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2019 Top 10 NBA Players, #10 Lebron James

If you enjoy reading the best NBA Players’ biographies, check out our very own LeBron James Biography.

LeBron James Biography: Professional Career

Let’s start with Lebron’s stats:

  • 3× NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016)
  • 3× NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013, 2016)
  • 4× NBA Most Valuable Player (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)
  • 15× NBA All-Star (2005–2019)
  • 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008, 2018)
  • 12× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008–2018)
  • 2× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007)
  • All-NBA Third Team (2019)
  • 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2013)
  • NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2014)
  • NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)
  • NBA All-Rookie First Team (2004)
  • NBA scoring champion (2008)
  • J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2017)
  • 3× AP Athlete of the Year (2013, 2016, 2018)
  • 2× Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (2012, 2016)
  • USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2012)
  • 2× Mr. Basketball USA (2002, 2003)
  • Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003)
  • McDonald’s All-American Game MVP (2003)
  • 3× Ohio Mr. Basketball (2001–2003)

Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James started his professional career at the NBA playing for his home team, the Cavs…

2003-2004 – Rookie Season

James got selected as the first overall pick by Cleveland back at the 2003 NBA draft. He immediately had a positive impact on the team, scoring 25 points on his first game ever, and becoming the first prep-to-pro player to record that many points in his debut. He also got the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for 2004, a first for a Cleveland player. But despite his good numbers, he couldn’t help the Cavs to make it to the postseason that year.

2004-2008 – Rise to Superstardom

LeBron was already playing at a very high caliber during his second season, getting the call for the NBA All-Star Game, and getting named to his first All-NBA Team. But despite his individual achievements, he still lacked the talent he needed to achieve great team results, and the Cavs failed once again to make it to the playoffs.

2005-06 Season

At the 2006 All-Star Game, James scored 29 points and was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP. Plus, he finished second to Steve Nash in the NBA MVP Award voting. Under LeBron’s leadership, Cleveland was finally able to reach the postseason for the 2005-06 season, a first for the franchise since 1998. The Cavaliers went on to defeat the Wizards in six games at the first round, but they fell to the Pistons in seven games at the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

2006-07 Season

The Cavs were on the rise by the 2006-07 season, winning 50 games for their second straight season, and making it to the postseason.

Cleveland had a great run at the playoffs this time, sweeping the Wizards in four games at the first round. Then, they went on to beat the Nets in six games at the conference semifinals, getting a ticket to play Detroit at the next round. LeBron was outstanding during game 5 vs. the Pistons, finishing with 48 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, in what’s still considered as one of the greatest moments in postseason history.

James and the Cavs went on to win this series vs. Detroit in six games, getting the Eastern Conference title for the first time in the history of the Cleveland franchise. But something went wrong at the NBA Finals, as the Cavs got swept by the Spurs in four straight games.

2007-08 Season

At this point, James was getting his second call for the All-Star Game, earning the MVP of the match for the second time in a row. He also became the all-time top scorer for the Cavs, getting the mark in 100 games less than Brad Daugherty, the holder of the previous record. But despite his good personal stats, Cleveland won 5 games less than the previous season, getting the fourth playoffs seed in the East.

Still, the Cavs went on to play Washington at the first round, eliminating the Wizards in six games before losing to the Celtics in 7 games at the Conference Semifinals.

2008-2010 – MVP Seasons

By the end of the 2008-09 season, LeBron was not only a great offensive player but was also turning into one of the best defensive players in the league. He ended up second in the voting for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and was named to that season’s All-Defensive Team.

When this season was over, James was also the leader of his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. With the help of LeBron and new player Mo Williams, the Cavs finished the season with 66 wins, one short of the best home record in the history of the league. And, the excellent performances by James during this season allowed the player to acquire his first Most Valuable Player Award.

At the postseason, the Cavs swept Detroit and Atlanta, on their way to a 4-2 series loss to the Orlando Magic at the Eastern Conference Finals.

2009-10 Season

This season was a little bit different for LeBron as he was forced to switch positions to point guard due to a series of injuries to fellow teammates. The Cavs continued dominating, finishing the regular season with the best record in the league and James’s stats allowed him to earn the MVP honors once again.

The Cavs played the Bulls at the first round of this season’s playoffs, defeating Chicago in five games. Then, they moved on to play the Celtics at the following series, where they fell to Boston in six matches at the conference semifinals.

James had a horrible game 5 performance vs. the Celtics, and his team ended up losing the match 120-88, the worst loss in the history of the Cleveland franchise. After this series loss, it was all for James at the Cavs as he was on his way to the.

Miami Heat

LeBron James became a free agent in July 2010, and he immediately received significant offers from different NBA teams. Early on that same month, LeBron was featured at an ESPN special titled “The Decision,” where he told the world that he was officially signing with the Heat.

James was not the only top free agent that was stamping his firm on a contract with the Miami franchise as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh also became part of the team.

2010-2011 – Media and Fan Scrutiny

With Wade and Bosh on the same lineup, James felt that he had the necessary weapons to release him from the full offensive duties he was carrying on his shoulders while playing at Cleveland. This peace of mind on the court also brought James a lot of off-court headaches because many felt that the reigning MVP at the time was cheating by switching franchises when the Cavs needed him the most. Even Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were critical of LeBron, as they felt that he fell short on his attempt to win a championship as “the man.”

For the 2010-11 season, the new Big Three in the league found it tough to adjust to their new circumstances, but the team eventually managed to turn their season around, finishing as the second seed in the East.

Miami opened their postseason run with a 4-1 series victory over the Sixers and then moved on to play the Celtics at the following round, taking Boston down in five. Then, they played the Bulls at the conference finals, defeating Chicago also in five games, and getting a ticket to the NBA finals, where they fell to the Mavs in six games.

