98 Fun Facts About LeBron James

At which high school did LeBron James gain national attention?

St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Akron is where LeBron James became a heavily touted prospect for his scoring, passing, athleticism and playmaking.

LeBron James chose jersey number 23 as a Cavaliers rookie in honor of which player?

James wore No. 23 as a Cavaliers rookie in tribute to Michael Jordan, who made the number famous with the Chicago Bulls.

Which NBA team drafted LeBron James first overall?

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected LeBron James with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.

In which year did LeBron James win his first NBA Most Valuable Player award?

James won back-to-back MVPs in 2009 and 2010 with Cleveland, then two more in Miami in 2012 and 2013.

How many Olympic gold medals has LeBron James won with the U.S. national team?

LeBron James has won three Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. national basketball team.

What is LeBron James's rank on the NBA's all-time regular season scoring list?

LeBron James has topped the NBA's all-time regular-season scoring list since February 2023 and in March 2024 became the first player to reach 40,000 career points.

Where did LeBron James rank on the NBA all-time regular season assists list at the end of 2024–25?

At the end of the 2024–25 season he sat fourth in career assists and sixth in steals, on top of being the league's all-time leading scorer.

LeBron James announced his 2010 move to the Miami Heat in a television special with what title?

The Decision aired live on ESPN, and LeBron's line about 'taking my talents to South Beach' became instantly notorious.

In what year was the movie 'Space Jam: A New Legacy', starring LeBron James, released?

LeBron James starred in 'Space Jam: A New Legacy', which was released in 2021 as a standalone sequel to the original film.

In which year's championship series did LeBron James lead his team back from a 3–1 deficit?

In the 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron James led his team to a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors.

Which player went in the same 2003 NBA draft as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, all later Olympic gold medalists?

Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James made four of the top five picks of 2003, all of them future All-Stars and 'Redeem Team' Olympic gold medalists.

LeBron James received which major individual award in his debut NBA season?

LeBron James was the first Cavalier ever named NBA Rookie of the Year, after 2003–04, and only the third player in league history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists as a rookie.

LeBron James made his NBA debut against which team on October 29, 2003?

LeBron James debuted against the Sacramento Kings on October 29, 2003, at Arco Arena, a 106–92 Cavaliers loss.

In which city was LeBron James born?

LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio, on December 30, 1984, to Gloria Marie James, and was raised in the city.

How old was LeBron James's mother, Gloria, when he was born in December 1984?

Gloria Marie James was 16 when LeBron was born on December 30, 1984; she raised him alone, moving between Akron apartments.

What was the nickname of LeBron James's high school basketball team?

St. Vincent–St. Mary's teams are the Fighting Irish; LeBron's freshman squad went 27–0 and won the 2000 Ohio Division III state title.

Which position did LeBron James play on his high school football team?

LeBron James was a wide receiver for St. Vincent–St. Mary, earning first-team All-Ohio honors as a sophomore and drawing college recruiting interest.

For his 18th birthday, LeBron James got which vehicle from his mother, skirting Ohio amateur bylaws?

Gloria James gave LeBron a Hummer H2 for his 18th birthday in January 2003, financed by a loan against his future NBA earnings; the OHSAA investigated and cleared him.

Out of high school in 2003, LeBron James signed a roughly $90 million shoe deal with which company?

Nike won a three-way bidding war with Reebok and Adidas, signing LeBron James to a seven-year deal worth about $90 million in May 2003.

LeBron James's career-high 61 points came in March 2014 against which team?

That was his final season in Miami; the Bobcats renamed themselves the Hornets that summer.

Whose record did LeBron James break on 7 February 2023 to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer?

LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 points on February 7, 2023, against Oklahoma City; play stopped with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter so Abdul-Jabbar could hand him the ball.

LeBron and Bronny James first played an NBA game together in October 2024 against which team?

LeBron and Bronny James shared the floor against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22, 2024, the Lakers' season opener, the first father and son to play together in an NBA game.

How many consecutive NBA Finals did LeBron James appear in between 2011 and 2018?

