B L A C K H I S T O R Y M O N T H L e B r o n J a m e s LeBron Raymone James was born on December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio. He was the only child to his mother, Gloria James. Growing up, LeBron lived a poor life. That did not deter him from pursuing his dreams. He was a natural-born basketball player and was recognized many times for his achievements. During his junior year of high school, LeBron James was named PARADE magazine’s “High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year” and “Gatorade Player of the Year.” Throughout his professional career, James was awarded a number of honors. For example, in the 2003-2004 season, he became the first member of the Cavaliers to win the “NBA Rookie of the Year Award,” and he received this honor as a 20 year old man. He is currently signed on to the Los Angeles Lakers; however, LeBron James played for the Cleveland Cavaliers for a total of 11 seasons (ending in 2018). The Cleveland History Center is fortunate to house the LeBron James basketball shoes that he wore in the Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic game on March 18, 2016. The shoes are size 16 Nikes in the style “LeBron XIII.” The shoes were donated to the Cleveland History Center in January of 2017 by the LeBron James Family Foundation. The shoes themselves are mainly black with a white Nike swoop symbol on the sides and the top of the toes. There is a gold-like color for the rubber soles and toes on the shoes as well. Share what you find at: @CLEStartsHere | #CLEStartsHere F o r K i d s ! D r a w L e B r o n ' s S h o e s c o m p a r e d t o y o u r s : Share what you find at: @CLEStartsHere | #CLEStartsHere.