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LeBron James Fast Facts

By CNN

(CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of basketball player LeBron James.

Personal

Birth date: December 30, 1984

Birth place: Akron, Ohio

Birth name: LeBron Raymone James

Father: Anthony McClelland

Mother: Gloria James

Marriage: Savannah (Brinson) James (September 2013-present)

Children: Zhuri Nova, Bryce Maximus and LeBron Jr.

Other Facts

James also played football in high school.

Runs a non-profit organization called The LeBron James Family Foundation, which helps children in his hometown area.

Co-founder of production company SpringHill Entertainment.

Has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player four times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013).

Has been to the NBA All-Star Game every year since 2005.

Named the NBA Finals MVP four times (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020).

Is nicknamed “King James.”

Is the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points, and the only NBA player to score 50,000 career points.

Has played for the US national team in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympics. They won gold in 2008 and 2012.

Owned a very small stake in Beats Electronics, which was sold to Apple, Inc. for $3 billion in June 2014, reportedly netting him around $30 million in cash and stocks.

James and a host of other Black athletes and artists founded the political organization More Than A Vote in the run-up to the 2020 election, providing James and others with a vehicle to help register Black voters and turn them out in the November election.

Timeline

2000 – Helps lead high school team to the state championship. They won the championship three of the four seasons he played.

February 18, 2002 – James is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the words, “The Chosen One.”

June 26, 2003 – Is chosen No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA draft.

2004 – Earns the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as NBA Rookie of the Year.

August 2004 – Makes his first Olympics appearance for the US national team.

November 27, 2004 – Becomes the youngest NBA player to score 2,000 points in their career.

February 8, 2005 – Is named a starter for the NBA’s Eastern Conference All-Star Team.

February 19, 2006 – Is named to the All-Star Team again and becomes the youngest MVP of the game.

July 10, 2010 – Announces he is leaving the Cavaliers to become part of the Miami Heat.

June 21, 2012 – The Miami Heat win the NBA Finals, marking James’ first championship.

January 16, 2013 – Becomes the youngest NBA player to score 20,000 points.

June 24, 2014 – Chooses to become a free agent.

July 11, 2014 – James tells Sports Illustrated that he’ll leave the Miami Heat for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

December 7, 2015 – Nike confirms that it has signed a lifetime deal with James.

June 19, 2016 – The Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Golden State Warriors 93-89 in a deciding Game 7 to win the NBA Championship. James is unanimously named the Finals MVP; his performance helps the Cavaliers capture the first major sports championship that a Cleveland team has won since 1964.

May 25, 2017 – James passes Michael Jordan as the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring leader with 5,995 points. Jordan’s record of 5,987 held for 20 years.

May 31, 2017 – Police tell CNN that a racist slur was spray-painted on the front gate of James’ Los Angeles home. At a press conference in Oakland, California, James comments on the state of race relations in the United States. “No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough.”

January 23, 2018 – Becomes the seventh, and youngest, player in NBA history to score 30,000 points.

June 29, 2018 – James decides not to pick up his option for next season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and will become an unrestricted free agent, according to multiple reports.

July 1, 2018 – James, now a free agent, agrees to a four-year, $154M contract to join the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a press release from his agency.

July 30, 2018 – James’ foundation teams with the Akron Public Schools system to open a school that supports at-risk children. Third and fourth graders will make up the inaugural class at the I Promise School, with plans to expand to first through eighth grade by 2022.

November 4, 2019 – James announces that a historic apartment building in Akron, Ohio, is being renovated and turned into transitional housing for families in need at his I Promise School, so students have a stable place to live while they get their education.

August 11, 2020 – “I Promise,” a children’s book written by James, is published.

October 11, 2020 – After the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Miami Heat, James becomes the first player in NBA history to be named NBA Finals MVP with three different teams.

March 16, 2021 – It is announced that Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox, has added James as a partner. It becomes official on March 31.

July 16, 2021 – “Space Jam: A New Legacy” premieres, in which James plays intergalactic basketball with the Looney Tunes.

November 21, 2021 – James is ejected during a game against the Detroit Pistons after making contact with Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart in the face. The ejection is only the second in James’ career – the first coming in 2017 for comments made to a referee. Both players are suspended the next day – James for one game and Stewart for two.

March 19, 2022 – Passes Karl Malone (36,928 career points) on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, to become second only to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).

August 17, 2022 – James signs a new two-year contract with the Lakers, worth $97.1 million, making him the highest-earning NBA player ever.