LeBron James reached eight straight NBA Finals, 2011–2014 with Miami and 2015–2018 with Cleveland, the longest run by anyone outside the 1960s Celtics.

LeBron James was the first player to win Finals MVP with how many different franchises?

LeBron James is the only player with Finals MVP awards for three franchises: the Heat (2012, 2013), the Cavaliers (2016) and the Lakers (2020).

The Decision was broadcast live in July 2010 from a Boys and Girls Club in which Connecticut town?

The Decision aired from the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, on July 8, 2010, raising about $2.5 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

After The Decision, Dan Gilbert's Fathead cut LeBron wall graphics to $17.41, a nod to whose birth year?

The $17.41 price pointed to 1741, the birth year of Benedict Arnold, the Revolutionary War general turned traitor; David Stern fined Gilbert $100,000 for his open letter.

Which future NBA star, then aged 13, was in the audience for The Decision?

Donovan Mitchell, a 13-year-old who went to school nearby, sat in the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club crowd for The Decision; he later became a Cavaliers All-Star himself.

In Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, LeBron James made a famous chase-down block on which Warriors player?

With under two minutes left in Game 7, LeBron James sprinted back to block Andre Iguodala's layup at the rim, preserving an 89–89 tie in Cleveland's 93–89 win.

In the 2016 Finals, LeBron became the only player ever to lead a playoff series in how many statistical categories?

In the 2016 Finals LeBron James led both teams in all five major categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, a first for any playoff series.

How long was Cleveland's major-sports championship drought that the Cavaliers ended in 2016?

The city's last title had been the Browns' 1964 NFL championship.

In LeBron James's film Space Jam: A New Legacy, Don Cheadle plays a scheming artificial intelligence with what punning name?

Al-G Rhythm, a self-aware and deceitful AI presiding over the Warner 'Serververse', traps LeBron and his son Dom inside it.

Which Razzie did LeBron James win for Space Jam: A New Legacy?

LeBron James took Worst Actor at the 2022 Razzies for Space Jam: A New Legacy, which grossed about $164 million worldwide against largely negative reviews.

In 2011, a Fenway Sports Group deal gave LeBron James a stake in which English football club?

A 2011 marketing deal with Fenway Sports Group gave LeBron James a roughly 2% stake in Liverpool FC; in 2021 he became a full FSG partner, adding a piece of the Red Sox.

LeBron James's sub-$1 million 2012 investment in which fast-casual chain grew to about $25 million?

LeBron James put under $1 million into Blaze Pizza in 2012 alongside Maverick Carter and Paul Wachter, a stake later valued at roughly $25 million; he also held franchise rights.

LeBron James tried to give up No. 23 early so which Lakers teammate could wear it?

After Anthony Davis arrived in 2019, LeBron James offered him No. 23, but Nike's stock of No. 23 LeBron merchandise blocked the switch and Davis wore No. 3.

In January 2020 LeBron James passed which player for third on the NBA's all-time scoring list?

LeBron James passed Kobe Bryant's 33,643 points on January 25, 2020, in Philadelphia, Bryant's hometown; Bryant died in a helicopter crash the next day.

In 2017, LeBron James partnered with Akron's education board to open a public elementary with what name?

The I Promise School, run with Akron Public Schools, opened in July 2018 for at-risk third and fourth graders; it has since added I Promise Village housing and a health clinic.

In which 2015 Judd Apatow comedy did LeBron James appear as himself?

LeBron James played a comic version of himself in Trainwreck (2015), as the frugal best friend of Bill Hader's sports doctor.

LeBron James's production company, co-owned with Maverick Carter, is called what?

SpringHill, named for the Akron apartment complex where LeBron grew up, produced Survivor's Remorse, NBC's The Wall and the 2023 House Party reboot.

How old was LeBron James when he captained the U.S. team at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

LeBron James, born December 30, 1984, was 39 at the Paris Games, where he was named the tournament's MVP and carried the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony.

How many times had LeBron James made Time's 100 most influential list through 2019?

LeBron James made Time's 100 most influential list four times by 2019: in 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2019.

After Miami's 66–16 season in 2012–13, LeBron James fell how many votes short of becoming the NBA's first unanimous MVP?

