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A Basketball

All about Lebron James

James played high school basketball at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar. After graduating, he was selected by his home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. James led Cleveland to the franchise’s first Finalsappearance in 2007, ultimately losing to the San Antonio Spurs. In 2010, he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in a highly publicized ESPN special titled The Decision. James spent four seasons with the Heat, reaching the Finals all four years and winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, he led Miami on a 27-game winning streak, the third longestin league history. Following his final season with the Heat, James opted out of his contract and returned to the Cavaliers. He led the Cavaliers to three consecutive Finals series between 2015 and 2017, winning his third championship in 2016 to end Cleveland’s 52-year professional sports curse     

High School Career

As a freshman, James averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game for the St. Vincent-St. Mary varsity basketball team The Fighting Irish finished the year 27–0, winning the Division III state title. As a sophomore, James averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds with 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game. For some home games during the season, St. Vincent-St. Mary played at the University of Akron‘s 5,492-seat Rhodes Arena to satisfy ticket demand from alumni, fans, and college and NBA scouts who wanted to see James play. The Fighting Irish finished the season 26–1 and repeated as state champions. For his outstanding play, James was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, becoming the first sophomore to do either.

Profesional Career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–2010)

Rookie season (2003–2004)

James was selected by his home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. In his first regular season game, he scored 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for most points scored by aprep-to-pro player in his debut performance. At the conclusion of the season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, finishing with averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.  He became the first Cavalier to receive the honor and just the third player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game as a rookie.  The Cavaliers finished the season 35–47, failing to make the playoffs despite an 18-game improvement over the previous year.

Rise to superstardom (2004–2008)

James earned his first NBA All-Star Game selection in 2004–05, contributing 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a winning effort for the Eastern Conference. Around the league, teams took note of his rapid development, with Denver Nuggets coach George Karl telling Sports Illustrated, “It’s weird talking about a 20-year-old kid being a great player, but he is a great player … He’s the exception to almost every rule. On March 20, James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland’s new single-game points record.  With final averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, he was named to his first All-NBA Team. Despite a 30–20 record to start the year, the Cavaliers again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season at 42–40.

At the 2006 All-Star Game, James led the East to victory with 29 points and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Behind final seasonaverages of 31.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, he finished second in overall NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting to Steve Nash. Under James’ leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998. In his postseason debut, he recorded a triple-double in a winning effort versus the Washington Wizards. In Game 3 of the series, he made the first game-winning shot of his career, making another in Game 5.  Cleveland would go on to defeat the Wizards before being ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.

James engages in his pre-game ritual of tossing crushed chalk into the air in March 2008. The routine was mostly retired after 2011.

In 2006–07, James’ averages declined to 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Some analysts attributed the fall to a regression in his passing skills and shot selection, stemming from a lack of effort and focus. The Cavaliers finished the season with 50 wins for the second consecutive year and entered the playoffs as the East’s second seed. In Game 5 of the Conference Finals, James notched 48 points with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, scoring 29 of Cleveland’s last 30 points, including the game-winning layup with two seconds left, against the Pistons. After the game, play-by-play announcer Marv Albert called the performance “one of the greatest moments in postseason history” and color commentator Steve Kerr described it as “Jordan-esque”. In 2012, ESPN ranked the performance the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history. The Cavaliers went on to win Game 6 and claim their first-ever Eastern Conference championship,  earning them a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. During the championship round, James struggled, averaging 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on just 35.6 percent shooting, and Cleveland was eliminated in a sweep.

In February of the 2007–08 season, James was named All-Star Game MVP for the second time behind a 27-point, 8-rebound, and 9-assist performance.  On March 21, he moved past Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer in a game against the Raptors, doing so in over 100 less games than Daugherty. His 30 points per game were also the highest in the league, representing his first scoring title. Despite his individual accomplishments, Cleveland’s record fell from the year before to 45–37.  Seeded fourth in the East entering the playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards in the first round for the third consecutive season before being eliminated in seven games by the eventual-champion Boston Celtics in the next round. During the decisive seventh game in Boston, James scored 45 points and Paul Pierce scored 41 in a game the Associated Press described as a “shootout”.


