USA Basketball Names LeBron James 2012 Male Athlete Of The Year
Team to a gold medal, the USA Men’s National Team to an unblemished 5-0 exhibition record and the Miami Heat to the 2012 NBA Championship, LeBron James was named the 2012 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.
F James is one of just two players
in the history of the game to win MVP, the NBA Championship and the Olympics in the same year, along with Michael Jordan. “It’s an honor that I have been
named the 2012 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year,” James said. “It’s always an honor to represent my country. I never do it to be recognized or to receive an award, I do it because I love my country and the game of basketball. It is an honor to be recog- nized with this award, it’s humbling.” Starting in all eight Olympic wins
for the USA, James averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, a team-high 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 60.3 percent from the field July 29–Aug. 12 in London. “LeBron was the central figure on
this team,” said Mike Krzyzewski, USA and Duke head coach. “He was our leader, our best player, our playmaker. He led us in assists, 45 assists and only eight turnovers, and he did that having just won an NBA championship, being MVP of the finals and of the league, so he was very unselfish. I thought he really showed amazing leadership. His ability to communicate with everyone, that means players and coaches, and get us all on the same page was really incredible. I’m so proud of him.” James is now one
Year
of three U.S. players to participate in three Olympics. He owns
10
Playing in his third Olympics, LeBron James helped the USA to a gold medal finish averaging 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, a team-high 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 60.3 percent from the field.
two Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012) and one bronze (2004). “LeBron is very deserving of this
award, and USA Basketball is proud to celebrate his performance in 2012, as well as his commitment to playing for his country,” said Jim Tooley, USA
Year Athlete
2012 LeBron James 2011
ollowing a year in which he helped lead the 2012 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball
Basketball Executive Director/ CEO. “He was a great teammate during the Olympics, and his lead- ership was invaluable to the team’s success.” USA Basketball’s Male Athlete
of the Year Award was established in 1980 to recognize a USA Basketball athlete who, during the year of the award, made a sig-
nificant impact on the success of his team’s performance. The USA Basketball Board of Directors is responsible for selecting USA Basketball’s annual awards. Among all competitors at the
2012 Olympic Games, James ranked No. 2 in assists (45), No. 7 in assists averaged (1.4) and No. 9 in points (106) and field goal percentage (.603). With the USA trailing Lithuania
82-80 in the fourth quarter of prelimi- nary round play, James scored nine of his 20 points in the last four minutes to help the U.S. to a hard-fought 99-94 win. In the quarterfinal game against
Australia on Aug. 8, James finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists for the first triple-double in
USA Basketball Male Athlete Of The Year Award Recipients Athlete
Jabari Parker
2010 Kevin Durant 2009 James McAdoo 2008 2008 USA Senior National Team 2007 Jason Kidd 2006 Carmelo Anthony 2005 Shelden Williams 2004 Sean May / Chris Paul 2003 Tim Duncan 2002 Reggie Miller 2001 Chris Duhon 2000 Alonzo Mourning 1999 Gary Payton 1998 Elton Brand 1997 Earl Boykins 1996 Scottie Pippen
1995 Ray Allen 1994 Shaquille O’Neal 1993 Michael Finley 1992 1992 U.S. Olympic Team 1991 Christian Laettner 1990 Alonzo Mourning 1989 Larry Johnson 1988 Dan Majerle 1987 Danny Manning 1986 David Robinson 1985 Chuck Person 1984 Michael Jordan / Sam Perkins 1983 Michael Jordan 1982 Glenn Rivers 1981 Kevin Boyle 1980 Isiah Thomas
U.S. Olympic history and just the second triple-double in the Olympics overall (since assists were kept as an official statistic in 1976). His 12 assists tied the all-time U.S. Olympic single-game high, and his 14 rebounds tied the overall 2012 Olympic single-game high.
In the gold medal
game against Spain on Aug. 12, James tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and a team- high four assists. In the U.S.
Olympic career record book, James is tied with David Robinson for most games played (24) and lists No. 1 in points scored (273), field goals made (113) and assists (88), as well as
Continued on page 14 USA Basketball News
Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images
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