document_title: List of Cleveland Browns first-round draft picks

question_text: who did the browns pick number 1 in the draft

root

text: The Cleveland Browns joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1950 with the Baltimore Colts and San Francisco 49ers after having spent four seasons with the All-America Football Conference. The Browns' first selection as an NFL team was Ken Carpenter, a wide receiver from Oregon State. The team's most recent first round selections were Baker Mayfield, quarterback at Oklahoma and Denzel Ward, cornerback at Ohio State.

tag: p

text: Every year during April, each NFL franchise seeks to add new players to its roster through a collegiate draft known as "the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting", which is more commonly known as the NFL Draft. Teams are ranked in inverse order based on the previous season's record, with the worst record picking first, and the second worst picking second and so on. The two exceptions to this order are made for teams that appeared in the previous Super Bowl; the Super Bowl champion always picks 32nd, and the Super Bowl loser always picks 31st. Teams have the option of trading away their picks to other teams for different picks, players, cash, or a combination thereof. Thus, it is not uncommon for a team's actual draft pick to differ from their assigned draft pick, or for a team to have extra or no draft picks in any round due to these trades.

text: The Browns did not have any draft choices from 1996 to 1998, because then-owner Art Modell took all the team's players to Baltimore, Maryland, effectively stopping the franchise. However, the NFL mandated that the Browns' name, colors, and franchise history remain in Cleveland and that the team would reactivate by 1999. In 1999, the Browns selected number one overall, drafting University of Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch.

text: The Browns have selected number one overall five times: Bobby Garrett (1954), Tim Couch (1999), Courtney Brown (2000), Myles Garrett (2017) and Baker Mayfield (2018). The team has also selected number two overall only once and number three overall five times. The Browns have selected players from the University of Michigan five times, Ohio State University and the University of Southern California four times, and the University of Florida three times. Four eventual Hall of Famers were selected by the Browns: Doug Atkins, Jim Brown, Paul Warfield, and Ozzie Newsome.

text: Player selections[edit]

text:
Selected number one overall *
Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame †

text:
Year
Pick
Player name
Position
College
Notes

National Football League, Early Era (1950–1969)

1950
13
Ken Carpenter
WR/RB
Oregon State

1951
14
Kenny Konz
DB
LSU

1952
10
Bert Rechichar
DB/RB/K/LB/P
Tennessee
[1]

12
Harry Agganis
QB
Boston
[2]

1953
11
Doug Atkins †
DL/E
Tennessee

1954
1
Bobby Garrett *
QB
Stanford
[3]

12
John Bauer
OL
Illinois

1955
13
Kurt Burris
CB/LB
Oklahoma

1956
13
Preston Carpenter
E/RB/TE
Arkansas

1957
6
Jim Brown †
FB
Syracuse

1958
13
Jim Shofner
DB
Texas Christian

1959
11
Rich Kreitling
WR/E
Illinois

1960
8
Jim Houston
DL/LB
Ohio State

1961
10
Bobby Crespino
WR/E/TE
Mississippi
[4]

1962
4
Gary Collins
WR/P
Maryland
[5]

11
Leroy Jackson
RB
Western Illinois
[6]

1963
9
Tom Hutchinson
E/WR
Kentucky

1964
11
Paul Warfield †
WR/E
Ohio State

1965
—
— No Pick
—
—
[7]

1966
14
Milt Morin
TE
Massachusetts

1967
18
Bob Matheson
DL/LB
Duke

1968
21
Marv Upshaw
DL/K
Trinity

1969
20
Ron Johnson
RB
Michigan

National Football League, Modern Era (1970–present)

1970
3
Mike Phipps
QB
Purdue
[8]

21
Bob McKay
OT
Texas

1971
14
Clarence Scott
DB
Kansas

1972
18
Thom Darden
DB
Michigan

1973
16
Steve Holden
WR
Arizona State
[9]

22
Pete Adams
OG
USC

1974
—
— No Pick
—
—
[10]

1975
5
Mack Mitchell
DL
Houston

1976
7
Mike Pruitt
FB/RB
Purdue

1977
17
Robert Jackson
LB
Texas A&M

1978
12
Clay Matthews
LB
USC

23
Ozzie Newsome †
TE
Alabama
[11]

1979
20
Willis Adams
WR
Houston
[12]

1980
27
Charles White
RB
USC
[13]

1981
22
Hanford Dixon
CB
Southern Miss

1982
3
Chip Banks
LB/WR
USC

1983
—
— No Pick
—
—
[14]

1984
18
Don Rogers
S
UCLA

1985
—
— No Pick
—
—
[15]

1986
—
— No Pick
—
—
[16]

1987
5
Mike Junkin
LB
Duke
[17]

1988
21
Clifford Charlton
LB
Florida

1989
13
Eric Metcalf
RB/WR
Texas
[18]

1990
—
— No Pick
—
—
[19]

1991
2
Eric Turner
DB
UCLA

1992
9
Tommy Vardell
FB/RB
Stanford

1993
14
Steve Everitt
C
Michigan
[20]

1994
9
Antonio Langham
CB
Alabama

29
Derrick Alexander
WR
Michigan
[21]

1995
30
Craig Powell
LB
Ohio State
[22]

1996
Franchise suspended, no team in Cleveland from 1996–1998

1997

1998

1999
1
Tim Couch *
QB
Kentucky

2000
1
Courtney Brown *
DE
Penn State

2001
3
Gerard Warren
DT
Florida

2002
16
William Green
RB
Boston College
[23]

2003
21
Jeff Faine
C
Notre Dame

2004
6
Kellen Winslow II
TE
Miami
[24]

2005
3
Braylon Edwards
WR
Michigan

2006
13
Kamerion Wimbley
LB
Florida State
[25]

2007
3
Joe Thomas
OT
Wisconsin
[26]

22
Brady Quinn
QB
Notre Dame
[27]

2008
—
— No Pick
—
—
[27]

2009
21
— Alex Mack
C
California
[28]

2010
7
— Joe Haden
CB
Florida

2011
21
— Phil Taylor
DT
Baylor

2012
3
— Trent Richardson
RB
Alabama

22
— Brandon Weeden
QB
Oklahoma State

2013
6
— Barkevious Mingo
OLB
LSU

2014
8
— Justin Gilbert
CB
Oklahoma State

22
— Johnny Manziel
QB
Texas A&M

2015
12
— Danny Shelton
DT
Washington

19
— Cameron Erving
C
Florida State

2016
15
— Corey Coleman
WR
Baylor

2017
1
Myles Garrett *
DE
Texas A&M

25
Jabrill Peppers
S
Michigan

29
David Njoku
TE
Miami

2018
1
Baker Mayfield *
QB
Oklahoma

4
Denzel Ward
CB
Ohio State

text: Footnotes[edit]

text:
Jump up ^ The Browns acquired their first pick in 1952 from Detroit for E/T Jim Martin.
Jump up ^ Harry Agganis did not take a snap for the Browns in the NFL, opting instead to play professional baseball for the Boston Red Sox as the team's starting first baseman.
Jump up ^ The Browns first pick in 1954 was a bonus lottery choice.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 1961 to Dallas for T Paul Dickson and the Cowboys' first pick in 1962. The Browns acquired another pick from Detroit along with LB Robert Long for QB Jim Ninowski.
Jump up ^ The Browns acquired their first pick in 1962 from Dallas along with T Paul Dickson for the Browns' first pick in 1961.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded the rights to Jackson to Washington for the Redskins' rights to Ernie Davis. Davis was later diagnosed with leukemia and died before playing a game with the Browns.
Jump up ^ The Browns first pick in 1965 was traded to San Francisco for G Ted Connolly.
Jump up ^ The Browns acquired their first pick in 1970 from Miami for WR Paul Warfield.
Jump up ^ The Browns acquired their first pick in 1973 from New York along with the Giants' second choice (acquired from New England) for DE Jack Gregory and CB Freddie Summers.
Jump up ^ The Browns' first pick in 1974 was traded to San Diego along with the Browns' second pick in 1975 for LB Bob Babich and the Chargers' fourth pick in 1975.
Jump up ^ The Browns' acquired their second pick in 1978 from Los Angeles along with Washington's fourth pick (acquired from Washington through Chicago for the Bears' first pick) for QB Mike Phipps.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 1979 to San Diego for the Chargers' first and second picks.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first and New England's sixth pick (acquired from New England) to Los Angeles for the Rams' first and fourth picks plus San Diego's second and Green Bay's fifth (acquired from San Diego and Green Bay respectively) picks.
Jump up ^ The Browns' first pick in 1983 was traded to Buffalo along with the Browns' third pick in 1984 and fifth pick in 1985 for LB Tom Cousineau.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 1985 to Buffalo along with the Browns' third pick and the Browns' first and sixth picks in 1986 for Buffalo's first pick in the 1985 supplemental draft.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 1986 to Buffalo along with the Browns' sixth pick and the Browns first and third picks from 1985 for Buffalo's first pick in the 1985 supplemental draft.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 1987 to San Diego along with Browns' second pick and LB Chip Banks for San Diego's first and second picks.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 1988 to Denver along with the Browns' second, fifth and ninth picks for the Broncos' first pick.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 1990 to Green Bay along with the Browns' third and fifth picks in 1989 and RB Herman Fontenot for the Packers' second pick and fifth pick in 1989.
Jump up ^ The Browns acquired their first pick in 1993 from Denver along with the Broncos' third pick for the Browns' first pick.
Jump up ^ The Browns acquired their second pick in 1994 from Philadelphia for the Browns' third pick and the Browns' second pick in the 1995 draft.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 1995 to San Francisco for the 49ers' first and fourth picks and the 49ers' first pick in the 1996 draft.
Jump up ^ The Browns won this pick via a coin flip against Atlanta.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 2004 to Detroit along with the Browns' second pick for the Lions' first pick.
Jump up ^ The Browns traded their first pick in 2006 to Baltimore for the Ravens' first pick.
Jump up ^ The Browns won this pick via a coin toss against Tampa Bay.
^ Jump up to: a b The Browns traded their second-round pick in 2007 and first-round pick in 2008 to Dallas for their first-round pick in 2007.
Jump up ^ Cleveland traded down three times in the first round, sending the fifth overall pick to the Jets (who used it to select Mark Sanchez), and then traded down two more times (with Tampa Bay and Philadelphia) before selecting Alex Mack with the 21st overall pick.
Grossi, Tony (2009-04-25). "Cleveland Browns get more picks (and more Jets) on a busy opening day in NFL draft". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved 2009-08-09.


