document_title: LeBron James

question_text: how much does lebron average in the playoffs

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, forcing 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, James made an immediate offensive impact, leading the Cavaliers in scoring as a 19-year-old rookie.[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, and although his shooting tendencies were perimeter-oriented,[121] he established himself as one of the best slashers and finishers in basketball, leading 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' career, he was considered 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; coming in from behind the opposition in transition to block their shot.[65] In Miami, he developed into a more versatile defender, and the Heat relied on him to guard all five positions.[272] Paired with teammates Shane Battier and Dwyane Wade, Miami used James 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: James proposed to Savannah Brinson, his high school sweetheart, on December 31, 2011 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-feet 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 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, with 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, 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 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]


document_title: Ferrari 458

question_text: what is the top speed of a ferrari 458 italia

root

text: Ferrari 458

text: Specifications[edit]

text: In Ferrari's first official announcement of the car, 458 was described as the successor to the F430 but arising from an entirely new design, incorporating technologies developed from the company's experience in Formula 1.[7]

tag: p

text: The body computer system was developed by Magneti Marelli Automotive Lighting.

text: Engine[edit]

text: The 458 is powered by a 4,499 cc (274.5 cu in; 4.5 L) V8 engine of the "Ferrari/Maserati" F136 engine family, producing 570 PS (419 kW; 562 hp) at 9,000 rpm (redline) and 540 N⋅m (398 lb⋅ft) at 6,000 rpm[8] with 80% torque available at 3,250 rpm.[7] The engine features direct fuel injection, which is a first for Ferrari mid-engine setups in its road cars.[7]

text: Transmission[edit]

text: The only transmission available on the 458 is a dual-clutch 7-speed Getrag gearbox, in a different state of tune shared with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.[7] There is no traditional manual option, making this the fourth road-car after the Enzo, Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia not to be offered with Ferrari's classic gated manual. It is the first mainstream model to not be offered with a manual transmission.

text: Handling[edit]

text: The car's suspension features double wishbones at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear, coupled with E-Diff and F1-Trac traction control systems, designed to improve the car's cornering and longitudinal acceleration by 32% when compared with its predecessors.[7]

text: The brakes include a prefill function whereby the pistons in the calipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimize delay in the brakes being applied.[9] This combined with the ABS and standard Carbon Ceramic brakes have caused a reduction in stopping distance from 100–0 km/h (62-0 mph) to 32.5 metres (107 ft).[10] Tests have shown the car will stop from 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 90 feet (27 m) or in 85 feet (26 m) with run flat tires, 85 feet (26 m) from 60 mph (97 km/h) and 80 feet (24 m) from 60 mph (97 km/h) with run flat tires.

text: The adaptive magnetorheological dampers are co-developed with BWI Group.

text: Performance[edit]

text: Ferrari's official 0–100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration is 2.9–3.0 seconds.[11] The top speed is 340 km/h (210 mph).[12] It has fuel consumption in combined cycle (ECE+EUDC) of 13.3 L/100 km (21.2 mpg‑imp; 17.7 mpg‑US) while producing 307 g/km of CO2.[13]

text: Ferrari 458 Italia has a power to weight ratio of 2.61 kg (5.75 lb) per horsepower.

text: Design[edit]

text: In keeping with Ferrari tradition the body was designed by Pininfarina under the leadership of Donato Coco, the Ferrari design director.

text: The interior design of the Ferrari 458 Italia was designed by Bertrand Rapatel (Director of Ferrari Interior Design), a French automobile designer.

text: The car's exterior styling and features were designed for aerodynamic efficiency, producing a downforce of 140 kg (309 lb) at 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph).[7] In particular, the front grille features deformable winglets that lower at high speeds, in order to offer reduced drag.[14] The car's interior was designed using input from former Ferrari Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher; in a layout common to racing cars, the new steering wheel incorporates many controls normally located on the dashboard or on stalks, such as turning signals or high beams.[7]

text: According to British car magazine Autocar, the 458 Italia's design has drawn inspiration from the Enzo Ferrari and its Millechili concept car.[15] It has been designed to be Ferrari's sportiest V8-engined car, to distinguish itself from the recently launched Ferrari California.[15]

text: Variants[edit]

text: 458 Italia China Edition (2012)[edit]

text: It is a limited (20 units) version of the 458 Italia for the Chinese market, commemorating the 20th anniversary of Ferrari in China since the first Ferrari, a 348 TS, was ordered in Beijing. It is distinguished by its Marco Polo Red body colour, golden dragon graphic on the front bonnet, gold and black livery stripes symbolising a racing track, gold painted wheels, gold aeroelastic winglets, gold embroidery on the car's head rests, engine start button inscribed with the simplified Chinese characters for 'start' and a '20th Anniversary Special Edition' plaque on the dash.

text: The vehicle was unveiled at the Italia Center of Shanghai World Expo Park.[16][17]

text: 458 Spider (2011–2015)[edit]

text: The 458 Spider was premiered at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. This convertible variant of the 458 Italia features an aluminium retractable hardtop which, according to Ferrari, weighs 25 kilograms (55 lb) less than a soft roof such as the one found on the Ferrari F430 Spider, and can be opened in 14 seconds.[18][19] The engine cover has been redesigned to accommodate the retractable roof system. It has the same 0–100 km/h time as the hard-top but has a lower top speed 199 mph (320 km/h).

