Professional career LeBron James

1 professional career

1.1 cleveland cavaliers (2003–2010)

1.1.1 rookie season (2003–2004)
1.1.2 rise superstardom (2004–2008)
1.1.3 first mvp tenure (2008–2010)


1.2 2010 free agency
1.3 miami heat (2010–2014)

1.3.1 year of controversy (2010–2011)
1.3.2 back-to-back championships (2011–2013)
1.3.3 fourth consecutive finals (2013–2014)


1.4 return cavaliers (2014–present)

1.4.1 2014 free agency
1.4.2 ending 52-year cleveland sports curse (2014–2016)
1.4.3 post-championship (2017–present)

professional career
cleveland cavaliers (2003–2010)
rookie season (2003–2004)

james picks dribble against washington wizards in november 2006.

james selected home team, cleveland cavaliers, first overall pick of 2003 nba draft. in first regular season game, scored 25 points against sacramento kings, setting nba record points scored prep-to-pro player in debut performance. @ conclusion of season, named nba rookie of year, finishing averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, , 5.9 assists per game. became first cavalier receive honor , third player in nba history average @ least 20 points, 5 rebounds, , 5 assists per game rookie. cavaliers finished season 35–47, failing make playoffs despite 18-game improvement on previous year.

rise superstardom (2004–2008)

james earned first nba all-star game selection in 2004–05, contributing 13 points, 8 rebounds, , 6 assists in winning effort eastern conference. around league, teams took note of rapid development, denver nuggets coach george karl telling sports illustrated, s weird talking 20-year-old kid being great player, great player ... s exception every rule. on march 20, james scored 56 points against toronto raptors, setting cleveland s new single-game points record. final averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, , 2.2 steals per game, named first all-nba team. despite 30–20 record start year, cavaliers again failed make playoffs, finishing season 42–40.

at 2006 all-star game, james led east victory 29 points , named nba all-star game valuable player. behind final season averages of 31.4 points, 7 rebounds, , 6.6 assists per game, finished second in overall nba valuable player award voting steve nash. under james s leadership, cavaliers qualified playoffs first time since 1998. in postseason debut, james recorded triple-double in winning effort versus washington wizards. in game 3 of series, made first game-winning shot of career, making in game 5. cleveland go on defeat wizards before being ousted detroit pistons in second round.

james engages in pre-game ritual of tossing crushed chalk air in march 2008. routine retired after 2011.

in 2006–07, james s averages declined 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6 assists, , 1.6 steals per game. analysts attributed fall regression in passing skills , shot selection, stemming lack of effort , focus. cavaliers finished season 50 wins second consecutive year , entered playoffs east s second seed. in game 5 of conference finals, james notched 48 points 9 rebounds , 7 assists, scoring 29 of cleveland s last 30 points, including game-winning layup 2 seconds left, against pistons. after game, play-by-play announcer marv albert called performance 1 of greatest moments in postseason history , color commentator steve kerr described jordan-esque . in 2012, espn ranked performance fourth greatest in modern nba playoff history. cavaliers went on win game 6 , claim first-ever eastern conference championship, earning them matchup san antonio spurs in nba finals. during championship round, james struggled, averaging 22 points, 7.0 rebounds, , 6.8 assists per game on 35.6 percent shooting, , cleveland eliminated in sweep.

in february of 2007–08 season, james named all-star game mvp second time behind 27-point, 8-rebound, , 9-assist performance. on march 21, moved past brad daugherty cavaliers all-time leading scorer in game against raptors, doing in on 100 less games daugherty. 30 points per game highest in league, representing first scoring title. despite individual accomplishments, cleveland s record fell year before 45–37. seeded fourth in east entering playoffs, cavaliers defeated wizards in first round third consecutive season before being eliminated in 7 games eventual-champion boston celtics in next round. during decisive seventh game in boston, james scored 45 points , paul pierce scored 41 in game associated press described shootout .