One vote kept LeBron James from being the first unanimous MVP in 2013, in a season when Miami went 66–16 with a 27-game winning streak, the third-longest in NBA history.

LeBron James made his NBA playoff debut in 2006 against which team?

LeBron James's playoff debut came against the Washington Wizards on April 22, 2006, when he posted a 32-point triple-double; Cleveland won the series 4–2.

LeBron James's wife, whom he married in 2013, is named what?

Savannah Brinson and LeBron James were high-school sweethearts; they married in San Diego in September 2013 and have three children: Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri.

What did LeBron and his three AAU friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III and Willie McGee call themselves?

LeBron, Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III and Willie McGee dubbed themselves the Fab Four and chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary together; Romeo Travis later made them the Fab Five.

How many points did LeBron score in his NBA debut, a record for a prep-to-pro player?

LeBron James scored 25 points with six rebounds and nine assists in his debut, the most ever by a player straight from high school, though Cleveland lost 106–92 in Sacramento.

How much did Time Warner Cable charge Ohio subscribers per game to watch LeBron's senior-year high school games?

Time Warner Cable sold St. Vincent–St. Mary's 2002–03 games to Ohio subscribers on pay-per-view at $7.95 apiece, with several games also shown nationally on ESPN2.

Roughly how much did LeBron make when Apple bought Beats Electronics in 2014?

LeBron James held a small equity stake in Beats Electronics in return for promotion, and Apple's $3 billion purchase in 2014 reportedly earned him more than $30 million.

What was the first project of LeBron's production company SpringHill, a 2009 documentary?

More Than a Game, directed by Kristopher Belman, followed LeBron and his St. Vincent–St. Mary teammates; it premiered at the 2008 Toronto festival and reached theaters in 2009.

Which youth football coach took LeBron in and introduced him to basketball at nine?

Gloria James let her son live with the Walker family for stability while she looked for steady work.

LeBron's AAU team, which found national success, was called the Northeast Ohio what?

The Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars were coached by Dru Joyce II, father of LeBron's friend Dru Joyce III; the squad's core stayed together into high school.

As a junior, LeBron became the first high school underclassman on the cover of what?

Sports Illustrated put the 17-year-old junior on its February 2002 cover as 'The Chosen One', the first high school underclassman so featured.

Which college football program recruited LeBron, a high school wide receiver?

Notre Dame was among the Division I football programs that recruited LeBron, a first-team All-Ohio receiver, before a wrist injury in an AAU game kept him out as a senior.

Which school did LeBron's team face in a nationally televised ESPN2 game in December 2002?

St. Vincent–St. Mary beat Oak Hill Academy 65–45 on ESPN2 on December 12, 2002, with Dick Vitale and Bill Walton calling LeBron's 31-point game.

LeBron's 56 points in his second season, then a Cavaliers record, came against which team?

LeBron James scored 56 against the Toronto Raptors on March 20, 2005, in Toronto, a Cavaliers record at the time, and at 20 became the youngest player to score 50.

In 2006 LeBron finished second in NBA MVP voting behind which player?

Steve Nash won his second straight MVP in 2006 with LeBron James the runner-up; that season James also took his first All-Star Game MVP and led Cleveland to its first playoff berth since 1998.

Which team swept the Cavaliers in LeBron's first NBA Finals in 2007?

The San Antonio Spurs swept Cleveland in the 2007 Finals; Gregg Popovich's defense dared LeBron to shoot, and he went 4-for-20 from three.

What franchise-record regular season mark did LeBron's 2008–09 Cavaliers post?

He became the first Cavalier to win MVP that year; his 2012–13 Heat would match the same 66–16 record.

LeBron's 2010 contract with the Heat ran six years and was worth roughly how much?

LeBron James's sign-and-trade deal with Miami in July 2010 was a six-year contract worth about $110 million, with an opt-out after four seasons.

Which jersey number did LeBron wear during his four seasons in Miami?

LeBron James wore No. 6 with the Heat, his Olympic number, because Miami had retired No. 23 for Michael Jordan, who never played for the franchise.

