered media into a concert hall for a historic event on Sunday night.

For the first time, the league's players' union pieced together its own awards show, called – appropriately enough – the Players' Awards. The show will air Tuesday night on the BET network.

"This is awesome," said new Clippers forward Paul Pierce, on the red carpet at the Rio resort and casino. "It's about the players showing what we can do when we put our minds to something."

Traditional postseason awards, such as Most Valuable Player, are picked by media members who cover the NBA. The Players' Awards (voted on, obviously, by the players) don't cancel tradition, but they're just one sign of the players' growing power as the game they play rises in popularity.

A sign that the players still have a ways to go, at least when it comes to their own awards? LeBron James skipped the red carpet and the show because of a prior engagement, according to a spokesman.

But the real power play for the union begins Monday at their summer meetings, when James will preside for the first time as an executive vice president.

"Man, I'm very excited," said Chris Paul, All-Star Clippers point guard, James' friend, and union president. "Obviously, me and 'Bron talk about it every day. He's the face of our league. His opinion matters. Our players listen when he talks. It will be great to have him in there.

"One thing about 'Bron, too, when he commits to something he's always passionate about it, so I know his voice will be heard in there."

James, the four-time MVP, two-time champion, and Cavs superstar who led them back to the Finals in his return season, was elected to his formal position of union leadership during the All-Star break.

His ascension in the union comes as the players prepare to opt out of their collective bargaining agreement in 2017 to gain more access to the $24 billion in revenues coming to the league because of the NBA's new TV deal.

The league enjoyed huge TV ratings -- the highest in nearly two decades -- with the Cavs-Warriors Finals, and the salary cap is expected to rise by about $40 million over the next two seasons. And yet, last week NBA commissioner Adam Silver said "a significant number of teams" are losing money.

In October, months before James was a union VP, he said such a statement from owners "will not fly with us this time." He was referring to the contentious contract dispute between the players and owners in 2011 which resulted in a lockout that was ended when (the players believe) large concessions were made to address the owners' financial woes.

Now, James has a seat at the negotiating table.

"I can't speak for LeBron, I think LeBron spoke pretty well for himself. I took him at his word, I take him at his word," said Michele Roberts, executive director for the players' union. "It's a difficult pill to swallow, given all that even the commissioner has said about the health of the game. I can't speak for what may have motivated that; I assume he was given information that's not the information I've seen."

Roberts said James will "bring a certain amount of excitement" to Monday's meetings.

"We all look forward to watching and hearing how he'll interact with the players," she said. "This is an important time for the game and it is critical that we have some of our marquee players involved in the discussion."

There are other issues on the union's plate. Remember when James stepped on or fell over cameramen during the playoffs who were too close to the court? Or when teams would purposefully foul Tristan Thompson away from the ball to force him to shoot free throws? Those are just two examples.

"Obviously he's the best player in our league, so for him to be in the forefront and support that, it kind of holds weight," said Celtics guard Evan Turner. "Sometimes when you have his stature and you feel strongly about a situation, it might get handled quicker than if the 58^th guy in the league feels that way.

"We need everybody to be a part of things. I definitely think he's a trendsetter, and for him to get involved is definitely key for our process."

James Jones said "I'll be back in Cleveland for sure"

LAS VEGAS – During these oft frenetic and expensive days of free agency for the Cavaliers, the one name seldom mentioned has been James Jones. 

Well, he's a free agent, too. And he's coming back.

"I'll be back in Cleveland for sure," Jones told the Northeast Ohio Media Group Sunday in Las Vegas, on the red carpet for the first Players' Awards show.

"I've made it well known last year when I told them I was coming to help change the culture and do something special," Jones said. "It wasn't a situation where I was looking for a platform to move on. I was looking to be a part of something, to build something. And so I'm still in."

Jones, 34, is a free agent after playing out his one-year contract with the Cavs last season.

A 12-year veteran, he would qualify for a veteran's minimum salary of $1.5 million, which would be a $950,000 cap hit for Cleveland. He made the league-minimum $1.45 million last season.

A league source confirmed the Cavs would re-sign Jones. He's been a friend and teammate to LeBron James dating back at least to 2010, during James' first season in Miami.

The 6-8 forward averaged 4.4 points in 11.7 minutes per game during the regular season, and kept his scoring average through increased playing time during the playoffs.

"Last year was big for me in establishing who I am and defining myself," Jones said. "So, I'm excited about the things I've worked on this summer, and they'll see a different James Jones next year for sure."

The Cavaliers are negotiating with restricted free agent Tristan Thompson on a long-term contract, and may bring back J.R. Smith. The team is also considering signing Russian center Sasha Kaun.

"Those are conversations that are always tough to have," Jones said, speaking about Smith and Thompson. "This is the part of the business that requires a lot of thought and requires a lot of work. I'm hopeful we'll get it done. They're a big part of what we've done and we'll continue to do."

LeBron James

"LeBron" redirects here. For other uses, see Lebron (disambiguation).

