Lebron James
Professional career
Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–2010)
2003–2004: Rookie of the Year
James was selected by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft.[43] In his first regular season game, James scored 25 points in a 106–92 loss to the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for the most points scored by a prep-to-pro player in his debut performance.[44] At the conclusion of the 2003–2004 season, James became the first Cavalier to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.[8] With final averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game,[45] he also became the third player in league history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game as a rookie.[46] Cleveland ultimately finished the season 35–47, failing to make the playoffs despite an 18-game improvement over the previous year.[47]
2004–2008: Rise to superstardom
In the 2004–2005 season, James earned his first NBA All-Star Game selection, contributing 13 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in a winning effort for the Eastern Conference.[48] Around the league, teams took note of his rapid development, and Denver Nuggets coach George Karl told Sports Illustrated: “It’s weird talking about a 20-year-old kid being a great player, but he is a great player … He’s the exception to almost every rule.”[49] On March 20, James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland’s new single-game points record.[50] With final averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, he was named to his first All-NBA Team.[25] Despite a 30–20 record to start the year,[50] the Cavaliers again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season 42–40.[51]
At the 2006 All-Star Game, James led the East to victory with 29 points and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.[52] Behind final season averages of 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game,[4] he also finished second in overall NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting to Steve Nash.[53] Under James’ leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998.[54] In his postseason debut, James recorded a triple-double in a winning effort over the Washington Wizards.[55] In Game 3 of the series, he made the first game-winning shot of his career, and made another in Game 5.[56] Cleveland would go on to defeat the Wizards before being ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.[57]
In the 2006–2007 season, James’s averages declined to 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.[25] Some analysts attributed the fall to a regression in his passing skills and shot selection, which stemmed from a lack of effort and focus.[60] The Cavaliers finished the season with 50 wins for the second consecutive year and entered the playoffs as the #2-seed in the Eastern Conference.[61] In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, James logged 48 points with nine rebounds and seven assists, scoring 29 of Cleveland’s last 30 points, including the game-winning layup with two seconds left, in a 109–107 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.[62] After the game, play-by-play announcer Marv Albert called the performance “one of the greatest moments in postseason history” and color commentator Steve Kerr described it as “Jordan-esque”.[63] In 2012, ESPN ranked the performance the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history.[64] The Cavaliers went on to win Game 6 and claim their first-ever Eastern Conference championship, earning them a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals.[65] During the Finals, James struggled, averaging 22 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on just 35.6 percent shooting,[66] as Cleveland was eliminated in a four-game sweep.[67]
In February of the 2007–2008 season, James was named All-Star Game MVP for the second time behind a 27-point, eight-rebound, and nine-assist performance.[68] On March 21, he moved past Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer in a game against the Toronto Raptors, doing so in over 100 fewer games than Daugherty.[69] James’ 30 points per game were also the highest in the league, marking his first scoring title.[70] Despite his individual accomplishments, Cleveland’s record fell from the year before to 45–37.[71] Seeded fourth in the East entering the playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards in the first round for the third consecutive season before being eliminated in seven games by the eventual-champion Boston Celtics in the next round.[72] During the decisive seventh game in Boston, James scored 45 points and Paul Pierce scored 41 in a game the Associated Press described as a “shootout”.[73]
2008–2010: MVP seasons
At the end of the 2008–2009 season, James finished second in NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award voting and made his first NBA All-Defensive Team,[74] posting 23 chase-down blocks and a career-high 93 total blocks.[75] James also became only the fourth postmerger player to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in a single season.[76] Behind his play and the acquisition of All-Star guard Mo Williams, Cleveland went a franchise record 66–16 and fell just one game short of matching the best home record in league history.[77] With final averages of 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, James became the first Cavalier to win the MVP Award.[78] Reflecting on James’ performance for ESPN, John Hollinger later wrote: “He’s having what is arguably the greatest individual season in history, and it’s time we gave him his due for it.”[79]
In the playoffs, Cleveland swept the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks to earn a matchup with the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.[80] In Game 1 of the series, James scored 49 points on 66 percent shooting in a losing effort for the Cavaliers.[64] In Game 2, he hit a game-winner to tie the series at 1–1.[81] Cleveland would lose the series in six games, and following the loss in Game 6, James immediately left the floor without shaking hands with his opponents, which was an act that many media members viewed as unsportsmanlike.[82][83] For the series, James averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game,[84] finishing the postseason with a career playoff-high 35.3 points per game.[4]
In February of the 2009–10 season, James was forced into a temporary point guard role following a series of injuries to players in the Cavaliers’ backcourt.[85] Behind his leadership, Cleveland lost no momentum, finishing the year with the best record in the league for the second consecutive season.[86] Due in part to his increased minutes as the Cavaliers’ primary ball handler, James increased his statistical production, averaging 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 block per game on 50 percent shooting en route to another MVP Award.[87] To open the playoffs, Cleveland advanced past the Chicago Bulls to earn a matchup with the Boston Celtics in the second round.[88] James was heavily criticized for not playing well in Game 5 of the series, shooting only 20 percent on 14 shots and scoring 15 points.[89] The team suffered its worst loss in franchise history, and at the conclusion of the game, James walked off the court to a smattering of boos from Cleveland’s home crowd.[90] The Cavaliers were officially eliminated from the postseason in Game 6, with James posting 27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, and nine turnovers in the losing effort.[88]