There are some players in the NBA that have unmatched value for their respective teams. We can take many examples of it, and the list could go on and on. But arguably, the best example of it is none other than Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
James will be entering the 20th NBA season of his career, and he is still the best player on his team. For many fans, the King is the best player in the entire league, but that’s a debate for some other day.
Today, our focus is simply on a prime example of how LeBron James’ impact on a team is unmatched. We are talking about none other time when James left the Cleveland Cavaliers both times.
The first time, James gave his all to the team, but the Cavs were simply unable to put a team together that could contend for the NBA Championship. Despite that, James led them to an NBA Finals appearance and led them to multiple great records.
He ultimately left the Cavs in 2010 to form a Big 3 with the Miami Heat. He finally won two NBA rings and decided to make a return to the Cavs in 2014. James finally delivered on his promise to win an NBA Championship with the Cavaliers. He achieved the feat in 2016 when he led the Cavaliers’ comeback from being down 3-1 to the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.
Following two more NBA Finals appearances, James decided to leave the Cavaliers again in 2018 and join the Los Angeles Lakers. But are you aware of the common impact on the Cavs after James left them both times? Well, the franchise became one of the top teams in the NBA to having one of the worst records in the league.
From deep playoff runs to the lottery with the 2nd worst record💀
Prime LeBron is the most valuable player in the history of the game 👑 pic.twitter.com/AdeuAipBkE
— Bron’s Best (@LBJsBest) August 19, 2022
As pointed out by the NBA fan, the Cavaliers’ record went to 19-63 both times when LeBron James left the team. And in each case, it was the second-worst record in the NBA.
James is currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and will be aiming to at least make it to the NBA playoffs next season. After all, the Lakers missed the playoffs last season, and it has seriously left a bad impact on James’ time with the Lakers.
