LeBron James went to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. After a freshman season where James led the team to the first undefeated season in Ohio high school history, he received the superstar treatment for the rest of high school.

The games featuring James’ basketball team were regularly televised on ESPN, as James received McDonald’s All-American honors and USA Today player of the year recognition. His performance in the high school slam dunk competition was one of the most memorable moments in high school basketball history.

James tried to petition the NBA to change its rules so he could enter the NBA Draft after his junior year. However, he was denied and had to wait until after his senior year to enter the draft, which he elected to forgo college basketball to do.

James was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers were the worst team in the league when James arrived but improved quickly with James on their side. In just three seasons, the Cavs went from having the first pick in the draft to making the postseason. 

As James gained more experience, the Cavs’ runs in the playoffs got deeper, until Cleveland defeated the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals to get to the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. There, they were swept by a clearly superior San Antonio Spurs team, but James proved that he could carry a team to greatness.

When James became a free agent, he decided to join the Miami Heat. Teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Miami became an instant title contender. After falling short in the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks in their first season together, the Heat ran through the regular season and postseason en route to James’ first NBA Championship in 2012. That Finals victory came over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were led by superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Miami won a second straight title the following year, surviving rivals in the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics to defeat the Spurs in seven games in the NBA Finals. James came one vote short of winning the NBA MVP award unanimously that season, with his triple-double in Game 6 of the Finals helping keep the Heat alive in an elimination game to set up their coronation in the deciding seventh game.

After one more season with the Heat, James went back to Cleveland to join Kyrie Irving with the Cavaliers. There, they added Kevin Love to form a formidable big three, and developed a rivalry with the Golden State Warriors. After losing in the Finals to the Warriors in 2015, James helped the Cavs end a five-decade title drought in Cleveland in 2016.

Following two more seasons, and two more NBA Finals losses to the Warriors, James joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent. Hoping to live up to the legacy of Kobe Bryant with the Lakers, James has since recruited Anthony Davis to join the team in hopes of winning a title with a third NBA team in his storied career, as he looks to match the six championships won by Michael Jordan.

James has also represented the United States in the Olympic games. As an underused player in the 2004 games, the United States won a disappointing bronze medal after losing to Argentina in the semifinals. James helped the USA win the gold medal and redeem themselves in both 2008 and 2012.