Known early in his career and throughout the sports world as “King James,” LeBron James is an American professional basketball player. LeBron James was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. His rise to fame started there as his high school basketball games became the first high school basketball games to be aired on television. He was drafted by the Cavaliers soon after and played seven seasons with them.
Even though he enjoyed his time playing for Cleveland, LeBron James felt that he needed to win a championship in order to be truly successful, something he could not seem to accomplish with the Cavaliers. He decided to become a free agent. He chose to join the Miami Heat. LeBron James played for Miami four years. He succeeded in making it to the playoffs every year and winning two championships. James decided in 2014 to move back to Ohio and play for the Cavaliers again. However, he would not bring a title to Cleveland until 2016.
Outside of the NBA, LeBron James has played for the Olympic team, winning two gold medals. James is also a generous philanthropist who donates large portions of his income from endorsement deals and playing basketball to help children through organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of America. Likewise, he is just as generous with his political opinions and his stance on social issues in America. He has never been afraid of stepping forward to raise his voice from a place of privilege to help others. LeBron James has made a significant impact on American basketball and culture.
Lebron James Quotes
Here are some of his most memorable quotes:
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- “You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed – you’re not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that.”– LeBron James
- “I never get too high on my stardom or what I can do.”– LeBron James
- “”Once you become a professional athlete or once you do anything well, then you’re automatically a role model …I have no problem being a role model. I love it. I have kids looking up to me and hopefully I inspire these kids to do good things.”– LeBron James
- “But sports carried me away from being in a gang or being associated with drugs. Sports was my way out.”– LeBron James
- “I like criticism. It makes you strong.”– LeBron James
- “When you work out, or you’re doing anything active, it’s more fun as a group. You may lose track of the time, and the next thing you know, you’re working out for two hours because you’re having fun.”– LeBron James
- “I hear that word pressure all the time. There is a lot of pressure put on me, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I feel if I play my game, it will take care of itself.” — LeBron James
- “As a professional athlete, a lot is going to be said about you – but I just try to move forward and try to achieve my goals.”– LeBron James
- “Once you get on the playing field it’s not about whether you’re liked or not liked. All that matters is to play at a high level and do whatever it takes to help your team win. That’s what it’s about.”– LeBron James
- “Commitment is a big part of what I am and what I believe. How committed are you to winning? How committed are you to being a good friend?”– LeBron James
- “Sometimes in the past when I played, something might make me lose focus, or I would go home after a game where I thought I could have played better and I would let it hang over my head for a long time when it shouldn’t. But now, being a parent, I go home and see my son and I forget about any mistake I ever made or the reason I’m upset. I get home and my son is smiling or he comes running to me. It has just made me grow as an individual and grow as a man.”– LeBron James
- “I feel my calling here goes above basketball.”– LeBron James
- “You know, my family and friends have never been yes-men: ‘Yes, you’re doing the right thing, you’re always right.’ No, they tell me when I’m wrong, and that’s why I’ve been able to stay who I am and stay humble.”– LeBron James
- “I always say, decisions I make, I live with them. There’s always ways you can correct them or ways you can do them better. At the end of the day, I live with them.”– LeBron James
- “To being trustworthy? To being successful? How committed are you to being a good father, a good teammate, a good role model? There’s that moment every morning when you look in the mirror: Are you committed, or are you not?”– LeBron James
- “I’m going to use all my tools, my god-given ability, and make the best life I can with it.”– LeBron James
- “I don’t need too much. Glamour and all that stuff don’t excite me. I’m just glad I have the game of basketball in my life.”– LeBron James”
- I hate letting my teammates down. I know I’m not going to make every shot. Sometimes I try to make the right play, and if it results in a loss, I feel awful. I don’t feel awful because I have to answer questions about it. I feel awful in that locker room because I could have done something more to help my teammates win.”– LeBron James
- “I think, team first. It allows me to succeed, it allows my team to succeed.”– LeBron James
- Ask me to play; I’ll play. Ask me to shoot; I’ll shoot. Ask me to pass; I’ll pass. Ask me to steal, block out, sacrifice, lead, dominate, anything. But it’s not just what you ask of me. It’s what I ask of myself.”– LeBron James
- “I treated it like every day was my last day with a basketball.”– LeBron James
- “I hear my friends and my mom tell me I’m special, but honestly, I still don’t get it.”– LeBron James
- “My game is really played above time. I don’t say that like I’m saying I’m ahead of my time. I’m saying, like, if I’m on the court and I throw a pass, the ball that I’ve thrown will lead my teammate right where he needs to go, before he even knows that that’s the right place to go to.”– LeBron James
- “I laugh and joke, but I don’t get distracted very easily.”– LeBron James
- “If you put everything together as far as my mind, my body, my game. If you put everything in one bottle, this is probably the best I’ve been.”– LeBron James
- “Warren Buffett told me once and he said always follow your gut. When you have that gut feeling, you have to go with don’t go back on it.”– LeBron James
- “I think the reason why I am who I am today is because I went through those tough times when I was younger.”– LeBron James
- “I’m confident with my ability.”– LeBron James
- “I do have motivation. A lot of motivation.”– LeBron James
- “The first time I stepped on an NBA court I became a businessman.”– LeBron James
- “Every night on the court I give my all, and if I’m not giving 100 percent, I criticize myself.”– LeBron James
- “I make impact plays. I make game-changing plays.”– LeBron James
- “I love showcasing my talents – not only to my hometown fans and my own team but to the world.”– LeBron James
- “There are always people always asking you for something. But I feel like I have a foundation. I have a supporting cast where it doesn’t bother me too much.”– LeBron James
- “I’ve always been an unselfish guy, and that’s the only way I know how to play on the court and I try to play to the maximum of my ability – not only for myself but for my teammates.”– LeBron James
Related: Phil Jackson Quotes – another NBA Legend! And many great Jeremy Lin Quotes to read also.
We hope these Quotes from LeBron inspired you this week!
LeBron James is a great role model for young kids and athletes. His successful rise from a rough childhood to a NBA superstar through his God-given ability and hard work teaches us the value of what’s inside us over our circumstances. James’ mother was only 16 when he was born and his father was an ex-con who was never around. But that didn’t stop LeBron from striving for a better life. The people closest to him also motivated him to pursue something different and greater for himself.
Now, LeBron James is doing the same for thousands of other children all over the country who need someone motivate them. His hard work, ethics, and generosity are qualities that we can all admire and strive for. What motivates you? Take a lesson from LeBron James and use your abilities to do the best in this world that you can. Be a game-changer. Share your favorite quote from LeBron James to inspire yourself and others to do better!
LeBron James Video – Top 10 Plays of his career
This is a great summary from the NBA of some of LeBron’s top 10 plays. Watch it right now and you will appreciate LeBron even more!
If you like basketball and video games, be sure to see our NBA Jams Quotes Collection too.
Image Credit: Keith Allison / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)
I’m Alice Judy and AnQuotes is a fun hobby for me. We know that everyone loves a great quote and our mission here is simple – to be the best and most interesting quote site in the world! If you have quotes you would like us to cover, please contact us.
