LeBron James is in the NBA as a player.
2012 NBA Finals . Heat forward LeBron James was named the Finals MVP . The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 2015 -- 16 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs . LeBron Raymone James ( [ ləˈbrɒn ] born December 30 , 1984 ) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . James spent four seasons with the Heat , reaching the Finals all four years and winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 . The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association ( NBA ) honor given since the 1968 -- 69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season .