text: 458 Speciale (2013–2015)[edit]

text: The 458 Speciale was unveiled in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show[20][21] as the high performance variant of the 458 Italia. Distinctions of the Speciale are the forged wheels, vented bonnet, finned side sills, taller rear spoiler and redesigned bumpers, which include active aerodynamics designed by Ferrari Styling Centre in cooperation with Pininfarina; front and rear movable flaps balance downforce and cut drag at speed. The engine was revised, with power increased to 445 kW (597 hp) at 9,000 rpm, 540 N⋅m (398 lb⋅ft) of torque at 6,000 rpm.[22] Electronic systems were updated too, introducing side slip angle control (SSC) to improve car control on the limit. SSC performs instant-to-instant analysis of the car’s side slip, comparing it with the target value and then optimising both torque management (via integration with F1-Trac traction control) and torque distribution between the two wheels (via integration with the E-Diff electronic differential). The weight/power ratio (1,290 kg dry, 1,395 kg at the kerb, 90 less than the standard 458) is equal to 2.13 kg/cv, sprints from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just three seconds (0–125 mph or 0–200 km/h in 9.1 seconds with a response time of just 0.060 seconds).[22][23] Ferrari declared a Fiorano test track lap time of 1:23.5, only 0.5 seconds slower than the F12 berlinetta. Lateral acceleration now reaches 1.33 g.[24]

text: 458 Speciale A (2014–2015)[edit]

text: The 458 Speciale A is a spider variant of the 458 Speciale which was unveiled at the 2014 Frankfurt Motor Show. The 'A' stands for 'Aperta', which is Italian for 'open' – and it was limited to only 499 examples (49 RHD examples).[25] Just like the Speciale coupé, the Aperta has a 4.5 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine which produces 597 hp (605 PS; 445 kW) and 398 pound feet (540 N·m) of torque. 0–100 km/h (62 mph) takes only 3.0 seconds and it is capable of a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph).[26][27] It was the most powerful, street-legal, naturally aspirated Ferrari had ever launched in a convertible variant, until it was surpassed by the 790 hp (801 PS; 589 kW) naturally aspirated V12 of the LaFerrari Aperta in 2017.

text: One-offs[edit]

text: Ferrari SP12 EC (2012)[edit]

text:
Ferrari SP12 EC

Overview

Manufacturer
Ferrari

Production
2012

Assembly
Maranello, Italy

Designer
Centro Stile Ferrari and Pininfarina

Layout
Longitudinal, RMR layout

Powertrain

Engine
4.5 L Ferrari F136 F V8

Transmission
7-speed dual-clutch

tag: table

text: The Ferrari SP12 EC is a one-off sports car built by Ferrari for English musician Eric Clapton under Ferrari's Special Projects programme,[28] and based on the 458 Italia.[29] It was revealed in May 2012[30] and shown at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed.[31] The bespoke SP12 EC's bodywork is inspired by that of the Ferrari 512 BB,[32] and was designed by Centro Stile Ferrari in collaboration with Pininfarina.[33] It uses the mechanicals of the 458 Italia, including its 4.5-litre V8 engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission,[34] although many of the car's technical details are considered confidential.[33] The car reportedly cost £3,000,000.[35]

text: Pininfarina Sergio (2013)[edit]

text: This Pininfarina concept car, named in memory of long standing chairman Sergio Pininfarina, is a modern interpretation of the 2-seater barchetta built upon the 458 Spider's mechanicals. In keeping with the traditional open barchetta body style, it has no windshield; two matching helmets are provided for the driver and passenger.

text: The vehicle was first shown in March 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show. According to Pininfarina the Sergio was developed like a production car, and therefore it could be produced in limited numbers.[36][37]

text: Ferrari built six units of the Sergio in collaboration with Pininfarina in 2015 and sold it to handpicked customers. The production version incorporates a targa top body style due to complexities and high production costs arising in producing the original design of the car. Each unit reportedly cost US$3,000,000. [38]

text: 458 MM Speciale (2016)[edit]

text: The 458 Speciale MM is a one-off sports car based on a Ferrari 458 Speciale and built for a British customer. The design pays homage to the Ferrari 288 GTO and incorporates handcrafted aluminium and carbon fibre components. Performance figures remain unknown but are rumoured to be the same as the normal Speciale.[39]

text: Racing[edit]

text: 458 Challenge[edit]

text: The 458 Challenge is a race car designed to participate in the Ferrari Challenge. It was presented at the Ferrari Annual Dealer Meeting on 14 July 2010. According to Ferrari it can lap the Fiorano test track in 1:16.5, which is two seconds faster than its F430 Challenge predecessor and only 0.2 seconds slower than the Ferrari FXX.[40][41] Weight was reduced from the standard model through the use of thinner body panels, carbon fiber replacement panels, and polycarbonate windows and windshield.[42] The differences over the regular road legal 458 include a racing cockpit, plexi-glass windows with sliding slots, air-jack mounting on the rear to lift the car up, racing fuel filler cap, center-lock wheels, racing exhaust as well as tow hooks on the front and rear.

text: 458 Italia GT2[edit]

text:
Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 [43]

Category
LM GTE

Constructor
Ferrari

Technical specifications

Chassis
Aluminium Monocoque

Suspension (front)
Double wishbone

Suspension (rear)
Multi-link

Axle track
Front: 1,720 mm (67.7 in),
Rear: 1,688 mm (66.5 in)

