How good was LeBron James was in high school basketball? We take a look at his high school stats, career and highlights

LeBron James has already established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history and is squarely in the debate as the greatest basketball player of all time. The four-time NBA champion has carved out an amazing career since the Cleveland Cavaliers picked him with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft after he graduated from high school.

Now, after four NBA titles, four NBA Finals MVPs and four NBA MVPs, we're interested in studying LeBron James' high school career, one of the most impressive runs ever seen in the sport at that level.

LeBron James statistics in high school

Any diehard NBA fan can tell you LeBron James has been able to do it all during his professional career. He averages 27 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game in 19 seasons.

However, how did those numbers look during his high school career?

As a freshman, LeBron James averaged 21 points and 6.2 rebounds per game to lead St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio, to a state title.

LeBron James followed that run with averages of 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game as a sophomore on a team that won another state title and finished 26-1.

As a junior, LeBron James continued his unique run. He was selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team as a sophomore (the first sophomore to be selected) and averaged 29 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

LeBron James had established himself as the best high school basketball player in the country, and he even wanted to enter the 2002 NBA draft. He was named the National Player of the Year as a junior (the first junior to do so) and set up a big senior year.

As a senior, LeBron James exploded to put up 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, despite controversies over Ohio High School Athletic Association rules after taking a car gifted by his mother and some classic jerseys from a clothing store. He was initially declared ineligible but eventually served only a two-game suspension, and his team had to forfeit a win.

How good was LeBron James' career in high school?

Photo Credit: Eileen Blass | USA Today

LeBron James' career as a high school athlete was one of the greatest in sports history, as he was also an all-state wide receiver as a football player.

LeBron James became a household name at St. Vincent-St. Mary, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated and getting featured in Slam magazine. Some of the 'Fighting Irish' games were nationally televised by ESPN and were even sold to subscribers on pay-per-view deals.

LeBron James' high school career ranks among the greatest, if not the greatest, drawing comparisons with those of Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) at Power Memorial in New York City, Wilt Chamberlain at Overbrook High in Philadelphia or Kobe Bryant at Lower Merion near Philadelphia.

LeBron James' highest-scoring games in high school

LeBron James had several games that were extraordinary for a high school player. "The Chosen One" scored 52 points as a senior against LA Westchester, while also grabbing seven rebounds.

Also in his senior year, James put up another 50-point game, with 11 3-pointers (on 17 attempts) and nine rebounds against Mentor.

Photo Credit: NBA.com.

His highest-scoring game as a junior was a 43-point effort against Detroit Redford that also included nine rebounds and eight assists. LeBron James' first 40-point game came as a sophomore, when he had 41 against Benedictine after making 16 of his 20 shots from the field.

LeBron James' best scoring game from his freshman season was a 27-point outing in his fourth game. He later matched that number against Archbishop Hoban.

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