How Good A Scorer Is LeBron James When He Takes 30+ Shots Per Game? (Complete Breakdown, Insights)

• Over the course of his 20-year career, LeBron James has averaged 27.2 points per game on 50.5% shooting

• LeBron James has won four MVPs, four NBA championships, and four Finals MVP awards

• LeBron James has averaged 45.2 points per game in games in which he attempted 30 or more shots

For the majority of his career, LeBron James has been considered a “pass first” player. He has won just one scoring title in his career which came in 2008 when he averaged 30.0 points per game with the Cleveland Cavaliers. This isn’t indicative of his abilities as a scorer. Even James once said that he could go out there and win the scoring title every year if he wanted to, that just isn’t his game. Today, we will see just how good he has been in his career when he flips that switch and turns into a scorer by taking 30 or more shots per game. 

In his career, LeBron James has played 1,421 games during the regular season and there have been just 34 times in which he has taken at least 30 shots per game which is just 2.4% of his entire career. It is truly an incredible feat that shows just how unselfish he was for the other 97.6% of the time he spent on the court.

Of the 20 seasons he has played in the NBA, LeBron James has managed to average at least 30.0 points per game in a season just three times. He had his best season in 2006 when he averaged 31.4 points per game followed by 2022 in which he averaged 30.3 points per game, and in 2008 when he averaged 30.0 points per game and won his only scoring title. Now, it is time to really see how great of a scorer he could have been if accumulating points was his main objective.

It is time to show you the evidence from the 34 games in which he did take 30 or more shots and just how dominant of a scorer he could have been throughout his career.

The Regular Season Games In Which LeBron James Took 30 Or More Shots

1. Cleveland Cavaliers At Seattle SuperSonics, 97-105 L (2004-05 Season)

LeBron James: 35 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

The first time LeBron James ever took 30 or more shots in a game came halfway through his second season in the NBA with the Cavaliers. James would put up 30 shots in this contest, going 14-30 from the field overall and 3-7 from three. He would also dish out 11 assists and gather four steals in a 105-97 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics who were led by Ray Allen with 27 points and Vladamir Radmanovic with 23 points off the bench.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers At Toronto Raptors, 98-105 L (2004-05 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmRZVfBzvI

LeBron James: 56 Points, 36 Shot Attempts

The next time LeBron James would take at least 30 shots in a game came two months later toward the end of the 2004-05 season. James would go for 56 points on 18-36 shooting overall and 6-12 from three in a loss to the Toronto Raptors. Drew Gooden would back up James with 24 points and 10 rebounds but the Cavaliers would lose in regulation to Toronto 105-98. The Raptors would be led to victory by Jalen Rose with 30 points and 7 assists as well as Donyell Marshall with 24 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers At Philadelphia 76ers, 98-103 L (2004-05 Season)

LeBron James: 37 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

Just a couple of weeks after his 56-point game in Toronto, James would again find himself taking 30 shot attempts in a loss against the 76ers. In this game, James would go for 37 points on 40.0% shooting from the field or 12-30. The Cavaliers would once again lose a close game on the road with Drew Gooden backing up James with 24 points and 12 rebounds. The 76ers would be led to victory by Marc Jackson with 24 points off the bench as well as Allen Iverson and Samuel Dalembert with 23 points each as starters.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers At Washington Wizards, 111-119 L (2004-05 Season)

LeBron James: 38 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

One week after the loss to Philadelphia, LeBron James and the Cavaliers would drop yet another road game in which he attempted more than 30 shots from the field. In this game, James would score 38 points on 16-38 shooting overall and 1-6 from three. James was the only member of Cleveland to reach even 20 points scored in the contest while Washington was led to the win by 33 points from Gilbert Arenas and 31 points from future Cavaliers teammates of James, Larry Hughes.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers At Detroit Pistons, 87-90 L (2004-05 Season)

LeBron James: 37 Points, 35 Shot Attempts

It took only two days after his performance in Washington for LeBron James to once again hoist over 30 shots in the air in a loss on the road against Detroit. In a low-scoring affair, James would drop 37 points on 12-35 shooting or 34.3%. The 90-87 win for Detroit came with James’ second-leading scorer being Ira Newble with 19 points. Detroit, on the other hand, got a complete effort from their championship core. Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups, and Richard Hamilton all had 15 or more points to give the Pistons a three-point win.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks, 92-84 L (2005-06 Season)