Wheelbase
2,650 mm (104.3 in)

Engine
Ferrari F136 4,497 cc (274.4 cu in) V8 Naturally aspirated mid-engined, longitudinally mounted

Transmission
Hewland 6-speed sequential manual

Weight
1,245 kg (2,745 lb)

Tyres
M, P, D, H

Competition history

Notable entrants
AF Corse,
Risi Competizione,
JMW Motorsport,
Extreme Speed Motorsports,
Luxury Racing

Notable drivers
Toni Vilander,
Gianmaria Bruni,
Giancarlo Fisichella,
Jaime Melo,
Mika Salo

Debut
2011 12 Hours of Sebring

Races
Wins
Poles
F.Laps

617 [44]
104
103
?

text: Ferrari unveiled their new GTE class racer in 2011 to take part in Championships sanctioned by ACO and FIA. The 458 Italia GT2 drops the "flex splitter" found in the road cars and replaced with a more conventional inlet, with the air exit out through louvers in the bonnet. Under new restrictor regulations, the 4.5L engine produces 464 hp (346 kW; 470 PS), which is less than the road car and the 458 Challenge. Unlike the road car, which has a high-revving low-torque engine, the GT2 version only revs to 6,250 rpm, but maintains a close-to-stock torque number even with the horsepower loss. The double-clutch gearbox had to be replaced, but paddle-shifting is retained since rules in 2011 allow them.

text: So far the 458 Italia GT2 has had an impressive racing record. The car won the 2012 and 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 2012 12 Hours of Sebring and two editions of the Petit Le Mans, the first in 2011 and the second in 2012.

text: In 2011 the 458 Italia GT2 took the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup GTE Manufacturers' and the GTE PRO Team Titles, the Le Mans Series GTE Manufacturers' and GTE PRO Team and Drivers' honours and the International GT Open Overall and Super GT Team and Drivers' crowns. The following year, with the creation of an FIA-managed World Championship, the car obtained the GTE Manufacturers' and GTE PRO Team Titles in the FIA World Endurance Championship. In the same year the Italian car gained the European Le Mans Series GTE PRO Team and Drivers' honours and the International GT Open Overall and Super GT Manufacturers', Team and Drivers' crowns. In 2013 the car repeated its successes, winning the FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Manufacturers', GTE PRO Team, GTE Drivers' and GTE AM Team Titles, the European Le Mans Series GTE Team and Drivers' honours, the Asian Le Mans Series GTE Team and Drivers' crowns and the International GT Open Overall and Super GT Manufacturers' and Drivers' Titles. In 2014 the 458 Italia GT2 achieved, for the third straight year, the FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Manufacturers' and GTE PRO Team honours, as well as, for the second time in a row, the GTE Drivers' crown (which had been instituted in 2013). For the fourth time the car also clinched the European Le Mans Series GTE Team and Drivers' Titles, but it didn't take part in the International GT Open and Asian Le Mans Series Championships (the 458 Italia GT3 raced in both these series that year).

text: In 2015 Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 cars competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and Tudor United SportsCar Championship.[45]

text: The car was replaced for 2016 by the Ferrari 488 GTE.

text: 458 Italia GT3[edit]

text: Ferrari also unveiled a GT3 version of the Ferrari 458 Italia in 2011. The car is slightly lighter and more powerful than the GT2 version, producing closer to 550 HP and running all the way to a 9000 rpm redline. The engine thus performs more similarly to that of the road car than the GT2 version. The aerodynamics of the car are also slightly different due to different aero regulations.[45]

text: The 458 Italia GT3 has achieved many important victories in its career. It has won six times the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (two in the GT3 PRO AM category and two in the Gentlemen Trophy), four times the Gulf 12 Hours (three overall and one in the Gentlemen Trophy), the 2013 and 2014 12 Hours of Sepang, the 2014 and 2015 24 Hours of Dubai in the A6-AM class, the 2014 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour at the famous Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst and the 2014 24 Hours of Barcelona.

text: The 458 Italia GT3 holds the record for the number of titles won in many international Championships. In the Blancpain Endurance Series it took the 2011, 2012 and 2014 GT3 PRO AM Team and Drivers' crowns and the 2013 and 2014 Gentlemen Trophy Team and Drivers' honours, while in the European Le Mans Series, since the creation by the ACO of a GT3 class, clinched the 2013 and 2014 GTC Team and Drivers' Titles. In the International GT Open the Maranello car gained the 2011, 2012 and 2014 GTS Team and Drivers' crowns, the 2012, 2013 and 2014 GTS Manufacturers' honours and the 2014 Overall and Super GT Drivers' Titles. The 458 Italia GT3 has also a strong racing record in the most important Asian GT series, the GT3 Asia, in which it achieved the 2011 Drivers' crown and the 2012 and 2014 Team and Drivers' honours. The car has also been driven to win the 2011 FIA GT3 Drivers' Title, the 2013 Asian Le Mans Series GTC Team and Drivers' crowns and successes in national Championships like French GT, British GT, Italian GT, GTSprint and Supercar Challenge.

text: In 2015 the 458 Italia GT3 is involved in numerous series, including Blancpain Endurance Series, European Le Mans Series, International GT Open, GT3 Asia, Pirelli World Challenge, Blancpain Sprint Series, Asian Le Mans Series, Australian GT Championship and many other national GT3 Championships.

