LeBron James is a dominant scorer, passer, rebounder, and defender. James led the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers to NBA titles.
Credit: © Steve Dykes, Getty Images

The King! The GOAT (greatest of all time)! The best in NBA history! Lebron James claimed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most regular-season points scored in a player’s career on February 7, 2023. He secured the record playing for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Abdul-Jabbar recorded 38,387 points in his career. James has put up 38,388 points since he started in the NBA in 2003. That is more points than how many miles it is to travel around the world 1.5 times!

Lebron James is a star forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA). James stands 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters) tall and weighs about 260 pounds (118 kilograms). His unusual combination of speed and power makes James one of the most unique and gifted players in NBA history. James is an outstanding scorer, playmaker, and defensive player. He was selected as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2011-2012, and 2012-2013 seasons.

LeBron Raymone James was born on Dec. 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. He gained a national reputation while playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected James as the first pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2003-2004 season. In the 2006-2007 season, James led Cleveland to the team’s first conference championship in franchise history. James led the NBA in scoring for the 2007-2008 regular season with a 30-point average.

LeBron James scores a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Miami Heat’s victory in the fifth and final game of the 2012 NBA finals. James was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series.
Credit: © Rhona Wise, EPA/Alamy Images

James signed with the Miami Heat after the 2009-2010 season. He helped Miami reach the NBA finals in 2010-2011 and 2013-2014. He led the team to the NBA championship in 2011-2012 and again in 2012-2013. He was a member of United States national teams that won gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Summer Games. Following the 2013-2014 season, James rejoined Cleveland. He led the Cavaliers to the NBA finals four straight seasons, from 2014-2015 through 2017-2018, winning the NBA championship in 2015-2016. James joined the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2017-2018 season. He led the league in assists during the 2019-2020 season and led the Lakers to the NBA championship.

James and his high school teammates were the subjects of the documentary More Than a Game (2009). James wrote a memoir, Shooting Stars (2009), about his basketball career. He also wrote the inspirational children’s picture book I Promise (illustrated by Nina Mata, 2020). The book is related to the goals of the I Promise School, a public school for struggling students that the LeBron James Family Foundation opened in Akron. James has also worked as a producer, actor, and voice actor for a number of television and film projects. Such projects include the motion picture Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021).

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during Game Six of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on Oct. 11, 2020, at The AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.
Credit: © Andrew D. Bernstein, NBAE/Getty Images

On October 11, the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) defeated the Miami Heat, 106-93, to win the franchise’s 17th NBA championship. The Lakers won the best-of-seven Finals four games to two, capping an extraordinary season interrupted by COVID-19 and later played out in a “bubble” at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Los Angeles superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped the Lakers overcome a spirited performance by the injury-depleted Heat and its willful leader Jimmy Butler. The game six victory secured James’s fourth championship, adding to title runs he enjoyed with the Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. James, who averaged 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the series, was named the Finals’ Most Valuable Player (MVP).

The Miami Heat were led by battle-tested Butler, active young center Bam Adebayo, and rookie guard Tyler Herro. Butler totaled 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists in a Game Three Heat victory. He also recorded a triple-double in the Heat’s Game Five victory.

After accepting the championship trophy, James and Davis dedicated the trophy to the former Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. Bryant was one of the most exciting players in the NBA, playing guard for a record 20 seasons for the Lakers. On Jan. 26, 2020, Bryant died in a helicopter crash. One of his daughters, 13-year-old Gianna, and the seven other people aboard the craft died as well. The Lakers—and the NBA as a whole—honored the Bryant family throughout the season. The Lakers have worn black jerseys that were designed by Bryant before his death. The jerseys also have the number “2” in a heart, Gianna’s jersey number.

January 28, 2020

Two days ago, on Sunday, January 26, the former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Kobe Bryant was killed along with his 13-year old daughter and seven other people in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, near Los Angeles. The helicopter had been carrying the passengers to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in nearby Newbury Park. The United States Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, but the helicopter went down in foggy conditions that had grounded some other air traffic in the area. Bryant, who starred for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2016, was 41 years old.

Kobe Bryant (with the ball) eludes a Phoenix Suns defender during the NBA playoffs on May 4, 2006, in Los Angeles. Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. credit: © NBAE/Getty Images

Bryant, a 6 foot 6 inch- (198 centimeter-) tall shooting guard, is considered one of the best players in NBA history. During his career, he helped lead the Lakers to five NBA championships, made 18 All-Star teams, was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team 12 times, and earned the NBA Most Valuable Player award for the 2007-2008 season. Bryant led the league in scoring twice (2005-2006 and 2006-2007) and retired with 33,643 points–the fourth most in NBA history. On Jan. 22, 2006, Bryant scored 81 points in one game, the second highest total in NBA history behind the 100 points scored in a game by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. Bryant also starred on U.S. national basketball teams that won the gold medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Bryant was born in Philadelphia on Aug. 23, 1978. His father, Joe Bryant, played in the NBA from 1975 through 1983. Kobe was drafted directly out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996. At 17, he was the youngest player ever drafted into the NBA. Charlotte selected Bryant as the 13th pick and then traded his rights to Los Angeles.

Bryant was in his first year of eligibility for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020, and he is sure to be part of the new class when it is announced in early April.

April 14, 2016

Stephen Curry (30) and the Golden State Warriors finished the NBA season with a record-setting 73 wins against just 9 losses. Credit: AP Photo

Last night, April 13, the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season finished in dazzling style. In Oakland, California, the Golden State Warriors dismantled the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104. The home win was nothing new for Stephen Curry and the Warriors, who ended the year 39-2 at Oracle Arena. The Warriors played well on the road this season, too, disappointing other teams’ fans 34 out of 41 times. Golden State finished 73-9, an all-time season best, breaking the 72-10 record set 20 years ago by the seemingly invincible Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.

Last season, the Warriors went 39-2 at home as well, but they finished with an overall record of just 67-15. Masking their disappointment, the Warriors coasted through the playoffs on their way to an NBA championship. Basketball experts are banking on the Warriors repeating their championship run this year, with maybe one team standing in the way: the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs, by the way, won only 67 games this year. Poor Spurs.

Last night in Los Angeles, Lakers star Kobe Bryant took the court for the final time in his flamboyant 20-year NBA career. Bryant pleased the Laker faithful by scoring 60 points in his team’s 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz. Bryant’s teammates gave him the ball nearly every possession, and he took a career-high 50 shots from the floor. Bryant ended his sure-fire hall-of-fame career with 33,643 career points, third-most in NBA history.

The Lakers bring up the other end of the NBA spectrum, however. Last night’s headline victory pushed the Lakers to a 17-65 record—their worst season ever, but not the worst in the NBA this year. That distinction fell to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers, who finished 10-72. The 76ers fell one defeat shy of breaking their own record for losses in an 82-game NBA season. The ‘Sixers went 9-73 in ’73.