- LeBron James’ prime has stretched for 20 NBA seasons
- He has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers in his career
- James has a case for having four Hall of Fame-worthy careers
LeBron James undoubtedly has one of the best primes the league has ever seen. James has been a phenomenal player in the NBA since entering as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft.
James is currently 38 years old and is still considered a top player in the current league. He is still expected to be the best player for the Los Angeles Lakers on most nights. But let’s put that on the side burner for a while and focus on James’ achievements over the past 20 seasons.
The King has essentially had four Hall of Fame careers over the last two decades. Let’s take a look at each of those aforementioned Hall of Fame careers.
Cleveland Cavaliers First Stint: 2003-2010
LeBron James was the undisputed No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and right off the bat, James proved his worth.
LeBron averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game in his first year in the NBA and also won the Rookie of the Year award. But that was just the start of a phenomenal seven-year stretch for the Cavaliers.
James led the Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals. Sure, the Cavaliers lost 4-0 against the San Antonio Spurs. It was still an amazing achievement. James also won back-to-back NBA MVPs in 2009 and 2010.
He averaged 27.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game in seven seasons for the Cavaliers. Most believe first-stint James was the most athletic player on the planet and was full of raw potential.
All Accolades: 1x NBA Finals Appearance, 2x NBA MVP, 6x All-NBA, 2x All-Defensive, 6x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP, 1x NBA Scoring Champion
Miami Heat: 2010-2014
After rampaging through the league for seven years, LeBron James announced the infamous decision to join the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010. James instantly became a villain for the league. After all, he did form a superteam with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
LeBron was undoubtedly at the peak of his physical prowess during his four-year stint with the Miami Heat. James led the Heat to four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2011 to 2014.
The King won the first two rings of his NBA career as a member of the Miami Heat. James also won his third and fourth MVPs of his career in 2012 and 2013. Many believe James’ true peak was in the 2012-13 NBA season.
He averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game for the Heat over four seasons. The King departed from the Heat in the summer of 2014.
All Accolades: 2x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 4x NBA Finals Appearance, 2x NBA MVP, 4x All-NBA, 4x NBA All-Defensive, 4x NBA All-Star
Cleveland Cavaliers Second Stint: 2014-2018
LeBron James left the Cavaliers as a boy and returned to the organization as a man ahead of the 2014-15 NBA season. James was 30 years old at the time and had only one goal in mind: To bring an NBA Championship to Cleveland.
James continued his Eastern Conference domination by leading the Cavaliers to four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018. LeBron had to battle toe-to-toe against the Golden State Warriors in each NBA Finals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl3JCYxLvDI
LeBron has an overall 1-3 record versus the Warriors in the NBA Finals. However, his biggest achievement was to erase a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals and bring a title to Cleveland.
The King declared himself as the greatest basketball player of all time after winning a ring in 2016. He averaged 26.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game in four seasons.
All Accolades: 1x NBA Champion, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 4x NBA Finals Appearance, 4x All-NBA, 4x NBA All-Star, 1x NBA All-Star MVP
Los Angeles Lakers: 2018-Present
LeBron James began the next chapter of his journey with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. James has lost a little touch in the athletic department, but he is a much all-around player in a Lakers uniform.
James continued his streak of winning a ring for every team that he has played for in the NBA. The L-Train led the Purple and Gold to its first NBA Championship in a decade in 2020.
He also broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record while wearing the iconic Lakers jersey. James is still playing in the NBA and will return for his sixth season with the franchise in the 2023-24 campaign.
In the last five seasons with the Lakers, James has averaged 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game.
All Accolades: 1x NBA Champion, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 1x NBA Finals Appearance, 5x All-NBA, 5x NBA All-Star, 1x Assists Champion
Looking at LeBron’s stint with each franchise, it’s evident that the King has been a phenomenal player throughout his career. Moreover, it’s more than clear that James has four Basketball Hall of Fame-worthy careers.
James will enter the 2023-24 NBA season on the heels of averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. The only question remains whether he can add another NBA title to his stacked resume. If he can, James may become the GOAT for many fans around the globe.
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