LeBron James, who currently plays for the Miami Heat, has had an impressive professional basketball career.
Here are 10 interesting facts about the NBA champion:
LeBron James Facts #1:
He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He was a standout basketball player at his high school, St. Vincent – St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. Although he verbally stated that he was going to play at the University of Maryland, he decided to enter the NBA Draft when he graduated from high school.
LeBron James Facts #2:
He admired a number of professional basketball players when he was growing up. Some of the basketball players that he liked were Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Magic Johnson, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan. He had posters of them on the walls of an apartment he was sharing with his mother.
LeBron James Facts #3:
He has a close relationship to his mother. For instance, for his 18th birthday, his mother purchased him a $80,000 Hummer H2.
LeBron James Facts #4:
A number of professional basketball players took notice of his incredible athleticism when he was playing basketball in high school. Shaquille O’Neal, for example, went to his games. On a side note, his high school basketball games were also aired on ESPN2.
LeBron James Facts #5:
James has stated that his favorite movie to watch is Friday, which stars Ice Cube and Chris Tucker.
LeBron James Facts #6:
He was listed on the 2006 Richest Young Celebrities List by Forbes magazine. He reportedly earned $22.5 million in the year before. Out of all of the young celebrities, he had made the most money. He was only 21-years-old.
LeBron James Facts #7:
One year after making the list of celebrities who make a lot of money, Forbes magazine also estimated his earnings again, in 2007. It was estimated that he made $27 million in the year.
LeBron James Facts #8:
Another interesting fact about the professional basketball player is that he is an only child. This is probably because his mother struggled financially when she was younger. On a side note, she was only 16-years-old when she gave birth to LeBron.
LeBron James Facts #9:
Although he only won an Olympic Bronze Medal for USA in 2004, he helped the country win a gold medal in basketball in 2008 and in 2012.
LeBron James Facts #10:
He has publically voiced his opinion that Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling should not have any association to professional basketball due to his racist comments about African Americans. In his words, “There is no room for Donald Sterling in our league … There is no room for him.”
Sources:
Greg Cote, “Greg Cote: LeBron James, Miami Heat always find an answer to Nets,” Miami Herald.
Mitch Lawrence, “With Heat star LeBron James improved down low, it’s always post season,” NYDailyNews.com.
Nate Scott, “LeBron James says the Heat didn’t play well enough for him to win MVP,” USA Today.