LeBron James

James with the Cavaliers in November 2014
No. 23 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Position	Small forward
League	NBA
Personal information
Born	December 30, 1984 (age 30) Akron, Ohio
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school	St. Vincent–St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
NBA draft	2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro career	2003–present
Career history
2003–2010	Cleveland Cavaliers
2010–2014	Miami Heat
2014–present	Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA champion (2012–2013) 2× NBA Finals MVP (2012–2013) 4× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009–2010,2012–2013) 11× NBA All-Star (2005–2015) 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008) 9× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2015) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007) 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) Cleveland Cavaliers all-time leading scorer AP Athlete of the Year (2013) USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012) Sporting News Athlete of the Year (2012) Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2012) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003) McDonald's All-American Game MVP (2003) 3× Ohio Mr. Basketball (2001–2003)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals[hide] Men's Basketball Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games 2004 Athens Team 2008 Beijing Team 2012 London Team FIBA World Championship 2006 Japan Team FIBA Americas Championship 2007 Las Vegas Team

LeBron Raymone James (/ləˈbrɒn/; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has started at the small forward andpower 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 pickin the 2003 NBA draft by the Cavaliers. James led Cleveland to the franchise's first Finals appearance in 2007, losing to theSan 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 2012and 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 re-joined the Cavaliers. Behind his leadership, Cleveland advanced to the Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors. He again opted out in 2015 but quickly re-signed with the Cavaliers to a two-year deal.

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.

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Early life
• 2 High school career
  • 2.1 Basketball
  • 2.2 Football
• 3 Professional career
  • 3.1 Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–10)
    • 3.1.1 Rookie season (2003–04)
    • 3.1.2 Rise to superstardom (2004–08)
    • 3.1.3 First MVP tenure (2008–10)
  • 3.2 2010 free agency
  • 3.3 Miami Heat (2010–14)
    • 3.3.1 Debut season (2010–11)
    • 3.3.2 Back-to-back championships (2011–13)
    • 3.3.3 Fourth consecutive Finals (2013–14)
  • 3.4 Return to the Cavaliers (2014–present)
    • 3.4.1 Fifth consecutive trip to the Finals (2014-15)
    • 3.4.2 2015–16 season
• 4 International career
• 5 Player profile
• 6 Off the court
  • 6.1 Business interests
  • 6.2 Public image
• 7 NBA career statistics
  • 7.1 Regular season
  • 7.2 Playoffs
• 8 Awards and honors
• 9 See also
• 10 Notes
• 11 References
• 12 Further reading
• 13 External links

Early life

James was born on December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio, to a 16-year-old mother, Gloria Marie James, who raised him on her own.^[1][2]:22 Growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as they moved from apartment to apartment in the seedier neighborhoods of Akron while James' mother struggled to find steady work.^[3] Realizing he would be better off with a more stable family environment, Gloria allowed James to move in with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football coach, who introduced him to basketball when he was nine years old.^[2]:23

As a youth, James played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars.^[3] The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee.^[2]:24Inseparable, they dubbed themselves the "Fab Four" and promised each other they would attend high school together.^[2]:27In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a largely white privateCatholic school.^[4][5]

High school career

Basketball

In his freshman year, James averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game for St. Vincent-St. Mary's varsity team.^[6] The Fighting Irish finished the year 27–0, winning the Division III state title.^[6] In his sophomore year, James averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game.^[7] For some home games during the season, St. Vincent-St. Mary played at the University of Akron's 5,492-seat Rhodes Arena to satisfy ticket demand from alumni, fans, and college and NBA scouts who wanted to see James play.^[2]:51[8] The Fighting Irish finished the season 26–1 and repeated as state champions.^[6] For his outstanding play, James was named Ohio's Mr. Basketball and was selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, becoming the first sophomore to do either.^[9]

Prior to the start of James' junior year, he appeared in SLAM Magazine and was lauded as possibly "the best high school basketball player in America right now" by writer Ryan Jones.^[10] During the season, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first underclass high school basketball player to do so.^[2]:104 With averages of 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game,^[6] he was again named Ohio's Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team,^[6] and became the first junior to win the boys' basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year Award.^[2]:117 St. Vincent-St. Mary finished the year with a 23–4 record, ending their season with a loss in the Division II championship game.^[2]:114 Following the loss, James seriously considered declaring for the 2002 NBA draft, unsuccessfully petitioning for an adjustment to the NBA's draft eligibility rules which required prospective players to have at least graduated from high school.^[11] During this time, James used marijuana to help cope with stress resulting from the constant media attention he was receiving.^[12][13][14]

In his senior year, James and the Fighting Irish traveled around the country to play a number of nationally ranked teams, including a game against Oak Hill Academy that was nationally televised on ESPN2.^[2]:142 Time Warner Cable, looking to capitalize on James' popularity, offered St. Vincent-St. Mary's games to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis throughout the season.^[2]:143 For the year, James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game,^[9] was named Ohio's Mr. Basketball and USA TodayAll-USA First Team for an unprecedented third consecutive year,^[2]:178[6] and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.^[6] He participated in three year-end high school basketball all-star games—the EA Sports Roundball Classic, the Jordan Capital Classic, and the 2003 McDonald's All-American Game—losing hisNCAA eligibility and making it official he would enter the 2003 NBA draft.^[15] According to Ryan Jones, James left high school as "the most hyped basketball player ever".^[2]:142

During his senior year, James was the centerpiece of several controversies. For his 18th birthday, he accepted a Hummer H2 from his mother, who secured a loan for the vehicle utilizing LeBron's future earning power as a professional athlete.^[16] This prompted an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) as its guidelines state that no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance.^[15] Later in the season, James accepted two throwback jerseys worth $845 from an urban clothing store in exchange for posing for pictures, officially violating OHSAA rules and resulting in his being stripped of his high school sports eligibility.^[15] James appealed the ruling and his penalty was eventually dropped to a two-game suspension, allowing him to play the remainder of the year. The Irish were also forced to forfeit one of their wins, their only official loss that season.^[17] In his first game back after the suspension, James scored a career-high 52 points.^[18]

Football

James played wide receiver for St. Vincent-St. Mary's football team in high school.^[2]:51 As a sophomore, he was named first team all-state, and as a junior, he led the Fighting Irish to the state semifinals.^[7] His football career came to an end before his senior year when he broke his wrist during an AAU basketball game.^[19] Many sports analysts, football critics, high school coaches, and former and current players have speculated on whether he could have played in the National Football League.^{[2]:91[20][21][22][23]}

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–10)

Rookie season (2003–04)

James picks up his dribble against the Washington Wizards in November 2006.

