CLEVELAND — LeBron James’ longest stint with a franchise is his current career with the Lakers.
And his best seasons may have come during his four years with the Heat.
But for James, Cleveland is where it all started and where he has spent most of his 23-year NBA career.
The Lakers’ eight-game “Grammy” trip continued Wednesday night against the Cavaliers. It’s the Lakers’ only regular-season game at Rocket Arena, meaning it could be one of the last NBA games James plays in the arena he called home for 11 seasons.
James holds several career Cavaliers regular season records, including games played (849), points (23,119), assists (6,228), rebounds (6,190), steals (1,376) and triple-doubles (64). Every time he returns to Northeast Ohio, he is showered with adoration by Cavaliers fans — many of whom hope he will play for Cleveland one more time before he retires.
Here are James’ 11 best moments with the Cavaliers:
NBA debut
There haven’t been many NBA debuts as expected as James’.
How did he respond to the hype? By exceeding expectations – which became a common theme in James’ career after he was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft.
James filled the stat sheet with 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals in his debut on October 29, 2003. And even though the Cavaliers lost to the Kings, James already gave a first glimpse of what he had become in his storied career.
First 50-piece
One of the highlights of James’ sophomore season was his first 50-point game, when he finished with 56 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a loss to the Raptors on March 20, 2005.
James made the first of 21 consecutive All-Star and All-NBA teams after his sophomore season.
Playoff debut
James led the Cavaliers to their first playoff appearance in eight years in his third season.
Not only did he impress in his playoff debut with a triple-double (32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), but the Cavaliers also won their first-round series against the Wizards in six games.
25 right
Against a Pistons team seeking its third NBA Finals appearance in four years and appearing in its fifth straight Eastern Conference Finals, James turned in a performance for the ages.
In a pivotal Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills, James scored 25 consecutive points for the Cavaliers – and 29 of the team’s final 30 points, including a go-ahead goal with three seconds left in double overtime – to secure the victory. He finished with 48 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in Game 5 as the Cavaliers won Game 6 to clinch their first NBA Finals berth in franchise history.
Franchise’s top scorer
James has been the NBA’s all-time leading scorer for almost three years, after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on February 7, 2023.
But nearly 15 years earlier, he became the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer at the age of 23, passing Brad Daugherty in a win over the Raptors on March 21, 2008.
James averaged 30 points per game during the 2007-08 season.
Redeem team
He may not have been wearing a Cavaliers uniform during the feat, but James won the first of his three Olympic gold medals as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, also known as the “Redeem Team.”
First MVP
After leading the Cavaliers to a franchise-best 66-16 record during the 2008–09 season, James received his first NBA MVP.
James has been named league MVP four times, including twice with the Cavaliers (2008-09, 2009-10).
First buzzer-beater of the playoffs
James’ first buzzer-beating game winner in the playoffs came in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference finals, when he knocked down a 3-pointer as time expired on Hedo Türkoğlu to secure a one-point victory.
Four of James’ five playoff buzzer-beaters came while playing for the Cavaliers.
Leading the way in the 2015 NBA Finals
It may not have led to the Cavaliers’ first NBA championship — that came a year later — but James led Cleveland to the first Finals victories in franchise history while leading a short-handed Cavaliers team that was without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the championship series that the Cavaliers lost to the Warriors in six games.
Cavaliers’ first NBA title
The Chasedown Block on Andre Iguodala.
Averaged 41 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, 3.5 steals and three blocked shots in Games 5 and 6.
Led the first 3-1 comeback in finals history.
James not only led the Cavaliers to their NBA title over the Warriors in 2016, ending Cleveland’s 52-year professional sports title drought, but he did it in a way. he felt it made him ‘the greatest player of all time’.
Final 2018, match 1
The game is remembered for George Hill missing a free throw and J.R. Smith dribbling the clock to force overtime in a game the Warriors ultimately won.
But James’ performance in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals was an instant classic: 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
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