first mvp tenure (2008–2010)

james , deshawn stevenson in april 2008. 2 had short feud after stevenson called james overrated .

at conclusion of 2008–09 season, james finished second in nba defensive player of year voting , made first nba all-defensive team, posting 23 chase-down blocks , career-high 93 total blocks. became fourth postmerger player lead team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, , blocks in single season. behind play , acquisition of all-star guard mo williams, cleveland went franchise record 66–16 , fell 1 game short of matching best home record in league history. final averages of 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, , 1.2 blocks per game, james became first cavalier win mvp award. reflecting on james s performance espn, john hollinger later wrote, s having arguably greatest individual season in history, , s time gave him due it.

in playoffs, cleveland swept pistons , atlanta hawks earn matchup orlando magic in conference finals. in game 1 of series, james scored 49 points on 66 percent shooting in losing effort cavaliers. in game 2, hit game-winner tie series @ 1–1. cleveland lose series in 6 games, , following loss in game 6, james left floor without shaking hands opponents, act many media members viewed unsportsmanlike. series, averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, , 8 assists per game, finishing postseason career playoff-high 35.3 points per game.

in february of 2009–10 season, james forced temporary point guard role following series of injuries cavaliers backcourt. behind leadership, cleveland lost no momentum, finishing year best record in league second consecutive season. due in part increased minutes cavaliers primary ball handler, james increased statistical production, averaging 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.6 steals, , 1 block per game on 50 percent shooting en route mvp award. open playoffs, cleveland advanced past bulls earn matchup celtics in second round. james heavily criticized not playing in game 5 of series, shooting 20 percent on 14 shots , scoring 15 points. team suffered worst loss in franchise history, , @ conclusion of game, james walked off court smattering of boos cleveland s home crowd. cavaliers officially eliminated postseason in game 6, james posting 27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, , 9 turnovers in losing effort.

2010 free agency


james cavaliers in november 2009. finished first stint cavs averaging 27.8 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, , 1.7 steals per game.

james became unrestricted free agent @ 12:01 am edt on july 1, 2010. during time, contacted several teams, including bulls, los angeles clippers, miami heat, new york knicks, new jersey nets, , cavaliers. on july 8, announced on live espn special titled decision sign heat. telecast broadcast boys & girls club of greenwich, connecticut , raised $2.5 million charity. additional $3.5 million raised advertising revenue, donated other charities. day before special, fellow free agents chris bosh , dwyane wade had announced sign miami; reports later arose in 2006 trio had discussed among upcoming 2010 free agencies. james decided join bosh , wade in part shoulder less of offensive load; thought improved teammates give him better chance of winning nba championship had stayed in cleveland. heat president pat riley played major role in selling james on idea of playing bosh , wade. james relieved of burden of scoring, , thought first player since oscar robertson average triple-double in season.

james drew intense criticism sports analysts, executives, fans, , current , former players leaving cavaliers. decision scrutinized , viewed unnecessary. many thought prolonged wait james s choice unprofessional not teams courting him aware of decision until moments before show. upon learning james not returning cleveland, cavaliers owner dan gilbert published open letter fans in aggressively denounced james s actions. angry fans of team recorded videos of burning jersey. former nba players, including michael jordan , magic johnson, critical of james, condemning him joining bosh , wade in miami , not trying win championship guy . james drew further criticism in september interview cnn when claimed race might have been factor in fallout decision. result of actions during 2010 free agency period, gained reputation 1 of america s disliked athletes, radical change years prior. phrase taking talents south beach became punch line critics.

immediately following decision, james claimed there nothing change handling of free agency despite criticism. during 2010–11 season, expressed regret, admitting, [i] little bit different ... m happy decision. before 2011–12 season, relented, ... if shoe on other foot , fan, , passionate 1 player, , decided leave, upset way handled it.

miami heat (2010–2014)
year of controversy (2010–2011)

james attempts slam dunk in march 2011 member of miami heat.