James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft.^[24] In his first professional game, he recorded 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for most points scored by a prep-to-pro player in his debut outing.^[25] In a late season match-up with the New Jersey Nets, he scored a season-high 41 points, becoming the youngest player in league history to score at least 40 points in a game at 19 years.^[26] He was eventually named the Rookie of the Year, finishing with averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.^[27] He became the first Cavalier to receive the honor and joined Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in their rookie year (Tyreke Evans has since joined this group).^[28] The Cavaliers finished the season 35–47, failing to make the playoffsdespite an 18-game improvement over the previous year.^[29]

Rise to superstardom (2004–08)

James recorded his first career triple-double on January 19 of the 2004–05 season, becoming the youngest player in league history to do so at 20 years.^[27][30] His play earned him his first All-Star Game selection, where he added 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a winning effort for the Eastern Conference.^[31]On March 20, he scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland's new single game points record.^[32] With averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game to finish the season, he became the youngest player in NBA history to be named to an All-NBA Team.^[7] Despite a 30–20 record to start the year,^[32]Cleveland again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season at 42–40.^[33]

At the 2006 All-Star Game, James led the East to victory with a 29-point and 6-rebound performance, becoming the youngest ever winner of the All-Star Game MVP Award at 21 years, 51 days.^[34] For the season, he averaged 31.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, becoming the youngest player in league history to average at least 30 points per game.^[27][35] He was considered a strong candidate for the Most Valuable Player Award but eventually finished second in the voting to Steve Nash; however, he was awarded co-MVP honors with Nash by The Sporting News.^[36] Under James' leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998.^[37] In his playoff debut, he recorded a triple-double in a winning effort versus the Washington Wizards.^[38] In Game 3 of the series, he made the first game-winning shot of his career, making another in Game 5.^[39] Cleveland would go on to defeat the Wizards before being ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.^[40][41]

James engages in his pre-game ritual of tossing crushed chalk into the air in March 2008. The routine was retired from 2011 to 2014.^[42][43]

After the 2006 Playoffs, James and the Cavaliers negotiated a three-year, $60 million contract extension with a player option for a fourth year.^[44]Although it was for fewer years and less money than the maximum he could sign, it allotted him the option of seeking a new contract worth more money as an unrestricted free agent following the 2009–10 season.^[44] He discussed this decision with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, fellow members of his 2003 draft class, who also re-signed with their respective teams while allowing them to be unrestricted agents in 2010.^[45]

Early in the 2006–07 season, James was criticized for a regression in his passing skills and shot selection, stemming from a lack of effort and focus.^[46] His play rebounded after the All-Star break and he ended the year with averages of 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.^[7] The Cavaliers finished the season with 50 wins for the second consecutive year and entered the playoffs as the East's second seed.^[47][48] In Game 5 of the Conference Finals, James notched 48 points with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, and scored 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points including the game-winning lay-up with two seconds left against the Pistons.^[49] After the game, play-by-play announcer Marv Albert called the performance "one of the greatest moments in postseason history" and color commentator Steve Kerr called it "Jordan-esque".^[50] In 2012,ESPN ranked the performance the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history.^[51] The Cavaliers won the series to advance to the Finals versus the San Antonio Spurs, losing in four games.^[52] For the Finals, James averaged 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game.^[27]

Midway through the 2007–08 season, James was named All-Star Game MVP for the second time behind a 27-point, 8-rebound, and 9-assist performance.^[53][54] On March 21, he moved past Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer in a game against the Raptors, doing so in over 100 less games than Daugherty.^[55] With seven triple-doubles to finish the year, James set a new personal and team record for triple-doubles in a season.^[56] His 30 points per game were also the highest in the league, representing his first scoring title.^[57] Despite his individual accomplishments, Cleveland's record fell from the year before to 45–37.^[58] Seeded fourth in the East entering the playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards in the first round for the third consecutive season before being eliminated in seven games by the Boston Celtics in the next round.^[59] During the decisive seventh game in Boston, James scored 45 points and Paul Pierce scored 41 in a game the Associated Press described as a "shootout".^[60]

First MVP tenure (2008–10)

James and DeShawn Stevenson in April 2008. The two had a short feud after Stevenson called James "overrated".^[61]

At the conclusion of the 2008–09 season, James finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and made his first All-Defensive Teamwith 23 chase-down blocks and a career-high 93 total blocks.^[62][63] He also became only the fourth postmerger player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in a single season.^[64] Behind his play, Cleveland went a franchise record 66–16 and fell one game short of matching the best home record in league history.^[65] With averages of 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, James became the first Cavalier to win the MVP Award.^[66]

In the 2009 Playoffs, Cleveland swept the Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks to earn a match-up with the Orlando Magic in the Conference Finals.^[67]In Game 1 of the series, James scored 49 points on 66 percent shooting in a losing effort for the Cavaliers.^[51] In Game 2, he hit a game-winner to tie the series at 1–1.^[68] Cleveland would lose the series in six games, and following the loss in Game 6, James immediately left the floor without shaking hands with his opponents, an act many media members viewed as unsportsmanlike.^[69][70] For the series, he averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8 assists per game,^[71] finishing the postseason with a career playoff-high 35.3 points per game.^[72]