document_title: Coal mining in India

question_text: which state has highest coal reserve in india

text: Coal mining in India

text: History[edit]

text: Pre-independence[edit]

text: Commercial exploitation of coal in India began in 1774 with John Sumner and Suetonius Grant Heatly of the East India Company in the Raniganj Coalfield along the Western bank of Damodar river. The growth of Indian coal mining remained slow for nearly a century due to low demand. The introduction of steam locomotives in 1853 boosted demand, and coal production rose to an annual average of 1 million metric tons (1.1 million short tons). India produced 6.12 million metric tons (6.75 million short tons) of coal per year by 1900 and 18 million metric tons (20 million short tons) per year by 1920. Coal production received another boost during the First World War due to increased demand, but slumped again in the early 1930s. Production reached a level of 29 million metric tons (32 million short tons) by 1942 and 30 million metric tons (33 million short tons) by 1946.[3]

text: In the regions of British India known as Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, the Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas pioneered Indian involvement in coal mining from 1894. They broke the previous monopolies held by British and other Europeans, establishing many collieries at locations such as Khas Jharia, Jamadoba, Balihari, Tisra, Katrasgarh, Kailudih, Kusunda, Govindpur, Sijua, Sijhua, Loyabad, Dhansar, Bhuli, Bermo, Mugma, Chasnala-Bokaro, Bugatdih, Putki, Chirkunda, Bhowrah, Sinidih, Kendwadih, and Dumka.[4][5]

text: Seth Khora Ramji Chawda of Sinugra was the first Indian to break the British monopoly in the Jharia Coalfields.[4][6] Natwarlal Devram Jethwa says that

text: The East Indian Railway in 1894-95 extended its line from Barakar to Dhanbad via Katras and Jharia. Messrs. Khora Ramji in 1894 was working on railway lines contract of Jharia branch line and with his brother Jetha Lira was also building Jharia Railway Station, when he discovered coal in Jharia belt. The location of his three collieries named Jeenagora, Khas Jherria, Gareria is mentioned also in 1917 Gazetteers of Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Odisha.[7]

text: Other Indian communities followed the example of the KGK in the Dhanbad-Jharia-Bokaro fields after the 1930s. These included the Punjabis, Kutchis, Marwaris, Gujaratis, Bengalis and Hindustanis. Encyclopaedia of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha -1920 mentions:- "Out of 92 collieries belonging to Gujaratis in Jharia Coalfields Area during 1920s - 50 belonged to Mistris of Kutch with Seth Khora Ramji as Head of them all." Seth Khora Ramji of Sinugra was also honored by King of Kutch by giving him a Paghdi.[4][8][9][10][11][12]

text: Post-independence[edit]

text: Following independence, the Government of India introduced several 5-year development plans. Annual production rose to 33 million metric tons (36 million short tons) at the beginning of the First Five Year Plan. The National Coal Development Corporation (NCDC), a Government of India Undertaking, was established in 1956 with the collieries owned by the railways. The NCDC aimed to increase coal production efficiently by systematic and scientific development of the coal industry. The Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. (SCCL) which was already in operation since 1945 and which became a Government company under the control of Government of Andhra Pradesh in 1956. The coal industry in India was thus controlled by state-owned companies in the 1950s. Today, SCCL is a joint undertaking of Government of Telangana and Government of India sharing its equity in 51:49 ratio.

text: Nationalisation of coal mines[edit]

text: Right from its genesis, the commercial coal mining in modern times in India has been dictated by the needs of the domestic consumption. India has abundant domestic reserves of coal. Most of these are in the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh.[13] On account of the growing needs of the steel industry, a thrust had to be given on systematic exploitation of coking coal reserves in Jharia coalfield. Adequate capital investment to meet the burgeoning energy needs of the country was not forthcoming from the private coal mine owners.

text: Unscientific mining practices adopted by some of them and poor working conditions of labor in some of the private coal mines became matters of concern for the Government. On account of these reasons, the Central Government took a decision to nationalize the private coal mines. The nationalization was done in two phases, the first with the coking coal mines in 1971-72 and then with the non-coking coal mines in 1973. In October, 1971, the Coking Coal Mines (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1971 provided for taking over in public interest of the management of coking coal mines and coke oven plants pending nationalization. This was followed by the Coking Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1972 under which the coking coal mines and the coke oven plants other than those with the Tata Iron & Steel Company Limited and Indian Iron & Steel Company Limited, were nationalized on May 1, 1972 and brought under the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a new Central Government Undertaking. Another enactment, namely the Coal Mines (Taking Over of Management) Act, 1973, extended the right of the Government of India to take over the management of the coking and non-coking coal mines in seven States including the coking coal mines taken over in 1971. This was followed by the nationalization of all these mines on May 1, 1973 with the enactment of the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973 which determined the eligibility of coal mining in India.[14]

text: All non-coking coal mines were nationalized in 1973 and placed under Coal Mines Authority of India. In 1975, Eastern Coalfields Limited, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, was formed. It took over all the earlier private collieries in Raniganj Coalfield. Raniganj Coalfield covers an area of 443.50 square kilometres (171.24 sq mi) and has total coal reserves of 8,552.85 million metric tons (9,427.90 million short tons). Eastern Coalfields puts the reserves at 29.72 billion metric tons (32.76 billion short tons). That makes it the second largest coalfield in the country (in terms of reserves).

text: The North East Indian states enjoys special privileges under constitution of India. The Sixth Schedule of constitution and article 371 of constitution allows state governments to formulate its own policy in order to recognize customary tribal laws. For example, Nagaland has its own coal policy which allows its natives to mine coal from their respective lands. Similarly, coal mining in Meghalaya was rampant till imposition of ban on coal mining by National Green Tribunal. The Nagaland Coal[15] and Meghalaya Coal[16] has large buyers in North India, Central India and Eastern India.

text: Denationalisation of coal mines[edit]

text: Parliament enacted the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 in March 2015 containing provisions enabling the government to allocate coal mines through auctions. The law also permitted private players to mine coal for use in their own cement, steel, power or aluminium plants. On 20 February 2018, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) permitted private firms to enter the commercial coal mining industry in India. Under the new policy, mines will be auctioned to the firm offering the highest per tonne price. The move broke the monopoly over commercial mining that state-owned Coal India has enjoyed since nationalisation in 1973.[17] Establishment of coal regulator is needed to implement the policy in transparent and non-discriminatory manner.[18]

text: The Coking Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1972 and the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973 were repealed by the Repealing and Amending (Second) Act, 2017 on 8 January 2018.[19]

text: Reserves[edit]

text: India has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world. As on 31 March 2016, India had 308.80 billion metric tons (340.39 billion short tons) of the resource. The known reserves of coal rose 0.7% over the previous year, with the discovery of an estimated 2.20 billion metric tons (2.43 billion short tons). The estimated total reserves of lignite coal as on 31 March 2016 was 44.59 billion metric tons (49.15 billion short tons).[2] The energy derived from coal in India is about twice that of the energy derived from oil, whereas worldwide, energy derived from coal is about 30% less than energy derived from oil.

text: Coal deposits are primarily found in eastern and south-central India. Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra accounted for 98.58% of the total known coal reserves in India. As on 31 March 2016, Jharkhand and Odisha had the largest coal deposits of 26.29% and 24.58% respectively.[2]

text: Distribution of coal reserves by states[edit]

text: The following table shows the estimated coal reserves in India by state as on 31 March 2016.[2][20]

text:
State
Coal Reserves
(in billion metric tonnes)
Type of Coalfield

Jharkhand
81.17
Gondwana

Odisha
75.90
Gondwana

Chhattisgarh
56.04
Gondwana

West Bengal
31.53
Gondwana

Madhya Pradesh
26.91
Gondwana

Telangana
21.41
Gondwana

Maharashtra
11.44
Gondwana

Uttar Pradesh
1.06
Gondwana

Meghalaya
0.58
Tertiary

Assam
0.52
Tertiary

Nagaland
0.32
Tertiary

Bihar
0.16
Gondwana

Sikkim
0.10
Gondwana

Arunachal Pradesh
0.09
Tertiary

India
308.80

tag: table

text: Distribution of lignite reserves by states[edit]

text: The following table shows the estimated lignite reserves in India by state as on 31 March 2016.[2]

text:
State
Coal Reserves
(in billion metric tonnes)

Tamil Nadu
35.68

Rajasthan
5.73

Gujarat
2.72

Pondicherry
0.42

Jammu and Kashmir
0.03

Kerala
0.01

West Bengal
0.00

India
44.59

text: Production[edit]

text: The production of coal was 639.23 million metric tons (704.63 million short tons) in 2015-16, a growth of 4.93% over the previous year. The production of lignite was 43.84 million metric tons (48.33 million short tons) in 2015-16, 9% lower than the previous fiscal.[2] India is ranked 2nd in world coal production.[21]

text: The top producing states are:

text:
Odisha - see Talcher in Angul district
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand

tag: ul

text: Other notable coal-mining areas include:

text:
Korba Coalfield in Korba District, Chhattisgarh (Gevra Mines: Asia's largest open cast mine)
Singareni collieries in Bhadradi district (Old Khammam District), Telangana
Jharia mines in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand
Nagpur & Chandrapur district, Maharashtra
Raniganj in Bardhaman district, West Bengal
Neyveli lignite mines in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu
Singrauli Coalfield and Umaria Coalfield in Madhya Pradesh

text: Consumption[edit]

text: Industries in India consumed 832.46 MT of coal in 2015-16. The largest consumers of coal in India are electricity generation (508.25 MT), steel and washery industries (56.45 MT), cement industries (8.93 MT) and sponge iron industries (7.76 MT). Consumption of lignite stood at 42.52 MT in 2015-16. Electricity generation alone accounts for 89.57% of the total lignite consumption.[2]

text: Electricity generation[edit]

text: As on 31 October, the installed capacity of coal power in India was 186,492.88 MW, accounting for 60.7% of the total installed capacity.[22] India's electricity sector consumed about 72% of the coal produced in the country in 2013.[23]

text: A large part of Indian coal reserve is similar to Gondwana coal. It is of low calorific value and high ash content. The carbon content is low in India's coal, and toxic trace element concentrations are negligible. The natural fuel value of Indian coal is poor. On average, the Indian power plants using India's coal supply consume about 0.7 kg of coal to generate a kWh, whereas United States thermal power plants consume about 0.45 kg of coal per kWh. This is because of the difference in the quality of the coal, as measured by the Gross Calorific Value (GCV). On average, Indian coal has a GCV of about 4500 Kcal/kg, whereas the quality elsewhere in the world is much better; for example, in Australia, the GCV is 6500 Kcal/kg approximately.[24] India imported nearly 95 Mtoe of steam coal and coking coal which is 29% of total consumption to meet the demand in electricity, cement and steel production.[25]

text: Coal mafia[edit]

text: The state-owned coal mines of Bihar (now Jharkhand after the division of Bihar state) were among the first areas in India to see the emergence of a sophisticated mafia, beginning with the mining town of Dhanbad.[26] It is alleged that the coal industry's trade union leadership forms the upper echelon of this arrangement and employs caste allegiances to maintain its power.[27] Pilferage and sale of coal on the black market, inflated or fictitious supply expenses, falsified worker contracts and the expropriation and leasing-out of government land have allegedly become routine.[28] A parallel economy has developed with a significant fraction of the local population employed by the mafia in manually transporting the stolen coal for long distances over unpaved roads to illegal mafia warehouses and points of sale.[29]

text: The coal mafia has had a negative effect on Indian industry, with coal supplies and quality varying erratically. Higher quality coal is sometimes selectively diverted, and missing coal is replaced with stones and boulders in railway cargo wagons. A human corpse has been discovered in a sealed coal wagon.[30]

text: In June 2012, the Bollywood epic Gangs of Wasseypur was released portraying the coal mafia in the area of Dhanbad. The movie received overwhelming response and was declared a hit. Another Bollywood movie Gunday was also loosely based upon coal mafia.


document_title: Remember the Titans

question_text: who dies at the end of the movie remember the titans

text: Remember the Titans

text: Plot[edit]

text: In July 1971, at the desegregated T. C. Williams High School, a black head coach, Herman Boone, is hired to lead the school's football team. Boone is assigned to the coaching team under current coach Bill Yoast, nominated for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame. In an attempt to placate rising racial tensions and the fact that all other high schools are "white" only, Boone is assigned the head coach job. He refuses believing it is unfair to Yoast, but relents after seeing what it means to the black community. Yoast is then offered an assistant coach's job by the school board and initially refuses, but reconsiders after the white players pledge to boycott the team if he does not participate. Dismayed at the prospect of the students losing their chances at scholarships, Yoast changes his mind and takes up the position of defensive coordinator under Boone.

text: The black students have a meeting in the gymnasium in auditioning to play for the team until Boone arrives, but the meeting turns into a fiasco when Yoast and white students interrupt. On August 15, 1971, the players gather and journey to Gettysburg College, where their training camp takes place. As their days of training camp progress, black and white football team members frequently clash in racially motivated conflicts, including some between captains Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell. But after forceful coaching and rigorous athletic training by Boone, which includes an early morning run to the Gettysburg cemetery, and a motivational speech, the team achieves racial harmony and success. After returning from football camp, Boone is told by a member of the school board that if he loses even a single game, he will be dismissed. Subsequently, the Titans go through the season undefeated while battling racial prejudice, before slowly gaining support from the community. Gerry even has his best friend Ray removed from the team because of his racism, following a game where he intentionally missed a block which consequently led to the near-season-ending injury of starting quarterback Jerry "Rev" Harris.

text: Just before the state semi-finals, Yoast is told by the chairman of the school board that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after the Titans lose one game, implying he wants Boone to be dismissed over his race. During the game, it becomes apparent that the referees are biased against the Titans. Upon seeing the chairman and other board members in the audience looking on with satisfaction, Yoast realizes they've rigged the game and warns the head official that he will go to the press and expose the scandal unless the game is officiated fairly. The Titans nonetheless win and advance to the state championship, but Yoast is told by the chairman that his actions have resulted in his loss of candidacy for Hall of Fame induction.

text: While celebrating the victory, Bertier is severely injured in a car accident with a truck after driving through an intersection. Although Bertier is unable to play due to being paralyzed from the waist down, the team goes on to win the state championship. Bertier would remain a paraplegic for the rest of his life. Ten years later, Bertier dies in another automobile accident caused by a drunk driver, after winning the gold medal in shot put in the Paralympic Games. Coaches and other former teammates reunite to attend his funeral.

text: In the epilogue, descriptions show the players and coaches activities after the events in 1971.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone
Will Patton as assistant coach Bill Yoast
Wood Harris as DE Julius Campbell
Ryan Hurst as LB Gerry Bertier
Donald Faison as RB/CB Petey Jones
Craig Kirkwood as QB Jerry "Rev" Harris
Ethan Suplee as OL Louie Lastik
Kip Pardue as QB Ronnie "Sunshine" Bass
Hayden Panettiere as Sheryl Yoast, Bill Yoast's 10-year-old daughter
Nicole Ari Parker as Carol Boone, Herman Boone's wife
Kate Bosworth as Emma Hoyt, Gerry's girlfriend
Earl C. Poitier as DL Darryl "Blue" Stanton
Ryan Gosling as Cornerback Alan Bosley
Burgess Jenkins as TE Ray Budds
Neal Ghant as Frankie Glascoe

text: Production[edit]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Filming locations for the motion picture included the campus of Berry College in Rome, GA, as well as in Atlanta, Georgia,[2] including Henry Grady High School and Druid Hills High School which both filled in for T.C. Williams High School.

text: Historical accuracy[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: As with any movie that is not a documentary film but is rather "based on a true story", it has strayed from the actual events that had occurred on many occasions to add new elements of teamwork, commitment, and friendship to the film.

text:
Coach Boone may not have been as inspirational a coach as Washington portrays in the movie; in interviews, many former Titans football players said they believed his coaching strategies had no correlation to their success, and were indeed too harsh, causing some players to quit.[3]
It is fully true that the Titans were ranked second in the nation at the end of the 1971 season, finishing 13–0 with 9 of those wins being shutouts.[4]
In the movie, Coach Boone states, "We are not like all the other schools in this conference, they're all white. They don't have to worry about race. We do." This is false as well; all the schools the Titans faced were integrated years before.
While the team is at camp, it shows Coach Boone waking them up at three in the morning to go for a run. This did not occur; neither did his speech at Gettysburg.[4] The team did go on a tour in Gettysburg, although it was not as dramatic as portrayed in the film.
Ronnie "Sunshine" Bass was far from being the only one with long hair at the time. Even Gerry Bertier had long hair. But in interviews Bass said "I'll say for the record my hair was never that long." He also says the kiss with Gerry never happened.
The climax of the movie is a fictionalized 1971 AAA state championship football game between T. C. Williams and George C. Marshall High School. The dramatic license taken in the movie was to convert what was actually a mid-season match-up between T. C. Williams and Marshall into a made-for-Hollywood state championship. In reality, the Marshall game was the toughest game T. C. Williams played all year. As depicted in the movie, the real Titans won the Marshall game on a fourth down come-from-behind play at the very end of the game. The actual state championship (against Andrew Lewis High School of Salem) was a 27–0 blowout, played at Victory Stadium in Roanoke, VA. [5]
Bertier's car accident took place on December 11, 1971, after (rather than a few days before) the season-ending State Championship game. Bertier had been at a banquet honoring the team for their undefeated season. After the banquet, Bertier borrowed his mother's new 1971 Chevrolet Camaro. Bertier lost control of the Camaro and crashed (the movie shows him getting broadsided). The cause of the accident was determined to be a mechanical failure in the engine mount.[5]
The "where are they now", shown during the film's closing credits, omits the fact that Sheryl Yoast died in 1996 at the age of 34 and that she was not an only child as she had three sisters. Her oldest sister Bonnie was in college, her second oldest Angela went to a different high school, and her younger sister Deidre was only three years-old in 1971.

text: Music[edit]

text: On September 19, 2000, the soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records. The film score was orchestrated by musician Trevor Rabin and features music composed by various artists. From the instrumental score, Rabin's track "Titans Spirit", was the only cue (of the 12 composed) added to the soundtrack. It is also the only piece of music on the soundtrack album not to have been previously released.

text: "Titans Spirit" was a seven-minute instrumental. It has been used on numerous sports telecasts, particularly those on NBC, which utilized the score during its closing credits for the Salt Lake 2002, Athens 2004, Torino 2006, Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010, London 2012, and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as well in 2002 with the final closing credits montage ending their 12-year run of NBA coverage. The song was also played as veteran New York Mets players crossed home plate during the closing ceremonies at Shea Stadium, and as the New York Yankees were awarded their rings from their 2009 World Series championship. The New Jersey Devils also used this song during the jersey number retirement ceremonies for Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko, Scott Niedermayer, Martin Brodeur, and Patrik Elias.

text: It was also used during the 2008 Democratic National Convention to accompany the celebration and fireworks at Invesco Field after future president Barack Obama gave his nomination acceptance speech, and was also used immediately following his victory speech upon winning the 2008 Presidential Election.[6]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
Remember the Titans: An Original Walt Disney Motion Picture Soundtrack

Film score by Various Artists

Released
September 19, 2000

Genre
R&B, pop rock

Length
46:21

Label
Walt Disney

text:
Remember the Titans: An Original Walt Disney Motion Picture Soundtrack

No.
Title
Length

1.
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
2:29

2.
"Spirit in the Sky"
4:02

3.
"Peace Train"
4:08

4.
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
4:05

5.
"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress"
3:17

6.
"I Want to Take You Higher"
2:44

7.
"Up Around the Bend"
2:42

8.
"Spill the Wine"
4:05

9.
"A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"
5:10

10.
"Act Naturally"
2:21

11.
"Express Yourself"
3:53

12.
"Titans Spirit"
7:25

Total length:
46:21

text: Release[edit]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Following its release in theaters, the Region 1 widescreen and Pan and scan edition of the motion picture was released on DVD in the United States on March 20, 2001.[7] A Special Edition widescreen format of the film was released on March 20, 2001, along with a widescreen Director's cut on March 14, 2006.[8]

text: A restored widescreen hi-definition Blu-ray version was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on September 4, 2007. Special features include backstage feature audio commentary with director Boaz Yakin, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and writer Gregory Allen Howard, feature audio commentary with real-life coaches Herman Boone and Bill Yoast, "Remember The Titans: An inspirational journey behind the scenes" hosted by Lynn Swann, "Denzel Becomes Boone," "Beating The Odds"; Deleted scenes; Movie Showcase and seamless menus.[9]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Remember the Titans opened strongly at the U.S. box office, grossing $26,654,715 in its first weekend and staying within the top five for six weeks.[10] It eventually went on to gross an estimated $115,654,751 in the U.S., and $136,706,684 worldwide.[1]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Among mainstream critics in the U.S., Remember the Titans received generally positive reviews.[11] Rotten Tomatoes reported that 73% of 132 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 6.3 out of 10.[12] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average out of 100 to critics' reviews, the film received a score of 48 based on 32 reviews.[11] CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a rare "A+" grade.[13]

text: Writing for The New York Times, A. O. Scott said that "aside from a handful of tense showdowns at the line of scrimmage, there's not much else to see — is washed in on the flood tide of a thousand violins."[14] James Berardinelli writing for ReelViews, called the film "relentlessly manipulative and hopelessly predictable" but noted that it was "a notch above the average entry in part because its social message (even if it is soft-peddled) creates a richer fabric than the usual cloth from which this kind of movie is cut."[15] Describing some pitfalls, Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer said that "beneath its rah-rah rhetoric and pigskin proselytizing, it's no more provocative or thoughtful than a Hallmark Hall of Fame film or, for that matter, a Hallmark greeting card. Its heart is in the right place, but it has no soul."[16] Wilonsky however was quick to admit "The film's intentions are noble, but its delivery is ham-fisted and pretentious; you can't deny the message, but you can loathe the messenger without feeling too guilty about it."[16]

text:
'Remember the Titans' has the outer form of a brave statement about the races in America, but the soul of a sports movie in which everything is settled by the obligatory last play in the last seconds of the championship game.
“
”

—Roger Ebert, writing in the Chicago Sun-Times[17]

tag: div

text: Todd McCarthy, writing in Variety, said, "As simplistic and drained of complexity as the picture is, it may well appeal to mainstream audiences as an 'if only it could be like this' fantasy, as well as on the elemental level of a boot camp training film, albeit a PG-rated one with all the cuss words removed."[18] Roger Ebert, in the Chicago Sun-Times, viewed the film as "a parable about racial harmony, yoked to the formula of a sports movie," adding, "Victories over racism and victories over opposing teams alternate so quickly that sometimes we're not sure if we're cheering for tolerance or touchdowns. Real life is never this simple, but then that's what the movies are for".[17]

text: In the San Francisco Chronicle, Mick LaSalle wrote that the film reminds the viewer that "it's possible to make a sentimental drama that isn't sickening —  and a sports movie that transcends cliches."[19] Columnist Bob Grimm of the Sacramento News & Review, somewhat praised the film, writing, "The film is quite lightweight for the subject matter, but Washington and company make it watchable."[20] Some detractors like Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Denzel Washington should have held out for a better script before he signed on to star in Remember the Titans, but you can see why he wanted to do the movie: He gets to play Martin Luther King Jr. and Vince Lombardi rolled into one nostalgically omnipotent tough-love saint."[21] Jeff Vice of the Deseret News admitted that although the film contained dialogue that was "corny, clichéd, and downright cheesy at times," as well as how it relayed its message in one of the "most predictable, heavy-handed manners we've seen in a movie in years", the film "serves as a reminder of how much goodness there is inside people, just waiting for the right person to bring it out." He also viewed the casting as top-notch, saying that it helped to have a "rock-solid foundation in the form of leading-man Denzel Washington" at the helm.[22]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: The film was nominated and won several awards in 2000–2001.

text:
Award
Category
Nominee
Result

2001 Angel Awards
Silver Angel
————
Nominated

BET Awards 2001
Best Actor
Denzel Washington
Won

2001 BMI Film & TV Awards
Film Music Award
Trevor Rabin
Won

Black Reel Awards of 2001
Best Actor
Denzel Washington
Won

Best Screenplay
Gregory Allen Howard
Won

Best Film
Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman
Nominated

2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
Favorite Actor - Drama
Denzel Washington
Nominated

Favorite Supporting Actor - Drama
Wood Harris
Nominated

2001 Casting Society of America Awards
Best Casting for Feature Film - Drama
Ronna Kress
Nominated

2001 NAACP Image Awards
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Denzel Washington
Won

Outstanding Motion Picture
————
Won

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Wood Harris
Nominated

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nicole Ari Parker
Nominated

Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress
Krysten Leigh Jones
Nominated

Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards 2000
Best Male Newcomer
Kip Pardue
Nominated

Youth in Film
Hayden Panettiere
Nominated

2001 Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards
Best Sound Editing - Dialogue & ADR
Robert L. Sephton, Christopher T. Welch, Julie Feiner, Cindy Marty, Gaston Biraben, Suhail Kafity
Nominated

Best Sound Editing - Music
Will Kaplan
Nominated

Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2000
Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting Role
Hayden Panettiere
Nominated

