It's no question that LeBron James is one of the best athletes to step foot in the NBA. As part of the never-ending “Greatest Of All Time” debate, it's easy to overlook how great The King really is. Let's go through some of the more intriguing games in LeBron's illustrious career.
5. First NBA Game (2003 vs. Sacramento)
Let's go back to where it all started, his NBA debut against the Sacramento Kings. After a highly-publicized high school career, the young LeBron James was now in the big leagues suiting up for the Cleveland Cavaliers for the very first time. James had one of the most impressive debuts any 18-year old could ever have in the NBA. Although the Cavs would go on to lose to the Kings 106-92, James quickly proved why deserved to be the talk of the town with amazing 25 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and four steals in 42 minutes play.
4. MVP Night (2009 vs. New York)
The same night James was awarded his very first MVP award, The King was set to play in one of the biggest stages in all of sports – The Madison Square Garden. LeBron had another masterful performance, as usual, where he displayed his all-around supremacy to will the Cavs to a 107-102 win against the New York Knicks. James was able to outdo his previous 50-point performance in The Garden back in 2008 after finishing with 52 points, 11 rebounds and an assist shy from a triple-double.
3. Career High (2014 vs. Charlotte)
After a controversial decision to take his talents to South Beach and join Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, James continued to cement his legacy as the league's finest. On his fourth year with the Heat, LeBron posted the best scoring night of his career against the Charlotte Bobcats. With 24 points in the first half, James was still in full throttle coming into the second half. He made all his five three-point attempts in the third quarter to score 25 more on 9-of-11 shooting in the third quarter, which was quite fascinating given how inconsistent James was with his outside shooting at this point in his career. LeBron notched his career-high of 61 points and coupled it with seven rebounds and four assists on an impressive 66% shooting clip.
2. 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 (2013 vs. San Antonio)
There were a lot of criticisms that surrounded LeBron early on in their finals series against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals. After being down 2-3, the Heat came back to tie the series in Game 6 behind a triple-double performance from LeBron and Ray Allen's historic corner three. The King carried on this momentum coming into the final game of the series with another one of his all-around and dominant performances. LeBron tallied 37 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. James also limited the Spurs main gunner in Kawhi Leonard to just 19 points and only five in the pivotal fourth quarter. LeBron was also awarded the NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.
1. 2016 NBA Finals Game 7 (2016 vs. Golden State Warriors)
In 2016, we all witnessed another legendary Game 7 performance from LeBron. After carrying his team to come back from a 3-1 deficit against the red hot Golden State Warriors, The King saved his best stat line of the series for the last game of the series. In one of the most defining games in his career, LeBron put up historic numbers to win Cleveland's first-ever NBA championship. With 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, The King joined Jerry West and James Worthy to be only players to tally a triple-double in a Game 7 of an NBA Finals series. James was consistent all-series long as he averaged a dominant 29.7 points, 8.9 assists, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game and was awarded the unanimous 2016 NBA Finals MVP.
Follow Us
Subscribe