First MVP tenure (2008–2010)

At the conclusion of the 2008–09 season, James finished second in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting and made his first NBA All-Defensive Team, posting 23 chase-down blocks and a career-high 93 total blocks. He also became only the fourthpostmerger player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in a single season. Behind his play and the acquisition of All-Star guard Mo Williams, Cleveland went a franchise record 66–16 and fell one game short of matching the best home record in league history.  With averages of 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, James became the first Cavalier to win the MVP Award.


2010 free agency

James became an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2010. During his free agency, he was contacted by several teams, including the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and Cavaliers. On July 8, he announced that he would sign with the Heat on a live ESPN special titled The Decision. The telecast, broadcast from the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, raised $2.5 million for the charity and an additional $3.5 million from advertisement revenue that was donated to other charities. The day before the special, fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade had also announced that they would sign with Miami; reports later arose that the trio had discussed their 2010 free agencies together in 2006. James decided to join with Bosh and Wade in part so that he could shoulder less of the load offensively, thinking that his improved teammates would give him a better chance of winning a championship than had he stayed in Cleveland. Heat president Pat Riley played a major role in selling James on the idea of playing with Bosh and Wade. Relieved of the burden of scoring, James thought he could be the first player to average a triple-double in a season since Oscar Robertson.


Miami Heat (2010–2014)

James officially became a member of the Heat on July 10, 2010. With the move, he became only the third reigning MVP to change teams and the first since Moses Malone in 1982. That evening, the Heat threw a welcome party for their new “big three” at theAmerican Airlines Arena, an event that took on a rock concert atmosphere. During the gathering, James predicted a dynasty for the Heat and alluded to multiple championships. Outside of Miami, the spectacle was not well-received, furthering the negative public perception of James.

Throughout the 2010–11 season, James embraced the villain role that was bestowed upon him by the media, playing with an angry demeanor and less joy than in years past; he later admitted that he regretted this approach. On December 2, he faced the Cavaliers in Cleveland for the first time since departing as a free agent, scoring 38 points and leading Miami to a win while being booed every time he touched the ball. He finished the season with averages of 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists per game on 51 percent shooting. Entering the playoffs as the East’s second seed, Miami advanced to the Finals before stumbling against the Dallas Mavericks, losing in six games despite holding a 2–1 series lead going into Game 4. James received the brunt of the criticism for the loss, averaging only three points in fourth quarters in the series. His Finals scoring average of 17.8 points per game signified an 8.9-point drop from the regular season, the largest point drop-off in league history.


Back-to-back championships (2011–2013)

Humbled by the Heat’s loss to the Mavericks, James spent the offseason working with Hakeem Olajuwon on his post game. His work with Olajuwon paid off, fueling what Grantland‘s Kirk Goldsberry called “one of the greatest and most important transformations in recent sports history”. Behind James’ more post-oriented play,  Miami matched their best start to a season in franchise history, and at the conclusion of the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, he was named MVP for the third time, finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 53 percent shooting.

In Game 4 of the second round of the playoffs, James registered 40 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists to help even the series against the Indiana Pacers. Miami eventually defeated the Pacers in six games. Facing elimination in Game 6 of the Conference Finals against the Celtics, James scored 45 points to lead the Heat to victory in what The New York Times called a “career-defining performance”. Miami won Game 7 to advance to the Finals, earning them a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Late in Game 4 of the series, James hit a three-pointer to give the Heat a lead, helping them win the game despite missing time with leg cramps.  In Game 5, he registered a triple-double as Miami defeated Oklahoma City for their second-ever championship and James’ first championship. James was unanimously voted the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Playerwith averages of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. His full postseason run, in which he averaged 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, was later ranked the second best in modern NBA history by ESPN.

