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How many basketball games has lebron james played


LeBron James | Biography, Championships, Stats, & Facts

LeBron James

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Born:
December 30, 1984 (age 37) Akron Ohio
Awards And Honors:
Olympic Games Most Valuable Player (2013) Most Valuable Player (2012) Most Valuable Player (2010)

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Top Questions

What is LeBron James known for?

LeBron James is an American professional basketball player. James has won three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships and four NBA MVP awards (2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, and 2012–13). He has competed in several men’s Olympic basketball tournaments. Today he is widely considered one of the greatest all-around basketball players of all time.

When did LeBron James start playing basketball?

Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, LeBron James was a locally known basketball prodigy. In high school James led St. Vincent–St. Mary High School to three state championships in four years. He was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball, or high-school player of the year, three times during 2001–03.

What professional basketball teams has LeBron James played for?

Selected first overall in the 2003 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James played for the Cavaliers through the end of the 2009–10 season. He then signed with the Miami Heat and won two championships before returning to the Cavaliers in 2014. James joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.

How many NBA championships has LeBron James won?

Summary

Read a brief summary of this topic

LeBron James, in full LeBron Raymone James, byname King James, (born December 30, 1984, Akron, Ohio, U.S.), American professional basketball player who is widely considered one of the greatest all-around players of all time and who won National Basketball Association (NBA) championships with the Miami Heat (2012 and 2013), the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016), and the Los Angeles Lakers (2020).

A locally known basketball prodigy since elementary school, James was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball (high-school player of the year) three times while leading Akron’s St. Vincent–St. Mary High School to three Ohio state championships in his four years on the team. He became a national media sensation in his junior year after appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, where he was billed by the magazine as “The Chosen One.” James was the consensus national high-school player of the year in his senior season, and he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall selection of the 2003 NBA draft. Additionally, he signed an unprecedented $90 million endorsement contract with the Nike shoe company before he ever played a professional game.

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Despite the pressures brought on by these singular circumstances, James led the Cavaliers in scoring, steals, and minutes played over the course of the 2003–04 season, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year award in the process. A 6-foot 8-inch (2.03-metre) “point forward” who was as adept at bringing the ball down the court as at playing near the basket, James presented a unique challenge for opposing teams; his unmatched athleticism and well-muscled body would not have been out of place in the National Football League.

His game progressed over the following years. He was voted one of the starting forwards on the Eastern Conference All-Star team during his second season, and in his third season he led the Cavaliers to their first playoff berth in nine years. These accomplishments were exceeded during the 2006–07 season, when James guided Cleveland to the franchise’s first berth in the NBA finals. After the Cavaliers upset the favoured Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals, but James’s impressive postseason play led many observers to place him among the very best players in the league. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2007–08 season and earned first team All-NBA honours, but the Cavaliers lost to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in a dramatic seven-game series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. James piloted the Cavaliers to a team-record 66 wins during the 2008–09 season, which helped to earn him the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. The following season James averaged nearly 30 points per game as he was again named MVP.

At the end of the 2009–10 season, James became arguably the most sought-after free agent in NBA history when his contract with the Cavaliers expired, and he began a prolonged courtship process with a number of teams that had in some cases been planning for his free agency for over two years. In an unprecedented hour-long television special, criticized by many for its undue grandiosity, James announced that he was signing with the Heat. He helped Miami reach the NBA finals in his first year with the team, but the Heat lost the championship to the Dallas Mavericks. In the 2011–12 season James averaged 27.1 points per game and won his third MVP award while helping Miami advance to its second consecutive NBA finals appearance. Backed by his stellar play—James was named the finals MVP—the Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the championship.

He had arguably his greatest individual season in 2012–13, as he averaged 26.8 points, 7.3 assists, and a career-high 8.0 rebounds per game while posting a .565 field-goal percentage, a remarkable rate of made shots for someone who so frequently played away from the basket. James also helped Miami win 27 consecutive games that season (the second longest such streak in NBA history), and he was rewarded with his fourth league MVP award. In the following postseason, the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game series to win the NBA championship, and James was again named the finals MVP. He continued his stellar play in the following season, even increasing his shooting percentage by .002, and he again led the Heat to an appearance in the NBA finals. However, Miami lost that rematch with the Spurs in a five-game series.

