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Who is LeBron's mother Gloria Marie James? NBA star FaceTimes her while puffing cigar after championship win

One visual that went viral after the Los Angeles Lakers' win was LeBron James puffing on a cigar while video-calling his mother, Gloria Marie James

LeBron James was named the 2020 Finals MVP for the fourth time in his NBA career after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to their first championship victory in a decade. The superstar, who inched closer to breaking Michael Jordan's record, won the fourth title of his career with a 106-93 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Winning his fourth Finals MVP moves James out of a tie with Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal, who each have three, and into second place all-time trailing only Michael Jordan, who won the award six times.

The official NBA handle tweeted about James' achievements saying, "4x NBA CHAMPION. 4x #NBAFinals MVP. 1st player in NBA history to win NBA Finals MVP with 3 different franchises."

James – who won Finals MVP in 2012 and 2013 with the Heat, and in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers – is the first player in NBA history to win the award with three franchises! Talking about the win post-game, James said, "I put myself, my body and my mind in position to be available to my teammates. I've never missed a playoff game in my career, and the best thing you can do for your teammates is be available. And for me to be available to my teammates and put in the work, I just hope I make my guys proud, and that's all that matters to me. I make my guys proud, make the fan base proud. My family back home, I can't wait to get back home to them. Akron, Ohio, we did it again. And that's what it's all about."

One of the visuals that has been going viral after the Lakers' win is James puffing on a cigar while video calling his mother, Gloria Marie James. The video was tweeted by noted NBA journalist Ben Golliver with the caption, "Lakers’ LeBron James celebrates fourth title with a cigar & FaceTime." Golliver next tweeted, "Lakers’ LeBron James to Gloria James after winning fourth title: "There’s nothing that can stop me. This s**t right here is nothing compared to the s**t you had to go through. God is good. I hope I continue to make you proud, mom."

Another Twitter user shared the special moment between James and his mother and wrote, "I hope I continue to make you proud, Mom". LeBron James shares a special moment with his mother after winning his fourth championship."

Who is Gloria Marie James?

LeBron James has, multiple times throughout his career, credited his mother for all the success he's achieved. Gloria Marie James – born February 4, 1968 in Akron, Ohio – got pregnant with LeBron James when she was just 16-years-old. James, born on December 30, 1984, was raised by a single mother as his biological father, Anthony McCelland, was never involved in his life. Gloria raised James with help of his grandmother Freda James but, unfortunately, Freda passed away when James was only three-years-old. Gloria, who was 19 at the time of Freda's passing, faced a lot of problems raising her son as a single mother.

Unable to find a steady source of income, Gloria and James moved from one apartment to another for several years. She hadn't graduated high school and finding steady employment was proving to be difficult. Then, when James was nine-years-old, Gloria made an extremely difficult decision and sent her son away to live with Frank Walker, his football coach at the time. It was Walker who introduced James to basketball.

In 2003, months before LeBron made it to the NBA, Gloria gifted him a $50,000 Hummer H2 for his 18th birthday which she reportedly took out for a loan. This caused a controversy within the Ohio High School Athletic Association that launched an investigation into the lavish gift. However, nothing came of it. Then, within a few years, the incredibly talented James experienced immense rise to fame changing his own and Gloria's, life forever.

Gloria has been by her son's side throughout his NBA career; and they remain close to this day. Gloria is also extremely close to her grandchildren helping her son and daughter-in-law Savannah raise their three children: Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri.