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LeBron Raymone James (born ) is an American professional Basketball player who currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . Commonly Nickname d "King James" and "The Chosen One", the Akron , Ohio -born James was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA star while still in high school, and was named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" three times. At the age of 18, he was selected with the First Overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers. Before his NBA debut, James signed an unprecedented US$ 90 million shoe contract with Nike . He has since set numerous Youngest Player Records . In his First Season , he received the NBA Rookie Of The Year Award and in the following three seasons received All-NBA and All-Star honors. He led the Cavaliers to back-to-back Playoff appearances in 2006 and 2007 ; the latter year the team advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 and the NBA Finals for the first time in Cleveland's history. James is listed as a Small Forward , but can also play Point Guard and Shooting Guard . This versatility has led to his unofficial classification as a " Point Forward ". James was a member of the United States Men's National Basketball Team that won the Bronze Medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens , Greece , and he finished second in the league Most Valuable Player balloting in 2006 . EARLY LIFE James was born an only child in a low-income area of 2007 . HIGH SCHOOL Freshman year James attended , 2007 . He averaged 18 points and 6.2 rebounds, and led the team to a 27–0 record, en route to the Division III state title. Sophomore year In his sophomore year, James averaged 25.2 , 2007 . As an avid 2007 , accessed May 20 2007 . However, injury concerns led James to concentrate solely on basketball. Junior year In James' Junior Year his stats improved again. He averaged 29.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.3 steals and was again named Mr. Basketball of Ohio. He also earned a spot on the All-USA First Team, and was named the 2001-02 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. It was at this time that his nickname "King" James would become a household staple in Ohio. '', James was the first high school basketball player on the cover since Kevin Garnett .]] LeBron James appeared in SLAM Magazine , which began his nationwide exposure. However, the St. Vincent-St. Mary basketball team did not defend its state title when increased enrollment forced the team to move up to the more challenging Division II (Ohio high school basketball has four divisions based on annual enrollment figures) and lost to Cincinnati Roger Bacon High School . James attempted to declare for the NBA Draft after the season ended, petitioning for an adjustment to the NBA's draft eligibility rules which, at the time, required prospective players to have at least completed high school. The petition was unsuccessful, but it led to an unprecedented level of attention on him as he entered his senior year. By then, James had already appeared on the covers of '' Sports Illustrated '' and '' ESPN The Magazine ''. His popularity forced his team to move their practices from the school gym to the nearby James A. Rhodes Arena at the University Of Akron . NBA stars such as Shaquille O'Neal attended the games, and a few of James's high school games were even televised nationally on ESPN2 and regionally on Pay-per-view . Senior year Gloria James created a firestorm of controversy when she was allowed to use her son's future earning power as collateral to secure a bank loan to buy an $80,000 2007 . That forfeit loss was the team's only official loss that season. Despite the distractions, the Irish won a third state title, and James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.4 steals. James was named to the All-USA First Team, and for an unprecedented third time, was selected as Mr. Basketball Ohio. He earned MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game , the EA Sports Roundball Classic, and the Jordan Capital Classic. Although it was a foregone conclusion, by participating in more than two high school all-star events, James officially lost his NCAA eligibility. James finished his high school career with 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 523 assists. NBA CAREER Rookie season Facing the 2007 . 2004-05 season against the Dallas Mavericks .]] In the 2007 . 2005-06 season In the 2007 . Following the regular season, James was named as one of the top candidates for the 2007 . James made 2007 . In the second round of the playoffs, James led the Cavaliers to a 3–2 series lead over the defending Eastern Conference champion and divisional rival Detroit Pistons . The Pistons, however, eliminated the Cavs by winning the final two games. James averaged 30.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in the playoffs. At the end of the season, James negotiated a three year contract extension, with a player option for a fourth year. The contract is worth 2007 . Although it is for fewer years and less money than the maximum he could sign, it allows him the option of seeking a new contract worth more money as an unrestricted Free Agent following the 2010 season. 2006-07 season James was elected to his third consecutive , 2007 . In the regular season, the Cavaliers tied the previous season's record with 50 wins and clinched the second seed of the Eastern Conference on the last day of the season.basketball-reference.com, 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers , accessed 2007 . In the first round of 2007 . In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, James was scrutinized by most in the media for passing up a 6-foot shot near the end of the game, instead passing to Donyell Marshall , who missed an open three-point shot. After losing Game 2 where he did take the final shot, the series moved back to Cleveland with the Cavs down 0-2. In Game 3 with the Cavs up 84-82, James hit a 14 foot jumper to seal the game. He also poured in 32 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. In Game 4, in the waning seconds James hit two free throws to seal the game again. James had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. In Game 5, James scored 48 points, had 9 boards and had 7 assists; including 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points, all coming after the six minute mark in the fourth quarter, and the team's last 25 points (franchise record) in Cleveland's double- 2007 . The 48 points set a Cavaliers record for points scored by a player in a playoff game. James had a rough shooting night in Game 6 scoring only 20 points, but rebounded and passed well and his teammates did enough for the Cavaliers to lead Cleveland to a 98-82 win and their first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history, against the San Antonio Spurs . In the 2007 NBA Finals , James and the Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs , who earned their fourth title in nine years. UNITED STATES NATIONAL TEAM After his , 2007 . However, the team finished with an 8–1 season record, and was again awarded the bronze medal. James was named as one of three , 2007 . PLAYER PROFILE James has established himself as a legitimate , 2006 . Although James exhibits exceptional offensive ability, he has yet to be featured on the 2007 . and has struggled with his Free Throw shooting — he averaged a subpar .698 free throw accuracy in the 2006-07 Season . PERSONAL LIFE James has two children with his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson. The first, named LeBron James Jr., was born on , 2007 . During his sophomore year, he was named First Team-All State as a wide receiver, and in his junior year he helped lead St. Vincent - St. Mary High School to the state semifinals in football. As a freshman playing basketball, James wore jersey number 32 before adopting his current number 23 as a tribute to his role model, Michael Jordan . Despite being compared to players such as , 2007 . James has stated he wants to be the first billionaire athlete and a global icon. He has a number of endorsement contracts with Nike , Sprite , Powerade , Bubblicious , and Upper Deck . With Nike LeBron has released six signature shoe styles. He has acted in a series of commercials called " The LeBrons " also produced by Nike. During the 2007 NBA Playoffs, James drew criticismChristian Science Monitor, On Darfur, LeBron James drops the ball , accessed , 2007 . On July 11, 2007, James along with comedian Jimmy Kimmel , hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards . The show aired on July 15, 2007. LeBron was nominated for three ESPYs. His nominations were for Best Male Athlete, Best NBA Player (winner), and for Best Record Breaking Performance. The Record Breaking performance was when he scored 48 points in Game 5 of the 2007 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. It was announced on July 19 , 2007 , that LeBron James would be hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 29, 2007 with musical guest, Kanye West . NBA REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS TD = Triple-doubles MVP = Most Valuable Player voting AWARDS AND HONORS See Also: List of career achievements by LeBron James
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