How long has lebron james been playing pro basketball

How Many Years Has Lebron Been In the NBA?

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LeBron James is a professional basketball player of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. His nickname is “King James” which makes him broadly recognized as one of the best players in NBA history. LeBron James is regularly in comparison with Michael Jordan to pick up the best basketball player ever. 

How many years has Lebron been in the NBA? LeBron has played 19 years in his career. As an NBA Finals MVP, he is the only one who has obtained NBA championships with three NBA teams (the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Los Angeles Lakers). James has played in up to 10 NBA Finals. 

Scott Fujita will offer a list of his achievements in his NBA 19-year career: 

• 4 NBA championships.
• 4 NBA MVP awards.
• 4 NBA Finals MVP awards.
• 2 Olympic gold medals.

Contents

He has played 19 years in his career. LeBron James achieved the most First Team selections with 13 times. He even won 11 constant First Team selections. James also did make the five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team and became a 17-time All-Star.

LeBron James did play basketball for St. Mary High School in his birthplace of Akron, Ohio, where the national media described him as a potential NBA superstar. 

As a novice, King James had averages of  21 PTS and 6 REB per game for the St. Mary High School basketball team. This boy’s high school team had won the Division III state title and then became undefeated. 

Later, LeBron James had averages of 25.2 PTS and 7.2 REB with 5.8 AST and 3. 8 STL per game. For this distinguished performance, James was honored by the USA Today All-USA First Team.

Before starting junior year, King James had appeared in Slam. The writer Ryan Jones praised him as probably the greatest high school basketball player in the US at that time. While participating in the season, James also became the model for the cover of Sports Illustrated. 

Having averaged 29 PTS, 8.3 REB, 5.7 AST, and 3.3 STL per game, he again achieved the USA Today All-USA First Team.

LeBron James in the Cleveland Cavaliers

2003–04: Rookie season

LeBron James became a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first team of the 2003 NBA draft. In the first NBA regular season, James scored 25 PTS against the Sacramento Kings. He then set an NBA record for most PTS that a prep-to-pro basketball player could score in the debut performance. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers eventually finished the NBA season 35–47. The team failed to enter the playoffs despite improvements over the last year.

View more: How many rings does Lebron have

2004–08: Gain superstardom

LeBron James won the first NBA All-Star Game selection in 2004 – 2005. He contributed 13 PTS, 8 REB, and 6 AST in winning efforts for the Eastern Conference. 

At the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, King James led the Eastern Conference to victory with 29 PTS. In the final season, he averaged 31.4 PTS, 7 REB, and 6.6 AST per game.

In the postseason debut, King James earned a triple-double in the match with the Washington Wizards. The Cleveland Cavaliers could defeat the Washington Wizards before the team left the NBA season in the second round.

How many years straight has Lebron been in the NBA finals? In the 2006-07 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers continued to win Game 6 and gained the first Eastern Conference championship. It helped them have a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

In the championship round, King James had averages of 22 PTS, 7.0 REB, and 6.8 AST per game. Unfortunately, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.

During the NBA playoffs of the 2007–08 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Washington Wizards in the first round. But this team got ousted in seven games by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the second round. 

2008–10: NBA MVP seasons

At the end of the NBA 2008–09 season, James scored 28.4 PTS, 7.6 REB, 7.2 AST, 1.7 STL, and 1.2 BLK per game. James received the MVP Award as the Cavaliers won.

In Game 1 of the NBA playoffs, James scored 49 PTS on 66 shooting percentage. In Game 2, the Cavaliers lost the series in six games. During the NBA series, James scored 38.5 PTS, 8.3 REB, and 8 AST per game. He finished the NBA postseason with a playoff-high 35.3 points per game.

In the 2009–10 NBA season, the team underwent the greatest loss in franchise history. James scored 27 PTS, 19 REB, 10 AST, and 9 turnovers in losing efforts.

Lebron James in the Miami Heat

The Decision

Lebron James turned into a free agent on July 1, 2010. At that time, plenty of NBA teams contacted King James, such as the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat. On July 8, James announced on The Decision that he would play for the Miami Heat.

