at what age did lebron james enter the nba
LeBron James Upon entering the NBA as a 19-year-old rookie, James made an immediate offensive impact and led the Cavaliers in scoring.[253][254] He holds numerous "youngest to" distinctions, including being the youngest player to score 28,000 career points.[e] During his first stint in Cleveland, he was primarily used as an on-ball point forward. His shooting tendencies were perimeter-oriented,[122] and he established himself as one of the best slashers and finishers in basketball; he led the NBA in three-point plays in 2006.[259] His combination of speed, quickness, and size often created matchup problems for opposing teams as he was capable of blowing by larger defenders and overpowering smaller ones.[260] These qualities became more apparent in transition, where he developed a reputation for grabbing defensive rebounds and then beating the defense downcourt for highlight-quality baskets.[261] Around this time, James was frequently criticized for not having developed a reliable jump shot or post game.[262] Teams would try to exploit these weaknesses by giving him space in the half court and forcing him to settle for three-pointers and long two-pointers, a strategy famously utilized by Spurs coach Greg Popovich in the 2007 Finals, where James converted on only 36 percent of his field goals in four games.[263]