james officially became member of heat on july 10, 2010. move, became third reigning mvp change teams , first since moses malone in 1982. evening, heat threw welcome party new big 3 @ american airlines arena, event took on rock concert atmosphere. during gathering, james predicted dynasty heat , alluded multiple championships. outside of miami, spectacle not well-received, furthering negative public perception of james.

throughout 2010–11 season, james embraced villain role bestowed upon him media. played heat angry demeanor , less joy in years past, , later admitted regretted approach. on december 2, faced cavaliers in cleveland first time since departing free agent. scored 38 points , led miami win while being booed every time touched ball. finished season averages of 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, , 7 assists per game on 51 percent shooting. miami entered playoffs east s second seed , advanced finals before stumbling against dallas mavericks, losing in 6 games despite holding 2–1 series lead going game 4. james received brunt of criticism loss, averaging 3 points in fourth quarters in series. finals scoring average of 17.8 points per game signified 8.9-point drop regular season, largest point drop-off in league history.

back-to-back championships (2011–2013)

james humbled heat s loss mavericks, , spent offseason working hakeem olajuwon on post game. work olajuwon paid off, fueling grantland s kirk goldsberry called 1 of greatest , important transformations in recent sports history . behind james s more post-oriented play, miami matched best start season in franchise history, , @ conclusion of lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, named mvp third time, finishing averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, , 1.9 steals per game on 53 percent shooting.

james stands @ midcourt during dead ball in january 2013. on night, became youngest player in nba history score 20,000 career points.

in game 4 of second round of playoffs, james registered 40 points, 18 rebounds, , 9 assists series against indiana pacers. miami defeated pacers in 6 games. facing elimination in game 6 of conference finals against celtics, james scored 45 points lead heat victory in new york times called career-defining performance . miami won game 7 advance finals, earning them matchup oklahoma city thunder. late in game 4 of series, james hit three-pointer give heat lead, helping them win game despite missing time leg cramps. in game 5, registered triple-double miami defeated oklahoma city second-ever championship , james s first championship. james unanimously voted bill russell nba finals valuable player averages of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, , 7.4 assists per game. full postseason run, in averaged 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, , 5.6 assists per game, later ranked second best in modern nba history espn.

in february of 2012–13 season, james s performance described sports illustrated month ages , averaging 29.7 points , 7.8 assists per game while setting multiple shooting efficiency records. during period, heat began 27-game winning streak, third longest in nba history. behind play, miami finished year franchise , league best 66–16 record, , james named mvp fourth time, falling 1 vote shy of becoming first player in nba history win award unanimously. final season averages 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, , 1.7 steals per game on 56.5 percent shooting.

in game 1 of conference finals, james scored buzzer-beating layup give miami one-point victory against pacers. throughout series, supporting cast struggled significantly, , added scoring load prompted him compare responsibilities of cleveland days . despite these struggles, heat advanced finals meeting spurs, signifying rematch james first finals 6 years earlier. @ beginning of series, criticized lack of aggressiveness , poor shot selection miami fell behind 2–3. in game 6, recorded second triple-double of series, including 16 fourth quarter points, lead heat comeback victory. in game 7, tied finals record points scored in game 7 victory, leading miami on san antonio 37 points. named finals mvp second straight season, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7 assists, , 2.3 steals per game championship round.

fourth consecutive finals (2013–2014)

on march 3 of 2013–14 season, james scored career-high , franchise-record 61 points in game against charlotte bobcats. throughout year, 1 of few staples heat roster used 20 different starting lineups due injuries, finishing averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, , 6.4 assists per game on 56.7 percent shooting. in second round of playoffs, tied career postseason-high scoring 49 points in game 4 against brooklyn nets. in next round, miami defeated pacers earn fourth consecutive finals berth, becoming 1 of 4 teams in nba history so. in game 1 of finals, james missed of fourth quarter because of leg cramps, helping spurs take series lead. in game 2, led heat series-tying victory 35 points on 64 percent shooting rate. san antonio eliminated heat in 5 games, ending miami s quest three-peat. finals, james averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, , 2.0 steals per game.