James stands at midcourt during a dead ball in January 2013. On that night, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points.

In February of the 2012–13 season, James’ performance was described by Sports Illustrated as a “month for the ages”, averaging 29.7 points and 7.8 assists per game while setting multiple shooting efficiency records.  During this period, the Heat began a 27-game winning streak, the third longest in NBA history. Behind his play, Miami finished the year with a franchise and league best 66–16 record,  and James was named MVP for the fourth time, falling just one vote shy of becoming the first player in NBA history to win the award unanimously. His final season averages were 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 56.5 percent shooting.

In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, James scored a buzzer-beating layup to give Miami a one-point victory against the Pacers. Throughout the series, his supporting cast struggled significantly, and his added scoring load prompted him to compare his responsibilities to those of his “Cleveland days”. Despite these struggles, the Heat advanced to the Finals for a meeting with the Spurs,  signifying a rematch for James from his first Finals six years earlier.  At the beginning of the series, he was criticized for his lack of aggressiveness and poor shot selection as Miami fell behind 2–3. In Game 6, he recorded his second triple-double of the series, including 16 fourth quarter points, to lead the Heat to a comeback victory.[144] In Game 7, he tied the Finals record for most points scored in a Game 7 victory, leading Miami over San Antonio with 37 points.[145] He was named Finals MVP for the second straight season, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for the championship round.[146]

Fourth consecutive Finals (2013–2014)

On March 3 of the 2013–14 season, James scored a career-high and franchise-record 61 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Throughout the year, he was one of the few staples for a Heat roster that used 20 different starting lineups due to injuries, finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 56.7 percent shooting. In the second round of the playoffs, he tied a career postseason-high by scoring 49 points in Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets. In the next round, Miami defeated the Pacers to earn their fourth consecutive Finals berth, becoming one of only four teams in NBA history to do so.  In Game 1 of the Finals, James missed most of the fourth quarter because of leg cramps, helping the Spurs take an early series lead. In Game 2, he led the Heat to a series-tying victory with 35 points on a 64 percent shooting rate. San Antonio eventually eliminated the Heat in five games, ending Miami’s quest for a three-peat. For the Finals, James averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2 steals per game.


Return to the Cavaliers (2014–2018)

On June 25, 2014, James opted out of his contract with the Heat, officially becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.On July 11, he revealed via a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated that he intended to return to the Cavaliers.In contrast to The Decision, his announcement to return to Cleveland was well received. On July 12, he officially signed with the team, who had compiled a league-worst 97–215 record in the four seasons following his departure. A month after James’ signing, the Cavaliers acquired Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves, forming a new star trio along with Kyrie Irving.


Quest to bring a title home (2014–2016)

n January of the 2014–15 season, James missed two weeks due to left knee and lower back strains, the longest stretch of missed games in his career. In total, he played a career-low 69 games and his final averages were 25.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.In the second round of the playoffs, he hit a baseline jumper at the buzzer to give Cleveland a 2–2 series tie with the Bulls.In the Conference Finals, the Cavaliers defeated the Hawks to advance to the Finals, making James the first player since the 1960s to play in five consecutive Finals.  For most of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Irving and Love were sidelined due to injury, giving James more offensive responsibilities. Behind his leadership, the Cavaliers opened the series with a 2–1 lead before being eliminated in six games. Despite the loss, he received serious consideration for the Finals MVP Award, averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game for the championship round.