Fellow free agents including Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade claimed that they would play for Miami too. James believed that his great teammates would provide him with a better chance of earning an NBA championship than in the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lebron James, then, could escape from the responsibility of scoring. There may be a chance for him to become the first basketball player since Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in an NBA season.

However, former players like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were critical of Lebron James. They condemned him for playing with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami Heat and not trying to achieve an NBA championship as “the man”.  

As a consequence of his decisions in 2010 free agency time, King James suddenly had a reputation as one of the US’s most disliked players.

2010–11: Fan scrutiny

The Miami Heat finally went to the NBA Finals, where they lost in six games. Lebron James suffered from the tension of the criticism for the failure. James scored an average of 17.8 PTS per game that illustrated an 8.9-point decrease from the NBA regular season. It is the biggest point drop in NBA history.

2011–13: Consecutive NBA championships

James revealed that in the 2011-12 NBA season, he got a contract to join professional football from the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks to refresh his mind and body.

In Game 5 of the 2011-12 NBA playoffs, Lebron James gained a triple-double as Miami Heat did defeat Oklahoma City for their second NBA championship.

Lebron James then became the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player as he averaged 28.6 PTS, 10.2 REB, and 7. 4 AST per game. His whole postseason run, where he had averages of 30.3 PTS, 9.7 REB, and 5.6 AST per game, ranked the second greatest performance in NBA history.

In the 2012–2013 season, James scored 29.7 PTS and 7.8 AST per game. During that time, the Miami Heat also built up a 27-game streak that is the 3rd longest in modern NBA history. 

Following these achievements, Sports Illustrated illustrated Lebron James’s performance as a “month for the ages”. In the NBA Finals, he averaged 26.8 PTS, 8 REB, 7.3 AST, and 1.7 STL per game on 56.5 shooting percent.

Particularly, in Game 7, Lebron James led the Miami Heat over San Antonio with 37 PTS. He then became Finals MVP for the second NBA season with averages of 25.3 PTS, 10.9 REB, 7 AST, and 2.3 STL per game for the NBA championship round.

2013–2014: Final season in Miami

In the 2013–14 NBA season, James scored the highest 61 PTS in one game during his NBA career. In Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Lebron James led the Miami Heat to a victory with 35 PTS on a 64 shooting percent.  

San Antonio finally defeated the Miami Heat in five games. For the NBA Finals, Lebron James had averages of 28.2 PTS, 7.8 REB, and 2.0 STL per game.

On June 25, 2014, Lebron James opted out of the contract with the Miami Heat. On July 1, he then again became a free agent. On July 11, Lebron James revealed through an essay in Sports Illustrated that he aimed at returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lebron James in the Los Angeles Lakers

2018–19: Injuries and NBA playoff miss

On June 29, 2018, Lebron James opted out of the contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and then again became a free agent. On July 1, 2018, James announced that he would play for the Los Angeles Lakers.

To start the 2018–19 NBA season, the team had difficulties finding efficient lineups and achieved only two wins during the first seven games. 

After the team blew out the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, Los Angeles made some improvements yet Lebron James got the first injury during his basketball career. The Los Angeles Lakers lost in the NBA playoff contention without King James.

On March 7, 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that he would start a minute restriction. On March 30, 2019, Lebron James could not join the remainder of the NBA season. It is the first time in his 12-year career that James did not get on the All-NBA First Team.

2019–20: Fourth NBA championship

In the 2019-20 NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers eventually eliminated the Miami Heat in Game 6. It helped Lebron James earn his fourth NBA championship as well as the fourth Finals MVP Award. 

At 35 years old, Lebron James became the only basketball player in NBA history to achieve the MVP award with three different NBA teams. 

2020–2021: Back-to-back chase

During the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers had a matchup with the Phoenix Suns. It is the first time that Lebron James did not possess home-court advantages in the NBA opening series.

The Los Angeles Lakers gained 2–1 before Davis got an injury in Game 4 when Lebron James finished with averages of 25 PTS, 12 REB, and 6 AST. The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games. 