Which team beat the Heat in the 2011 Finals, LeBron's first with Miami?

The Dallas Mavericks beat Miami in six games in 2011; LeBron averaged just 17.8 points in the series, nearly nine below his regular-season mark.

Which Hall of Fame center worked with LeBron on his post game during the 2011 offseason?

LeBron James trained with Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston in the 2011 offseason to refine his post game, and won his third MVP and first title the following season.

In January 2013 LeBron became the youngest player ever to reach how many career points?

LeBron James reached 20,000 career points on January 16, 2013, against Golden State, aged 28 years and 17 days, the youngest ever; he was later also youngest to 30,000.

The 2012–13 Heat won how many straight games, the third-longest streak in NBA history?

Miami won 27 straight games in February and March 2013 before losing in Chicago, a run behind only the 1971–72 Lakers' 33 and the Warriors' 28 across 2015–16.

LeBron's 2014 return to Cleveland came on a two-year contract worth roughly how much?

LeBron James returned to Cleveland on a two-year, $42.1 million deal with a player option, choosing short contracts to capitalize on the rising salary cap.

LeBron was the unanimous 2016 Finals MVP after averaging how many points per game?

LeBron James averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists over the seven-game 2016 Finals, earning all 11 Finals MVP votes.

What did LeBron punch to hurt his hand after Game 1 of the 2018 Finals?

LeBron James hurt his right hand punching a whiteboard in the locker room after the Warriors' Game 1 overtime win, and played the rest of the sweep injured.

The 2018–19 Lakers' playoff miss was LeBron's first since which year?

A groin injury, the first major one of his career, cost him 17 straight games that season.

In 2019–20 LeBron led the NBA in which statistic for the only time in his career?

LeBron James led the league in assists in 2019–20 at 10.2 per game, his only assist title, after becoming the Lakers' full-time point guard alongside Anthony Davis.

LeBron scored 38 to clinch the 2020 Western Conference finals against which team?

LeBron James closed out the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the 2020 West finals with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists; the Lakers then beat Miami in six.

In 2020–21 LeBron became the first to score 10 or more points in how many straight games?

LeBron James reached 1,000 straight games in double figures during 2020–21; the streak began in January 2007, after an eight-point game against Milwaukee.

Which team handed LeBron his first-ever first-round playoff series loss in 2021?

The Phoenix Suns beat the Lakers in six games in the 2021 first round, LeBron's first opening-round exit, days after his play-in triple-double against Golden State.

Whose record for most playoff series wins did LeBron surpass with his 41st in 2023?

Beating Golden State in the 2023 second round gave LeBron James his 41st playoff series win, one more than Derek Fisher; Denver then swept the Lakers in the West finals.

LeBron gave up No. 6 in 2023 after the NBA retired that number league-wide for whom?

The NBA retired No. 6 across the league for Bill Russell after his death in 2022; LeBron James, grandfathered in, chose to return to No. 23 for 2023–24.

LeBron was named MVP of the inaugural edition of which NBA event in December 2023?

LeBron James was MVP of the first In-Season Tournament, scoring 24 points in the Lakers' 123–109 final win over Indiana in Las Vegas on December 9, 2023.

With which pick of the 2024 NBA draft did the Lakers select Bronny James?

The Lakers took Bronny James 55th overall in the second round of the 2024 draft, after he had averaged 4.8 points in one college season.

Before turning pro, Bronny James played one season of college basketball for which school?

Bronny James played the 2023–24 season at USC, debuting in December after a cardiac arrest at a July practice, and averaged 4.8 points.

LeBron's game-winning buzzer-beater in March 2025 came against which team?

LeBron James tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer to beat the Indiana Pacers 120–119 in March 2025 in Los Angeles.

What ailment kept LeBron out of the Lakers' first 14 games of the 2025–26 season?

Sciatica affecting his right side delayed LeBron James's 23rd-season debut to November 18, 2025, against Utah, the first season opener he had ever missed.

LeBron's first Olympics, in Athens in 2004, ended with the U.S. taking which medal?

