James began playing organized basketball in the fifth grade.[7] He later played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars.[2] The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, and Willie McGee.[3]: 24 The group dubbed themselves the "Fab Four" and promised each other that they would attend high school together.[4]: 27 In a move that stirred local controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a private Catholic school with predominantly white students.[8]