2001 Political Film Society Awards
Human Rights
————
Won

Exposé
————
Nominated

Golden Satellite Awards 2000
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama
Denzel Washington
Nominated

2001 Teen Choice Awards
Film - Choice Drama/Action Adventure
————
Nominated

22nd Young Artist Awards
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress
Hayden Panettiere
Won

Best Family Feature Film - Drama
————
Nominated

text: The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

text: 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated[23]


document_title: LeBron James

question_text: what year did lebron james win his first nba title

text: LeBron James

text: Early life

text: James was born on December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio to a 16-year-old mother, Gloria Marie James, who raised James on her own.[1][2]:22 When James was growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as they moved from apartment to apartment in the seedier neighborhoods of Akron while Gloria struggled to find steady work.[3] Realizing that he would be better off in a more stable family environment, Gloria allowed James to move in with the family of Frank Walker, a local youth football coach, who introduced James to basketball when he was nine years old.[2]:23

text: As a youth, James played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars.[3] The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee.[2]:24 The players were inseparable and dubbed themselves the "Fab Four", promising each other that they would attend high school together.[2]:27 In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a predominately white private Catholic school.[4][5]

text: High school career

text: Basketball

text: As a freshman, James averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game for the St. Vincent-St. Mary varsity basketball team.[6] The Fighting Irish finished the year 27–0, winning the Division III state title.[6] As a sophomore, James averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds with 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game.[7] 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.[2]:51[8] The Fighting Irish finished the season 26–1 and repeated as state champions.[6] 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.[9]

text: Prior to the start of James' junior year, he appeared in SLAM Magazine and was lauded as possibly "the best high school basketball player in America right now" by writer Ryan Jones.[10] During the season, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, becoming the first high school basketball underclassman to do so.[2]:104 With averages of 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game,[6] he was again named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team,[6] and became the first junior to be named boys' basketball Gatorade National Player of the Year.[2]:117 St. Vincent-St. Mary finished the year with a 23–4 record, ending their season with a loss in the Division II championship game.[2]:114 Following the loss, James seriously considered declaring for the 2002 NBA draft, unsuccessfully petitioning for an adjustment to the NBA's draft eligibility rules that required prospective players to have at least graduated from high school.[11] During this time, he used marijuana to help cope with the stress that resulted from the constant media attention he was receiving.[12][13][14]

text: Throughout his senior year, James and the Fighting Irish traveled around the country to play a number of nationally ranked teams, including a game against Oak Hill Academy that was nationally televised on ESPN2.[2]:142 Time Warner Cable, looking to capitalize on James' popularity, offered St. Vincent-St. Mary's games to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis throughout the season.[2]:143 For the year, James averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 steals per game,[9] was named Ohio Mr. Basketball and selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team for an unprecedented third consecutive year,[2]:178[6] and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.[6] He participated in three year-end high school basketball all-star games—the EA Sports Roundball Classic, the Jordan Capital Classic, and the McDonald's All-American Game—losing his National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility and making it official that he would enter the 2003 NBA draft.[15] Many basketball analysts, scouts, and writers have noted that James left high school as one of the best and most hyped prospects of all-time.[2]:142[16][17][18][19]

text: Also during his senior year, James was the centerpiece of several controversies. For his 18th birthday, he skirted state amateur bylaws by accepting a Hummer H2 from his mother, who had secured a loan for the vehicle by utilizing LeBron's future earning power as a professional athlete.[20] This prompted an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) because its guidelines stated that no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance. James was cleared of any wrongdoing because he had accepted the gift from a family member and not from an agent or any outside source.[15] Later in the season, James accepted two throwback jerseys worth $845 from an urban clothing store in exchange for posing for pictures, officially violating OHSAA rules and resulting in him being stripped of his high school sports eligibility.[15] James appealed the ruling and his penalty was eventually dropped to a two-game suspension, allowing him to play the remainder of the year. The Irish were also forced to forfeit one of their wins, their only official loss that season.[21] In his first game back after the suspension, James scored a career-high 52 points.[22]

text: Football

text: James played wide receiver for St. Vincent-St. Mary's football team in high school and was recruited by some Division I programs, including Notre Dame.[2]:51[23] As a sophomore, he was named first team all-state, and as a junior, he led the Fighting Irish to the state semifinals.[7] He decided to stop playing high school football before his senior year, after he broke his wrist during an AAU basketball game.[24] Many sports analysts, football critics, high school coaches, and former and current players have speculated on whether he could have played in the National Football League.[2]:91[25][26][27][28]

text: Professional career

text: Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–2010)

text: Rookie season (2003–2004)

text: James was selected by his home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft.[29] In his first regular season game, he scored 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for most points scored by a prep-to-pro player in his debut performance.[30] 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.[31] 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.[32] The Cavaliers finished the season 35–47, failing to make the playoffs despite an 18-game improvement over the previous year.[33]

text: Rise to superstardom (2004–2008)

text: 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.[34] 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."[35] On March 20, James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland's new single-game points record.[36] 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.[7] Despite a 30–20 record to start the year,[36] the Cavaliers again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season at 42–40.[37]

text: 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.[38] Behind final season averages of 31.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game,[39] he finished second in overall NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting to Steve Nash.[40] Under James' leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998.[41] In his postseason debut, he recorded a triple-double in a winning effort versus the Washington Wizards.[42] In Game 3 of the series, he made the first game-winning shot of his career, making another in Game 5.[43] Cleveland would go on to defeat the Wizards before being ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.[44][45]

text: In 2006–07, James' averages declined to 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.[7] Some analysts attributed the fall to a regression in his passing skills and shot selection, stemming from a lack of effort and focus.[48] The Cavaliers finished the season with 50 wins for the second consecutive year and entered the playoffs as the East's second seed.[49][50] 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.[51] 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".[52] In 2012, ESPN ranked the performance the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history.[53] The Cavaliers went on to win Game 6 and claim their first-ever Eastern Conference championship,[54] earning them a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.[55] During the championship round, James struggled, averaging 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on just 35.6 percent shooting,[56] and Cleveland was eliminated in a sweep.[55]

text: 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.[57][58] 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.[59] His 30 points per game were also the highest in the league, representing his first scoring title.[60] Despite his individual accomplishments, Cleveland's record fell from the year before to 45–37.[61] 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.[62] 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".[63]

text: First MVP tenure (2008–2010)

text: 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.[65][66] He also became only the fourth postmerger player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in a single season.[67] 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.[68] 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.[69]

text: In the playoffs, Cleveland swept the Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks to earn a matchup with the Orlando Magic in the Conference Finals.[70] In Game 1 of the series, James scored 49 points on 66 percent shooting in a losing effort for the Cavaliers.[53] In Game 2, he hit a game-winner to tie the series at 1–1.[71] Cleveland would lose the series in six games, and following the loss in Game 6, James immediately left the floor without shaking hands with his opponents, an act many media members viewed as unsportsmanlike.[72][73] For the series, he averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8 assists per game,[74] finishing the postseason with a career playoff-high 35.3 points per game.[39]

text: Midway through the 2009–10 season, the Cavaliers' guards experienced significant injuries, which forced James into a temporary point guard role.[75] With increased minutes as the team's primary ball handler, he averaged 8.6 assists in addition to 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1 block per game on 50 percent shooting, culminating in a second consecutive MVP Award.[76] Cleveland also finished the season with the league's best record for the second straight year.[77] In the playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated the Bulls in the first round but lost to the Celtics in the second round.[78] James was heavily criticized for not playing well in Game 5 of the series, shooting only 20 percent on 14 shots and scoring 15 points.[79] At the conclusion of the game, he walked off the court to a smattering of boos from Cleveland's home crowd, the team having just suffered their worst home playoff loss ever.[80] The Cavaliers were officially eliminated from the postseason in Game 6, with James recording 27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, and nine turnovers in a losing effort.[78]

text: 2010 free agency

text: James became an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2010.[82] 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.[83] On July 8, he announced that he would sign with the Heat on a live ESPN special titled The Decision.[84] 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.[85][86] The day before the special, fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade had also announced that they would sign with Miami;[87][88] reports later arose that the trio had discussed their 2010 free agencies together in 2006.[89] 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.[90][91] Heat president Pat Riley played a major role in selling James on the idea of playing with Bosh and Wade.[92] 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.[90]

text: James drew intense criticism from sports analysts, executives, fans, and current and former players for leaving the Cavaliers. The Decision itself was also scrutinized and viewed as unnecessary. Many thought the prolonged wait for James' choice was unprofessional as not even the teams courting him were aware of his decision until moments before the show.[93] Upon learning that James would not be returning to Cleveland, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert published an open letter to fans in which he aggressively denounced James' actions.[94] Some angry fans of the team recorded videos of themselves burning his jersey.[95] Former NBA players, including Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, were also critical of James, condemning him for joining with Bosh and Wade in Miami and not trying to win a championship as "the guy".[96][97][98] James drew further criticism in a September interview with CNN when he claimed that race might have been a factor in the fallout from The Decision.[99][100] As a result of his actions during the 2010 free agency period, he quickly gained a reputation as one of America's most disliked athletes, a radical change from years prior.[101][102] The phrase "taking my talents to South Beach" became a punch line for critics.[103][104]

