Source: Sean Gardner / Getty
LeBron James is undoubtedly the best basketball player of his generation. In fact, many would argue he’s the best hooper of all time.
As we celebrate another trip around the sun for the Kid From Akron, it’s a great time to relive some of LeBron’s best NBA moments over his illustrious career!
From getting drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, to his multiple championship run in Miami, to playing with his oldest son as a Los Angeles Laker, there is no shortage of great moments in LeBron’s career.
Keep scrolling to see 40 Memorable NBA Moments For Lebron’s 40th Birthday!
40. LeBron Drafted By The Cavs
Bron, aka The Chosen One, was taken first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
39. First NBA Game
James played in his first NBA game on the road against the Sacramento Kings. He impressed everyone with 25 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists.
38. First NBA Win
It took a few games for Bron and the Cavs to get their first win together, but it certainly wasn’t the last. On November 8, 2003, Bron beat the Washington Wizards to win his first NBA game.
37. Rookie Of The Year
In April 2004 LeBron was crowned the league’s Rookie Of The Year. This decision didn’t come without controversy, as many believed that Carmelo Anthony did enough to earn the award that season.
36. First 50+
On March 20, 2005, against the Toronto Raptors, LeBron became the youngest player (20) to ever have a 50-point game in the NBA. He finished with 56 points, and this was the beginning of Bron fans dubbing him LeBronto whenever he played against the Raptors.
35. Becomes Cavs All-Time Leading Scorer
In March 2008, at the age of 23, LeBron passed Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers’ all-time leader in points scored. His Cavs record of 23,119 points still stands, although now Daugherty is third, behind big-man Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
34. LeBron’s First All-Star Game
It may seem weird, but LeBron didn’t make his first All-Star game until 2005. He played 13 minutes and had 13 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
33. First All-Star Game MVP
Just a year after his All-Star debut, Bron took home the game’s MVP honors in 2006. At 21 years, 51 days old, he’s still the youngest player to ever win that award.
32. 25 Straight In The ECF
In a career with too many highlights to write about, one that we can’t ignore is LeBron scoring 25 straight points against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. At that time, the Pistons were the best defensive team in basketball. But LeBron didn’t care about that. Clearly.
31. First NBA Finals Loss
LeBron’s first trip to the NBA Finals also didn’t go as planned. He helped lead the 2007 Cavaliers into the championship series against the San Antonio Spurs. The veteran-led Spurs beat the Cavs in four games.
30. First Gold Medal
LeBron’s first Olympic experience didn’t go as planned, as Team USA only got the bronze medal. But in 2008, LeBron, alongside BFFs Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade, secured the first gold medal of their careers.
Source: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers / Getty
29. Youngest To 10,000 Points
As you’ll soon see (if you don’t already know), LeBron’s NBA career is decorated with accolades. In February 2008 he became the youngest player to ever hit the milestone of 10,000 points.
28. No Regard For Human Life
The 2008 NBA Finals didn’t end in a win for LeBron, but it did give us one of the most iconic NBA calls of all time. LeBron came crashing into the lane and ferociously dunked the basketball. Kevin Harlan’s description will be played forever. “LeBron James! With no regard for human life!”
27. First & Only Scoring Title
It may seem a bit surprising, but Bron’s first and only NBA scoring title came in 2008. He averaged 30.3 points per game that year, nearly 4 points more than runner-up Kobe Bryant.
26. First MVP
In May 2009, LeBron secured his first of four MVP Awards. That year he posted 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.
25. The Decision
During the summer of 2010, LeBron held a press conference to announce the next phase of his career. He told the world that he was “taking his talents to South Beach”, scarring Cavs fans, but igniting the NBA, for years to come.
24. Viral Dunk
During his first season with the Heat, Wade bounced a pass to LeBron, which he quickly took flight with and dunked. A photo of the image has since become iconic. However, many people believe the play was an alley-oop. Show them this clip if they want to argue.
23. First NBA Championship
In 2012, his second season with the Heat, Bron, Wade, and Chris Bosh won their first championship as a trio. But it wouldn’t be their last.
22. Second NBA Championship
In 2013 LeBron helped Miami win their second consecutive ring. In both years they won it all, Bron also won the league and Finals MVP awards as well.
21. Fourth MVP
That same year, LeBron joined the likes of Bill Russell (5), Micahel Jordan (5), Kareem Abdul Jabaar (6), and Wilt Chamberlin (4) as the only NBA players to have at least 4 MVP awards.
