LeBron James: From Akron to NBA superstardom

LeBron James began playing in the NBA in 2003. James has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers, and has won four NBA Championships and four NBA MVP Awards as of 2022. Pictured: LeBron James driving against Kobe Bryant in 2009. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

LeBron James rose into the national spotlight during his time in high school. James played on the St Vincent-St. Mary High School basketball team in Akron, Ohio, from 1999 to 2003. He did not play college basketball and instead elected to put his name into the 2003 NBA Draft. (Steve Grayson/WireImage)

James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft as the number one overall pick. Prior to the draft, analysts considered James to be one of the greatest prospects to ever go straight from high school to the NBA. Other notable players to be drafted in 2003 include Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh. (Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)

Gloria James is the mother of LeBron James and has supported him since he began playing basketball. She was only 16 years old when she had her son and raised him as a single mother. Both are seen here at a Scholastic Book Fair in James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio, on March 21, 2005. (Tony Morrison/NBAE via Getty Images)

LeBron James met his wife Savannah when she was a sophomore in high school. The two dated until 2013 when they were officially married on Sept. 14, 2013. Pictured: LeBron James and his future wife attend James’ 21st birthday party where rapper Lil Wayne performed in Cleveland, Ohio. (Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

LeBron James’ first son, LeBron "Bronny" James Jr., was born in 2004, shortly after James was drafted into the NBA. Bronny James is a four-star high school basketball recruit as of 2022. Bronny could be seen sitting courtside at many of his dad’s games throughout his childhood. Pictured: LeBron James holds his son Bronny after a playoff game in 2006. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

During James’ first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010, he made it to the 2007 NBA Finals, where the Cavaliers lost to the San Antonio Spurs. After the 2010 season, James decided that it was time to move on from his hometown team, a pivotal moment that fans have dubbed "the Decision." (Tony Morrison/NBAE via Getty Images)

In 2010, James decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and sign with the Miami Heat. "The Decision" received backlash from Cavaliers fans and LeBron James’ detractors. During his stint in Miami, LeBron James won two NBA Finals. He left the Miami Heat in 2014 to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. James claimed he went back to Cleveland to raise his children in his hometown. Fans speculate he returned to bring a title to the team that drafted him. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Estabrook Group)

James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014 to 2018. During this period, the Cavaliers went to the NBA Finals all four years and won one NBA Championship. James was also the MVP of the 2016 NBA Finals after coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors. Pictured: LeBron James celebrating with the Larry O’Brien Trophy after winning the 2016 NBA Finals. (BECK DIEFENBACH/AFP via Getty Images)

LeBron James and his wife Savannah have three children as of 2022; Bronny, Bryce Maximus, and Zhuri James. LeBron James is very vocal about how much he loves his children and wife on social media. James and his family attended the premiere of "Smallfoot" on Sept. 22, 2018, a film that James played the voice of the character Gwangi. (Harmony Gerber/FilmMagic)

LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers while he was a free agent in 2018. In 2020, James won a title with the Lakers during the NBA Finals, held in the "NBA Bubble" stadium built due to COVID-19 restrictions in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Pictured: LeBron James’ pregame ritual of tossing chalk into the air. James began the ritual to keep his hands dry during games but carried on with it once it became a fan favorite. (Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)

The LeBron James Family Foundation partnered with Akron Public Schools to open the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio. James opened the school to give underprivileged children in his hometown the opportunity to get a good education. Pictured: James speaks to an audience at the opening of the I Promise School on July 30, 2018. (Allison Farrand/NBAE via Getty Images)

On the 75th anniversary of the NBA in 2021, former and current players, general managers, and coaches that worked in the NBA made a list of the 75 greatest players to ever play the sport. James was named to this list as were his longtime friends Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Paul. Photographed here are James, Wade, Anthony, Paul, and Ray Allen posing during a photo shoot for the 75th anniversary of the NBA. (Allison Farrand/NBAE via Getty Images)

LeBron James was born on Dec. 30, 1984. He is the son of Gloria James, who had him when she was just 16 years old and raised him in a single-parent household. James played high school basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, graduating in 2003. He decided to skip college and put his name into the 2003 NBA Draft. James was drafted number one overall by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As of 2022, James made it to the finals five total times with the Cavaliers and won one title in two separate stints with the team. He also won two titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, and one with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

Off the court, LeBron James is a businessman. He invested in Blaze Pizza when it was a small operation. He also started the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, in 2018, to give underprivileged kids in his hometown a chance at a good education for free.

James has starred in multiple movies, including "Space Jam 2: A New Legacy," "More than a Game," and "Trainwreck."