Lebron James

LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. His mother was Gloria James who was only 16 at the time. His father was Anthony McClelland. Gloria raised LeBron on her own.

Life was often a struggle for LeBron and his mother.

LeBron James, who has been called "the best high school player ever," is a creative dunker with the explosiveness of Jordan and the passing ability of Magic Johnson. Not since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a high schooler in the '60s has a high school sensation gotten so much exposure and generated so much excitement. He is known as a call showstopper" who has, during his tenure at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, exhibited the kind of fan-pleasing ability that will likely make him the NBA's No. 1 draft pick on June 26.

James, who has a 32-point scoring average and 3.75 grade-point average, is a cordial, sometimes engaging youngster who is characterized by his unselfishness on the court that's mixed with a bit of flamboyance. And it's those credentials that elevated him to the level where he was the focus of what was called the "Fantastic Scholastic LeBron James Tour," an 8,500-mile, cross-country road schedule that included stops in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Dayton and Greensboro, N.C.

But with so much attention devoted to James, it has created the sometimes circus-like environment that surrounds him. Even so, he has been able to handle it with the maturity of one who is much older than his 18 years. "Sometimes it's tough because you don't get to be a kid anymore. But I've chosen this lifestyle and you have to take it for what it is," he says. "I love every moment of it. I'd rather people know me as a great basketball player than see me on the news [and people] saying something bad that I did."

The McDonald's High School Player of the Year is a unique package of athletic ability and charisma that has enthralled spectators in ways not seen before at this level. This spring, for example, sellout crowds of 20,000 or more attended several All-Star games in which he played, and some paid upward of $85 to see him. There are nearly 1,100 LeBron James items listed on eBay. And when was the last time that a high schooler has generated so much excitement that his regular-season games were nationally televised? Earlier this year, James'