February 7, 2023 – James breaks the NBA’s all-time scoring record, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar.

January 25, 2024 – James is named to his 20th NBA All-Star Game, passing Abdul-Jabbar for most of all time.

March 2, 2024 – Becomes the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 career points.

April 17, 2024 – USA Basketball unveils the 2024 Paris Olympics player roster for the men’s team, with James expected to make his fourth appearance after skipping the past two Olympics.

June 27, 2024 – James’ son Bronny is drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft. In July, James reportedly signs a two-year contract to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The deal means they will become the first father-son duo in league history to play together.

October 6, 2024 – During the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, James and Bronny become the first father-son duo to play together on an NBA team. On October 22, they make NBA history as the first father-son duo to appear together in an NBA game.

December 19, 2024 – Becomes the NBA’s all-time leader in regular season minutes played with 57,471, breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 35-year-old record of 57,446.

January 3, 2025 – Surpasses Jordan’s record for the most 30-point games in NBA history, breaking the milestone the Chicago Bulls star set in 2003.

March 4, 2025 – Becomes the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 career points across both the regular season and playoffs.

April 9, 2025 – Mattel Inc. unveils the LeBron James Ken doll, making James the first professional male athlete to have his likeness depicted in a Ken doll.

October 9, 2025 – It is reported that James will miss the start of the 2025-2026 NBA season due to sciatica.

November 18, 2025 – Makes his 23rd NBA season debut, setting a new NBA record for most seasons played.

June 30, 2026 – James’ agent confirms that James will be leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and entering free agency.

July 24, 2026 – Announces what he says is his “last decision” and has chosen the Philadelphia 76ers as his next NBA team. James has won NBA championships with his previous three teams – the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and the Lakers.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Another Democratic nail-biter in Wisconsin and other takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries

By CNN
(CNN) — The Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin was neck-and-neck early Wednesday morning, with democratic socialist state lawmaker Francesca Hong and moderate Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley separated by less than a percentage point.The race was seen as a gauge of the party’s ideological direction — testing whether the progressive insurgency that has played out in deep-blue districts this spring and summer would extend into another presidential battleground.Hong, though, faced deep concerns about her electability, and outgoing Gov. Tony Evers sought to rally Democrats behind Crowley in the race’s final days.It was the most closely watched race on a primary day that included a Democratic Senate battle in Minnesota, a Republican Senate contest in South Carolina and a long-time incumbent being ousted in Connecticut. Here are takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:Another underperformance for the leftAugust has been a big test for the left-wing of the Democratic Party – a rare chance for it to demonstrate its ability to win not just in deep-blue urban areas but also swing states.But for the second straight week, its candidate had a dogfight on their hands. Last week, it was Abdul El-Sayed winning the Michigan Democratic Senate primary by a very narrow margin; this week, it’s Hong facing a race that is closer than many expected.So, what might explain this?One possibility is that some voters might be gun-shy about following through and voting for candidates who might struggle to win in the general election. Democratic leaders have worried greatly about nominating both El-Sayed and Hong, and perhaps some voters were convinced those votes would be too risky.Polling primary elections is also more difficult than general elections, because the universe of voters isn’t as predictable. And there is some thought that these surveys might be over-sampling more-educated, urban voters (who favor more left-wing candidates) and under-sampling more rural, blue-collar ones.Plus, there just wasn’t much quality polling in either race.But in the case of the Hong-Crowley race, there could be another explanation: that the opposition to Hong simply consolidated late.A late July poll from Marquette Law School showed Hong at 46%, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes at 21%, and Crowley at 11%.Sometimes when it’s clear a race is coming down to two candidates, voters see that and decide to choose between them. Crowley became the alternative when Barnes dropped out the day after that poll was released.Progressive wins Minnesota Senate primaryNext door in Minnesota, progressives won yet another race that served as a proxy battle between the party’s left and center flanks.Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeated moderate Rep. Angie Craig in the Democratic Senate primary. The two were competing for the party’s nomination to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith.Flanagan criticized Craig’s history of financial support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. She also lambasted Craig’s vote for the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with certain crimes and which the congresswoman now says she regrets supporting. The issue of immigration enforcement became a flashpoint in Minnesota after federal agents shot and killed two US citizens who were protesting mass deportation efforts there in January.Flanagan, however, never ignited the sorts of deep worries about electability that Hong faced in Wisconsin. She was also endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, both of whom sat out the Wisconsin governor’s race.The lieutenant governor will be the heavy favorite in November, when she’ll take on former NFL broadcaster Michele Tafoya, a first-time candidate.Progressives notched another victory in Minnesota in the primary for the 2nd District House seat that Craig is vacating. Matt Little, a former state senator, emerged as the winner in a crowded field in the Twin Cities’ southern suburbs.Darline Graham makes runoff, but has her work cut out for herDarline Graham rode President Donald Trump’s support to a Senate appointment and, now, to first place in South Carolina’s Republican special primary for a full term. But whether it will take her any further in the August 25 runoff is a big open question.Graham took about one-third of the vote on Tuesday, running well ahead of her new runoff opponent, Rep. Ralph Norman. But that’s no guarantee that she’ll be the favorite in the runoff, where the winner needs to get a majority of the vote.In fact, Graham is pretty far from 50%-plus-one, relative to other Trump-endorsed candidates. Before Tuesday, only one Trump-backed statewide candidate took less of the primary vote than she did.That was South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pam Evette in the June gubernatorial primary; she went on to lose by 37 points in the runoff, when her opponents’ supporters coalesced.One of the other candidates in that gubernatorial primary was Norman, who finished in third place with 17% in the initial contest. That wasn’t a great showing, but it meant he had a statewide campaign infrastructure to tap into in the wake of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death last month.Norman has strong conservative bona fides as a leader of the House Freedom Caucus, which could be especially valuable in a one-on-one matchup with Darline Graham. And he served notice Tuesday that he’ll contrast his proven conservative record with her lack of a political track record.“My record is an open book,” he said.If Norman has one problem, it might be his decision in 2024 to back former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley over Trump. Norman has explained it was because of personal ties, but Trump often holds grudges over such things.It’s been a bad week for Trump’s endorseesNot only does Graham have plenty of work to do, but MyPillow founder Mike Lindell’s loss in the Minnesota GOP gubernatorial primary means three Trump-backed candidates have lost since last Tuesday.The first was Michigan congressional candidate Amir Hassan on August 4. He lost to a candidate who had dropped out of the race, Tom Smith, by double-digits.Then it was incumbent Rep. Andy Ogles falling to former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher on Thursday.And now it’s Graham going to a runoff and Lindell losing to Minnesota state House Speaker Lisa Demuth.Lindell’s loss means seven Trump-backed candidates for Congress or statewide office have lost this primary season, including five who ran for statewide office.The seven losses are more than Trump-backed candidates had in 2018, 2020 and 2024, according to a CNN review of data from Ballotpedia. And the four gubernatorial candidates who have now lost this year is more than in 2022, as well.Democratic upheaval in ConnecticutIn central Connecticut, the Democratic divide was less about ideology than generational change as voters in the 1st District ousted 78-year-old incumbent Rep. John Larson in favor of 47-year-old former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.Bronin’s win is a reminder of just how restive Democratic voters are. The party’s youth movement is being accelerated in the aftermath of former President Joe Biden’s ill-fated decision to seek reelection, only to drop out of the race as concerns about the then 81-year-old president’s age and mental acuity mounted.Larson, a 14-term incumbent, faced health concerns after abruptly freezing on the House floor during a February 2025 speech. He later said he suffered a complex partial seizure and had been prescribed medication that would “greatly reduce” the chances of another such episode.The longtime congressman made the case that his seniority best positioned him to deliver on the district’s priorities. But Bronin said Democrats need a new direction and a greater sense of urgency in taking on the Trump administration. He won the Connecticut Democratic Party’s endorsement, and was also backed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a likely 2028 presidential contender.Dems stick with establishment’s pick in key Wisconsin districtRebecca Cooke will get the rematch she sought with Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in southwestern Wisconsin after she fended off progressive rival Emily Berge, the former Eau Claire city council president, in the 3rd District Democratic primary.It was a key race, with the Driftless Area congressional district looking like one of Democrats’ prime pick-up opportunities after Cooke, a small business owner and waitress who highlights her background as the daughter of dairy farmers, came within 3 percentage points of ousting Van Orden in a political environment more favorable to the GOP in 2024.Establishment Democrats are backing Cooke, who has proven to be a strong fundraiser. But the race wasn’t a traditional progressive-versus-moderate showdown. Cooke has distanced herself from left-leaning policies like defunding the police and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But she was also endorsed by Sanders, and aired a television advertisement focused solely on highlighting the Vermont senator’s support.The biggest question entering Election Day was whether a progressive wave led by Hong would also sweep Berge to a surprise victory. But that surge did not materialize on Tuesday.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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