text: 458 Italia Grand-Am[edit]

text: In 2012, Ferrari developed a modified version of the 458 GT3 for Grand-Am. The car weighs the same but produces less downforce than the GT3 car; the engine is also restricted more heavily, producing roughly 500 hp (373 kW) and having an 8000 rpm redline.[45] Instead of a dual-clutch transmission, the car is fitted with a traditional sequential transmission[46]

text: The rollcage is also modified due to stricter safety regulations. The Grand-Am version lacks traction control and ABS. The car debuted at the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona. AimAutosport.com is the first team to win with the new 458 Italia Grand-Am spec. On Sept. 9, 2012, drivers Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato finished second at Laguna Seca and clinched the Grand-Am Rolex GT championship.

text: Awards[edit]

text: The 458 won "Car of the Year 2009" and "Supercar of the Year". It also won "Cabrio of the Year 2011" for the Spider, from Top Gear magazine. Auto Zeitung magazine awarded the Ferrari 458 Spider "Best Cabrio 2011".[47] Motor Trend awarded the Ferrari 458 Italia with the title of "Best Driver's Car" in 2011.[48] The 458 Speciale won Top Gear's Supercar of the Year 2013 and James May's Car of the Year [49]

text: Recalls[edit]

text: Wheel-arch adhesive fires[edit]

text: On 24 August 2010, BBC News reported that ten 458s had either crashed or caught fire in just three months.[50] Ferrari responded later that it was aware of the fire-related cases, and was in the process of investigating them.[50][51]

text: On September 1, 2010 Ferrari officially recalled all 1,248 of the 458s sold to date. A spokesman commented that the problem had been traced to adhesive used in the wheel-arch assemblies and that, in certain circumstances, the glue could begin to overheat, smoke and even catch fire. In extreme cases the melting adhesive could lead to the heat shield deforming, and hence moving closer to the exhaust, causing the wheel-arch lining to catch fire. Owners who had reported fires, that were later confirmed by independent engineers to be due to this problem, will now receive a new car. All other cars will be modified replacing the adhesive with mechanical fasteners.[52][53]

text: Engine seizure[edit]

text: In 2012, Ferrari recalled certain 2011 and 2012 cars because the engine can seize suddenly and possibly cause a crash. The F136 engines have crankshafts that were machined incorrectly. The manufacturer learnt of one such incident from a review car lent to critics. Owners can choose from having a new engine installed by their dealer, having the engine removed and the work done by Ferrari North America or having a new crankshaft and bearings installed at the dealership.[54]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: Hot Wheels produced a 1:18 scale model of the 458 Italia, Spider, GT2, Challenge, China Edition and soon the Speciale versions under both its regular "Mattel / Heritage" as well as its premium "Elite" and "Super Elite" lines of collectable die-cast models.[55] Bburago also produced variants of the 458, such as the Italia, Spider and Challenge in diecast in 1:18 1:24, 1:32 and 1:43 scale under its Race and play line up. The Speciale version in 1:18 scale followed up later from the manufacturer under both the Race and play and Signature series line ups. [56]

text: Other media[edit]

text: The 458 was also reviewed on the 15th season of Top Gear, where it received acclaim for its styling and performance. In a drag race against James May's Ferrari F430, it won by a considerable margin. The car also lapped the Top Gear test track in 1:19.1, just 0.1 seconds slower than the Ferrari Enzo.

text: Illicit trade practices investigation[edit]

text: After the Ferrari 458 Italia had been reported to cost much more in China than the United States, the Chinese Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) began working in conjunction with the National Development and Reform Commission for possible price-fixing, despite automakers' claim of a 24% import tariff, 17% value-added tax, and a consumption tax having been added to the vehicle price.[57][58]

text: Infamously, the son of Ling Jihua, a Chinese Communist party official, died in a widely reported crash of a 458.


document_title: NBA high school draftees

question_text: last nba player to come straight from high school

text: NBA high school draftees

text: History[edit]

text: Early years[edit]

text: In the early years of the NBA draft, a player had to finish his four-year college eligibility to be eligible for selection. Reggie Harding, who had graduated from high school but did not enroll in a college, became the first player drafted out of high school when the Detroit Pistons selected him in the fourth round of the 1962 draft.[3] However, the NBA rules at that time prohibited a high school player to play in the league until one year after his high school class graduated.[4][5] Thus, he spent a year playing in a minor basketball league before he was drafted again in the 1963 draft by the Pistons.[6] He finally entered the league in the 1963–64 season and played four seasons in the NBA and American Basketball Association (ABA).[7]

text: In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court decision Haywood v. National Basketball Association ruled, 7–2 against the National Basketball Association's requirement that a player must wait four years after high school graduation (which in most cases was spent playing in college) before turning professional. This ruling allowed players to enter the NBA Draft without four years of college, provided they could give evidence of hardship to the NBA office.[8]

text: In 1974, the NBA's rival, the ABA, drafted high school star Moses Malone. He was immediately signed by the Utah Stars and became the first player to go directly from high school basketball to a professional league.[9] He became an instant success, averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds per game in his rookie season. He played in the ABA until the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. He then played 19 successful seasons with 7 NBA teams. He won the NBA championship, along with the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. His other achievements include 3 Most Valuable Player Awards, 12 consecutive All-Star Game selections, 8 All-NBA Team selections and 6 rebounding titles. He has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[10]

text: A year later, two high school players, Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby, applied for hardship and were declared eligible to be selected in the 1975 draft.[11] They had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier.[8] Dawkins was selected 5th by the Philadelphia 76ers while Willoughby was selected 19th by the Atlanta Hawks. Dawkins played 14 seasons and averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. Willoughby played 8 seasons with 6 different teams and averaged only 6 points per game. Neither player reached the level of success that was expected. It is argued that they could have been better players if they had college basketball experience before entering the NBA.[12][13][14]

text: After Dawkins and Willoughby, no high schoolers were drafted for 14 years, though several players entered the league without playing college basketball. One notable player, Shawn Kemp, enrolled in college but never played any games due to personal problems. In 1989, a year after his high school graduation, he was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics.[15] He played 14 seasons in the NBA and was selected to 6 All-Star Games and 3 All-NBA Teams.[16]

text: In 1995, Kevin Garnett, USA Today's high school basketball player of the year, announced his intentions to forgo college, and declared himself eligible for the 1995 NBA draft. The move was highly controversial; the conventional wisdom at the time was that high-schoolers were neither emotionally nor physically mature enough for the rigors of the NBA game. On draft day, Garnett was selected with the #5 pick in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Garnett led the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff berths and was a multiple All-Star during his time with the team. In 2004, the Wolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Lakers; Garnett was named Most Valuable Player that year. After a trade in the 2007 offseason to the Boston Celtics, he was a core player in the Celtics' first NBA title in over 20 years.

text: In 1996, two notable players made the jump from high school to the NBA. The first was Kobe Bryant, selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick of the NBA draft, but traded almost immediately to the Los Angeles Lakers. The second was Jermaine O'Neal, selected by the Trail Blazers with the 17th pick. O'Neal was traded in 2000 to the Indiana Pacers (and later to the Miami Heat). In 1997, another All-Star caliber player, Tracy McGrady, was selected by the Toronto Raptors. In 1998, three high-schoolers were drafted with Al Harrington and Rashard Lewis experiencing the most success. Darius Miles became the highest high school player selected with the third pick in the 2000, until the following year.

text: In 2001, Kwame Brown (selected by the Washington Wizards) became the first high-schooler to be selected with the number one pick in the draft; since then, LeBron James (2003) and Dwight Howard (2004) have also been selected with the first pick. Other notable high-schoolers include Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry (2001); Amar'e Stoudemire (2002); Josh Smith, Sebastian Telfair, J. R. Smith, and Shaun Livingston (2004); Andrew Bynum and Monta Ellis (2005).

text: Many prep-to-pro players like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Tracy Mcgrady went on to become star players in the NBA. Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James have all won the league's MVP Award; as well as holding at least one NBA title under their belt, and are widely regarded as future Hall-of-Famers. Dwight Howard, Jermaine O'Neal and Amar'e Stoudemire also became perennial All-Stars in their prime. However, not all high-schoolers were successful. Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry are widely regarded as draft busts, while Jonathan Bender and Darius Miles had their careers cut short by injury. Korleone Young (drafted in 1998) and Leon Smith (drafted in 1999) only played a handful of games in the NBA, while Lenny Cooke and DeAngelo Collins, both of whom declared for the 2002 Draft, went undrafted and never played in the NBA.

text: Beginning 2005, both the NBA and the players' union started to discuss the possibility of implementing a new age limit. The league lobbied for an age minimum of 20 while the union was against an age limit.[17] Finally in July 2005, both sides compromised in the new collective bargaining agreement, requiring that the minimum age for entry into the NBA be 19 and that entrants be at least one year removed from high school.[18] For the first time, teams are also allowed to send players, with two years of NBA experience or less, to the NBA Development League (NBA D-League).[17]

text: The terms of the new agreement ended the practice of drafting high school players, starting in the 2006 Draft. A high school player must wait at least a year to be eligible for selection. However, they are not required to spend that year in college. In 2008, high school star Brandon Jennings decided to skip college and play professional basketball in Italy. After a year, he was eligible for the 2009 draft and was selected 10th by the Milwaukee Bucks.[19] In the 2010 draft, Latavious Williams, who did not qualify academically to go to college, spent a year playing in the NBA D-League before he was drafted in the second round.[20] Emmanuel Mudiay decided to take a route similar to that of Brandon Jennings by skipping college to play professionally in China in 2014 before being selected by the Denver Nuggets at pick 7 a year later. In the 2015 draft, Satnam Singh Bhamara, who did not qualify academically to go to college, went straight to the NBA draft as a post-graduate after being at IMG Academy for five years. He would be taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the 52nd pick in the draft, thus becoming the first high school student to be drafted since the rule changes. Most recently, in the 2016 draft, one of the Top–10 players that was declared eligible for NCAA play in 2016, Thon Maker, decided to enter the draft instead as a post-graduate from Orangeville Prep in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada due to him originally declaring himself as eligible for college in 2015. Thon would also mark the first player to be drafted directly from a Canadian high school, as well as the second player to enter as a post-graduate. He'd also be the first high schooler to be drafted in the first round since 2005. He would be drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the tenth pick in the draft, becoming the first high school student to be taken in the first round in that range since 2005.

