Facts From Life of Famous Basketball Player - Lebron James

Lebron James is one of the greatest basketball players to ever set foot on the NBA and one of the superstars of world basketball. Blessed with an impressive physique, quick feet and a devastating turn of pace, Lebron has become an almost indispensable part of all the teams he has played for. Towering at a height of 6 feet 8 inches and weighing 113 kg Lebron is a daunting physical opponent to come up against, his versatility has and multiple skillsets mean he is comfortable playing either at small forward or as a power forward. He can also play across the other three positions on the field.

How Old is Lebron James?

Lebron was born on the 30th of December, 1984 to a teenage mother Gloria Marie James in Ohio. Due to his fathers’ criminal records, he was absent for most of James childhood leaving his upbringing to Gloria. Finding steady employment to support her young son was an uphill task and she had to resort to leaving James in the custody of a local football coach Frank Walker. It was Frank that introduced Lebron to basketball as a youngster.

While in fifth grade Lebron met fellow students Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee. Together they would go on to make waves for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

James attended High School at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, Ohio and was an integral part of their 1999 basketball team. In his second year in high school, James was named on the USA Today All-USA First Team and is on record as the first sophomore to win make the cut.

Lebron’s professional career began at his hometown team – the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he was the first player in the team’s history to win NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Lebron spent seven years with the Cavaliers between 2003 and 2010. After his contract with the Cavaliers was up, Lebron became a free agent meaning he could pick another team to move to. As expected, he never lacked suitors, teams such as Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets reached ou to him to persuade him to join but on the 8th of July 2010, Lebron announced he was moving to the Miami Heat the next season.

His move stirred up feelings of discontent amongst certain supporters as they felt he had betrayed his hometown team by leaving, the negativity was at fever pitch and had an impact on the teams’ performances as James became one of the most disliked players in the NBA at the time.

Lebron James

Dwyane Wade and James image source

What was never in doubt was his quality, the next year Lebron James led his team to the title defeating Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. Another NBA title followed the next season.

James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in July 2014 and during his four-year stint, he led the Cavaliers to win their first NBA Championship and the city’s first professional sports title in 52 years.

When is He Expected To Retire?

When you have been at the pinnacle of your professional career for almost 15 years, it is only natural that sooner rather than later the strain on your body begins to take its toll. For the 2018-2019 season, Lebron James battled with a series of niggling injuries which limited his availability for games. Not only did he miss a lot of games, but there were also signs that it was beginning to have an adverse impact on his performance levels. In his absence, his team the Los Angeles lakers struggled to find consistency which culminated in the team’s failure to qualify for the postseason. This would be the first time Lebron would miss the playoffs since 2005. It is also the first time he hasn’t appeared in the finals since 2010.

Lebron has won the NBA Championship three times. He has two Olympic Gold medals to his name and has been Most Valuable Player in the NBA on four occasions. He has made the All-NBA First Team an astonishing twelve times and is fourth in all-time career points.

Despite these recent setbacks, Lebron has been bullish about his career insisting he still has a few more years in him. He hasn’t in any way suggested he is about to call it quits and is yet to set a date for his retirement. Whatever happens in the future, Lebron James will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.