James was born on October 6, 2004 to NBA All-Star player LeBron James, age 19, and his longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson. James was raised by both of his parents. championship parade after his father helped the team win the title As a child, James played several sports including basketball and soccer, but his father did not allow him to play American football or ice hockey over safety concerns. By 2014, James was featuring in basketball highlight reels that drew national attention. In February 2018, James guided Old Trail School in Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio, where he attended middle school, to an Independent School League tournament win. James competed with various Amateur Athletic Union basketball teams before high school. At age nine, he played for the Miami City Ballers at a fourth grade AAU tournament while being observed by Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari. In June 2015, James led the Gulf Coast Blue Chips AAU team to a fourth grade championship at the League Dallas/Hype Sports Summer Jam. In March 2018, he helped the North Coast Blue Chips capture a John LucasAll-Star Weekend title in Houston. On April 2, 2018, his Blue Chips finished undefeated and claimed the under-13 championship at the NY2LA Swish 'N Dish tournament in Wisconsin. In June, James represented the same team at the Jr. National Basketball Association Midwest Championships against ninth grade opponents and advanced to the quarterfinals. In April 2019, despite being younger than most of the competition at age 14, he joined AAU team Strive for Greatness at the under-16 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in Indianapolis, where he faced a number of highly coveted recruits and drew praise from scouts. On August 6, 2018, James enrolled at Crossroads School, a privateK–12 school in Santa Monica, California. California state rules prevented him from immediately joining the varsity team because he was in eighth grade. On December 3, 2018, in his first game for the school, James scored 27 points in a 61–48 victory over Culver City Middle School.
High school career
On May 29, 2019, James transferred to Sierra Canyon School, a private K–12 school in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, for his freshman year of high school. He joined the school with his brother Bryce and incoming senior Zaire Wade, son of basketball player Dwyane Wade, a longtime teammate of James' father. In the following months, James was followed to Sierra Canyon by five-star recruits, BJ Boston and Ziaire Williams. Entering the season, the team was considered one of the best in high school basketball, with ESPN networks airing 15 of its games. On November 21, 2019, James made his high school debut, scoring 10 points off the bench in a blowout win over Montgomery High School. On December 14, James scored 15 points, including a go-ahead layup, and was named game most valuable player in a victory over his father's alma mater, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. On January 15, 2020, he scored a season-high 17 points in a win over Viewpoint School. As a freshman, James averaged 4.1 points in 15 minutes per game and was Sierra Canyon's only player to appear in all 34 games of the season.
Recruiting
When James was nine years old, Ohio State Buckeyes coach Thad Matta joked, "He'll be on the recruiting radar... I need to offer him a scholarship." In February 2015, it was revealed that James had already received basketball scholarship offers from colleges, although the specific names were not announced. His father commented, "It should be a violation, you shouldn't be recruiting 10-year-old kids." In June 2016, ESPN reported that he held offers to play college basketball for Kentucky and Duke.
Player profile
James stands and can play the point guard and shooting guard positions. He has a "smooth shooting stroke" and is an adept ball handler and passer. Scouts have additionally commended his "feel for the game" and poise on the basketball court.
Personal life
James has a younger brother Bryce, born in 2007, and a younger sister Zhuri, born in 2014. His godfather is basketball player Chris Paul, who is a ten-time NBA All-Star. James has worn the number 0 jersey as inspiration from his favorite NBA player Russell Westbrook. Entering eighth grade, he switched to a number 23 jersey in honor of his father's number.