Midway through the 2009–10 season, the Cavaliers' guards experienced significant injuries, forcing James into a temporary point guard role.^[73]With increased minutes as the team's primary ball handler, he averaged a career-high 8.6 assists with 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1 block per game on 50 percent shooting en route to a second consecutive MVP Award.^[74] Cleveland also finished the season with the league's best record for the second straight year.^[75] In the playoffs, the Cavaliers beat the Bulls in the first round but fell to the Celtics in the second round.^[76] James was heavily criticized for not playing well in Game 5 of the series when he shot only 20 percent on 14 shots, scoring 15 points.^[77]At the conclusion of the game, he walked off the court to a smattering of boos from Cleveland's home crowd, the team having just suffered their worst home playoff loss ever.^[78] The Cavaliers were officially eliminated in Game 6, with James recording 27 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, but on just 38 percent shooting with 9 turnovers.^[76]

2010 free agency

Main article: The Decision (TV special)

James runs the offense in November 2009. He finished his first stint with the Cavaliers averaging 27.8 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.^[79]

James became an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2010.^[80] During his free agency he was courted by several teams including the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[81] On July 8, he announced on a live ESPN special titled The Decision that he would sign with the Heat.^[82] The telecast, broadcast from the Boys & Girls Club ofGreenwich, Connecticut, raised $2.5 million for the charity and an additional $3.5 million from advertisement revenue that was donated to other charities.^[83][84] The day before the special, fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade had also announced they would sign with Miami.^[85][86] James decided to join with Bosh and Wade in part so that he could shoulder less of the load offensively, thinking that his improved teammates would give him a better chance of winning a championship than had he stayed in Cleveland.^[87][88] Heat president Pat Riley played a major role in selling James on the idea of playing with Bosh and Wade.^[89] Relieved of the burden of scoring, James thought he could be the first player to average a triple-double in a season since Oscar Robertson.^[87]

James drew immense criticism from sports analysts, executives, fans, and current and former players for leaving the Cavaliers. The Decisionitself was also scrutinized and viewed as unnecessary. Many thought the prolonged wait for James' choice was unprofessional as not even the teams courting him were aware of his decision until moments before the show.^[90] Upon learning that James would not be returning to Cleveland, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert published an open letter to fans in which he aggressively denounced James' actions.^[91] Some angry fans of the team recorded videos of themselves burning his jersey.^[92] Former NBA players including Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were also critical of James, condemning him for joining with Bosh and Wade in Miami and not trying to win a championship as "the guy".^[93][94][95] James drew further criticism in a September interview with CNN when he claimed that race might have been a factor in the fallout from The Decision.^[96][97] As a result of his actions during the 2010 free agency period, James quickly gained a reputation as one of America's most disliked athletes, a radical change from years prior.^[98][99] The phrase "taking my talents to South Beach" became a punch line for critics.^[100][101]

Immediately following The Decision, James claimed that there was nothing he would change about the handling of his free agency despite all the criticism.^[102] Since then, he has expressed regret over his actions. During the 2010–11 season, he said he "probably would do it a little bit different ... But I'm happy with my decision."^[103] James relented about the special before the 2011–12 season: "... if the shoe was on the other foot and I was a fan, and I was very passionate about one player, and he decided to leave, I would be upset too about the way he handled it."^[99]

Miami Heat (2010–14)

Debut season (2010–11)

James attempts a slam dunk in March 2011 as a member of the Miami Heat.

James officially became a member of the Heat on July 10, completing a sign-and-trade six-year contract with the team.^[104] With the move, he became only the third reigning MVP to change teams and the first since Moses Malone in 1982.^[105] Although his contract would have allowed him to earn the maximum salary under the collective bargaining agreement, he took less money in order for Miami to be able to afford Bosh and Wade as well as further roster support.^[106] That evening, the Heat threw a welcome party for their new "big three" at the American Airlines Arena, an event that took on a rock concert atmosphere.^[107] During the gathering, James predicted a dynasty for the Heat and alluded to multiple championships.^[108][109] Outside of Miami the spectacle was not well-received, furthering the negative public perception of James.^[110][111]

Throughout the 2010–11 season, James embraced the villain role bestowed upon him by the media; he later admitted he regretted this approach, commenting, "I started to play the game of basketball at a level, or at a mind state that I've never played at before ... meaning, angry. And that's mentally. That's not the way I play the game of basketball."^[112] On December 2, he returned to Cleveland for the first time since departing as a free agent, scoring 38 points and leading Miami to a win while being booed every time he touched the ball.^[113][114] He finished his debut season on the Heat with averages of 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists per game on 51 percent shooting.^[72] Entering the playoffs as the East's second seed, Miami advanced to the Finals before stumbling against the Dallas Mavericks, losing in six games despite holding a 2–1 series lead going into Game 4.^[115] James received the brunt of the criticism for the loss, averaging only 3 points in fourth quarters in the series.^[116] His Finals scoring average of 17.8 points per game signified an 8.9-point drop from the regular season, the largest point drop-off in league history.^[117]

Back-to-back championships (2011–13)

Humbled by the Heat's loss to the Mavericks, James spent the offseason working with Hakeem Olajuwon on his post game.^[118][119] His work with Olajuwon paid off, fueling whatGrantland's Kirk Goldsberry called "one of the greatest and most important transformations in recent sports history".^[120] Behind James' more post-oriented play,^[120] Miami matched their best start to a season in franchise history,^[121] and at the conclusion of the lockout-shortened 2011–12 campaign, James was named MVP for the third time, finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 53 percent shooting.^[122]

James stands at midcourt during a dead ball in January 2013. On that night, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points.^[123]

In the second round of the 2012 Playoffs, the Heat fell behind 2–1 to the Indiana Pacers.^[124] The series turned after Game 4 when James registered 40 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists in a winning effort on the road.^[125] Miami eventually defeated the Pacers in six games.^[124]Facing elimination in Game 6 of the Conference Finals against the Celtics, James led the Heat to victory in what the New York Times called a "career-defining performance",^[126] scoring 45 points on a 73 percent shooting rate.^[127] Miami won Game 7 to advance to the Finals versus theOklahoma City Thunder.^[124] Late in Game 4 of the series, James was carried off the floor after he started experiencing leg cramps. He returned soon after and hit a memorable three-pointer with 2:51 left to give the Heat a three-point lead they did not relinquish.^[128] In Game 5, he registered a triple-double as Miami defeated Oklahoma City for their second ever championship and James' first championship.^[129] James was unanimously voted the Finals MVP with averages of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.^[130]

In February of the 2012–13 season, James had a "month for the ages",^[131] averaging 29.7 points and 7.8 assists per game while setting multiple shooting efficiency records.^{[132][133][134]} During this period, the Heat began a 27-game winning streak, the second longest in NBA history.^[135]Behind his play, Miami finished the year with a franchise and league best 66–16 record,^[136] and James was named MVP for the fourth time, falling just one vote shy of becoming the first player in NBA history to win the award unanimously.^[137] His final season averages were 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 56.5 percent shooting.^[72]

In Game 1 of the 2013 Conference Finals, James scored a buzzer-beating layup to give Miami a one-point victory against the Pacers.^[138]Throughout the series, his supporting cast struggled significantly, and his added scoring load prompted him to compare his responsibilities to those of his "Cleveland days".^[139] Despite these struggles, the Heat won the series and advanced to the Finals for a meeting with the Spurs,^[140]signifying a rematch for James from his first Finals six years earlier.^[141] At the beginning of the series, he was criticized for his lack of aggressiveness and poor shot selection as Miami fell behind 2–3.^{[71][140][142]} In Game 6, he recorded his second triple-double of the series including 16 fourth quarter points to lead the Heat to a comeback victory.^[143] In Game 7, he tied the Finals record for most points scored in a Game 7 victory, leading Miami over San Antonio with 37 points.^[144] He was named Finals MVP for the second straight season, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for the series.^[145]

Fourth consecutive Finals (2013–14)

On March 3 of the 2013–14 season, James scored a career-high and franchise record 61 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats.^[146] Throughout the year he was one of the few staples for a Heat roster that used 20 different starting line-ups because of injuries,^[147] finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 56.7 percent shooting.^[72] In the second round of the playoffs, he tied a career postseason-high by scoring 49 points in Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets.^[148] In the next round, Miami defeated the Pacers to earn their fourth consecutive Finals berth, becoming one of only four teams in NBA history to do so.^[149] In Game 1 of the Finals, James missed most of the fourth quarter because of leg cramps, helping the Spurs take an early series lead.^[150] In Game 2, he led the Heat to a series-tying victory with 35 points on a 64 percent shooting rate.^[151] San Antonio eventually eliminated the Heat in five games, ending Miami's quest for a three-peat.^[152] For the Finals, James averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2 steals per game.^[153]

Return to the Cavaliers (2014–present)

On June 25, James opted out of his contract with the Heat, officially becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.^[154] On July 11, he revealed via a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated that he intended to rejoin the Cavaliers.^[155] In contrast to The Decision, his announcement to return to Cleveland was well received.^{[156][157][158]} On July 12, he signed a two-year contract with the team worth $42.1 million with an option to become a free agent again in 2015.^[159] A month after James' signing, the Cavaliers acquired Kevin Lovefrom the Minnesota Timberwolves, forming a new star trio along with Kyrie Irving.^[160]

Fifth consecutive trip to the Finals (2014-15)

In January of the 2014–15 season, James missed two weeks due to left knee and lower back strains, the longest stretch of missed games in his career.^[161] Shortly after the All-Star break, he reached several passing milestones, including becoming the Cavaliers' all-time assists leader.^[162][163] His final season averages were 25.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.^[72] Early in the playoffs, Kevin Love was sidelined for the year with a dislocated shoulder and Kyrie Irving began experiencing knee issues; regarding the injuries, CBS Sports' Matt Moore commented, "LeBron has never been more on his own than this year."^[164] In the second round, James hit a baseline jumper at the buzzer to give the Cavaliers a 2–2 series tie with the Bulls.^[165] In the Conference Finals, Cleveland defeated the Hawks to advance to the Finals, making James the first player since the 1960s to play in five consecutive Finals.^[164] For the championship round, he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game, but the Cavaliers were defeated by the Warriors.^[166] His average of 57.7 points scored or assisted per game set a new record, surpassing Michael Jordan's old mark of 55.3.^[167] Despite the loss, the media was complimentary of James' performance; Bradford Doolittle of ESPN wrote, "Hopefully we all appreciate what we just saw because it might not happen again anytime soon."^[168]

On June 28, 2015, James announced his intent to opt of his contract with the Cavaliers to become a free agent.^[169]

2015–16 season

On July 10, 2015, James re-signed with the Cavaliers to a two-year, $46.9 million contract, which includes a player option for the 2016–17 season.^[170][171]