James finished the NBA series with an average of 23.3 PTS. It is the fourth-lowest score in his basketball career and the lowest mark since the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals.

Lebron James has gotten more involved in philanthropy and activism later in his basketball career. His charitable organization – the LeBron James Family Foundation – gave support for opening elementary schools, housing complexes, and community centers/retail plazas in his hometown of Akron.

Lebron James is a basketball superstar in the NBA. He is one of the best players in NBA history who can win the most NBA championships with three different teams. 

Despite a few difficulties of point drops and failures in the NBA playoffs in his career, Lebron James still gets over it and comes back with more effort in winning the NBA championships with his teammates.

How Old Is LeBron James and How Long Has He Been in the NBA?

Whether you’re a die-hard NBA fan or rarely watch a game, just about everyone knows LeBron James. During his time on the national stage, King James has grown from a teenager into an adult man before our eyes; he’s made mistakes, won championships, and earned plenty of money, all in the public eye.

Although it may seem like it was just yesterday that LeBron James burst onto the global sports scene, he’s actually been playing in the NBA for quite a few seasons. Despite that and his relatively advanced age (at least by basketball standards), though, the LA Lakers star is still going strong.

LeBron James became a star at an early age

RELATED: The Difference Between Bronny James and LeBron James at Age 16 Is Staggering

In some cases, athletes are so talented that it’s clear they’ll be a star long before ever turning pro. LeBron James, as you might assume, was one of those prodigies.

James grew up in Akron, Ohio, and, by his own accounts, had a pretty tough childhood. Everything changed, however, when LeBron’s football coach, Frank Walker stepped up to give the boy a stable home; Walker also introduced him to basketball, changing the course of sports history.

LeBron proved to be a natural and, during his freshman year at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, he made the varsity basketball team. At the end of his sophomore season, LeBron took home the Ohio Mr. Basketball title and earned a place on the USA Today All-USA First Team.

Before long, James was a nationally-known talent. Rave reviews from scouts started pouring in; ESPN broadcast his high school games to national audiences. The teenager was already a legitimate star before ever stepping onto the NBA hardwood.

How long has LeBron James been playing in the NBA?

RELATED: Isiah Thomas Believes LeBron James Needs to Pass Someone Other Than Michael Jordan to Become the GOAT

Thanks to his incredible talent, LeBron James jumped directly from high school to the NBA. He entered into the 2003 NBA draft and joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first-overall pick.

James spent the first seven years of his professional career in Ohio, establishing himself as a star and becoming the face of both the franchise; everything changed, though, in July 2010. In a moment that went down in history for all the wrong reasons, LeBron went on ESPN and infamously announced that he was joining the Miami Heat.

After four seasons in South Beach, however, James was on the move again. This time, his journey went in the opposite direction, and he rejoined the Cavs. His four-year stint in Ohio was highlighted by winning the 2016 NBA title, ending Cleveland’s championship drought.

In June 2018, King James opted-out of his contract with the Cavaliers, deciding to leave Cleveland for a second time. He, of course, signed with the LA Lakers, where he’s still playing going strong.

In total, the 2020-21 campaign will be LeBron James’ 18th season of professional basketball.

How old is King James these days?

Me: (35, feeling like I’m in the prime of my life)

NBA commentators talking about LeBron James: “At 35 years old, it’s a miracle that this ancient bag of bones can even walk, let alone play basketball. An inspiration to all of us who are so close to death, LeBron James.”

— Dan Amira (@DanAmira) December 23, 2020

RELATED: Why LeBron James Will Play Until 40, According to Jason Kidd

No one, no matter how athletic they are, can beat back Father Time forever. LeBron James, however, is doing a pretty good job at keeping him at bay.

Heading into the 2020-21 season, James is 35-years old; he’ll turn 36 on December 30, 2020. While that may not sound impressive by real-world standards, it’s pretty old for a basketball player. LeBron is currently the fifth-oldest active player in the NBA, trailing only Udonis Haslem, Andre Iguodala, Carmelo Anthony, and JJ Redick.

