Born December 30, 1984 Lebron “King James” James was introduced to the world by his mother Gloria James in Akron, Ohio. Raised in a single parent home throughout his childhood years and living back and forth with relatives. Introduced to the world of sports by a relative whom he had lived with if times got hard for he and his mother. James’ relative Frank Walker introduced Lebron to basketball when he was 9 years old. After being introduced to the game of basketball Lebron was fascinated with the sport and went on to play AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) for the Northeast Shooting Stars at a young age that not only gave him a chance to learn the sport but helped him master the sport. Lebron and a few of his teammates from his AAU team chose to attend St Vincent-St. Mary High School and went on to start his road to fame.
As a freshman, Lebron averaged 21 ppg and 6 rpg leading the team to a 27-0 record his freshman year. During his sophomore year his average had risen to 25 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while also contributing 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game. For some home games during the season, St. Vincent-St. Mary played at the University of Akron’s 5,492-seat capacity Rhodes Arena to satisfy ticket demand from alumni, local fans, and college and NBA scouts who wanted to see James play The Fighting Irish finished the season 26–1 and repeated as state champions 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 ever sophomore to do either. 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. During the season, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first ever underclass high school basketball player to do so. With averages of 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game, he was again named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, and became the first ever junior to win the boys’ basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year Award. St. Vincent-St. Mary finished the year with a 23–4 record, ending their season with a loss in the Division II championship game. 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.
Lebron was the biggest high school basketball phenom since Len Bias and was being watched by pro basketball scouts and boosters from all over the globe. He was the spotlight of the media locally and nationally dubbed as the future of the NBA. During his senior year Lebron had to deal with the pressure from the media and the community as being the nation’s top high school basketball prospect and celebrity that was the center of attention nationwide.
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.[22] 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.[23] For the year, James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game,[13] was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball and USA Today All-USA First Team for an unprecedented third consecutive year,[9][24] and Gatorade National Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.[9] 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 his NCAA eligibility and making it official he would enter the 2003 NBA Draft.[25] According to Ryan Jones, James left high school as “the most hyped basketball player ever”.[22]
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.[26] This prompted an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) as their guidelines state that no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance.[27] Later in the season, James accepted two throwback jerseys worth $845 from an urban clothing store in exchange for his posing for pictures, officially violating OHSAA rules and resulting in him being stripped of his high school sports eligibility.[27] James appealed the ruling and his penalty was eventually dropped to a two game suspension, allowing him to play the remainder of the season. The Irish were also forced to forfeit one of their wins, their only official loss that season.
Official Lebron Website
Lebron NBA Profile
