The biggest moments of LeBron James’ career so far

LeBron James was a star the minute he stepped onto the hardwood floor at St. Mary-St. Vincent High School. When word spread about his God-given talent, James filled arenas nightly and garnered national media attention. Put under so much pressure at such a young age, James put on for Akron, Ohio, outside of Cleveland. His highlight reel had NBA teams drooling at the chance to draft him. He was named the McDonald’s All-American Game MVP in 2003 and led St. Mary-St. Vincent to three division titles in four years.

Just a kid from Akron, Ohio, LeBron was touted as a generational prospect when he graduated high school. LeBron opted out of college and made himself eligible for the 2003 NBA Draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted their hometown hero with the first overall pick. Hailed as The Chosen One who’d bring the Cavaliers to glory, expectations were to the moon for LeBron. 

Entering the NBA as the most-hyped high school draft prospect of all time, LeBron joined a draft class featuring Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony.

On October 29, 2003, LeBron scored 25 points and notched nine assists in his NBA debut against the Sacramento Kings. The Chosen One averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game in his rookie year. He improved the Cavaliers’ win total from 17 the previous year to 35. When it was all said and done, LeBron won Rookie of the Year.

Just two years after drafting LeBron, the Cavaliers were 50-32 and back in the playoffs, ending a seven-year playoff drought. LeBron messed around and got a triple-double in his playoff debut against the Washington Wizards. For much of his early playoff career, James owned the Wizards, beating them in the first round of the playoffs three years in a row. While the Cavs were sent home in the second round by the powerhouse Detroit Pistons, the future was bright.

In the 2006-07 season, LeBron led the Cavs to their first NBA Finals appearance. Unfortunately, they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. LeBron carried the team with 22 points, seven rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game in the Finals. 

Leading a team of glue guys like Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, and Shannon Brown to the Finals earned LeBron praise for being the superstar everyone thought he was. Along with the Allen Iverson-led 76ers, the 2007 Cavs are considered one of the worst teams to go to the finals in the history of the NBA.

LeBron got nothing but buckets in the 2007-08 season. He posted a league-leading 30 points per game. It was LeBron’s first and only scoring title. With a solid cast of role players under his wing, LeBron led the Cavs to the second round of the playoffs, where they’d lose to the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

The U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball team won the bronze medal in 2004. The disappointing finish was the only time America walked away with anything less than gold in the Olympics in the 21st Century.

Determined to set the record straight, LeBron teamed up with Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Jason Kidd for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Known as “The Redeem Team,” they went undefeated and won the gold medal. They were the best basketball team assembled since the 1992 “Dream Team.”

In 2009, LeBron put the team on his back. He averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game on his way to his first MVP award, beating out the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. It was the first of four league MVPs for LeBron, who won the honor again in 2010, 2012, and ’13.

When it comes to team success, the Cavs lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.

Thanks to center Dwight Howard and the stacked Orlando Magic, a dream Finals matchup never happened: Kobe vs. LeBron. 

LeBron and Bryant were undoubtedly the best players in the league during the late 2000s. This was the Finals matchup everyone wanted to see, and it would’ve been a legacy-defining moment for the two greats. And the 2009 Finals were the closest shot we had. While they never met in the NBA Finals, LeBron came out on top more often than not in this iconic rivalry, going 16-6 record against Kobe, per Statmuse.  

As for the 2009 NBA Finals, the Lakers handily defeated the Magic in five games.

While LeBron was always a threat to carry the Cavs to the Finals, one team had his number: The “Big Three” Boston Celtics. Led by Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, the Celtics eliminated LeBron’s Cavs in the playoffs in 2008 and ’10. 

With zero help besides an aging Shaq, LeBron was tasked with carrying the Cavs and delivering the city of Cleveland a championship. The Celtics lockdown defense made life difficult for LeBron. After losing to the Celtics in six games in 2010, LeBron’s future with the Cavs was in doubt.

It was official, LeBron was a free agent for the first time in the summer of 2010. Would he stay in his hometown of Cleveland? Would he sign with the New York Knicks? Or maybe the Chicago Bulls? No one knew what was going through LeBron’s head — until the biggest press conference of his life.

LeBron made “The Decision” in front of a live audience, stating he was “taking his talents to South Beach” to play for the Miami Heat to form a super team with fellow 2003 draft class stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. ” The Decision” shocked the basketball world and left his hometown team in ruin. This unforgettable moment changed the course of NBA history.

As the superstar of the Miami Heat “Big Three,” LeBron played the perfect role of a dominant player ready to win his first championship. While they cruised through the Eastern Conference to the 2011 NBA Finals, they lost in six games to the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks. Ironically, Nowitzki beat the “Big Three” after waiting 13 long, painful years to win a championship with the only team he ever played for. 

Prime LeBron introduced himself to the NBA during his second season with the Heat. With the help of Bosh, Wade, and a solid supporting cast, LeBron made the Heat the kings of the Eastern Conference. The Heat won back-to-back championships in 2012 and ’13 against the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden-led Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs dynasty, respectively. LeBron dominated the Thunder all series long. Against the Spurs, LeBron was bailed out by  Ray Allen’s clutch three-pointer in Game 6 and put the team on his back in Game 7.

In the same span, LeBron won back-to-back NBA MVPs and Finals MVPs. In one of the most dominant two-year runs in NBA history, LeBron averaged 26.9 points, eight boards, and 6.8 assists per game. He was unstoppable in the early ‘10s.

The Heat and the Spurs rematched in the NBA Finals the following year. These teams looked poised to go head-to-head from the preseason to the playoffs. Despite LeBron’s otherworldly performance, the Spurs beat the Heat in five. When the Spurs went to mid-court to celebrate their victory, it looked like the best years of the Miami Heat “Big Three” were behind them.