text: Some players support the new age limit. Gerald Green called it "a smart move", saying that "[not everybody is] LeBron James ... He came in ready and he dominated the league. There's a lot of players that have to get developed. Me, I've got to get developed. But I guess that age limit, that one year of college experience, can get you more developed and I think that's pretty good."[17] Others, however, strongly criticize the rule. Andrew Bynum said "That's something I'll never understand. Because in no other business can the owner, or a stock trader or a C.E.O. of a company try to protect themselves by putting rules like that."[21] Former Florida Gators and current Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan believed that the rule made high schoolers feel like they were being punished.[22]

text: List[edit]

text: There have been 44 high school draftees in the NBA Draft. Three draftees were selected first overall; Kwame Brown in 2001 NBA draft, LeBron James in 2003 and Dwight Howard in 2004 NBA draft. Two draftees went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in their first season; LeBron James and 2002 draftee Amar'e Stoudemire.[23] Three draftees went on to win the Most Valuable Player Award; Kevin Garnett in 2004, Kobe Bryant in 2008 and LeBron James in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013.[24] Ten draftees have been selected to the All-Star Game while seven draftees have been selected to the All-NBA Team.

text:
Pos.
G
F
C

Position
Guard
Forward
Center

text:
^
Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

*
Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-NBA Team

+
Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game

#
Denotes player who never played in the NBA regular season or playoffs

text:
Draft[a]
Round
Pick
Player
Pos.
Nationality
Draft team
High school (city)
Ref.

1962
4
29
Harding, ReggieReggie Harding
C
 United States
Detroit Pistons
Detroit Eastern High School (Detroit)1[›]
[25]

1975
1
5
Dawkins, DarrylDarryl Dawkins
C
 United States
Philadelphia 76ers
Maynard Evans High School (Orlando, Florida)
[26]

1975
2
19
Willoughby, BillBill Willoughby
F/C
 United States
Atlanta Hawks
Dwight Morrow High School (Englewood, New Jersey)
[27]

1995
1
5
Garnett, KevinKevin Garnett*
F
 United States
Minnesota Timberwolves
Farragut Career Academy (Chicago)
[28]

1996
1
13
Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant*
G
 United States
Charlotte Hornets
Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)
[29]

1996
1
17
O'Neal, JermaineJermaine O'Neal*
F/C
 United States
Portland Trail Blazers
Eau Claire High School (Columbia, South Carolina)
[30]

1997
1
9
McGrady, TracyTracy McGrady^
F
 United States
Toronto Raptors
Mount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, North Carolina)
[31]

1998
1
25
Harrington, AlAl Harrington
F
 United States
Indiana Pacers
St. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, New Jersey)
[32]

1998
2
32
Lewis, RashardRashard Lewis+
F
 United States
Seattle SuperSonics
Alief Elsik High School (Houston, Texas)
[33]

1998
2
40
Young, KorleoneKorleone Young
F
 United States
Detroit Pistons
Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Virginia)
[34]

1999
1
5
Bender, JonathanJonathan Bender
F
 United States
Toronto Raptors
Picayune Memorial High School (Picayune, Mississippi)
[35]

1999
1
25
Smith, LeonLeon Smith
C
 United States
Dallas Mavericks
Martin Luther King High School (Chicago)
[36]

2000
1
3
Miles, DariusDarius Miles
F
 United States
Los Angeles Clippers
East St. Louis High School (East St. Louis, Illinois)
[37]

2000
1
23
Stevenson, DeShawnDeShawn Stevenson
G
 United States
Utah Jazz
Washington Union High School (Fresno, California)
[38]

2001
1
1
Brown, KwameKwame Brown
F
 United States
Washington Wizards
Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Georgia)
[39]

2001
1
2
Chandler, TysonTyson Chandler*
C
 United States
Los Angeles Clippers
Dominguez High School (Compton, California)
[40]

2001
1
4
Curry, EddyEddy Curry
C
 United States
Chicago Bulls
Thornwood High School (South Holland, Illinois)
[41]

2001
1
8
Diop, DeSaganaDeSagana Diop
C
 Senegal
Cleveland Cavaliers
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
[42]

2001
2
46
Cisse, OusmaneOusmane Cisse#
F
 Mali
Denver Nuggets
St. Jude High School (Montgomery, Alabama)
[43]

2002
1
9
Stoudemire, Amar'eAmar'e Stoudemire*
F/C
 United States
Phoenix Suns
Cypress Creek High School (Orlando, Florida)
[44]

2003
1
1
James, LeBronLeBron James*
F
 United States
Cleveland Cavaliers
St. Vincent – St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio)
[45]

2003
1
23
Outlaw, TravisTravis Outlaw
F
 United States
Portland Trail Blazers
Starkville High School (Starkville, Mississippi)
[46]

2003
1
26
Ebi, NdudiNdudi Ebi
F
 United Kingdom
 Nigeria2[›]
Minnesota Timberwolves
Westbury Christian School (Houston, Texas)
[47]

2003
1
27
Perkins, KendrickKendrick Perkins
C
 United States
Memphis Grizzlies
Clifton J. Ozen High School (Beaumont, Texas)
[48]

2003
2
48
Lang, JamesJames Lang
C
 United States
New Orleans Hornets
Central Park Christian High School (Birmingham, Alabama)
[49]

2004
1
1
Howard, DwightDwight Howard*
F/C
 United States
Orlando Magic
Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (Atlanta)
[50]