Many felt that James was a had a big responsibility in the team’s demise vs. Dallas as his scoring was lower than usual, but that harsh criticism didn’t last long.

2011-2013 – Back-to-Back Championships

Leaving behind the “villain” persona, James was looking forward to regaining a sense of joy on the court, intending to become the leader his team needed. After this change of mindset, the Heat began playing at an elite level, acquiring a franchise-best 18-6 record, leading James to obtain the MVP for the third time in his career. The Heat advanced to the playoffs, where they took down the Knicks in five games at the first round, to then play the Pacers at the second round.

The team lost Chris Bosh to an injury during this time, and without his help, the team was trailing 2-1. But Miami eventually returned to excellent form and ended up eliminating Indiana in six games, getting the ticket to play the Celtics at the Conference Finals.

When this series reached the sixth game, the Heat were close to getting eliminated, but a 45-point performance by James allowed the team to advance to the NBA Finals. Miami went on to win their series to the Thunder in five games, allowing James to obtain the first championship of his career, and also the Finals MVP honors.

2012-13 Season

This was indeed a fantastic season for James as he was averaging 29 points per game and was also setting many shooting records. On February 2013, his team was able to reach the 27-win mark with no losses, which is the third-longest streak in the history of the league. The team finished the regular season with 66 wins, both a franchise and an NBA record, allowing James to get the MVP honors for the fourth time in his career. This was very significant because James fell one vote short of earning the award unanimously. 

The Heat began the 2013 playoffs by sweeping the Bucks in four games straight. Then, the team from Miami went on to defeat the Bulls in five matches and took down the Pacers in seven games. This led the Heat to get the revenge they so much wanted against the Spurs, a team that defeated them at the very same finals six years earlier.

Miami eventually defeated the Spurs in seven games, allowing the team to win back-to-back championships, and also the MVP honors for LeBron.

2013-14 - Final Season with the Heat

This season started on a very positive note for LeBron as he was able to score a career-high and franchise-record 61 points in a match versus the Bobcats. With that said, this was a different season for the Heat as a whole as the team was plagued with injuries, which forced them to utilize 20 different starting lineups. Despite this, the team made it to the postseason, where they swept Charlotte in four straight games, to then play the Nets, eliminating Brooklyn in five, and then the Pacers in six games, getting a ticket to the finals.

The team was able to turn into one of just four teams in the history of the NBA to reach the NBA Finals four times in a row. The Heat faced the Spurs once again at the Finals, but this time the series victory and the title went for the Spurs after San Antonio defeated Miami in five games.

2014-15 - Back to the Cavaliers

On June 2014, LeBron decided to opt-out of his Miami contract, returning to play for the Cavs once again. And fans of Cleveland were more than satisfied with this decision as their team was in real need of a leader as they had compiled a league-worst 97-215 record during the four seasons LeBron remained in Miami. But this time the Cavs planned for LeBron, acquiring Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, and allowing Cleveland to count with their very own Big Three: LeBron, Love, and Kyrie Irving.

2014-16: A Golden Time for The Cavs

Despite losing two weeks due to injury, LeBron was able to lead the Cavs to the playoffs in his first season back with the team. This turned James into the first player since the 1960s to play five consecutive NBA Finals.

The Cavs went on to sweep the Celtics in four games at the first round.

Then they played the Bulls, taking Chicago down in six, getting a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they also swept the Hawks in four straight games. But then they fell to the mighty Warriors in six games at the NBA Finals.

2015-16 Season

Although LeBron got involved in some off-court controversies during this period, his resiliency on the court allowed him to come up with another fantastic season for him and his team.

Cleveland finished with 57 wins and the best record in the Eastern Conference. At the playoffs, the Cavs started by sweeping the Pistons, and then the Hawks in four straight games each. Then, they played the Raptors, taking Toronto down in six games, and getting a ticket for the Finals. The Cavs ended up eliminating the Warriors in seven games, and getting their first professional championship in 52 years, earning James another Finals MVP title.

This was impressive indeed, as Cleveland was forced to come back from a 3-1 deficit to finally get the title, a first in the history of the league.

2016-18 Seasons – Lebron’s Final Time in Cleveland

The Cavs finished the 2016-17 season as the second seed in the East and played the Pacers in the first round.

Cleveland ended up sweeping Indiana in four games, and then they did the same with the Raptors at the conference semifinals. Then, they faced the Celtics at the conference finals, beating Boston 4 games to 1.

During game 5 versus the Celtics, the 35 points by James allowed him to surpass Michael Jordan as the NBA’s all-time playoffs scoring leader.

And it was time for the finals, where the Warriors defeat Cleveland 4 to 1. Before the 2017-18 season, Kyrie Irving stated that he wanted to no longer play alongside James, and that led the Cavs to trade him to the Celtics. But this didn’t stop LeBron, as on March 30, he set a record of 897 games in a row scoring in double digits.

The Cavs made it to the postseason once again, starting with a first-round series to the Pacers, whom they defeated in seven games.

Then, they swept the Raptors in the following round and defeated Boston in seven games at the conference finals. But the team fell to the Warriors at the Finals once again, this time in four straight games.

2018-19 Season - Los Angeles Lakers

On making a move to LA, Kutch Sports, LeBron’s management company, explained that when the player joined the Heat, it was all about winning titles. And, when he returned to Cleveland, it was about delivering a promise: a championship for his hometown. And now that he’s part of the Lakers, James is just doing what he wants to do.

The first few games with the Lakers were not easy for LeBron, as his team won only 2 of their first 7 matches. By January 2019, the team had improved its record to 20-14, but James suffered an injury in the process, and without him, LA wasn’t able to make the cut to the playoffs.

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