International career

James attempts a shot over China'sYao Ming at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

James made his debut for the United States national team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.^[172] He spent the Games mostly on the bench,^[173][174] averaging 14.6 minutes per game with 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in eight games.^[172] Team USA finished the competition with a bronze medal, becoming the first U.S. basketball team to return home without a gold medal since adding professionals to their line-up.^[172][175] James felt his limited playing time was a "lowlight" and believed he was not given "a fair opportunity to play".^[176] His attitude during the Olympics was described as "disrespectful" and "distasteful" by columnists Adrian Wojnarowski andPeter Vecsey, respectively.^[177][178]

At the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, James took on a greater role for Team USA, averaging 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as co-captain.^[179][180] The team finished the tournament with an 8–1 record, winning another bronze medal.^[179]James' behavior was again questioned, this time by teammate Bruce Bowen, who confronted James during tryouts regarding his treatment of staff members.^[177][181]

Before naming James to the 2008 Olympic team, Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski gave James an ultimatum to improve his attitude, and he heeded their advice.^[177][182] At the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, he averaged 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, including a 31-point performance against Argentina in the championship game, the most ever by an American in an Olympic qualifier.^[183][184] Team USA went 10–0, winning the gold medal and qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.^[172] James credited the team's attitude and experience for their improvement, saying: "I don't think we understood what it meant to put on a USA uniform and all the people that we were representing in 2004. We definitely know that now."^[174] At the Olympics, Team USA went unbeaten, winning their first gold medal since 2000.^[185] In the final game, James turned in 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists against Spain.^[185]

James did not play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship but rejoined Team USA for the 2012 Olympics in London, England.^[186][187] He became the leader of the team withKobe Bryant, who would soon be 34, stepping back.^{[188][189][190]} James facilitated the offense from the post and perimeter, called the defensive sets, and provided scoring when needed.^{[96][191][192][193]} During a game against Australia, he recorded the first triple-double in U.S. Olympic basketball history with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists.^[a][193]Team USA went on to win their second straight gold medal, again defeating Spain in the final game.^[195] James contributed 19 points in the win, becoming the all-time leading scorer in U.S. men's basketball history.^[172][195] He also joined Michael Jordan as the only players to win an NBA MVP award, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, and Olympic gold medal in the same year.^[196] Afterwards, Krzyzewski said James "is the best player, he is the best leader and he is as smart as anybody playing the game right now."^[197]

Player profile

James drives to the basket in March 2008. A deft finisher, he led the NBA in scoring and shooting percentage at the rim in 2013.^[198]

Standing at 6 ft 8 in and weighing 250 lb, versatile and athletic, James started his career at small forward and power forward, but can also play the other three positions.^{[199][200][201]} With career averages of 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game,^[72] he is considered one of the most versatile players in the NBA,^[120] and has been compared to Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.^[27][202] James has earned All-NBA honors every season since his sophomore year, All-Defensive honors every season between 2009 and 2014, and was named Rookie of the Year in his debut season.^[72] With four MVP awards, he is part of a select group of players who have won the award four times, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell; only he and Russell have won four MVP awards in a five-year span.^[203] While James has never won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, he has finished second in the voting twice and lists it as one of his main goals.^[63][204] Since 2011, he has been ranked the best player in the NBA by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.^[b][c]

In Cleveland, James was used as an on-ball point forward.^[120] Although his shooting tendencies were perimeter-oriented,^[120] he established himself as one of the best slashers and finishers in basketball, leading the NBA in three point plays in 2006.^[213] During his first tenure with the Cavaliers, he was frequently criticized for not having developed a reliable jump shot or post game,^[214] areas he improved in Miami, where Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed James' role to a more unconventional one.^[120] James began spending more time in the post and shooting fewer three-pointers, attempting a career-low 149 in 2012.^[72][120] He improved his shot selection and accuracy on jump shots, finishing second in the league in catch-and-shoot field goal percentage in 2013.^[215] He also learned how to work as an off-ball cutter in the Heat's "pass-happy" offense.^[216] Throughout his career, James' playmaking ability has been praised; in one article, Grantland's Zach Lowe called him "one of the greatest passers ever".^[217] Using his size, vision, and the attention he garners from opposing defenses to his advantage,^[218] James is able to create easy points for his teammates with accurate assists, manufacturing a league leading 2.6 three-pointers per game by way of his passing alone in 2013.^[219] ESPN's Tom Haberstroh has called James' free throw shooting his biggest weakness, describing it as "average".^[220]

At the beginning of James' career, he was considered a poor defensive player,^[221] but improved steadily through the years. Near the end of his first tenure in Cleveland, he became proficient at the chase-down block; coming in from behind the opposition in transition to block their shot.^[62] In Miami, he developed into a more versatile defender, and the Heat relied on him to guard all five positions.^[222] Paired with teammates Shane Battier and Dwyane Wade, Miami used James in an ultra-aggressive defensive scheme,^[223]with James cheating off the ball to help out inside or get into rebounding position.^[224] In 2014, James was criticized for having a down defensive season, stemming from a lack of effort and a tendency for "coasting".^[225]

Early in James' career, he was repeatedly criticized by the media for his play in pressure situations; specifically, for passing instead of shooting in the waning seconds of close games.^[226][227] In a 2011 interview, teammate Chris Bosh stated that he would rather have Dwyane Wade take a last-second shot than James.^[228] Later in James' career, his clutch play was viewed more favorably; for example, a 2011 article by Henry Abbott revealed that James had a better shooting percentage with the game on the line than such notables as Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant.^[229] In 2015, Five Thirty Eight wrote that he might be "the most clutch playoff shooter of his generation".^[230]

Off the court

James and then Heat teammateDwyane Wade tape a public service announcement with United States First Lady Michelle Obama in January 2014.

