James made his first trip to the NBA Finals in his fourth year in the league. [80] During this time, he was contacted by several teams, including the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, and Cavaliers. [263] 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 used by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in the 2007 Finals, where James converted on only 36 percent of his field goals in four games. [334] Despite their affection for James, Cleveland fans and critics were frequently annoyed when he sported a Yankees hat when he attended Cleveland Indians baseball games versus the New York Yankees. ", "LeBron James' Kids: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", "LeBron James and Savannah Brinson are engaged", "Miami heat: LeBron James buys $9M mansion in Coconut Grove, Fla", "LeBron James Snags Brentwood Mansion for $21 Million", "LeBron recalls Melo ocean rescue ahead of series", "LeBron James Recalls Rescuing Carmelo Anthony During Bahamas Vacation", "The Dirty Diet Behind LeBron James' Supernatural Rig", "LeBron James is the 'face' of the NBA, but is Stephen Curry next? In 2015, he appeared in the film Trainwreck. [224] James and teammate Danny Green also became the third and fourth players in league history to win at least one championship with three different teams each. [425] He has worn his clothing in a show of support several times. The first NBA Finals for LeBron James. It is hosted on Bleacher Report and is used by several other athletes including Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski and San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman. LeBron James made even more history this season by becoming the first player to win Finals MVP with three separate teams. [18] James appealed the ruling and his penalty was eventually dropped to a two-game suspension, allowing him to play the remainder of the year. [232][233], 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. [62][298] His teams have appeared in the Finals ten times and won four championships. "[316] Referring to James as the best challenger to Jordan's status as the greatest basketball player of all time, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports stated that "the margin for error where Jordan is involved is overwhelmingly slim" and that "in the rings-obsessed basketball discourse", Jordan having more titles and an "unblemished Finals record holds significant weight. [141] Despite these struggles, the Heat advanced to the Finals for a meeting with the Spurs,[142] signifying a rematch for James from his first Finals six years earlier. [63] In Miami, he developed into a more versatile defensive player, and the Heat relied on him to guard all five positions. He was already a Cav when LeBron returned last July. “This right here is the happiest day of my life,” James said. [232][237] 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. [219] In the Finals, James and his teammates found themselves matched up with his former team, the Heat, and quickly took control of the series with a 2–0 lead. Widely considered one of the greatest NBA players in history, James is frequently compared to Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball player of all time. 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