It’s also worth noting that James isn’t just coasting off his reputation, either. During the 2019-20 season, he averaged 25.3 points, 10.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game; while that was a low-scoring campaign by his standards, it’s still a stat line that anyone would love to post.

After winning his fourth championship, LeBron James addressed the topic of retirement. “I don’t know, I have not put a cap on it,” he said. “I know I got a lot of years left, and what that looks like, how many years that looks like, I’m not sure. I know I can continue to play at a high level.”

Whenever he decides to call it quits, though, King James has had quite the career.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference

LeBron James is top even at 37 because he likes to sleep for 12 hours when others go to strip clubs and tweet at night - Don't play basketball - Blogs

Sleep secrets from the NBA's main long-liver.

LeBron James turned 37 last week but still wins the race with athletic old age. In his 19th season in the NBA, the four-time Larry O'Brien Cup winner has the highest personal scoring since 2010 (28.5 points), hitting the most 3-pointers in his career with the best field goal percentage since 2014 (37.4%), and also commits 1.1 blocks and 1.8 interceptions, which has not happened since 2009and 2012, respectively.

While the Lakers' results fall short of preseason expectations - the Lakers are seventh in the West with 19 wins and a similar number of losses - the Los Angeles superstar's individual level isn't that much in question. To what concerns the performance on the court, and not the formation of the line-up, of course.

Where does a star basketball player get the energy to stay in great shape at such a respectful age for a professional athlete?

James was asked the same question at the press conference after the victory over Orlando.

“A dream,” LeBron replied. - Dream and inspiration from the game of the son and his team. I slept well in Oklahoma City before the game.

Today I also managed to sleep well, which gave me strength and helped me on the floor. I overslept from 12 pm to 8 am when I woke up for breakfast, after which I lay down again - from 8:30 to 12:30. Sounds good, doesn't it?"

Twelve hours - that's how long it took James to sleep before the game. This does not surprise the striker's partners at all: for many years there has been a joke in the league that during trips he either sleeps or plays basketball.

LeBron himself spoke about the reverent attitude to sleep and how time in bed improves productivity on the Tim Ferriss show.

« Nothing is more important than REM sleep. This is the best process for 100% emotional and physical recovery in the shortest possible time .

Is it always possible to wake up and feel one hundred percent? Some days you don’t, but on others you feel much better than others. The more often you get eight hours of sleep, the better. If you manage to fall asleep for nine hours - amazing! Sometimes I need 10 hours of sleep. When I can't get the required 8-10 hours of sleep at night, I go home and doze off for a few more hours.

I think this is the best way to recover. I can do all the exercises, I can use ice pads, I can use electronic machines and all the other types of recovery available while awake, but sometimes a good sleep is enough and you just wake up fresh and rested. You don't need an alarm clock, you just feel like you're capable of spending the day at the highest level," James explained.

The basketball player did not accidentally identify the phase of REM sleep. The REM phase (from "rapid eye movement") or REM phase (from "rapid eye movement") is characterized by increased brain activity, rapid eye movement and the appearance of colorful dreams. During REM sleep, the activity of brain regions associated with memory, the emotional state of a person, and the processing of visual information increases. In parallel with this, the activity of the prefrontal cortex decreases, which is responsible for many functions, including the complex cognitive behavior of the individual, as well as the coordination of a person’s thoughts. As a result of complex processes, we see vivid and emotional dreams, and our brain simultaneously structures memories, reduces stress and improves mood, strengthens the immune system, and also increases concentration and overall concentration.

The average duration of a complete sleep cycle with all stages of NREM (slow-wave sleep) and the REM phase is 80-90 minutes. With each new cycle, the duration of REM sleep increases. It is precisely to get the maximum benefit from the REM phase that LeBron is looking for when he uses extra time for rest.

« Most of my career and before every game I take a nap in the afternoon . We have a complicated calendar: during trips we go to bed late at night and get up early in the morning. So there is no better way to recover than sleep,” said the four-time MVP.