What a run it was. One of the biggest bandwagon teams ever and the team of Gen Z’s childhood, the Heat went to four NBA Finals, won two, and featured four surefire Hall of Famers (LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Allen).

With two rings on his resume, LeBron had one thing left to prove to be considered among the greats: win Cleveland a championship. In the summer of 2014, LeBron went on a free agency tour across the country and, as many hoped, reunited with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The King returned to the Land. The Cavs’ roster already had All-World point guard Kyrie Irving. They traded first-overall pick Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves for star power forward Kevin Love. Before he even played in a game for the Cavs, he already had more talent on the roster than in his first seven years in the Land. 

The Return is one of the best feel-good moments in the sport’s history.

The Cavs’ “Big Three” added to their talented roster by making a midseason trade with the New York Knicks for Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith. They went 53-29 in the regular season and swept the Celtics and Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, earning the Cavs their first trip to the Finals since LeBron carried them there in 2007. When they got there, they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. Still, LeBron dominated with two triple-doubles.

With the Finals loss behind them, the Cavs rebounded by going 57-25 during the 2015-16 season. They breezed through the playoffs for a Finals rematch with the Warriors.  

Before the 2016 NBA Finals, Cleveland sports had been on the wrong side of several “games with names,” including “The Fumble,” “The Shot,” and the 1995 and ‘97 World Series — to name a few. Thanks to LeBron, they’d get a game with a name of their own.

Down 3-1 in the Finals to the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, LeBron tied the series 3-3. Heading into Game 7, Warriors player Andre Iguodala was about to score a go-ahead layup when LeBron came out of nowhere and blocked the shot into the stands. The Cavs won the game minutes later. “The Block” made up for past heartbreaking defeats and broke the Cleveland Curse. ” The Block” exemplified his will to win for Cleveland, and it became the defining moment of his career.

Cleveland’s 52-year playoff drought was over! The prophecy was fulfilled. “The Chosen One” and the Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit against a 73-9 team and won the NBA Championship against all odds. LeBron put up 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game in the 2016 finals — the best basketball he ever played. A summer of celebration followed. 

Winning his hometown team a championship put King James in the same company as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and he had nothing left to prove.

Disappointed by their loss in the 2016 Finals, the Warriors were looking for an answer to LeBron. They found it when they signed star small forward Kevin Durant. The Warriors now had Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Durant.

The best small forwards of their era, LeBron and Durant, met in several big games with legacies on the line. In total, they faced each other in three Finals (2012, ’17, ’18). LeBron handily defeated Durant’s Thunder in the 2012 Finals. Later on, Durant returned the favor by beating LeBron in back-to-back years. Both will be in the Hall of Fame someday.

LeBron’s biggest rival was Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. They met in four consecutive NBA Finals. LeBron has a 1-3 record against Curry in the NBA Finals. These two created several hardwood classics over the years.

LeBron went to eight NBA Finals in a row from 2010-18. The only player to go to more Finals in a row is the late Celtics legend Bill Russell and his ’60s teams that won 11 championships in 13 years. 

Over the course of his entire career, LeBron has a 4-6 record in the NBA Finals. LeBron proved he was clutch on basketball’s biggest stage and showed up when it mattered most. Statistically speaking, he is the best Finals performer of all time.

After spending the last four years in Cleveland, King James left his hometown and packed his bags for Los Angeles to play with the Lakers in 2018. He wanted to don the Lakers jersey like so many greats before him. It was a smart move for his post-NBA career. In the middle of Hollywood, LeBron explored his options as an actor and producer, even starring in Space Jam 2: A New Legacy.

Two years after signing with the Lakers, LeBron beat Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in six games in the 2020 NBA Finals. He won Finals MVP, averaging 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game. The victory gave the Lakers their 15th championship. In a season forever changed because of COVID-19 and the death of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, LeBron delivered.

In the 2020 championship season, LeBron led the league in assists with 10.2 dimes per game. It was a long time coming. LeBron was always a great passer. His court vision is unmatched. The premier point forward in basketball, LeBron is a selfless player who wants to get his teammates involved.

The all-time leading scorer in NBA history is the most respected record in the sport. LeBron has climbed the all-time scoring list each year, passing legend after legend. As of the 2022-23 season, LeBron is on pace to retire as the all-time scoring leader. 

LeBron’s son, Bronny James, is establishing himself as a solid basketball player in his own right. Still in high school, Bronny reportedly has offers from Memphis, Ohio State, and USC, per 24/7 Sports, though nobody in the James camp has confirmed that. LeBron has made it very clear that when Bronny’s college career is over, he will team up with whatever team drafts his son. Rest assured, teams will tank for a chance at drafting Bronny.

LeBron James played wide receiver in high school before committing to basketball full-time. Considered a top high school recruit at football and basketball, LeBron could’ve succeeded at either. In the end, he chose basketball, and the rest is history. But it hasn’t stopped teams from inquiring about LeBron’s interest in playing in the NFL. When the NBA season was on hold because of a strike in 2011, the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks gave LeBron a call, per The Guardian. Imagine LeBron as a red zone threat and a field goal-blocking specialist.

Off the court, LeBron’s life is a movie. He is a big-time investor, co-founded the prominent entertainment and production company SpringHill, and became a partner of Fenway Sports Group. One day, he wants to own his own NBA team in Las Vegas, per NBA.com.

He gave back to his hometown of Akron by building the I Promise School and loves donating to charitable causes. He won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2017, the NBA’s service award.

LeBron James is the GOAT of the 21st Century. No player has done more for basketball since 2000 than LeBron. While the Jordan-LeBron debate rages on, King James still has time to build his legacy.