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Eight-time NBA All-Star, LeBron James is Sports Illustrated 2012 Sportsman of the Year.

Paul Fichtenbaum, Editor of Time Inc.’s Sports Group asaid, “He was the most dominant athlete this year – MVP of the NBA regular season,  MVP of the NBA playoffs, led the Heat to the NBA championship and Team USA to  the gold medal in London.

James joins such past Sportsman of the Year athletes as teammate Dwayne Wade, Brett Favre, Michael Phelps, Derek Jeter and Drew Brees.

Fichtenbaum says, “The intangibles [James] brought to the court were significant in leading his  teams to victory. He was a selfless player, doing whatever it took to will the  Heat and Team USA, making all of his teammates better”.

James off-court charitable endeavors also contributed to his new title. The basketball player  and dad to LeBron  Jr., 8, and Bryce, 5, with finacée Savannah Brinson – established a program to benefit children in Akron, Ohio.

Fichtenbaum says: “The program he built and developed in [the] Akron school  district for young kids had a profound effect on children who ordinarily might  fall through the cracks of an educational system,” he says. “He didn’t just lend  his name to a cause, he was directly involved.”