LeBron James is a current NBA Player who is often thought of as one of the best players in basketball history. Though his success may seem great and many aspire to be like him, his childhood was anything but glamorous. Growing up on the tough streets of Akron, Ohio, James was born to a teenage mother who was only 16; James’s father left her at birth which meant she was the only person that could take care of him. Since it was hard for his mother to find a steady job, the family was constantly on the move until one day, James’s mother decided he could move in with a local youth football coach. He would later be introduced to basketball in fifth grade and soon joined an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team. James would later go to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and finally get the attention he deserved; he was selected to play on the varsity team and the ALL-USA first team. During his senior year, he was the main figure for a bit of controversy. He violated many rules which almost ended his NCAA and high school basketball career, but was able to appeal and finish school. By the time he graduated, he would play in the Division II tournament and come out victorious with the championship win. 

In 2003, James officially began his professional career when he was drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall pick. James’s first regular season game proved why he was drafted so early as he ended the game with 25 points which set a record for the most points scored by a prep-to-pro player. Throughout the years, James would slowly rise towards superstardom and at his peak, he made an extremely controversial decision. In 2010, he signed with the Miami Heat with two other offensive weapons: Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. Though the team didn’t find success at the start, they slowly started building more team chemistry and ended up winning back-to-back championships. After many wins and losses, James announced in 2018 that he was leaving the Miami Heat to join the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers, James would go on to win his fourth championship. Though LeBron James’s career may look like a made-up story, it shows that you can do anything if you put your blood, toil, tears, and sweat into it.