LeBron James also known as “King James”, “The Chosen One”, “L-Train”, “LBJ 6” and “LebDog” is an American professional basketball player who is part of the Los Angeles Lakers squad. He is considered one of the great stars of the NBA thanks to his talent, versatility and powerful physique, which allows him to play both point guard and power forward .
Childhood and studies
Born in Ohio on December 30, 1984, his parents were Anthony McClelland and Gloria James . His father was an ex-convict, and at birth LeBron disregarded his paternity. Her mother, Gloria, decides to raise her son on her own, with the help of her grandmother. However, after the death of Gloria’s mother, they found themselves in a very difficult situation, living in a constant struggle to survive. Her mother couldn’t get a permanent job, and they kept changing flats.
His mother tried to give her son a good childhood despite the difficulties, and tried to get him away from the violence that was taking place in Akron, which was not easy at all. As a child, LeBron James had a great love for basketball. He began to spend a lot of time playing with a basketball and a basketball hoop given to him by his mother, and as he passed the time, he began to grow quite tall. Unfortunately, the life that LeBron led prevented him from making friendly bonds with the other children, as he was practically a nomad.
At the time of starting his studies, LeBron managed to stand out for his speed, height and natural strength. He started playing basketball and football, and Frankie Walker, his teacher, set his sights on the young LeBron, arguing that he had a great future, but that he shouldn’t neglect his grades at school. Walker told LeBron’s mother how much he cared about LeBron’s future, and the two made an agreement that LeBron would go live with the Walkers.
Life with the Walkers and the beginning of a star
When James moved in with the Walkers, he found himself accepted by the entire family: Walker’s wife, Pam, and their children, Chanelle, Frankie, and Tanesha. At this time, LeBron began to take school seriously, being rewarded for absences. Walker is the one who teaches the young man to play basketball, who took him as a father figure.
Some time later, Gloria shows up and decides to take James back with her. However, when the financial problems returned, she returned to the Walkers, who helped James’s mother with rent and other expenses.
From a young age, he began to participate in basketball teams, always standing out from the other players. Already in eighth grade he was 1.83m tall, plus he had the ability to play in all basketball positions, as well as possessing a kind of sixth sense on the court.
Later, after two junior national championships, James and his basketball group decide to study together at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School , academy known for its high academic level.
Athlete career
James entered the world of professional sports quickly. With such talent, already when he was in the eighth grade, the player and his team became finalists of the North American championship for minors, because they discovered him ingesting illicit substances, he was disqualified (later, he would stop doing it).
Kobe Bryant, The Black Mamba , was the one who heard about James’s great talent. He decides to watch a game of the boy in Los Angeles, and seeing his enormous potential invites him to train with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a famous NBA team.
LeBron’s skills prompted the club to put him on the court early, violating the coming of age rule. This would later take its toll on the owners of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who paid a $150,000 fine.
In the year 2003, the NBA draft became a new breath for the spectators: there were experienced, first-class players. On the Cleveland team, James quickly became number one, though even he hasn’t finished school yet. According to the players themselves, LeBron ‘s inclusion was incredible: in just six months the player was already a star.
The basketball association quickly moved the team into the top ten, even filming a movie about the story of LeBron and 4 other team members. Later, LeBron begins to play for the Miami Heat, breaking game records.
Nicknamed ¨King James¨ today, LeBron has done countless commercials and commercial associations with well-known brands, such as Nike and Adidas, signing contracts worth millions of dollars.
He is currently married to his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson, with whom he has three children: Bronny, Zhuri, and Bryce Maximus James .
Lebron James to NBA
The expectation was maximum to see which team took the number 1 in the Draft, since there was no doubt that Bron was going to be chosen in that position. Goddess fortune wanted it to be the Cleveland Cavaliers who won the Draft Lottery, the team of the state in which he grew up (Ohio).
The forward met expectations in his first year in the NBA, managing to score 20.9 points per game. This earned him to be chosen as Rookie of the Year , despite the fact that he had fierce competition against players such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.
The 2004-2005 season was even better for James, averaging 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. These figures allowed him to be chosen in the months of November and January as the best player in the Eastern Conference, but they did not help the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the Playoffs.
In 2007, LeBron James managed to lead the Cavs to their first NBA Finals , where they were swept by Tim Duncan and Tony Parker’s San Antonio Spurs (0-4).
On May 4, 2009, LeBron was named Regular Season MVP for the first time , after leading the Cavaliers to a 66-16 record. That year he couldn’t get the ring either, after being eliminated by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals (2-4).
Lebron returned home
Despite the success obtained, “The King” missed Ohio, so he decided to return to his old team, the Cleveland Cavaliers .
With the Cavs he was able to fulfill his dream of winning a ring in the 2016 Playoffs, after beating the Golden State Warriors (4-3) in a tight final . LeBron, with the invaluable help of Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, was able to defeat the team that had set a new record for Regular Season wins (73).
After two straight seasons losing in the finals with the Warriors, LeBron left Cleveland again,this time to sign for the Los Angeles Lakers.
New adventure in Los Angeles
In her first season in California, the Lakers failed to make the playoffs, causing the public to take her in some games with LeBron. To please the fans, the board signed one of the best players in the league, power forward Anthony Davis , on the transfer market.
Lebron James net worth
LeBron James is one of the richest athletes in the world, with an estimated net worth of $850 million according to Forbes. He is the fifth highest paid athlete in the NBA under his current contract with the Lakers. Off the court, he has endorsements with brands like Nike, and he agreed to a lifetime deal with the brand in 2016. This particular endorsement is estimated to earn him over $30 million a year.
LeBron James owns a home in Akron, Ohio, which he bought for just over $10 million.
Awards and Achievements
He won two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He also won a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004. He won gold in 2007 at the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas and bronze at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
He won several titles and accolades in his basketball career like 3 ‘NBA Champion’, 11 ‘All NBA First Team’, 13 ‘NBA All-Star’, ‘2008 NBA Scoring Champion’, ‘2004 NBA All-Rookie First Team’, ‘NBA Rookie of the Year 2004’, 5x ‘NBA All-Defensive First Team’, 2x ‘All-Time Second Team’, 4x ‘NBA Most Valuable Player’, 2x ‘NBA All-Star Game MVP’ and 3x ‘NBA Finals MVP’ etc. In 2017, LeBron James also received the “J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award”.
LeBron James Charity
James contributes at least some share of his net worth to charity. And James’ authorized website is full of lots of charity events the player has shaped. Such charitable acts vary from donating uniforms to school sports teams to festival events for kids with cancer.
Besides, the LeBron James Family Foundation fosters numerous charitable creativities, including Wheels for Education, the Akron I Promise Network, The LeBron Advisory Board, etc.
Besides, we estimated another 10% for state and local taxes, agent fees, and other expenses. According to the LeBron James net worth wiki stats, that figure could be as much as 20% per year. LeBron James’ Worth in 2017 was around $300 million, and his salary in 2017 was $70 million per year.