What else do we know about how James sleeps? A few facts:

• Prefers a room temperature of 20-21℃;

• sleeps in total darkness;

• turns off the TV, smartphone and other electronics approximately 45 minutes before going to bed;

• Monitors nighttime status with the Calm app (and even advertises it).

However, this does not always help either: LeBron complained that he often had problems sleeping after losing playoff matches - the cost of losing was too high .

In addition, he regularly encounters a problem common to all players: when athletes spend the night in an unfamiliar environment on the road, part of their brain does not fall into a deep sleep, because it considers the environment to be hostile. According to the founder of the Center for the Study of Sleep, professor at the University of California at Berkeley Matthew Thomas, this is an evolutionary defense mechanism, which, however, prevents the body from fully recovering at night.

The importance of proper sleep for basketball players has been confirmed by several scientific studies. For example, The Effects of Sleep Extension on the Athletic Performance of Collegiate Basketball Players. According to the study, players who slept 10 hours every day for 5-7 weeks began to sprint faster, get less tired, and also shoot with better accuracy.

And the Association between late-night tweeting and next-day game performance among professional basketball players noted that after late-night tweeting and next-day game performance among professional basketball players on points and rebounds, attack with worse accuracy, spend fewer minutes on the court on average, and also allow more turnovers and personal remarks.

So you can't argue with the importance of sleep for a successful gaming career. When it comes to influencing the game on the court, LeBron James is a real professor.

Photo: Gettyimages.ru/jonathan Daniel, Kevin C. Cox

Biography, NBA finals and Olympic medals

LeBron James

Basketbol

Speech

Deb. Year of birth 1984

Social networks

Biography

LeBron Raymon James ⁠ is an American basketball player. LeBron was a four-time NBA champion, four-time League Finals MVP, and the most prolific player in the regular season. Also at one time, James became the rookie of the year. LeBron, who plays as a small and power forward, was named to the NBA All-Star First Team thirteen times and the NBA All-Defensive All-Star Team five times. During his career, LeBron participated in the All-Star Games 16 times and was recognized as their most valuable player three times.

At school, the future basketball star combined two sports ⁠—basketball and American football. His height (182 centimeters at 14 years old) and large hands were an advantage not only on the basketball court - LeBron played football as a receiver. James was so good in both sports that he was predicted to have a career in football at the collegiate level, and then a transition to the professionals. As a result, having injured his finger in one of the games, LeBron left the more traumatic football and focused on basketball. In the school league, LeBron showed great performance, and both the media and scouts became interested in him. Interest in the young star was so high that the team had to rent a new hall to accommodate everyone who wanted to watch the games of the young talent live. LeBron was followed by a line of varsity teams.

As a result, LeBron's popularity by the end of high school was so high that he skipped the college stage of his career and went straight to the pros. The 18-year-old basketball player in the 2003 NBA draft was selected with the first overall number by the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which James played seven seasons. In 2007, the forward led the club to the first NBA Finals. During his time with the Cavaliers, LeBron became the highest scoring player in team history. In 2010, LeBron became a free agent and left the team for four seasons. During this time, LeBron managed to become the NBA champion twice, receive the title of the most valuable player of the finals and the regular series. After the return of James in 2015, the Cavaliers immediately reached the League final, but again lost it. In 2016, LeBron led the team to the championship. Together with him, the players of the Russian national team became the owners of the coveted ring Timofey Mozgov and Alexander Kaun . Since 2018, LeBron has been playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, with which he won the Larry O'Brien Cup for the fourth time - in 2020.

LeBron is an Olympian. The basketball player played for the US team at three Olympic Games - in Athens, Beijing and London, where he won two golds and one bronze. Among the titles of LeBron, there is not only the title of the world champion - LeBron participated in the world championship only in 2006 and, together with the national team, won bronze. In 2012, LeBron became the NBA MVP, won the NBA championship, was named the NBA Finals MVP and won the Olympic gold medal. Previously, only 9 were able to achieve such achievements in a year0003 Michael Jordan .

In July 2021, LeBron announced that he was ending his career in the national team.

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