Player Feature: LeBron James

Full Name: LeBron Raymone James Sr. 

Birthdate: December 30, 1984

Birthplace: Akron, Ohio 

Current team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: Small forward/Power forward

Years active: 2003 – present

Key facts and statistics

• Has a versatile playing style, a slasher and finisher
• One of the greatest basketball players of all time
• Most All-NBA First Team appearances record holder
• 2x Olympic gold wins of the US national basketball team
• 2003 Rookie of the Year
• Youngest player to score 30,000 career points

LeBron James has one of the stellar and controversial professional careers – that stretch to 16 seasons – in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). James started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers wherein he was the first overall draft pick of 2003. Cavaliers was his hometown. He was only 18 years old then.

He has proven time and again that he can shoot from different angles and different positions. But his orientations remain in the perimeter. He was the leading scorer at Cleveland, onwards becoming the youngest NBA player to score 30,000 career points. 

He moved to Miami Heat then back to Cleveland Cavaliers. When he was with the Heat, he focused on improving his scoring efficiency through effective shot selection. His shots are usually a three-point or a long two-point basket. He also has a playmaking ability not observable in other players. 

In 2018, he signed up with Los Angeles Lakers. Prior to his groin injury in the 2018-19 season, James scored 51 points, season-high, in one of the games against Miami Heat. Because of the injury, he missed the opportunity for a career-high 17 consecutive games and the playoffs. James played the playoffs since 2005 before this season.

James was hyped as an NBA prospect, immediately making an impact on his debut season. He was the 2003 Rookie of the Year. He came a long way, now touted as one of the greatest players in NBA history, along with Jordan.

James started as an offensive player but eventually became a defensive player, and then both. He was one of those shooters who can transition between offence and defence smoothly.

He also started as a small forward and power forward. James can also play the three other basketball positions at no extra effort on his part. His athleticism and versatility on the court are two of his legacies. James was also a slasher and finisher.

James’ career highlights include NBA championships, Finals MVP, MVP, All-Star, ALl-Star MVP, All-Defensive First Team, All-Defensive Second Team, First Team, Second Team, and Third Team. He holds the record for the most All-NBA First Team appearances (12).

He was a scoring leader, and his average is 27.2 points. His other averages per game are 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.

 James was also a part of the national basketball team that won two gold medals during the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Sports Illustrated, ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, Slam Magazine, and The Ringer (Bill Simmons’ website) consistently rank James as one of the best NBA players along with the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson.

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