text: Immediately following The Decision, James claimed that there was nothing he would change about the handling of his free agency despite all the criticism.[105] During the 2010–11 season, he expressed some regret, admitting, "[I] probably would do it a little bit different ... But I'm happy with my decision."[106] Before the 2011–12 season, he relented, "... if the shoe was on the other foot and I was a fan, and I was very passionate about one player, and he decided to leave, I would be upset too about the way he handled it."[102]

text: Miami Heat (2010–2014)

text: Year of controversy (2010–2011)

text: James officially became a member of the Heat on July 10, 2010.[107] With the move, he became only the third reigning MVP to change teams and the first since Moses Malone in 1982.[108] That evening, the Heat threw a welcome party for their new "big three" at the American Airlines Arena, an event that took on a rock concert atmosphere.[109] During the gathering, James predicted a dynasty for the Heat and alluded to multiple championships.[110][111] Outside of Miami, the spectacle was not well-received, furthering the negative public perception of James.[112][113]

text: 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.[114] 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.[115][116] He finished the season with averages of 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists per game on 51 percent shooting.[39] 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.[117] James received the brunt of the criticism for the loss, averaging only three points in fourth quarters in the series.[118] 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.[119]

text: Back-to-back championships (2011–2013)

text: Humbled by the Heat's loss to the Mavericks, James spent the offseason working with Hakeem Olajuwon on his post game.[120] 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".[121] Behind James' more post-oriented play,[121] Miami matched their best start to a season in franchise history,[122] 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.[123]

text: 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.[125] Miami eventually defeated the Pacers in six games.[126] 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".[127] Miami won Game 7 to advance to the Finals, earning them a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.[126] 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.[128] In Game 5, he registered a triple-double as Miami defeated Oklahoma City for their second-ever championship and James' first championship.[129] James was unanimously voted the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player with averages of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.[130] 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.[131]

text: In February of the 2012–13 season, James' performance was described by Sports Illustrated as a "month for the ages",[132] averaging 29.7 points and 7.8 assists per game while setting multiple shooting efficiency records.[133][134][135] During this period, the Heat began a 27-game winning streak, the third longest in NBA history.[136] Behind his play, Miami finished the year with a franchise and league best 66–16 record,[137] 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.[138] His final season averages were 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 56.5 percent shooting.[39]

text: In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, James scored a buzzer-beating layup to give Miami a one-point victory against the Pacers.[139] 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".[140] Despite these struggles, the Heat advanced to the Finals for a meeting with the Spurs,[141] signifying a rematch for James from his first Finals six years earlier.[142] At the beginning of the series, he was criticized for his lack of aggressiveness and poor shot selection as Miami fell behind 2–3.[74][141][143] 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]

text: Fourth consecutive Finals (2013–2014)

text: 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.[147] Throughout the year, he was one of the few staples for a Heat roster that used 20 different starting lineups due to injuries,[148] finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 56.7 percent shooting.[39] In the second round of the playoffs, he tied a career postseason-high by scoring 49 points in Game 4 against the Brooklyn Nets.[149] 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.[150] 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.[151] In Game 2, he led the Heat to a series-tying victory with 35 points on a 64 percent shooting rate.[152] San Antonio eventually eliminated the Heat in five games, ending Miami's quest for a three-peat.[153] For the Finals, James averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2 steals per game.[154]

text: Return to the Cavaliers (2014–present)

text: 2014 free agency

text: On June 25, 2014, James opted out of his contract with the Heat, officially becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1.[157] On July 11, he revealed via a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated that he intended to return to the Cavaliers.[158] In contrast to The Decision, his announcement to return to Cleveland was well received.[159][160][161] On July 12, he officially signed with the team,[162] who had compiled a league-worst 97–215 record in the four seasons following his departure.[163] A month after James' signing, the Cavaliers acquired Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves, forming a new star trio along with Kyrie Irving.[164]

text: Ending the 52-year Cleveland sports curse (2014–2016)

text: In 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.[165] 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.[39] 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.[166] 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.[167] For most of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Irving and Love were sidelined due to injury, giving James more offensive responsibilities.[167] Behind his leadership, the Cavaliers opened the series with a 2–1 lead before being eliminated in six games.[168] Despite the loss, he received serious consideration for the Finals MVP Award,[169] averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game for the championship round.[168]

text: During the 2015–16 season, James was criticized for his role in several off-court controversies, including the midseason firing of Cavaliers' head coach David Blatt.[170][171] Despite these distractions, Cleveland finished the year with 57 wins and the best record in the East.[172] James' final averages were 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on 52 percent shooting.[39] In the playoffs, the Cavaliers advanced comfortably to the Finals, losing only two games en route to a rematch with the Warriors,[172] who were coming off a record-setting 73 win season.[173] To begin the series, Cleveland fell behind 3–1, including two blowout losses.[174] 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.[175] 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,[176][177][178] 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.[179] James became just the third player to record a triple-double in an NBA Finals Game 7,[180] and behind series averages of 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 2.6 steals per game,[174] 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.[181]

text: Post-championship (2017–present)

text: The 2016–17 season was marred by injuries and unexpected losses for the Cavaliers;[182] 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.[184] 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.[39] 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.[185] 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.[186] The Cavaliers won the game and the series, advancing to their third consecutive Finals against the Warriors.[187] 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.[188]

text: National team career

text: James made his debut for the United States national team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.[189] He spent the Games mostly on the bench,[190][191] averaging 14.6 minutes per game with 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in eight games.[189] Team USA finished the competition with a bronze medal, becoming the first U.S. basketball team to return home without a gold medal since adding professionals to their line-up.[189][192] James felt his limited playing time was a "lowlight" and believed he was not given "a fair opportunity to play".[193] His attitude during the Olympics was described as "disrespectful" and "distasteful" by columnists Adrian Wojnarowski and Peter Vecsey, respectively.[194][195]

text: At the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, James took on a greater role for Team USA, averaging 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as co-captain.[196][197] The team finished the tournament with an 8–1 record, winning another bronze medal.[196] James' behavior was again questioned, this time by teammate Bruce Bowen, who confronted James during tryouts regarding his treatment of staff members.[194][198]

text: Before naming James to the 2008 Olympic team, Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski gave James an ultimatum to improve his attitude, and he heeded their advice.[194][199] At the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, he averaged 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, including a 31-point performance against Argentina in the championship game, the most ever by an American in an Olympic qualifier.[200][201] Team USA went 10–0, winning the gold medal and qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.[189] James credited the team's attitude and experience for their improvement, saying: "I don't think we understood what it meant to put on a USA uniform and all the people that we were representing in 2004. We definitely know that now."[191] At the Olympics, Team USA went unbeaten, winning their first gold medal since 2000.[202] In the final game, James turned in 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists against Spain.[202]

text: James did not play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship but rejoined Team USA for the 2012 Olympics in London, England.[203] He became the leader of the team with Kobe Bryant, who would soon be 34, stepping back.[204][205][206] James facilitated the offense from the post and perimeter, called the defensive sets, and provided scoring when needed.[207][208][209][210] During a game against Australia, he recorded the first triple-double in U.S. Olympic basketball history with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists.[a][210] Team USA went on to win their second straight gold medal, again defeating Spain in the final game.[212] James contributed 19 points in the win, becoming the all-time leading scorer in U.S. men's basketball history.[189][212] He also joined Michael Jordan as the only players to win an NBA MVP award, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, and Olympic gold medal in the same year.[213] Afterwards, Krzyzewski said James "is the best player, he is the best leader and he is as smart as anybody playing the game right now."[214]

text: Player profile

text: Standing 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and weighing 250 pounds (113.4 kg), James has started at small forward and power forward, but he can also play the other three positions.[215] With career averages of 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game,[39] he is considered one of the most athletic and versatile players in the NBA,[121][216][217] and has been compared to Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.[31][218] Since 2011, he has been ranked the best player in the NBA by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.[b][c]

text: Many basketball analysts, coaches, fans, and current and former players consider James to be one of the greatest players of all-time, often ranking him as the best small forward and in the top five overall.[d] He has earned All-NBA honors every season since his sophomore year, All-Defensive honors every season from 2009 to 2014, and was named Rookie of the Year in his debut season.[39] With four MVP awards, he is part of a select group of players who have won the award four times, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell; James and Russell are the only two players who have won four MVP awards in a five-year span.[237] While James has never won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, he has finished second in the voting twice and lists it as one of his main goals.[66][238] James has appeared in the Finals eight times and won three championships. Some analysts have criticized him for not having a better Finals record, while others have defended him, arguing that his supporting casts were usually poor and, despite the fact that James had played well, his team was defeated by superior competition.[239][240][241]