2004
1
4
Livingston, ShaunShaun Livingston
G
 United States
Los Angeles Clippers
Peoria High School (Peoria, Illinois)
[51]

2004
1
12
Swift, RobertRobert Swift
C
 United States
Seattle SuperSonics
Bakersfield High School (Bakersfield, California)
[52]

2004
1
13
Telfair, SebastianSebastian Telfair
G
 United States
Portland Trail Blazers
Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn, New York)
[53]

2004
1
15
Jefferson, AlAl Jefferson
F
 United States
Boston Celtics
Prentiss High School (Prentiss, Mississippi)
[54]

2004
1
17
Smith, JoshJosh Smith
F
 United States
Atlanta Hawks
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
[55]

2004
1
18
Smith, J. R.J. R. Smith
G
 United States
New Orleans Hornets
Saint Benedict's Preparatory School (Newark, New Jersey)
[56]

2004
1
19
Wright, DorellDorell Wright
G/F
 United States
Miami Heat
South Kent Preparatory School (South Kent, Connecticut)
[57][58]

2005
1
6
Webster, MartellMartell Webster
G/F
 United States
Portland Trail Blazers
Seattle Preparatory School (Seattle)
[59]

2005
1
10
Bynum, AndrewAndrew Bynum+
C
 United States
Los Angeles Lakers
St. Joseph High School (Metuchen, New Jersey)
[60]

2005
1
18
Green, GeraldGerald Green
F
 United States
Boston Celtics
Gulf Shores Academy (Houston, Texas)
[61]

2005
2
34
Miles, C. J.C. J. Miles
G
 United States
Utah Jazz
Skyline High School (Dallas)
[62]

2005
2
35
Sánchez, RickyRicky Sánchez#
F
 Puerto Rico
Portland Trail Blazers
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
[63]

2005
2
40
Ellis, MontaMonta Ellis
G
 United States
Golden State Warriors
Lanier High School (Jackson, Mississippi)
[64]

2005
2
45
Williams, LouisLouis Williams
G
 United States
Philadelphia 76ers
South Gwinnett High School (Snellville, Georgia)
[65]

2005
2
49
Blatche, AndrayAndray Blatche
F
 United States
 Philippines3[›]
Washington Wizards
South Kent Preparatory School (South Kent, Connecticut)
[66]

2005
2
56
Johnson, AmirAmir Johnson
F
 United States
Detroit Pistons
Westchester High School (Los Angeles)
[67]

2015
2
52
Singh, SatnamSatnam Singh#
C
 India4[›]
Dallas Mavericks
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
[68]

2016
1
10
Maker, ThonThon Maker
F/C
 Sudan
 South Sudan
 Australia5[›]
Milwaukee Bucks
Orangeville District Secondary School (Orangeville, Ontario, Canada)6[›]
[69]

text:
^ 1: Reggie Harding played and graduated from Detroit Eastern High School in January but he played high school basketball in Nashville, Tennessee prior to the draft.[70][71]
^ 2: While Ndudi Ebi was originally born and raised in London, England, he also holds Nigerian nationality due to his parents being born and raised there.
^ 3: Andray Blatche was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and holds American nationality, but he had become a naturalized Filipino since June 2014 and has officially represented the Philippines since.
^ 4: Satnam Singh officially marks the first ever player to be taken from India in the NBA. He also marks the first time since 2005 after their latest ruling on high school players that someone directly from high school would be taken in the draft, albeit as a postgraduate senior.
^ 5: Thon Maker was born in Wau, Sudan at the time, but Wau has now since become a part of South Sudan instead due to war. Even then, though, he would be raised as an Australian representative.
^ 6: Thon Maker would become the first high schooler (and second overall high school postgraduate student) to be selected from the nation of Canada instead of somewhere in the United States of America. Also, while Thon attended classes at Orangeville Prep, he would play basketball games for the Athlete Institute nearby in Mono, Ontario as well.

text: Other players[edit]

text: The following players also played in the NBA or were drafted without playing college basketball; however, these players did not get drafted or join the NBA directly after their high school graduation.

text:
Year[b]
Debut[c]
Player
Pos.
Nationality
High school (city)
Notes
Ref.

—[d]
1946
Kappen, TonyTony Kappen
G
 United States
—[d]

Played in the ABL before making his BAA debut
The first player to play in the BAA/NBA without any college experience
Made his BAA debut at the age of 27

[72][73][74]

—[d]
1946
Simmons, ConnieConnie Simmons
F/C
 United States
Flushing High School (Flushing, New York)5[›]

The second player to play in the BAA/NBA without any college experience
Made his BAA debut at the age of 21

[75][76]

—[d]
1948
Graboski, JoeJoe Graboski
F/C
 United States
Tuley High School (Chicago)

The third and final player to play in the BAA before its merger as the NBA
Made his BAA debut at the age of 18

[77][78]

1960
1969
Hawkins, ConnieConnie Hawkins^
F/C
 United States
Boys High School (Brooklyn, New York)

Was permanently banned by the NBA due to a point shaving scandal in college, but was later reinstated in 1969
Attended University of Iowa
Played in the ABL and the ABA before making his NBA debut

[79][80][81]

1974
1976
Malone, MosesMoses Malone^
F/C
 United States
Petersburg High School (Petersburg, Virginia)

Drafted by the Utah Stars in the 1974 ABA Draft
Played in the ABA before the ABA–NBA merger