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After that finals loss, James opted out of his contract with the Heat, leaving an aging Miami roster, and—after a week of frenzied speculation among fans and media—he decided to return to Cleveland. Although his 25.3 points per game was James’s lowest scoring average since his rookie season, he nevertheless guided a young and inexperienced Cavaliers roster to the second best record in the Eastern Conference in 2014–15. In the following postseason he led an injury-laden Cleveland team to just two playoff losses en route to a berth in the NBA finals. There James had one of the greatest individual performances in finals history, averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game while leading the undermanned Cavaliers to the franchise’s first two finals victories before ultimately losing a six-game series to the Golden State Warriors.

James had another strong regular season in 2015–16 but, once again, truly shined in the playoffs. He led the Cavaliers to a rematch against the Warriors, who had set a league record with 73 wins during the regular season, in the NBA finals. There the Cavaliers became the first team to come back from a 3–1 finals deficit to capture the first title in franchise history and end a 52-year title drought for Cleveland professional sports teams. James averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game in the finals—becoming the first person to lead all five statistical categories for players on both teams in the finals—and was unanimously named finals MVP.

In 2016–17 James had arguably his best regular season by setting career highs with averages of 8.7 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game while still scoring 26.4 points per game. He sustained his excellence in the Eastern Conference playoffs, scoring 32.5 points per game (which included his 5,988th career postseason point, breaking Michael Jordan’s all-time NBA playoff scoring record) while leading the Cavaliers to a third consecutive match-up against the Warriors in the NBA finals. There Cleveland could not overcome the team James referred to as a “juggernaut,” losing to the Warriors in five games despite James becoming the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double over the course of the finals (with 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists per game).

In 2017–18 he played a full 82-game regular season for the first time in his career and led the NBA in minutes played per game (36.9) while averaging 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and a new career-high 9.1 assists per game. James again excelled in the following playoffs, scoring more than 40 points seven times in the team’s 18 Eastern Conference postseason games (which included two seven-game series) to lead the Cavaliers to their fourth straight NBA finals series against the Warriors. He continued his strong individual play in the finals, but it was not enough to overcome Golden State’s overwhelming talent advantage, and the Warriors swept the series.

In the following off-season, James, a free agent, joined the Los Angeles Lakers. He continued to play at a high level, averaging 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, but he missed significant playing time because of an injury (a strained groin) for the first time in his career. The Lakers struggled in his absence and ultimately finished the 2018–19 season with a 37–45 record, ending James’s personal playoff streak at 13 seasons. The following season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a four-month suspension. Play resumed in July 2020 with a shortened schedule, and the Lakers ultimately defeated the Miami Heat to claim the franchise’s 17th NBA title. James’s dominating performance—he averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game—earned him his fourth finals MVP award.

In addition to his achievements in the NBA, James was a member of the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball teams that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Games, the gold medal at the 2008 Games, and the gold at the 2012 Games. He also published a memoir, Shooting Stars (2009; cowritten with Buzz Bissinger), that chronicles his years as a high-school standout.

Adam Augustyn

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

How Many Years Has Lebron Been In The NBA?

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.

Early Life

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. 

High School Career

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.

Professional Career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–2010)

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.

Miami Heat (2010–2014)

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.

Return to the Cleveland Cavaliers (2014–2018)

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.

Los Angeles Lakers (2018–present)

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.

Final Words

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.

90,000 LeBron James became the 23rd player in NBA history to play 1,300 regular season games - Basketball 90,001 90,002 Lakers superstar LeBron James became the 23rd player in NBA history to play 1,300 regular season games.

The 36-year-old forward helped the Lakers to a 117-91 home win over Golden State on Sunday. LeBron brought the team 19 points (7 of 12 from the field), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 24.5 minutes.

The defending NBA champions have lost five of their six games since Anthony Davis was out with a calf injury, but have won their last two games. The team's six players scored double-digit points.

NBA MVP race. Embiid overtakes LeBron, Curry has the best season of his life

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    LeBron James

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    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 immediately turned pro. 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 year0009 Michael Jordan .

    In July 2021, LeBron announced that he was ending his career in the national team. This decision was prompted by the criticism of the fans, who were dissatisfied with the position of the basketball player to miss the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Also among the reasons, he named the physical form, which must be protected.

    “I don't need much. Glamor and that's all ⁠— don't interest me. I'm just happy to have basketball in my life.


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