MAIN Sports Sports Stars LeBron James

Born LeBron Raymone James in Akron, Ohio on December 30, 1984 the self-assured, charismatic, talkative and often brash basketball star could be a poster boy for Express Your Inner Child.

Still only in his 20's, King James has become one of the undisputed superstars of professional sports and has been in the media spotlight since high school, making the cover of Sports Illustrated while still in his teens under the headline "The Chosen One."

No surprise, then, that at age 18 James was selected as the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft and signed a $90 million endorsement contract with sneaker giant Nike before he even hit the court.

During his first year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was named NBA Rookie of the Year and has since led the Cavaliers to three consecutive NBA playoff appearances in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

LeBron James, Olympic Star

A member of the United States men's national basketball team that won the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, James appeared on the top ten of TIME Magazine's list of 100 Athletes to Watch in 2008. He later helped the U.S. "Redeem Team" defeat reigning champs Spain in Olympic basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

LeBron James, free agent

Following the Cleveland Cavaliers' fall to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, rumors surfaced over James' free agent status in 2010 would result in his leaving team after seven years. 

Despite early rumors that the New York Knicks were wooing the basketball superstar, it was finally announced on July 8 that James would be heading south to join the Miami Heat team in 2010.

Off the Court and Personal Life

James has two children with girlfriend Savannah Brinson. The first, LeBron James Jr., was born on October 6, 2004. Bryce Maximus James was born on June 14, 2007. They later announced their engagement on New Year's Eve 2011. Details about a planned wedding in 2012 have yet to be announced.

In addition to his Nike contract, James has multi-million dollar endorsement deals with companies ranging from Bubblicious to Microsoft, and has built a business empire overseen by childhood friend Maverick Carter, the CEO of LeBron Inc.In March 2008, Lebron James became the first black man ever to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine, posing with supermodel Gisele Bündchen.

More about LeBron James around the Web:

LeBron James - Wikipedia - Complete biography with personal details and professional history including college career highlights & stats, quotes, photos, and an extensive list of related references and resources.

NBA.com : LeBron James Info Page - Career stats, photo gallery, video highlights.

Yahoo Sports - LeBron James - Player profile and recent news headlines, career stats, photo gallery.

wheres lebron.com - "The #1 unofficial LeBron James web site" with fan news & updates, photos, bio, career stats.

also see -> Basketball | Olympic Basketball

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