return cavaliers (2014–present)
2014 free agency

james throws pass against minnesota timberwolves in december 2014. later season, reached several passing milestones, including becoming cavaliers all-time assists leader.

on june 25, 2014, james opted out of contract heat , officially became unrestricted free agent on july 1. on july 11, revealed via first-person essay in sports illustrated intended return cavaliers. in contrast decision, announcement return cleveland received. on july 12, officially signed team, had compiled league-worst 97–215 record in 4 seasons following departure. month after james s signing, cavaliers acquired kevin love minnesota timberwolves, forming new star trio along kyrie irving.

ending 52-year cleveland sports curse (2014–2016)

in january of 2014–15 season, james missed 2 weeks due left knee , lower strains, longest stretch of missed games in career. in total, played career-low 69 games , final averages 25.3 points, 6 rebounds, , 7.4 assists per game. in second round of playoffs, hit baseline jumper @ buzzer give cleveland 2–2 series tie bulls. in conference finals, cavaliers defeated hawks advance finals, making james first player since 1960s play in 5 consecutive finals. of finals against golden state warriors, irving , love sidelined due injury, giving james more offensive responsibilities. behind leadership, cavaliers opened series 2–1 lead before being eliminated in 6 games. despite loss, received serious consideration finals mvp award, averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, , 8.8 assists per game championship round.

during 2015–16 season, james criticized role in several off-court controversies, including midseason firing of cavaliers head coach david blatt. despite these distractions, cleveland finished year 57 wins , best record in east. james s final averages 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, , 6.8 assists per game on 52 percent shooting. in playoffs, cavaliers advanced comfortably finals, losing 2 games en route rematch warriors, coming off record-setting 73 win season. begin series, cleveland fell behind 3–1, including 2 blowout losses. james responded registering back-to-back 41 point games in games 5 , 6, leading cavaliers 2 consecutive wins stave off elimination. in game 7, posted triple-double , made number of key plays, including memorable chase-down block on andre iguodala in final 2 minutes, cleveland emerged victorious, winning city s first professional sports title in 52 years , becoming first team in nba history come 3–1 series deficit in finals. james became third player record triple-double in nba finals game 7, , behind series averages of 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.3 blocks, , 2.6 steals per game, became first player in league history lead both teams in 5 statistical categories playoff round, culminating in unanimous finals mvp selection.

post-championship (2017–present)

the 2016–17 season marred injuries , unexpected losses cavaliers; james later described 1 of strangest years of career. following january defeat new orleans pelicans, publicly criticized cleveland s front office constructing team felt top heavy , received criticism. cavaliers finished season east s second seed, james averaging 26.4 points , career highs in rebounds (8.6), assists (8.7), , turnovers (4.1) per game. in game 3 of first round of postseason, registered 41 points, 13 rebounds, , 12 assists against pacers, leading cleveland comeback victory after trailing 25 points @ halftime, representing largest halftime deficit overcome in nba playoff history. in game 5 of eastern conference finals against celtics, james scored 35 points , surpassed michael jordan league s all-time postseason scoring leader. cavaliers won game , series, advancing third consecutive finals against warriors. behind averages of 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, , 10 assists per game, james became first player average triple-double in finals, cleveland defeated in 5 games.

after starting 2017–18 season 3–5 record, james led cavaliers 130–122 win on washington wizards on november 3 end four-game losing skid. scored 57 points in game set second-highest point total of career, making 23 of 34 field-goal tries , 9 free throws, adding 11 rebounds , 7 assists. james reached @ least 10 points 800th game in row, joining michael jordan (866) other nba player streak long. james became youngest player reach 29,000 career points in nba. on november 28, 2017, james ejected first time in career during third quarter of cavaliers 108–97 win on miami heat. james in midst of 1,082nd career regular season game, , 1,299th overall.