The 2004 U.S. team lost three games in Athens and settled for bronze, beating Lithuania in the third-place game; the 19-year-old LeBron averaged under 15 minutes.

The U.S. beat which country in the 2024 Olympic final, with LeBron named tournament MVP?

Team USA beat host France 98–87 in the Paris final for a fifth straight Olympic gold; LeBron James had 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

LeBron James played himself in a cameo on which HBO series?

LeBron James appeared as himself on HBO's Entourage during its original run, and later turned up as himself in the 2023 House Party reboot made by his SpringHill company.

LeBron launched the podcast Mind the Game in 2024 with which former NBA sharpshooter?

LeBron James and JJ Redick started Mind the Game in March 2024; it paused when Redick became Lakers head coach that June, and Steve Nash joined for season two in 2025.

LeBron co-launched the media company Hana Kuma in 2022 with which tennis player?

Naomi Osaka founded Hana Kuma in 2022 with her agent Stuart Duguid and LeBron James's SpringHill Company; the name means 'flower bear' in Japanese.

Which phrase did LeBron unsuccessfully try to trademark in 2019?

The USPTO refused LeBron James's 2019 'Taco Tuesday' application as a commonplace expression; his camp said the filing aimed to stop others from claiming the phrase.

In 2022 LeBron and Drake became part owners of which Italian soccer club?

RedBird Capital's 2022 takeover of AC Milan brought in LeBron James and Drake as minority investors through Main Street Advisors; his FSG partnership also gives him a piece of the Penguins.

Which WNBA team did a group including Renee Montgomery buy in 2021, with LeBron's public support?

Renee Montgomery, a former Dream guard, joined Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair in buying the Atlanta Dream in 2021 from Kelly Loeffler's group after LeBron publicly backed a sale.

What marketing firm did LeBron form with childhood friends to handle his business deals?

The initials stand for LeBron, Maverick Carter, Randy Mims and Rich Paul; it later staged his televised 2010 announcement.

Who wrote the 2023 biography titled simply 'LeBron'?

Jeff Benedict, co-author of Tiger Woods, published LeBron in April 2023 after three years of research and more than 250 interviews.

In 2025 Mattel announced a LeBron version of which doll?

Mattel made LeBron James its first 'Kenbassador' in May 2025 with a Ken doll standing 13 inches, an inch taller than a standard Ken.

LeBron's 2016 Smithsonian donation supported an exhibit on which athlete?

LeBron James gave $2.5 million in 2016 to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to support its exhibit on Muhammad Ali.

LeBron's Showtime series 'Shut Up and Dribble' took its title from a jab by which TV host?

Fox News host Laura Ingraham told LeBron James to 'shut up and dribble' in February 2018; his Showtime docuseries of that name aired that November.

LeBron James executive-produced the 2016 reality series Cleveland Hustles on which network?

Cleveland Hustles premiered on CNBC in August 2016, with LeBron James and Maverick Carter as executive producers and local entrepreneurs competing for investment.

LeBron executive-produced the 2019 album 'Rap or Go to the League' by which rapper?

2 Chainz credited LeBron James as A&R and executive producer on Rap or Go to the League (March 2019), a title questioning the idea that rap or ball are the only ways out.

One of LeBron's rookie cards sold at auction in July 2020 for roughly how much?

A 2003–04 Upper Deck Exquisite LeBron James rookie patch autograph card sold for $1.8 million at Goldin Auctions in July 2020, then a record for a basketball card.

LeBron holds the record for All-NBA First Team selections with how many?

LeBron James made 13 All-NBA First Teams (2006, 2008–2018 and 2020), the most ever; his 21 total All-NBA selections through 2025 are also a record.

LeBron's career-high nine three-pointers in a game came in 2024 against which team?

LeBron James hit 9 of 10 three-pointers for 40 points against the Brooklyn Nets on March 31, 2024, during a season in which he shot a career-best 41 percent from deep.

LeBron's 2008 Obama rally in Cleveland featured a free concert by which rapper?

LeBron James hosted an Obama rally at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena on October 29, 2008, headlined by a free Jay-Z concert and a screening of Obama's 30-minute television ad.