During the 2015–16 season, James was criticized for his role in several off-court controversies, including the mid season firing of Cavaliers’ head coach David Blatt. Despite these distractions, Cleveland finished the year with 57 wins and the best record in the East. James’ final averages were 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on 52 percent shooting.In the playoffs, the Cavaliers advanced comfortably to the Finals, losing only two games en route to a rematch with the Warriors, who were coming off a record-setting 73 win season.To begin the series, Cleveland fell behind 3–1, including two blowout losses.James responded by registering back-to-back 41 point games in Games 5 and 6, leading the Cavaliers to two consecutive wins to stave off elimination.  In Game 7, he posted a triple-double and made a number of key plays, including a memorable chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in the final two minutes, as Cleveland emerged victorious, winning the city’s first professional sports title in 52 years and becoming the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit in the Finals. James became just the third player to record a triple-double in an NBA Finals Game 7, and behind series averages of 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 2.6 steals per game,  he also became the first player in league history to lead both teams in all five statistical categories for a playoff round, culminating in a unanimous Finals MVP selection.


Post-championship (2017–2018)

The 2016–17 season was marred by injuries and unexpected losses for the Cavaliers; James later described it as one of the “strangest” years of his career.[183]Following a January defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans, he publicly criticized Cleveland’s front office for constructing a team that he felt was too “top heavy”, for which he received criticism. The Cavaliers finished the season as the East’s second seed, with James averaging 26.4 points and career highs in rebounds (8.6), assists (8.7), and turnovers (4.1) per game. In Game 3 of the first round of the postseason, he registered 41 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Pacers, leading Cleveland to a comeback victory after trailing by 25 points at halftime, representing the largest halftime deficit overcome in NBA playoff history. In Game 5 of the Conference Finals against the Celtics, James scored 35 points and surpassed Michael Jordan as the league’s all-time postseason scoring leader. The Cavaliers won the game and the series, advancing to their third consecutive Finals against the Warriors. Behind averages of 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists per game, James became the first player to average a triple-double in the Finals, but Cleveland was defeated in five games.

Lebron To Los Angeles Lakers

On July 1, 2018, LeBron James announced he would sign a four-year, $154-million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and the spotlight is once again shining on one of the most storied franchises in sports history. Widely regarded as the best basketball player in the world and one of the greatest players of all time, LeBron brings a long list of career highlights to the Lakers, including: 3 NBA championships, 3-time NBA Finals MVP, 4-time NBA MVP, 14-time All-Star, an NBA scoring title, and two Olympic Gold Medals. With King James leading the way, expectations are high for the Lakers to raise a 17th Championship Banner at STAPLES Center.

Lakers fans around the world have marked their calendars: the Lakers open the 2018-19 season on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 18 and will return to STAPLES Center for the home-opener on October 20 versus the Houston Rockets. For the 20th consecutive season, the Lakers will play on Christmas Day, traveling to Oakland to face the Golden State Warriors.

As King James begins his reign in Los Angeles, read on and discover LeBron James’ L.A.


Awards and honors

NBA

National team

High school

Other


History of basketball

The history of basketball began with its invention in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith as a less injury-prone sport than football. The game became established fairly quickly and grew very popular as the 20th century progressed, first in America and then throughout the world. After basketball became established in American colleges, the professional game followed. The American National Basketball Association (NBA), established in 1946, grew to a multibillion-dollar enterprise by the end of the century, and basketball became an integral part of American culture.

Original rules Of the game

There were only thirteen rules of “basket ball”:

  1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
  2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands.
  3. A player cannot run with the ball, the player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at good speed.
  4. The ball must be held in or between the hands, the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
  5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute.
  6. A foul is striking the ball with the fist, violation of rules 3 and 4, and such as described in rule 5.
  7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count a goal for opponents.
  8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from grounds into the basket and stays there. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponent moves the basket it shall count as a goal.
  9. When the ball goes out of bounds it shall be thrown into the field and played by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The “thrower-in” is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.
  10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls, and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made.
  11. The referee shall be the judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in-bounds, and to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
  12. The time shall be fifteen-minute halves, with five-minute rests between.
  13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In the case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made


Professional leagues, teams, and organizations

The first professional league was founded in 1898. Six teams took part in the National Basketball League, and the first champions were the Trenton Nationals, followed by the New York Wanderers, the Bristol Pile Drivers and the Camden Electrics. The league was abandoned in 1904. Then, many small championships were organized, but most of them were not as important as some teams who played for money against challengers.

