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Athletes to Watch
Country Sport Name
LeBron James
LeBron JamesUSA
Olympic Basketball
  • SPORT: Men's Basketball
  • COUNTRY: United States
  • DOB: Dec. 30, 1984
  • BIRTHPLACE: Akron, Ohio
  • HOMETOWN: Akron, Ohio
  • RESIDENCE: Cleveland, Ohio
  • HIGH SCHOOL: St. Vincent-St. Mary
  • HEIGHT: 6-foot-8
  • WEIGHT: 250 pounds
  • MORE COURT TIME: Superstar LeBron James will make his second Olympic appearance in Beijing, but expect him to spend more time on the court as opposed to the bench, where he spent most of his time in Athens. Following his rookie season in the NBA, James was among many late additions to the team, which failed to win the gold medal for the first time since 1988. He appeared in each of Team USA's eight games en route to the bronze medal, but averaged only 11.4 minutes and 5.4 points a game. After the tournament, USA Basketball changed its selection process to focus on younger and more devoted players, and James was one of the first stars to make the commitment. He was named a tri-captain for the 2006 World Championships, along with Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade.
  • MAKING PROGRESS: The U.S. men's basketball team again won bronze at the '06 Worlds, but James and the new wave of U.S. stars were at the forefront. Anthony (19.9), Wade (19.3) and James (13.9) led the team in scoring, and James was the team's leading rebounder (4.8) and second in assists (4.1). James again was Team USA's best all-around player at the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament, in which the U.S. went 10-0 to qualify for Beijing. James averaged 18.1 points and a team-best 4.7 assists while shooting 76 percent from the field (73-of-96).
  • GOLDEN GUARANTEE: During the 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, James made what few athletes do these days: an Olympic gold medal guarantee. "We will be Olympic champions this year," he told reporters, adding, "Four years ago, I wasn't put in the position I could care. I didn't get to go out and play the way I could. This time I'm a captain and I know we are going to be a very tough team to beat." James was selected an NBA All-Star in all but his rookie season, yet his first year was still a good one: After being selected No. 1 overall, he was named Rookie of the Year, becoming the youngest player ever to receive the award.
  • CHINA'S CHOSEN ONE: James could arguably be the most popular athlete at the Beijing Games. Basketball is fast becoming one of the most popular sports in China, and since James is widely considered the best player on the planet, Chinese fans have taken a liking to his game. In October 2007, Nike unveiled the latest version of James' signature shoe in China - as opposed to the U.S. - for the second time. His likeness can be seen on billboards all across the country and his jersey goes toe-to-toe in sales with China's own Yao Ming.
  • THE CHOSEN ONE: After witnessing the greatness of Michael Jordan, NBA fans wondered if there would ever be a player like him. James may be as close as it gets - and he knows it, evidenced by the "Chosen 1" tattoo that runs across the back of his shoulders. Jordan is the reason James wears the number 23 for the Cleveland Cavaliers, though James insists he's not trying to be like Mike. He says their games are very different, but James is already rivaling Jordan for the finest all-around NBA season ever. In 2007-08, James was the first player to average at least 30 points, 7.9 boards, 7.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in a season with a minimum of 70 games played. Jordan's finest was 1988-89: 32.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 2.9 steals and 0.8 blocked shots.
  • RISING STAR: Never before has a player come to the NBA from high school with the notoriety of James, and he lived up to the expectations. The 19-year-old James helped Cleveland more than double its victory total, from 17 to 35, and became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a game when he put up 41 against New Jersey. He finished the season among the top five rookies in all major statistical categories, leading in steals (1.65 per game) while placing second in scoring (20.9 points per game), third in assists (5.9 per game) and fifth in rebounding (5.5 per game). He joined Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only rookies in NBA history to average more than 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.
  • SIMPLY THE BEST: There was never any doubt about James being the best high school player in America in 2003. He was named the National High School Player of the Year and the Parade High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year as both a junior and senior, becoming the first repeat winner in the 47-year history of the award. He was also named the USA Today and Gatorade Player of the Year during both his junior and senior seasons. A three-time Ohio Mr. Basketball, James led St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron to three state championships in his four high school seasons. For his career, James totaled 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 532 assists.
  • MULTI-TALENTED: James also played football at St. Vincent-St. Mary until quitting his senior year to concentrate on basketball. A first-team all-state wide receiver as a sophomore, James helped the Irish reach the state semifinals his junior year.
  • Courtesy nbcolympics.com
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