Josh MSMPS Research PaperLebron James, a basketball icon probably throughout the world, is simply a freak athlete on the basketball court that every NBA team wishes they could have. His path from basketball to the NBA wasn't easy, but with his work ethic and perseverance, there was no way he would stop. The life he lived as a child was similar to that of some with family problems, but with basketball he was a high school celebrity living a life that not every athlete that age can. Lebron James, born December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio. Life was often a struggle for LeBron and his mother. Gloria battled personal problems throughout much of her childhood. Some of this was caused by the death of his mother, who died when LeBron was an infant and his father was an ex-con who did not want to be a father, so Mrs. James was single-handedly raising Lebron as a single mother. The only problem was that Lebron's mother couldn't provide as much due to his financial situation, so he was taken in by his fourth grade Pee-Wee football coach, Frankie Walker. Embarrassed by his home life, he did not make friends easily. And he thought he wanted to do well in school, concentrating on his studies was difficult. He found an outlet for his emotions and intelligence in sports. His favorite sports were football and basketball. For LeBron, another benefit of living with the Walkers was his friendship with Frankie Jr. The two ran with four other kids: Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee and Romeo Travis. Together they formed a formidable team on the basketball court and began to gain recognition in Akron. They soon all formed an AAU team called the "Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars" and began killing the competition left and right. His team... in the center of the card... bounces. His shooting average improved to a career-best 48.9%. His astounding numbers earned him the MVP award that year for the regular season. When the MVP voting came around, no one was surprised when LeBron walked away with the award for the first time. He was also named to the All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA First Team for the second consecutive season. In the 2009-10 season, it was a game 5 whether or not Lebron James would stay in Cleveland or leave as he was in the headlines for free agency this upcoming summer. Lebron James, now 10-time All Star 25× NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month, 45× NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, 6× NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, 2-time NBA Champion, 2-time NBA MVP NBA finals and 4-time regular season MVP, this upcoming free agency will once again be talked about.