Whether or not you think LeBron James is really the GOAT when it comes to basketball, you can't deny that he's truly one of the best. He's been in 10 NBA finals, has won the NBA Cup, and scored TWO Olympic gold medals - not to mention all his MVP awards! But even if you're already a fan, there's some stuff you might not know! Read on to learn all about King James' victories, firsts, and how much sleep he needs each night!

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1. He's been famous since high school!

LeBron started playing American football and basketball as a child. He was REALLY good at, and was drafted into professional basketball straight out of high school. He appeared on the cover of American magazine Sports Illustrated at the age of 17 - before he even graduated!

2. A broken wrist changed his life

LeBron played both basketball and American football as a teen, but he was forced to give up on his football dream after an injury. LeBron broke his wrist aged 18 - and if you've ever broken a bone, you know it takes time for it to mend properly. LeBron had to pick between the two sports while his wrist healed up, and he went with basketball. He was a great football player, though - some football experts think that if he'd continued playing football, he might have been drafted to the NFL!

3. He needs his sleep!

Sleep is very important to living a healthy lifestyle, and LeBron knows it! He says he always gets a solid 8-9 hours each night, and will take naps during the day as needed. It's definitely true that you need to sleep to stay healthy, and if you do a lot of vigorous exercise you'll also need to rest to keep your body happy. LeBron believes in self-care generally - he spends a lot of money on good food, physical therapy and personal trainers. He's not totally clean though - he really enjoys desserts, for one!

4. He married his high-school sweetheart

LeBron married his wife, Savannah Brinson, in 2013 - but they've actually been together since high school! She was a cheerleader, and says that she knew they had something special when she accidentally left some food in his car and he brought it straight to her. She thinks he was looking for an excuse to see her again - awww!

5. He's ambidextrous!

Ambidexterity is when a person can use both of their hands equally. Most of us are left- or right-handed, but ambidextrous people can use either hand to write, hold their forks, or shoot some hoops! If you watch LeBron play, you'll notice he uses his right hand to shoot - but when he's off the court, he uses his left hand to do everything else. Being ambidextrous is useful for sports players in all disciplines, and lots of other basketball players also shoot right-handed despite being left-handed.

6. His kids are also basketball players

LeBron has three kids, and the two oldest are also basketball stars! LeBron Jr. (Bronny) and Bryce are still young, but they're already tearing up the courts, playing on a preofessional level in their teens. LeBron says it was maybe a mistake to name his first son after himself as it meant Bronny had a lot to live up to, but he more than rose to the challenge! Bronny was already being scouted for college basketball at the age of 10, though LeBron thought that shouldn't be allowed. LeBron says he wants to keep playing into his forties so he can play alongside his sons.

7. He has a lot of tattoos

LeBron has around 28 tattoos, all representing special things in his life. A tattoo on his back reading "CHOSEN 1" was done when LeBron was still in high school, to celebrate his Sports Illustrated cover. He had several other tattoos as a teen, but was forced to cover them up for high school basketball games. He also has tattoos to honour his mother, his hometown, his children, his wife, and even his favourite film, Gladiator!

8. He loves the number 6

LeBron has worn the number 23 on his sports jersey out of respect to his idol, Michael Jordan, but he can also often be seen wearing the number 6. He's said it's to honour his sons - Bronny was born on the 6th of October, and Bryce was born in June.

9. He lived with his coach as a teenager

LeBron's mother Gloria was only sixteen when she had him, and the family struggled a lot when LeBron was young, with money, homelessness, and the death of Gloria's mother. When LeBron was nine he was spotted by a youth football coach, Bruce Kelker, and the family moved in with him for a year. Later he moved in with another coack, Frank Walker, who introduced him to basketball.

10. He was the first black man on the cover of Vogue

LeBron was only the third man to ever apper on the cover of women's fashion magazine Vogue, after Richard Gere and George Clooney, and he was the first black man to ever make the cover! His 2008 portrait was with supermodel Gisele Bundchen, but it attracted criticism as some people thought it deliberately made LeBron look brutish and monstrous, which is a negative stereotype of black men. He's appeared on countless other magazine covers, including multiple Sports Illustrated covers since his first one in high school.

11. He's an activist

Off the court LeBron uses his money and influence to help other people. He does a lot of work in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he's established a charity, the LeBron James Family Foundation, who established a public elementary school and a medical centre in Akron. LeBron also partnered with the University of Akron to provide scholarships to children, and is an active supporter of many charities, especially ones that help children. He's also very politically active, using his platform to speak out against racism and police brutality. In 2016 he gave $2.5 million to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, in support of an exhibit about boxing champion Muhammad Ali.

12. He owns a football team

Well, not entirely, but he's got some shares! LeBron is a minority stakeholder in Liverpool FC, owning a 2% stake. He's also collabed with the club to make a sportswear collection!

13. He shares some records with Michael Jordan

If you know anything about basketball, you know that Michael Jordan might just be the GOAT. He's widely regarded as the best NBA player of all-time, winning six titles with the Chicago Bulls during his fifteen seasons as a player. But as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history LeBron is a serious challenger for the title, though fans are still debating. Here's an interesting fact though - they share a unique record 20 years apart! They're both Olympic gold medallists, and both won the NBA MVP award and the Finals MVP award in the same year! That's not the only thing they have in common though...

14. He's a movie star!

LeBron's best-known film role is in Space Jam: A New Legacy, the 2021 sequel to 1996 sports comedy Space Jam - which starred Michael Jordan! The film sees LeBron joining the Looney Tunes to build the best basketball team in the Warner Bros. multiverse. LeBron also had a voice acting role in Smallfoot alongside Channing Tatum, James Corden and Zendaya; and he's hosted American comedy show Saturday Night Live and played himself in SpongeBob Squarepants!

15. He's TALL

All professional basketball players are very tall, and LeBron is no exception, standing at an incredible 6ft 9in! In comparison, Michael Jordan only reached 6ft 6in. LeBron's still short of the tallest ever MBA player though, Romanian Gheorghe Mureșan, who stands at 7ft 7in!