LeBron James

LeBron James faced many disadvantages in his young life. Growing up in Ohio as the only child of a 16-year-old single mother was just the beginning of his problems. Throughout his childhood his mother would be forced to leave him with more established families from time to time as she struggled to get on her feet and provide for him. Years of poverty included such hardships as staying in abandoned buildings, but gradually things began to turn around.

The struggling LeBron James and his mother were taken under the wing of a family that liked them and wanted to see that they didn’t come to any harm. Through their kindness and that of a man named Eddie Jackson, whom LeBron James came to see as a father figure, the two were able to survive. James started playing basketball at the age of nine, and by the time he was fourteen he could slam dunk with authority. A hard worker as well as a natural talent, LeBron kept up his academics in addition to a heavy practice schedule, in preparation for college.

As it turned out, college would not be in the cards for the talented young athlete, but it is safe to say that he probably doesn’t miss it much. After a high school career playing basketball and football, it was basketball that would hold James’ interest. By the time he graduated he was getting the kind of attention normally reserved for NCAA and NBA stars—hitting the covers of Sports Illustrated and getting picked up for national exposure on television. All the hype led to an astronomic set of promotional deals and certain status as first draft pick.

When he entered the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers at age 18 in 2003, he was already a made man. He has shown himself to be a stellar, versatile performer on the court and is already giving the likes of Kobe Bryant a run for the money. With a long career of achievement stretching ahead of him, basketball fans are expecting to see a lot more from the young star.