text: Offense

text: Upon entering the NBA as a 19-year-old rookie, James made an immediate offensive impact and led the Cavaliers in scoring.[243][244] He holds numerous "youngest to" distinctions, including being the youngest player to score 28,000 career points.[e] During his first stint in Cleveland, he was primarily used as an on-ball point forward. His shooting tendencies were perimeter-oriented,[121] and he established himself as one of the best slashers and finishers in basketball; he led the NBA in three-point plays in 2006.[249] His combination of speed, quickness, and size often created matchup problems for opposing teams as he was capable of blowing by larger defenders and overpowering smaller ones.[250] These qualities became more apparent in transition, where he developed a reputation for grabbing defensive rebounds and then beating the defense downcourt for highlight-quality baskets.[251] Around this time, James was frequently criticized for not having developed a reliable jump shot or post game.[252] Teams would try to exploit these weaknesses by giving him space in the half court and forcing him to settle for three-pointers and long two-pointers, a strategy famously utilized by Spurs coach Greg Popovich in the 2007 Finals, where James converted on only 36 percent of his field goals in four games.[253]

text: In Miami, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed James' role to a more unconventional one.[121] James began spending more time in the post and shooting fewer three-pointers, attempting a career-low 149 in 2012.[39][121] He improved his shot selection and accuracy on jump shots, finishing second in the league in catch-and-shoot field goal percentage in 2013.[254] He also learned how to work as an off-ball cutter in the Heat's "pass-happy" offense.[255] Behind these improvements, James' overall scoring efficiency rose to historically-great levels,[256] peaking in 2014 when he registered a 64.9 true shooting percentage.[39] During this period, ESPN's Tom Haberstroh called James' free throw shooting his biggest weakness, describing it as "average".[257] Upon returning to the Cavaliers, James began to experience subtle age-related declines in productivity,[258] posting his lowest scoring averages since his rookie season in 2015 and 2016.[39][259] His shooting also temporarily regressed, and he briefly ranked as the worst high-volume outside shooter from outside the paint in the NBA.[260] Despite these changes, he has remained an elite offensive player who is capable of beating defenses with body control, strength, and varying attacking speeds.[250]

text: James' playmaking ability is generally considered to be one of his premier skills, with some analysts ranking him among the greatest passers in NBA history.[261] He is the only frontcourt player in league history to register over 7,000 career assists.[262] Using his size, vision, and the attention he garners from opposing defenses to his advantage,[263] James is able to create easy points for his teammates with accurate assists, manufacturing a league leading 2.6 three-pointers per game by way of his passing alone in 2013.[264] He will often execute passes that would normally be considered unconventional, including passes after leaving his feet and passes through defensive traffic.[265] His uncanny tendency to find the open man played a significant role in the evolution of modern NBA defenses, forcing teams to incorporate some elements of zone into their schemes to better cover the weak side of the court and prevent James from passing to open shooters.[250]

text: Early in James' career, he was criticized by the media for his play in pressure situations; specifically, for passing instead of shooting in the waning seconds of close games.[266][267] In a 2011 interview, teammate Chris Bosh stated that he would rather have Dwyane Wade take a last-second shot than James.[268] Later in James' career, his clutch play was viewed more favorably; for example, a 2011 article by Henry Abbott revealed that James had a better shooting percentage with the game on the line than such notables as Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant.[269] In 2015, FiveThirtyEight wrote that he might be "the most clutch playoff shooter of his generation".[270]

text: Defense

text: At the beginning of James' NBA career, he was considered to be a poor defensive player,[271] but he improved steadily through the years. Near the end of his first tenure in Cleveland, he became proficient at the chase-down block, which involved coming in from behind the opposition in transition to block their shot.[65] In Miami, he developed into a more versatile defensive player, and the Heat relied on him to guard all five positions.[272] James was paired with teammates Shane Battier and Dwyane Wade, and Miami used him in an ultra-aggressive defensive scheme,[273] with James cheating off the ball to help out inside or get into rebounding position.[274] Beginning in 2014, some analysts noted a regression in his defensive impact, stemming from a lack of effort and expected age-related declines.[275][276] James himself admitted to taking plays off at times, referring to this approach as "chill mode".[277] Writing for ESPN in 2016, Nate Duncan observed that while James tended to take off more plays than in his younger days, he was able to raise his level in that year's Finals and temporarily recapture his Miami form.[278]

text: Off the court

text: On December 31, 2011, James proposed to Savannah Brinson, his high school sweetheart, at a party celebrating New Year's Eve and his 27th birthday.[279] The two were married on September 14, 2013 in San Diego.[280] Together, they have three children: LeBron James Jr. (b. 2004),[281] Bryce Maximus James (b. 2007),[282] and Zhuri James (b. 2014).[283] During his tenure with the Heat, James resided in Coconut Grove, an affluent Miami neighborhood, where he bought a three-story mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay for $9 million.[284] In November 2015, James bought a 9,350 square-foot East Coast–style mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles for about $21 million.[285]

text: James is an active supporter of the Boys & Girls Club of America, Children's Defense Fund, and ONEXONE.[286] He also has his own charity foundation, the LeBron James Family Foundation, which is based in Akron.[287] Since 2005, the foundation has held an annual bike-a-thon in Akron to raise money for various causes.[288] In 2015, James announced a partnership with the University of Akron to provide scholarships for as many as 2,300 children beginning in 2021.[289] In 2016, he donated $2.5 million to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture to support an exhibit about Muhammad Ali.[290] In 2017, he received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the NBA for his "outstanding service and dedication to the community".[291]

text: Business interests

text: James is represented by agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.[292] His first agent was Aaron Goodwin, whom he left in 2005 for Leon Rose. Rose joined Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in 2007, and he worked with fellow CAA agent Henry Thomas, who represented Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, to bring James to Miami in 2010. James left CAA for Paul in 2012.[293] James, Paul, Maverick Carter, and Randy Mims—all childhood friends—formed agent and sports-marketing company LRMR after James left Goodwin. LRMR handles James' marketing, including the marketing of The Decision, for which it was criticized.[294][295]

text: Throughout his career, James has taken a unique approach to his playing contracts, usually opting to sign shorter term deals in order to maximize his earnings potential and flexibility;[296][107][297] for example, in 2006, he and the Cavaliers negotiated a three-year, $60 million contract extension instead of the four-year maximum as it allotted him the option of seeking a new contract worth more money as an unrestricted free agent following the 2010 season.[298] This move ultimately allowed James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh to sign with the Heat together.[299] During his second stint in Cleveland, he began opting out and re-signing on new contracts after each season in order to take advantage of higher salaries resulting from the NBA's rising salary cap.[162][300][301][302] In 2016, he signed with the Cavaliers on a three-year deal,[303] becoming the highest-paid player in the league for the first time in his career.[304]

text: James has been the recipient of numerous endorsement contracts; some of the companies he does business with are Audemars Piguet,[305] Coca-Cola,[306] Dunkin' Brands,[307] McDonald's,[308] Nike,[306] State Farm,[309] and Samsung.[306] Coming out of high school, he was the target of a three-way bidding war among Nike, Reebok, and Adidas,[310] eventually signing with Nike for approximately $90 million.[311] His signature shoes have performed well for Nike.[312] In 2011, Fenway Sports Group became the sole global marketer of his rights, and as part of the deal, he was granted a minority stake in the English Premier League football club Liverpool FC,[313] who he has claimed his support for.[314] As a result of James' endorsement money and NBA salary, he has been listed as one of the world's highest-paid athletes.[315] In 2013, he surpassed Kobe Bryant as the highest paid basketball player in the world, with earnings of $56.5 million.[316] In 2014, James realized a profit of more than $30 million as part of Apple's acquisition of Beats Electronics; he had originally struck a deal to get a small stake in the company at its inception in exchange for promoting its headphones.[317] In 2015, he was ranked the sixth highest earning sportsperson,[318] and third highest in 2016 (after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi).[319] James has stated that we would like to own an NBA team in the future, albeit in a hands-off capacity.[320]

text: James and comedian Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards.[321] In other comedic pursuits, he hosted the 33rd-season premiere of Saturday Night Live.[322] He has also tried his hand at acting, appearing in a cameo role on the HBO series Entourage.[323] In 2015, he played himself in the Judd Apatow film Trainwreck,[324] receiving positive reviews for his performance.[325] That same year, James' digital video company, Uninterrupted, raised $15.8 million from Warner Bros. Entertainment and Turner Sports to help expand the company's efforts to bring athlete-created content to fans. It is hosted on Bleacher Report and is used by several other athletes including New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.[326]

text: Along with business partner Maverick Carter, James owns production company SpringHill Entertainment,[327] whose first work was the Lions Gate documentary More Than a Game, released in 2009 and chronicling James' high school years.[328] Series produced by SpringHill include the Disney XD sports documentaries Becoming,[329] Starz sitcom Survivor's Remorse,[330] and animated web series The LeBrons.[331] In 2016, CNBC aired an unscripted series hosted by James called Cleveland Hustles, where four up-and-coming Northern Ohio entrepreneurs will be financed on the condition of revitalizing a neighborhood in Cleveland.[332] In the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, a 60-minute Vince Carter documentary entitled The Carter Effect was executive produced by James and Maverick Carter along with rapper Drake and Future the Prince.[333][334]

