LeBron James Is NBA Stats Leader
Cleveland Cavaliers star forward explodes into NBA
Arguably the most celebrated player in the history of the NBA, LeBron James exploded into professional basketball and hasn't slowed down since arriving in 2003.
Suite101 profiles Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.
Name: LeBron James
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Born: December 30, 1984; Akron, Ohio
Position: Small Forward
Awards & Recognition:
- NBA Rookie of the Year: 2003-2004
- Two-time All-NBA Team
- NBA All-Star Game MVP – 2006
- Youngest NBA player to register a triple-doble
- Youngest NBA player to score 50 points in a game
- Youngest NBA player to score 5,000 points for a career
- Youngest NBA player to average 30 points in a season
- One of two players in NBA history to post career averages of 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists (Oscar Robertson)
Background: The LeBron James Legend began when Sports Illustrated placed James on its cover and named LeBron, "The Chosen One," in James’ senior season at Akron’s Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School. LeBron’s physical skills (6-8, 240) made him everyone’s universal choice for top pick in the 2003 NBA draft, even though James never attended college.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had won just 17 games the previous season, won the draft lottery and the right to select LeBron, which, to no one’s surprise, the Cavaliers did. The impact was immediate, as LeBron led Cleveland in virtually every statistical category in his rookie season.
Early Life in the NBA: LeBron was elected the Rookie of the Year that season, and he led the Cavaliers in scoring, pacing the team to 18 more wins that it posted in the previous year, before James arrived. The following season, James averaged 27 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists and the Cavaliers went 42-40 and just missed making the playoffs. James’ dramatic improvement over his rookie campaign earned him his first trip to the All-Star game.
NBA Highlights: LeBron James is arguably the most-celebrated player to ever enter the NBA. James skipped college, going straight from Akron Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School into the NBA, where he was the first player chosen. His first-year numbers were uncanny – 21 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6 assists per contest. Every season since has brought bigger numbers and more firsts for LeBron James.
In just his third season in the NBA, LeBron finished in the top 10 in virtually every statistical category, in leading the Cavaliers into the second round of the playoffs. In that remarkable season, LeBron averaged 31 points, 7 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1 block per game. He also averaged a league-leading 42 minutes played per game.