20. 61 Point Game
In March of 2014, LeBron set a franchise record with the Heat by scoring 61 points against the then-Charlotte Bobcats. The franchise record with the Heat still stands, and it’s also still the most points Bron has ever scored in one game.
19. I’m Coming Home
In July 2014, LeBron announced his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
18. Warriors/Cavaliers Rivalry
After returning to the team that drafted him, LeBron’s Cavs met Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors in the Finals four years in a row, between 2014-2017.
17. Bron vs Kobe All-Star Moment
Even though Bron and Kobe never met in the playoffs, they did have a jaw-dropping collision during the 2016 All-Star game. It was Kobe’s final ASG, and every time the pair matched up against one another the energy in the crowd was palpable. Also, hey NBA, make NBA All Star Games Great Again.
16. Down 3-1? No Problem
In 2016, a year that lives in the hearts of Cleveland sports fans for eternity, LeBron and the Cavs shocked the champion Warriors by erasing a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals. Game 7 of that series brought us all-time sports moments like The Block, The Shot, and “Cleveland! This is for you!”
15. Finals Triple Double
In 2017 LeBron became the first player to average a triple-double in the Finals, even though the Cavs would lose that series to the Warriors.
14. Oldest To Average Triple-Double Over a Month
Stop me if you’ve heard this before – but in what may be LeBron’s most unbelievable record – in February of 2018 Bron became the oldest player to average a triple-double for an entire month.
13. JR Smith – What Are You Doing!?
Another viral LeBron moment took place during the 2018 Finals between the Cavs and Warriors. With time winding down, JR Smith grabbed a crucial rebound – but dribbled out the clock instead of trying to get another score. The blunder would cost the Cavs game 1 of the series, and turn LeBron into a meme for his hilarious yet extremely-pissed reaction.
12. Opens I Promise School In Akron, Ohio
Later that year, LeBron paid homage to his roots by opening a school in Akron, Ohio. The I Promise opened July 30, 2018.
11. LeBron To The Lakers
In the summer of 2018, LeBron signed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent. The then 33-year-old wrote on Instagram, “Thank you Northeast Ohio for an incredible 4 seasons. This will always be home.”
10. 1000 Straight Double-Digit Points
In December 2020, as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron achieved perhaps the most ridiculous record of his career – 1000 straight games with 10 or more points.
9. First Lakers Chip
In 2020, during the height of the pandemic and locked away in Disneyland, LeBron and Anthony Davis led the Lakers to their first championship since 2010. To date, it’s the only chip LeBron has been secured for the Purple & Gold.
8. Inaugural Play-In Tournament
The NBA has undergone a facelift in numerous areas over the last few years. One of which is the now mostly loved Play-In tournament. In 2021, the Lakers and Warriors met as the 7th and 8th seeds. LeBron’s team won the game, giving him one more victory over his career rival Steph Curry.
7. Most Points In NBA History
No matter what side of the GOAT debate you fall on, it’s hard to argue against the guy who has scored the most points in the history of the NBA. LeBron accomplished that incredible feat in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 7, 2023.
6. 40 For Everybody
In 2023, LeBron scored 46 points against the Los Angeles Clippers. The significance? This tally meant that Bron had finally scored at least 30 different NBA franchises – a feat no one else has accomplished.
5. Oldest 20-20 Game In NBA History
In January of this year, Bron became the oldest player to ever notched a 20-point, 20-rebound game. He actually had 36 points that night against the Warriors, just in case you were wondering.
4. Like Father, Like Son
Bron became the first and only NBA dad to suit up alongside his son, Bronny James, on October 22, 2024.
3. Most Minutes Ever Played
On December 19 of this year, LeBron reached another ridiculous milestone. He’s now played more minutes in the league than any other player. Ever.
2. LeFlag Bearer
In 2024, LeBron was honored to be the flag bearer in the Olympics for the United States. Team USA would go on to win the gold medal in basketball, giving LeBron 3 golds and 1 bronze in his Olympic career.
1. Scandal Free
Perhaps one of LeBron’s greatest accomplishments as a basketball superstar and American celebrity is that he’s spent nearly his entire life in the spotlight, and hasn’t publicly let any of his fans down. There are no wild scandals or sheer improper moments that we can look at him and say, “Boy, he could’ve handled that better”. Perhaps this isn’t as sexy as him scoring 25 straight in a playoff game or jeopardizing someones life because of his dunk, but I believe it’s still something worth noting.
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