text: Public image

text: James is considered by many people–including his fellow players–to be the "face of the NBA".[335] His opinions have yielded significant influence on important league decisions; for example, in 2014 he asked commissioner Adam Silver to increase the duration of the All-Star break, and the request was granted the following season.[336] On February 13, 2015, James was elected the first Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).[337]

text: Throughout his career, James has been ranked by Forbes as one of the world's most influential athletes,[338][339] and in 2017, he was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time.[340] During his first stint with the Cavaliers, he was adored by local fans, with Sherwin-Williams displaying a giant Nike-produced banner of James on its world headquarters.[341] Despite their affection for James, Cleveland fans and critics were frequently annoyed when he attended Cleveland Indians baseball games against the New York Yankees sporting a Yankees hat.[342] Following his actions during the 2010 free agency period and, more specifically, The Decision, he was listed as one of the world's most disliked athletes.[343] By 2013, his image had mostly recovered and he was reported by ESPN as the most popular player in the NBA for the second time in his career.[344] In 2014, he was named the most popular male athlete in America by the Harris Poll.[345] He has led the league in jersey sales six times.[346]

text: In March 2008, James became the first black man—and third man overall after Richard Gere and George Clooney—to appear on the cover of Vogue, posing with Gisele Bündchen.[349] Some sports bloggers and columnists considered the cover offensive, describing the demeanor of James and his holding Bündchen as a reference to classic imagery of the movie monster King Kong, a dark savage capturing his light-skinned love interest.[347][348]

text: James has taken stances on controversial issues throughout his career, mentioning on several occasions a feeling of obligation to effect change using his status.[350] Those include the War in Darfur,[351][352][353][354] the Trayvon Martin case,[355] the now-former NBA owner Donald Sterling's racist comments in 2014,[350] the Michael Brown verdict,[356] and the death of Eric Garner.[357] Following a racist incident at his Los Angeles home in 2017, James stated, "being black in America is tough. We got a long way to go for us as a society and for us as African Americans until we feel equal in America."[358] Later on that same year, in the aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, James questioned President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan by stating "It's sad what's going on in Charlottesville. Is this the direction our country is heading? Make America Great Again huh? He said that" and "Our youth deserve better!!"[359]

text: In June 2008, James donated $20,000 to a committee to elect Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.[360] Later that year, James gathered almost 20,000 people at the Quicken Loans Arena for a viewing of Obama's 30-minute American Stories, American Solutions television advertisement.[361] It was shown on a large screen above the stage, where Jay-Z later held a free concert.[361] James later publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential election.[362]

text: NBA career statistics

text:
Legend

  GP
Games played
  GS
Games started
 MPG
Minutes per game

 FG%
Field goal percentage
 3P%
3-point field goal percentage
 FT%
Free throw percentage

 RPG
Rebounds per game
 APG
Assists per game
 SPG
Steals per game

 BPG
Blocks per game
 PPG
Points per game
 Bold
Career high

text:
†
Denotes seasons in which James won an NBA championship

*
Led the league

text: Regular season

text:
Year
Team
GP
GS
MPG
FG%
3P%
FT%
RPG
APG
SPG
BPG
PPG

2003–04
Cleveland
79
79
39.5
.417
.290
.754
5.5
5.9
1.6
.7
20.9

2004–05
Cleveland
80
80
42.4*
.472
.351
.750
7.4
7.2
2.2
.7
27.2

2005–06
Cleveland
79
79
42.5
.480
.335
.738
7.0
6.6
1.6
.8
31.4

2006–07
Cleveland
78
78
40.9
.476
.319
.698
6.7
6.0
1.6
.7
27.3

2007–08
Cleveland
75
74
40.4
.484
.315
.712
7.9
7.2
1.8
1.1
30.0*

2008–09
Cleveland
81
81
37.7
.489
.344
.780
7.6
7.2
1.7
1.1
28.4

2009–10
Cleveland
76
76
39.0
.503
.333
.767
7.3
8.6
1.6
1.0
29.7

2010–11
Miami
79
79
38.8
.510
.330
.759
7.5
7.0
1.6
.6
26.7

2011–12†
Miami
62
62
37.5
.531
.362
.771
7.9
6.2
1.9
.8
27.1

2012–13†
Miami
76
76
37.9
.565
.406
.753
8.0
7.3
1.7
.9
26.8

2013–14
Miami
77
77
37.7
.567
.379
.750
6.9
6.4
1.6
.3
27.1

2014–15
Cleveland
69
69
36.1
.488
.354
.710
6.0
7.4
1.6
.7
25.3

2015–16†
Cleveland
76
76
35.6
.520
.309
.731
7.4
6.8
1.4
.6
25.3

2016–17
Cleveland
74
74
37.8*
.548
.363
.674
8.6
8.7
1.2
.6
26.4

Career
1,061
1,060
38.9
.501
.342
.740
7.3
7.0
1.6
.8
27.1

All-Star
13
13
29.4
.518
.344
.735
6.0
5.8
1.3
.2
24.2

text: Playoffs

text:
Year
Team
GP
GS
MPG
FG%
3P%
FT%
RPG
APG
SPG
BPG
PPG

2006
Cleveland
13
13
46.5
.476
.333
.737
8.1
5.8
1.4
.7
30.8

2007
Cleveland
20
20
44.7
.416
.280
.755
8.1
8.0
1.7
.5
25.1

2008
Cleveland
13
13
42.5
.411
.257
.731
7.8
7.6
1.8
1.3
28.2

2009
Cleveland
14
14
41.4
.510
.333
.749
9.1
7.3
1.6
.9
35.3

2010
Cleveland
11
11
41.8
.502
.400
.733
9.3
7.6
1.7
1.8
29.1

2011
Miami
21
21
43.9
.466
.353
.763
8.4
5.9
1.7
1.2
23.7

2012†
Miami
23
23
42.7
.500
.259
.739
9.7
5.6
1.9
.7
30.3

2013†
Miami
23
23
41.7
.491
.375
.777
8.4
6.6
1.8
.8
25.9

2014
Miami
20
20
38.2
.565
.407
.806
7.1
4.8
1.9
.6
27.4

2015
Cleveland
20
20
42.2
.417
.227
.731
11.3
8.5
1.7
1.1
30.1

2016†
Cleveland
21
21
39.1
.525
.340
.661
9.5
7.6
2.3
1.3
26.3

2017
Cleveland
18
18
41.3
.565
.411
.698
9.1
7.8
1.9
1.3
32.8

Career
217
217
42.1
.485
.330
.742
8.9
6.9
1.8
1.0
28.4

text: Awards and honors

text:
Three-time NBA Champion: 2012, 2013, 2016
Three-time NBA Finals MVP: 2012, 2013, 2016
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
13-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006, 2008
11-time All-NBA First Team: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Two-time All-NBA Second Team: 2005, 2007
Five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2014
2004 NBA Rookie of the Year
2004 NBA All-Rookie First Team
2008 NBA Scoring Champion

text:
Two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner: 2008, 2012
2004 Olympic Bronze Medal winner
2006 FIBA World Championship Bronze Medal winner
2007 FIBA Americas Championship Gold Medal winner
2012 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
Commemorative banner in Miami's American Airlines Arena (for his 2012 gold medal won as a member of the Miami Heat)

text:
2003 National Champion
Three-time OHSAA Champion: 2000, 2001, 2003
Two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year 2002, 2003
Two-time USA Today High School Player of the Year 2002, 2003
Three-time Ohio Mr. Basketball: 2001, 2002, 2003
Three-time USA Today All-USA First Team: 2001, 2002, 2003
Two-time PARADE High School Player of the Year: 2002, 2003
2003 Naismith Prep Player of the Year[364]
2003 McDonald's National Player of the Year[365]
2003 McDonald's High School All-American[366]
2003 McDonald's All-American Game 2003
2003 EA Sports Roundball Classic MVP[367]
2003 Jordan Capital Classic MVP[367]
Number 23 retired by St. Vincent-St. Mary[368]
St. Vincent-St. Mary Hall of Fame (class of 2011)[369]
St. Vincent-St. Mary home basketball court named The LeBron James Arena[370]

text:
Three-time Cleveland Sports Awards Professional Athlete of the Year: 2009, 2016, 2017[371]
Two-time AP Athlete of the Year (2013, 2016)[372]
Two-time Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2012, 2016)[373]
2012 Sporting News Athlete of the Year[374]
2006 Sporting News NBA MVP[375]
2004 Sporting News Rookie of the Year[376]
Sports Illustrated NBA All-Decade First Team (2000s)[377]
17-time ESPY Award winner in various categories (13 individually, four as part of a team)[378]
Two-time Hickok Belt winner: 2012, 2013
2017 NAACP Image Awards – Jackie Robinson Award
South Main Street in downtown Akron renamed King James Way[379]
10-story commemorative banner in downtown Cleveland[380][381]
Six-story commemorative banner in downtown Akron[379]
Honorary lockers at Ohio State's football and basketball facilities[382][383]