The Original Celtics, for instance, are considered the “fathers of basketball” and were presented as “World’s Basketball Champions”; the players had to sign a contract to play with them, and Jim Furey organized matches as a circus, moving daily from town to town. The Celtics became the strongest team, and their successes lasted from 1922 until 1928, when the team disbanded due to ownership problems. The Original Celtics are sometimes incorrectly thought of as forebears of the current Boston Celtics of the NBA; in reality, they share only a name, as today’s Celtics were not founded until 1946, nearly two decades after the demise of the Original Celtics. In 1922, the first all-African American professional team was founded: the Rens (also known as New York Renaissance or Harlem Renaissance). The Rens were the Original Celtics’ usual opponent, and for their matches a ticket cost $1. They took part in some official championships and won the first World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1939. The team disbanded in 1949.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Eastern Basket Ball League (founded in 1909), Metropolitan Basketball League (founded in 1921) and American Basketball League (founded in 1925) were the most important leagues.


Basketball Facts Trivia at gamerisms

Basketball facts trivia are uniquely entertaining and amusing. You will find some of the most interesting bits about this popular sport below:

  • Games & Teams: Basketball Facts Trivia
  • In 1940, the first basketball game was aired on TV in the United States,
  • In January 2, 1998, the Garrett Falcons Varsity Boys Basketball team made the most number of three point shots in a single game, with 32 shots going through for a final score of 117 to the opponent’s 39.
  • Unsurprisingly, the USA basketball team has scored the most number of Olympic gold medals since the sport was introduced to the Games in 1936. They won their 13th in the 2008 Beijing Games.
  • The New York Nicks won 12 straight games against the Boston Celtics in 1995 and were the first to do so.
  • The largest crowd to witness a basketball game was logged in February 14, 2010 for the NBA All-Star Game in Dallas, Texas with 108,713 viewers in attendance.
  • The longest marathon playing basketball, with the final scores logged at 9900-8169 was played in July 1-5 2010 in Hungary. The game was played for a straight 107 hours where no rest breaks were taken.
  • Players and Teams: Basketball facts Trivia
  • Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored the most number of points in a single NBA game, giving his team 100 of the total 169 scored against the New York Knicks in March 2, 1962.
    Back then, NBA was not as big as it is now – there were no video footages taken or no members of New York press during the game.
  • The first NBA player to score 38,000 points was Kareem Abdul-Jabar in 1989.
  • Karl Malone, known as the Mailman and a retired legend of the Utah Jazz, has the highest number of defensive rebounds with 11,406.
    Besides that, he also ranks second with the most number of career points in NBA history, and still holding the record of the most number of free throws attempted and made.
  • In February 16, 2011, Elan Buller of Campbell Hall Elementary School made the longest and successful basketball shot from a 104 ft distance from the ring. Buller is currently teaching physical education at the same school.
  • The world’s tallest basketball player based on Guinness World Records, was Suleiman Ali Nashnush, a towering 2.45m player of the Libyan team in the 1960’s.
  • It is an enduring basketball facts trivia that the world’s youngest NBA scoring champion is still roaring in action. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is a 21-year old title-holder averaging 30.1 points per game in the 2009-2010 NBA season.
  • Kobe Bryant currently holds the most number of All-Star MVP awards with 4 – in 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011. He tied with Bob Pettit, also with 4 in 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1962.
  • For years 1986 – 1992, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan each won the MVP trophy 3 times.
  •  In 1985, Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz denied 456 shots in one season.
  • Don Nelson currently holds the record for being the coach with the most number of victories through his career. With 1,335 wins on his belt, Nelson has been coaching for over 30 seasons for Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors.
  • It is amusing Basketball facts trivia that the game was first invented to simply occupy students between football and baseball seasons.