[82]

1988
1989
Kemp, ShawnShawn Kemp*
F/C
 United States
Concord High School (Elkhart, Indiana)

Attended University of Kentucky and Trinity Valley Community College
Drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1989 NBA draft (1st round, 17th pick)

[83][84]

1986
1992
Daniels, LloydLloyd Daniels
G
 United States
Andrew Jackson High School (Queens, New York)

Attended Mt. San Antonio College
Played in various minor basketball leagues before making his NBA debut

[85][86][87]

1993
1996
Hamilton, ThomasThomas Hamilton
C
 United States
Martin Luther King High School (Chicago)

Attended University of Pittsburgh
Declared for the 1994 NBA draft but went undrafted

[88][89]

1996
2000
Jackson, StephenStephen Jackson
F
 United States
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)

Attended Butler Community College
Drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 1997 NBA draft (2nd round, 43rd pick)

[90][91]

2001
2015
Huertas, MarceloMarcelo Huertas
G
 Brazil
 Italy
Coppell High School (Coppell, Texas)

Was born in Brazil and played for the Esporte Clube Pinheiros before moving to the U.S.A. around 2000.
Played senior year in Coppell High School before beginning his professional international career.
Went undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft.
Played in Brazil, Spain, and Italy before making his NBA debut in 2015.

[92]

2004
2005
Butler, JackieJackie Butler
F/C
 United States
Coastal Christian Academy (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Initially committed to Mississippi State University and, later on, the University of Tennessee
Declared for the 2004 NBA draft but went undrafted
Played in the CBA before making his NBA debut

[93][94][95]

2008
2009
Jennings, BrandonBrandon Jennings
G
 United States
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)

Initially committed to the University of Southern California and, later on, the University of Arizona
Played in the Italian league in the 2008–09 season
Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2009 NBA draft (1st round, 10th pick)

[96][97]

2009

Williams, LataviousLatavious Williams#
F
 United States
Christian Life Center Academy (Humble, Texas)

Initially committed to the University of Memphis
Played in the NBA D-League in the 2009–10 season
Drafted by the Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA draft (2nd round, 43rd pick)

[98][99]

2010
2011
Kanter, EnesEnes Kanter
F/C
 Turkey
Stoneridge Preparatory School (Simi Valley, California)

Previously played in both youth squads and professionally in Turkey
Moved to the U.S.A. in 2009 and played basketball in his senior year of high school
Attended the University of Kentucky, but was barred from playing due to his previous time spent in Turkey
Drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA draft (1st round, 3rd pick)

2010
2011
Tyler, JeremyJeremy Tyler
C
 United States
San Diego High School (San Diego)

Initially committed to the University of Louisville
Left high school after his junior year in 2009
Played in the Israeli league in the 2009–10 season
Played in the Japanese league in the 2010–11 season
Drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2011 NBA draft (2nd round, 39th pick)

[100][101]

2012
2013
Ledo, RickyRicky Ledo
G
 United States
South Kent High School (South Kent, Connecticut)

Attended Providence College
Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2013 NBA draft (2nd round, 43rd pick)

2013
2015
Felício, CristianoCristiano Felício
C
 Brazil
CCSE Prep Academy (Sacramento)

Was born in Brazil and played professionally there before moving in his senior year.
Tried to get a scholarship for the University of Oregon, but was deemed ineligible.
Returned to playing professionally in Brazil.

2014
2015
Mudiay, EmmanuelEmmanuel Mudiay
PG
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 United States
Prime Prep Academy (Dallas)

Initially committed to Southern Methodist University
Played in the Chinese professional league in the 2014–15 season
Drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 NBA draft (1st round, 7th pick)

2014
2016
Papagiannis, GeorgiosGeorgios Papagiannis
C
 Greece
Westtown School (West Chester, Pennsylvania)

Was born in Greece and played professionally for Peristeri at 14 before moving in his freshman year
Went to Westtown as a junior before moving back to Greece
Played professionally for the Panathinaikos while also attending the American School in Athens, Greece
Drafted by the Phoenix Suns and traded to the Sacramento Kings in the 2016 NBA draft (1st round, 13th pick)

text: ^ 5: Secondary source mentions that Connie Simmons attended Forest Hills High School (Queens, New York).[76]

text: Controversy[edit]

text: Despite the success of some high school players drafted, the entry of high school players into the NBA remains controversial. Critics say that high school players are not mentally and physically mature or prepared enough to handle the pressure of professional play. Thus, they are more likely to fail.[14][102] Instead, they believe that colleges are useful at filtering out players who can dominate against weak competition in high school, but cannot succeed at a higher level of play. They also think that the influx of high schoolers bypassing colleges in favor of the NBA has caused collegiate game to deteriorate. Universities are wary of spending time recruiting as many players that are motivated financially to turn pro fresh out of high school.[102][103]

text: On the other hand, proponents argue that there is no valid reason to exclude high school players. Michael McCann, writer of law article "Illegal Defense: The Irrational Economics of Banning High School Players from the NBA Draft", contends that players drafted straight out of high school can do as well as any other players in the NBA. The article finds that "on average, these [high school] players perform better in every major statistical category than does the average NBA player".[104] Others instead believe that the problem was due to the lack of established farm system in basketball until recently. In other major sports, such as baseball and hockey, it is common for young players to develop in their minor league systems.[102]