James proposed to Savannah Brinson, his high school sweetheart, on December 31, 2011 at a party celebrating New Year's Eve and his 27th birthday.^[231] The two were married on September 14, 2013 in San Diego.^[232] Together they have two sons, LeBron James, Jr. (nicknamed "Bronny") and Bryce Maximus James, and one daughter, Zhuri James.^[233] During his tenure with the Heat, James resided inCoconut Grove, an affluent Miami neighborhood, where he bought a three-story mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay for $9 million.^[234] He later listed the Miami property for $17 million after deciding to rejoin the Cavaliers.^[235]

James is considered by many, including his fellow players, to be the "face of the NBA".^[236] His opinions have yielded significant influence on important league decisions; for example, in 2014 he asked commissioner Adam Silver to increase the duration of the All-Star break, and the request was granted the following season.^[237] On February 13, 2015, James was elected the first Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).^[238]

Business interests

James is represented by agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.^[239] James' first agent was Aaron Goodwin, whom he left in 2005 for Leon Rose. Rose joined Creative Artists Agency(CAA) in 2007, and he worked with fellow CAA agent Henry Thomas, who represented Wade and Bosh, to bring James to Miami in 2010. James left CAA for Paul in 2012.^[240]James, Paul, Maverick Carter, and Randy Mims—all childhood friends— formed agent and sports-marketing company LRMR after James left Goodwin. LRMR handles James' marketing, and was criticized for its role in the marketing of The Decision.^[241][242]

James has numerous endorsement contracts; some of the companies he does business with are Audemars Piguet,^[243] Coca-Cola,^[244] Dunkin' Brands,^[245] McDonald's,^[246]Nike,^[244] State Farm,^[247] and Samsung.^[244] Coming out of high school, he was the target of a three-way bidding war between Nike, Reebok, and Adidas,^[248] eventually signing with Nike for approximately $90 million.^[249] His signature shoes have performed well for Nike, and in 2013 he led all NBA players in shoe sales.^[250] In 2011, Fenway Sports Group became the sole global marketer of his rights, and as part of the deal, he was granted minority stakes in the English Premier League football club Liverpool F.C.^[251] As a result of James' endorsement money and NBA salary, he has been listed as one of the world's highest-paid athletes.^[252] In 2013, he surpassed Kobe Bryant as the highest paid basketball player in the world with earnings of $56.5 million.^[253] In 2014, James realized a profit of more than $30 million as part of Apple's acquisition of Beats Electronics; he had originally struck a deal to get a small stake in the company at its inception in exchange for promoting its headphones.^[254] He was featured in a Beats By Dre TV commercial in 2015.^[255]

James, with comedian Jimmy Kimmel, co-hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards.^[256] In other comedic pursuits, he hosted the 33rd season premiere of Saturday Night Live.^[257] In 2009, he was featured in the Lions Gate documentary More Than a Game, which chronicled his high school years.^[258] He has also tried his hand at acting, appearing in a cameo role on the HBO series Entourage.^[259] In 2015, he played himself in the Judd Apatow film Trainwreck.^[260] He is currently producing a Starz sitcom called Survivor's Remorse.^[261]

Public image

James has been ranked by Forbes as one of the world's most influential athletes throughout his career.^[262][263] During his first tenure with the Cavaliers, he was adored by local fans, with Sherwin-Williams displaying a giant Nike-produced banner of James on its world headquarters.^[264] Despite their affection for James, Cleveland fans and critics were frequently annoyed when he attended Cleveland Indians games against the New York Yankees dressed in a Yankees hat.^[265] Following his actions during the 2010 free agency period and, more specifically, The Decision, he was listed as one of the world's most disliked athletes.^[266][267] By 2013, his image had mostly recovered and he was reported by ESPN as the most popular player in the NBA for the second time in his career.^[268] In 2014, he was named the most popular male athlete in America by the Harris Poll.^[269] He has led the league in jersey sales six times.^[270]

A philanthropist, James is an active supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of America, Children's Defense Fund, and ONEXONE.^[271] He has also established his own charity foundation called the LeBron James Family Foundation, based out of Akron.^[272] Since 2005, the foundation has held an annual bike-a-thon in Akron to raise money for various causes.^[273]

The WWI Destroy This Mad Brute poster and the April 2008 Vogue cover with James andGisele Bündchen, which critics said referenced the earlier poster.^[274][275]

In March 2008, James became the first black man—and third man overall after Richard Gere and George Clooney—to appear on the cover of Vogue, posing with Gisele Bündchen.^[276] Some sports bloggers and columnists considered the cover offensive, describing the demeanor of James and his holding Bündchen as a reference to classic imagery of the movie monster King Kong, a dark savage capturing his light-skinned love interest.^[274][275]

James has taken stances on controversial issues throughout his career, mentioning on several occasions a feeling of obligation to effect change using his status.^[277] Those include the War in Darfur,^{[278][279][280][281]} the Trayvon Martin case,^[282] Donald Sterling's racist comments in 2014,^[277] the Michael Brown verdict,^[283] and Eric Garner controversy.^[284] In June 2008, James donated $20,000 to a committee to elect Barack Obama.^[285] Later that year, James gathered almost 20,000 people at the Quicken Loans Arena for a viewing of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's 30-minute American Stories, American Solutionstelevision advertisement.^[286] It was shown on a large screen above the stage, where Jay-Z later held a free concert.^[286]

NBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

†	Denotes seasons in which James' team won an NBA championship
	Led the league

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2003–04	Cleveland	79	79	39.5	.417	.290	.754	5.5	5.9	1.6	.7	20.9
2004–05	Cleveland	80	80	42.4	.472	.351	.750	7.4	7.2	2.2	.7	27.2
2005–06	Cleveland	79	79	42.5	.480	.335	.738	7.0	6.6	1.6	.8	31.4
2006–07	Cleveland	78	78	40.9	.476	.319	.698	6.7	6.0	1.6	.7	27.3
2007–08	Cleveland	75	74	40.4	.484	.315	.712	7.9	7.2	1.8	1.1	30.0
2008–09	Cleveland	81	81	37.7	.489	.344	.780	7.6	7.2	1.7	1.1	28.4
2009–10	Cleveland	76	76	39.0	.503	.333	.767	7.3	8.6	1.6	1.0	29.7
2010–11	Miami	79	79	38.8	.510	.330	.759	7.5	7.0	1.6	.6	26.7
2011–12†	Miami	62	62	37.5	.531	.362	.771	7.9	6.2	1.9	.8	27.1
2012–13†	Miami	76	76	37.9	.565	.406	.753	8.0	7.3	1.7	.9	26.8
2013–14	Miami	77	77	37.7	.567	.379	.750	6.9	6.4	1.6	.3	27.1
2014–15	Cleveland	69	69	36.1	.488	.354	.710	6.0	7.4	1.6	.7	25.3
Career		911	910	39.3	.496	.342	.745	7.1	6.9	1.7	.8	27.3
All-Star		11	11	31.2	.516	.351	.735	6.5	6.2	1.5	.2	25.3

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2006	Cleveland	13	13	46.5	.476	.333	.737	8.1	5.8	1.4	.7	30.8
2007	Cleveland	20	20	44.7	.416	.280	.755	8.1	8.0	1.7	.5	25.1
2008	Cleveland	13	13	42.5	.411	.257	.731	7.8	7.6	1.8	1.3	28.2
2009	Cleveland	14	14	41.4	.510	.333	.749	9.1	7.3	1.6	.9	35.3
2010	Cleveland	11	11	41.8	.502	.400	.733	9.3	7.6	1.7	1.8	29.1
2011	Miami	21	21	43.9	.466	.353	.763	8.4	5.9	1.7	1.2	23.7
2012†	Miami	23	23	42.7	.500	.259	.739	9.7	5.6	1.9	.7	30.3
2013†	Miami	23	23	41.7	.491	.375	.777	8.4	6.6	1.8	.8	25.9
2014	Miami	20	20	38.2	.565	.407	.806	7.1	4.8	1.9	.6	27.4
2015	Cleveland	20	20	42.2	.417	.227	.731	11.3	8.5	1.7	1.1	30.1
Career		178	178	42.5	.473	.318	.752	8.8	6.7	1.7	.9	28.2

Awards and honors

Main article: List of career achievements by LeBron James

James (center) celebrates during the Heat's 2012 championship parade.

NBA^[72]

• Two-time NBA Champion: 2012, 2013
• Two-time NBA Finals MVP: 2012, 2013
• Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
• 11-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
• Two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006, 2008
• Nine-time All-NBA First Team: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
• Two-time All-NBA Second Team: 2005, 2007
• Five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2014
• 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year
• 2004 NBA All-Rookie First Team
• 2008 NBA Scoring Champion

International^[287]

• Two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner: 2008, 2012
• 2004 Olympic Bronze Medal winner
• 2006 FIBA World Championship Bronze Medal winner
• 2012 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year

High school^[6]

• 2003 National Champion
• Three-time OHSAA Champion: 2000, 2001, 2003
• Two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year 2002, 2003
• Two-time USA Today High School Player of the Year 2002, 2003
• Three-time Ohio Mr. Basketball: 2001, 2002, 2003
• Three-time USA Today All-USA First Team: 2001, 2002, 2003
• Two-time PARADE High School Player of the Year: 2002, 2003
• 2003 Naismith Prep Player of the Year^[288]
• 2003 McDonald's National Player of the Year^[289]
• 2003 McDonald's High School All-American^[290]
• 2003 McDonald's All-American Game 2003
• 2003 EA Sports Roundball Classic MVP^[291]
• 2003 Jordan Capital Classic MVP^[291]
• Number 23 retired by St. Vincent-St. Mary^[292]
• St. Vincent-St. Mary home basketball venue named "The LeBron James Arena"
• St. Vincent-St. Mary Hall of Fame (class of 2011)^[293]

Other

• 2012 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year^[294]
• 2012 Sporting News Athlete of the Year^[295]
• 2013 AP Athlete of the Year
• 2006 Sporting News NBA MVP^[296]
• 2004 Sporting News Rookie of the Year^[297]
• Sports Illustrated NBA All-Decade First Team (2000s)^[298]
• Nine-time ESPY Award winner (in various categories)

See also

	Basketball portal
	National Basketball Association portal

• List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game
• List of National Basketball Association season minutes leaders
• List of Olympic medalists in basketball
• History of the Miami Heat
• Cleveland Cavaliers draft history

Notes

1. Jump up^ Assists were recorded as an official Olympic statistic starting in 1976.^[194]
2. Jump up^ ESPN.^{[205][206][207][208][209]}
3. Jump up^ Sports Illustrated.^{[210][211][212]}