LeBron James

LeBron James (born December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio) is an American NBA basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

NBA career

To the surprise of no one, LeBron officially declared for the draft on April 25, 2003. He then signed a contract with Nike for $90 million over 7 years. Because James was seen as a consensus first pick, the 2003 NBA Draft Lottery was described by many as the "LeBron Lottery." James's hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, successfully drew the first pick. Cleveland confirmed his selection as the #1 pick over a month before the draft, and contract negotiations were concluded some time in advance.

Related Topics:
April 25 - 2003 - Nike - 2003 NBA Draft

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During his rookie season, James largely met the extremely high expectations placed on him. He was named Rookie of the Year and nearly led his team, previously the worst in the NBA, to the playoffs. James is often associated with fellow rookie sensation Carmelo Anthony, though he has begun to separate himself as he continues to improve while Carmelo's image has taken multiple hits. On November 27, 2004, he scored his 2,000th point, becoming the youngest player ever to attain that mark. Kobe Bryant had previously held the record, having reached his 2,000th point at 20 years, 183 days. At 19 years, 272 days old, James was a full 277 days younger than Bryant had been when he reached the mark. On December 28, 2004 his face was injured when he was jumping towards Houston Rocket Dikembe Mutombo. The aftermath was that he had to wear a facial mask for protection of his healing process.

Related Topics:
Rookie of the Year - Playoff - Carmelo Anthony - November 27 - 2004 - Kobe Bryant - December 28 - Houston Rocket - Dikembe Mutombo

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On January 20, 2005, James achieved yet another milestone as he became the youngest player in league history to record a Triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as the Cavaliers rolled to a 107-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The second-year star reached the mark at 20 years, 20 days, breaking the record held by Lamar Odom, who was 20 years, 54 days when he posted a triple-double for the Los Angeles Clippers on December 30, 1999 -- James' 15th birthday.

Related Topics:
January 20 - 2005 - Triple-double - Portland Trail Blazers - Lamar Odom - Los Angeles Clippers - December 30 - 1999

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On March 20, 2005, James scored 56 points in a loss to the Toronto Raptors. At 20 years, 80 days old, James eclipsed Rick Barry as the youngest player to score 50 or more points in a game. Barry was 21 years, 261 days old when he scored 57 for the San Francisco Warriors against the New York Knicks, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Related Topics:
March 20 - 2005 - Toronto Raptors - Rick Barry - San Francisco Warriors - New York Knicks

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On April 19, 2005, after recording 32 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists against the Boston Celtics, James became the youngest player to reach 3,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists. At 20 years and 110 days of age, he is more than two years younger than the previous record holder Kobe Bryant (22 years 161 days) and Magic Johnson (22 years 231 days).

Related Topics:
April 19 - 2005 - Boston Celtics - Kobe Bryant - Magic Johnson

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Much like one of his predecessors, Michael Jordan, James has been signed by many companies to sell their products via advertisements, including Coca Cola, which contracted him to sponsor their Sprite product. In March 2005, bubble gum brand Bubblicious launched the Lebron James Lightning Lemonade flavor. The Coca Cola brand Powerade sports drink included James in a commercial in which an off-duty sports reporter and crew accidentally catch James during his team's practice making 5 shots in a row, starting from three-quarter court and moving steadily backward to full court, which was made possible by computer effects. http://www.snopes.com/photos/commercials/lebron.asp A similar commercial involves Michael Vick of the NFL throwing a pass into the upper deck of a stadium during practice.

Related Topics:
Michael Jordan - Coca Cola - Sprite - March 2005 - Bubble gum - Bubblicious - Powerade - Commercial - Michael Vick - NFL

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In only his second year in the NBA, LeBron James became just the 5th player to average at least 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists for an entire season, along with Oscar Robertson (6 times), John Havlicek (2 times), Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan (1 each). Yet despite his prodigious talents, James failed to lead his Cleveland Cavaliers to the playoffs in his first two years in the league, while fellow 2003 draftees Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade experienced some playoff success. Frustration with Cleveland management has fueled talk that James will leave the franchise when his rookie contract expires, although James has denied that he is looking to leave the organization.

Related Topics:
Cleveland Cavaliers - Carmelo Anthony - Dwyane Wade

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Wikiplayer profile(please do not copy and paste from other sites)-

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Unique athlete with world class athleticism. Has a power forward's body and point guard skills. Tremendous competitor who improved by leaps and bounds from his rookie to his second season, and will likely continue to improve for many years to come. His jumper, while much better then his rookie campaign, still needs work. His midrange game is coming along well.

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James is a unique offensive player, and has the tools to dominate defensively, but lacks concentration and effort. In about two years, barring injury, he'll become the best player in the NBA and hold that title for about a decade. The sky is truly the limit.

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