LeBron James has been invited to start the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend as his future with the Lakers is uncertain.
After Alain Delon in 1996, Brad Pitt in 2016 or even Rafael Nadal in 2018, LeBron James will give the start of the 24 hours of Le Mans on Saturday June 10, 2023 around 4 p.m. The best scorer in the history of the NBA will therefore have the honor of launching the 100th edition of the race, the attendance record of which will a priori be broken. And the “King” has even been entrusted with a major mission by the President of the Republic in person. “Make this moment iconic” asked Emmanuel Macron in a tweet. The interested party responded with another tweet “that he couldn’t wait any longer”.
His presence, however, will not attenuate the rumors around a possible end of career. The American, however, played in the Western Conference final with his Los Angeles Lakers franchise last May. His team finally lost 4 to 0. This defeat comes when he is 38 years old. So far the “King” has a very successful career. Its longevity commands respect. But the Angelinos winger had repeatedly expressed his wish to evolve with his son Bronny who joined the University of Southern California (USC) a few months ago.
LeBron James, 37 years old was born on December 30, 1984, city located in Akron in the state of Ohio in the United States. He was raised by his single mother, who gave birth at the age of 16. Very young, the native of Akron knows precariousness and has no father figure until the age of nine, when his mother, who is struggling to have a job and stable housing, authorizes him to live with Frank. Walker, local football coach to grow up in a healthier environment. At a very young age, LeBron James turned to American football where he excelled as a running back. but he discovers basketball thanks to his new family. For him, it’s a revelation. His performances did not go unnoticed in secondary school where he played with the Saint Vincent-Saint Mary team in Ohio, so much so that he tried to circumvent a rule obliging a player to finish his secondary school education before to be able to stand for the draft. LeBron James sees his request rejected but his last year in secondary school is very publicized where certain meetings are broadcast on television. Nicknamed “The Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated magazine, LeBron James appears as the heir to Michael Jordan. Eligible for the draft, he presented himself for the draft on April 25, 2003 where he was drafted in first position by the Cleveland Cavaliers, located an hour’s drive from Akron, the birthplace of “King James”.
LeBron James and Michael Jordan share opinions on the best player in history. When you look at the Lakers’ number 6 track record, he has enough to rival the six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP. Elected MVP four times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), LeBron James won the NBA Finals MVP four times (2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020) in addition to having won the NBA championship four times (2012 and 2013 with Miami, 2016 with Cleveland and 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers). “King James” was selected 18 times in the All-Star Game. During the 2016-2017 season, he received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award rewarding these charities. At only 25 years old, LeBron James was elected by Slam (magazine) among the 50 best players of all time in 2010, but also sportsman of the year in 2012 by Sports Illustrated. The Lakers player has been named the NBA’s best regular season team 13 times in addition to being voted player of the month 37 times in the Eastern Conference and twice in the Western Conference. LeBron James holds many records including that of being the only player in history to be in the top 10 of the best scorers (3rd), best passers (7th) and best interceptors (10th) in regular season history. of NBA. He is the only player in history to achieve at least 25 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game for 16 seasons. The native of Akron wants to break all records including that of the best scorer in NBA history where he is third behind Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and Karl Malone. The youngest player chosen in the first choice of a draft (at 18) is already the best scorer in the history of the playoffs.
Baskets like that, he put tens of thousands. But on the night of Tuesday February 7 to Wednesday February 8, 2023, LeBron James’ successful attempt in the third quarter of the match between the Los Angeles Lakers, his club, and Oklahoma City, allowing his team to pick up at 104-99 went down in history. Less than 11 seconds from the end of the quarter, the American basketball player has indeed become the best scorer in NBA history, scoring a two-point basket to reach a total of 38,388 points, passing another legend : Kareem Abdul Jabbar and his 38,387 points. Now, the record stands at 38,390, after a final basket, and will necessarily be further improved by the end of the season.
When LeBron James scored his basket, time froze. The match was suspended and a shower of tributes was then paid to the historic American basketball player. Many “showbiz” personalities have sent him congratulatory messages, such as Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna or even Drake. A message from President Joe Biden was even broadcast on giant screens. “Congratulations LeBron. You inspired the nation to be better. Keep it up,” the White House tenant said.
Proof, if more was needed, that everything was planned for LeBron James’ almost certain record in this match, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was himself present at the meeting and came to hand over the match ball to his successor. . History will still remember that LeBron James marked the NBA forever on a night of defeat, since Oklahoma won 133-130.
Since his arrival in the NBA during the 2003-2004 season, LeBron James has received nearly 350 million dollars, not counting this 2021-2022 season where he will earn more than 41 million dollars and his sponsors. James is under contract with Nike, Sprite, Microsoft mainly.
If there is one player in the NBA who does not have a well-defined position, it is LeBron James. The Lakers player can occupy all the positions of a major five, ranging from playmaker to pivot through the back, the winger and the strong winger. Impressive physically, the native of Akron measures 2m06.
In his NBA career, LeBron played more than 1,500 games, including just under 300 in the playoffs. Among all these meetings, LeBron James averages 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game.
Will the Lakers superstar end his career playing with his son? In any case, this is what he said in an interview on Saturday February 19, 2022: “Wherever Bronny is, that’s where I’ll be. I’ll do whatever it takes to play with my son for a year. And at this point, it’s not about the money,” said the American basketball player in an interview with The Athletic.
His 17-year-old son Bronny is a point guard for the Sierra Canyon School high school team in Los Angeles and will be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft, LeBron James will be 39 years old.