LeBron James: 36 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

It would not be until the following season that LeBron James would have another game in which he attempted more than 30 shots in a game, and this time it came at home against the New York Knicks. Once again, the Cavaliers would fight in a close game but end up with a loss. James would shoot 14-31 from the field and go 0-7 from three in the contest. The Knicks would gather an eight-point win with 26 points off the bench from Jamal Crawford as well as 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists from starting point guard Stephon Marbury.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers At Utah Jazz, 108-90 W (2005-06 Season)

LeBron James: 51 Points, 35 Shot Attempts

On January 21, 2006, LeBron James would leave the Cavaliers to their first win in which he attempted more than 30 shots. On the road against the Jazz, LeBron would go off for 51 points on 19-35 shooting (54.3%) overall and 4-8 from three. James would also get 24 points off the bench from Donyell Marshall who knocked down four of his eight three-point attempts as well as 61.5% of his shots overall.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Phoenix Suns, 113-106 W (2005-06 Season)

LeBron James: 44 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

For the second time in a row, LeBron James would lead the Cavaliers to victory by taking more than 30 shot attempts in a 113-106 win over the Suns. James would shoot 17-33 from the field, or 51.5% while going 3-7 from three and 7-12 from the foul line. He would also add 11 rebounds and 7 assists in the win. This time, he would also have support from his teammates. Sasha Pavlovic would add 15 points and Drew Gooden would add 10 rebounds in the victory.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers At Minnesota Timberwolves, 97-91 W (2005-06 Season)

LeBron James: 35 Points, 34 Shot Attempts

Despite an abysmal shooting night from LeBron James, the Cavaliers would pull out a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road. James shot 11-34 from the field (32.4%) and 12-17 from the foul line for Cleveland’s third straight win in a game in which James attempted more than 30 shots. He also added 11 rebounds and 8 assists to secure the win. Zydrunas Ilgauskas would add 21 points and 8 rebounds as well in the 97-91 win on the road.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs, 97-91 W (2005-06 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnt0_Nr9khM

LeBron James: 44 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

LeBron James and the San Antonio Spurs have a long and historic rivalry that resulted in two of his six losses in the NBA Finals. On this day, however, James would lead Cleveland to a win over the Spurs at home with 44 points on 19-33 shooting from the floor with just three attempts from beyond the three-point line. James was the star of the show adding 5 assists and 4 steals to his performance while Ilgauskas once again backed him up with 17 points and 11 rebounds on the night.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics, 113-109 W (2005-06 Season)

LeBron James: 43 Points, 32 Shot Attempts

LeBron James would continue his incredible 2006 season with a huge performance in a double-overtime thriller in the hostile environment that is Boston against the Celtics. James would have an extremely efficient night, going 16-32 from the floor for 43 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Cavaliers to the win. With 19 points and 11 rebounds from Drew Gooden, Cleveland picked up one of their biggest wins of the season.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers at Houston Rockets, 104-102 W (2005-06 Season)

LeBron James: 36 Points, 34 Shot Attempts

In his final performance with at least 30 shot attempts during the 2005-06 season, LeBron James would lead the Cavaliers to another overtime win on the road against the Houston Rockets. In this game, James would struggle a bit from the field, going 14-34 from the field (41.2%) and 8-11 from the foul line. James would get plenty of support from Zydrunas Ilgauskas with 21 points and 8 rebounds while Damon Jones chimed in with 22 points and 6 assists off the bench. The Rockets nearly picked up the win with 27 points from Yao Ming and 22 points from Rafer Alston.

13. Cleveland Cavaliers At Detroit Pistons, 101-97 W (2006-07 Season)

LeBron James: 41 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

For his first 30-plus shot performance of the 2006-07 season, James would lead the Cavaliers to a win on the road against the Detroit Pistons. James would attempt just 31 shots while shooting 54.8% from the floor and finishing with 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. He also got 22 points and 10 rebounds from Drew Gooden in the four-point win, fighting off a 29-point night from Richard Hamilton and 20 points and 11 rebounds from Chris Webber. It was Cleveland’s seventh win in a row when James attempted 30 or more shots in a game.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers At Charlotte Bobcats, 100-108 L (2006-07 Season)

LeBron James: 37 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

The winning streak in games in which LeBron James took at least 30 shots in a game would come to an end on March 20, 2007. In another overtime thriller against the Charlotte Bobcats, James would shoot just 12-31 from the field (38.7%) for 37 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists in a 108-100 loss. The Bobcats would pick up the shocking win behind 27 points and 11 rebounds from Gerald Wallace and 20 points from Matt Carroll. Walter Hermann would also add 19 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in the stunner.

15. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Phoenix Suns, 108-110 L (2007-08 Season)

LeBron James: 36 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

It would be almost an entire year before James would have a game with at least 30 shot attempts in a game, this time coming in a home loss against the Phoenix Suns. James would shoot 14-30 from the field overall and 8-10 from the foul line in the game that was decided in regulation. Raja Bell, Steve Nash, and Amar’e Stoudemire would all have over 20 points in the victory for Phoenix while Larry Hughes and Zydrunas Ilgauskas did the same in the loss for Cleveland.

16. Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Lakers, 98-95 W (2007-08 Season)

LeBron James: 41 Points, 32 Shot Attempts

Just two days after the loss to the Suns, James would be back in action on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers. This time, James would will his team to a close win over the Lakers with 41 points on 50.0% shooting from the floor. With 16 points from both Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the Cavaliers picked up a big win on the road despite 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists from Kobe Bryant.

17. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs, 105-112 L (2007-08 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfmgSaODGUk

LeBron James: 39 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

Continuing on with his rivalry with the San Antonio Spurs, LeBron James did his best to try and elevate his team to victory in front of his home crowd. James would spend 43 minutes on the floor and shoot 17-31 (54.8%) from the field but his team would fall short in the process. Even with 26 points from Larry Hughes, the Cavaliers could not overcome the Spurs’ relentless attack led by Manu Ginobili’s 46-point outburst on a ridiculous 15-20 shooting. Tim Duncan also added 23 points and 13 rebounds to aid in the victory for San Antonio.

18. Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks, 119-105 W (2008-09 Season)

LeBron James: 50 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

Three weeks after the loss to the Spurs, LeBron James would have one of his most iconic performances at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks. James would have 50 points on 16-30 shooting against the Knicks on this day while also adding 10 assists and 4 steals to his stat line. James would have no other teammate score more than 15 points in the game, leaving most of the offense to James who was unwavering in his attack on the basket.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers at Portland Trail Blazers, 104-98 W (2008-09 Season)

LeBron James: 34 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

In 2009, LeBron James was in the midst of his first MVP season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They would need everything he had in order to pick up a road win over the Portland Trail Blazers in his first 30-shot game of the season. James would shoot 14-30 from the field in the 104-98 win while also dishing out an incredible 14 assists to lead his team. Mo Williams would also add 33 points on 12-19 shooting and 6-9 from three-point range to give James some backup.

20. Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks, 107-102 W (2008-09 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viL2x9ZQt9w

LeBron James: 52 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

One year after his first 50-point game in Madison Square Garden, LeBron James would top that iconic performance with another one on the same court against the New York Knicks. This time, James would go for 52 points on 17-33 shooting (51.5%) while grabbing 9 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists. James’ 52-point game led Cleveland to their third straight win in games where he attempted at least 30 shots officially making it a winning streak in such games.

21. Cleveland Cavaliers at Sacramento Kings, 126-123 W (2008-09 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPooiYya1AI

LeBron James: 51 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

In the place where his career began against the Sacramento Kings, Lebron James would put forth one of the most efficient performances of his career to will his team to another victory on the road. On a night it would take 47 minutes of play from James in overtime, he would go off for 51 points on 16-30 shooting in a 126-123 win. James would also go 4-11 from three in the contest with Anderson Varejao contributing 18 points and 12 rebounds to give the win to Cleveland.

22. Cleveland Cavaliers at Sacramento Kings, 117-104 W (2009-10 Season)

LeBron James: 34 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

The next time we would see LeBron James take at least 30 shots in a game would be back in Sacramento during the 2009-10 season. In another overtime thriller against the Kings, James would go for 34 points on 14-30 shooting from the field to lead them to yet another close win, 117-114. Now, he would also add 16 rebounds and 10 assists in this one as well to help defeat the Kings on their home floor once again.

23. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks, 113-106 W (2009-10 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAVOPz1CI9c

LeBron James: 47 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

It would take another six weeks for LeBron James to have another game in which he attempted at least 30 shots. It would come against a familiar foe in the New York Knicks but this time, it would occur on his home floor in Cleveland. On an extremely efficient 17-31 shooting night, James would drop 47 points on the Knicks in a relatively easy 113-106 win. A much older Shaquille O’Neal would add 19 points on the night as well to hold off a combined 46 points between Nate Robinson and David Lee for New York.

24. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Denver Nuggets, 116-118 L (2009-10 Season)

LeBron James: 43 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

After winning six games in a row when LeBron attempted at least 30 shots, the streak would finally come to an end in an overtime contest at home against the Denver Nuggets. James would attempt 33 shots this time around, connecting on 15 of them for 43 points in 47 minutes on the court. The game would be won by Denver with a 40-point night from Carmelo Anthony, a close friend but on-court rival of James ever since they came out of the same draft class together in 2003. Kenyon Martin and Chauncey Billups would each have 18 points in the win for Denver as well.

25. Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics, 113-117 L (2009-10 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7El5IsCL6I

LeBron James: 42 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

To cap off his 2010 MVP season, LeBron James and the Cavaliers would head into Boston for an always exciting matchup with the Celtics. In 45 minutes of play, James would go 14-31 from the floor for 42 points in a close 117-113 loss. Boston would be led to victory by 33 points from Paul Pierce as well as 16 points and 14 assists from Rajon Rondo. It would be the final time we saw LeBron James attempt 30 shots in Cleveland until he returned four years later.

26. Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks, 89-93 L (2010-11 Season)

LeBron James: 34 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

In his first season with the Miami Heat, it would take some time for LeBron James to find his bearings with his new team. In his first game attempting at least 30 shots for the Heat, things wouldn’t go so well for him in an overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks. James would shoot 11-30 from the floor in this contest (36.7%) and 2-10 from three in the defeat. The Hawks would get a complete effort from their team in the road win over the Heat led by Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford with 19 points each.

27. Miami Heat at Boston Celtics, 98-100 L (2012-13 Season)

LeBron James: 34 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

It would be another two years until we saw LeBron James take 30 shots in a game for Miami, ending with similar results as the previous occurrence. On the road against his bitter rival, the Boston Celtics, James would attempt 31 shots with 14 makes for 34 points along with 16 rebounds. It would not be enough to carry the Heat to a win as they fell 100-98 in overtime aided by a triple-double from Paul Pierce as well as 24 points and 11 rebounds from Kevin Garnett.

28. Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Bobcats, 124-107 W (2013-14 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5PRGB1Khts

LeBron James: 61 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

LeBron James would only record three games in four seasons with the Miami Heat where he shot at least 30 attempts in one game. One of these instances would occur when James dropped his career-high 61 points in 2014 against the Charlotte Bobcats. In this contest, James would shoot an exhilarating 66.7% from the field including 8-10 from three to lead Miami to a blowout win over the Bobcats.

29. Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls, 114-108 W (2014-15 Season)

LeBron James: 36 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

The next time we saw LeBron James shoot at least 30 times in a game would come when he was once again back in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform for the 2014-15 season. It would come in just his third game back against the Chicago Bulls on the road where he shot 14-30 from the field for 36 points in a 114-108 win. James would receive 23 points from Kyrie Irving as support in the win as well and the Big 3 era in Cleveland was officially underway.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers at Houston Rockets, 103-105 L (2014-15 Season)

LeBron James: 37 Points, 35 Shot Attempts

We would see LeBron James have just one more such game during the 2014-15 season which happened yet again on the road against the Houston Rockets. This time, it would be an overtime loss handed out by the Houston Rockets as James shot 15-35 from the field for 37 points which included a 4-12 shooting night from three. Of course, leading the charge for the Rockets in this overtime win was James Harden who went off for 33 points on 44.4% shooting.

31. Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards, 130-122 W (2016-17 Season)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aTTmVeszfM

LeBron James: 57 Points, 34 Shot Attempts

The next few times we would see LeBron James hoist up at least 30 shots in a game would be some truly remarkable performances. In this 2017 game against the Wizards, LeBron James would erupt for 57 points on a 23-34 shooting night (67.6%) with 11 rebounds and 7 assists. The Cavaliers would end this one in regulation by a score of 130-122 over the Washington Wizards. Derrick Rose would be LeBron’s greatest support during this one with 20 points as their starting point guard on 8-16 shooting from the field.

32. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat, 113-97 W (2018-19 Season)

LeBron James: 51 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

The next time we saw LeBron James attempt at least 30 shots in a game would be in his first season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. In just his 17th game in purple and gold, James would erupt for 51 points on 61.3% shooting which included 6-8 shooting from three. The Lakers would pick up a comfortable 113-97 win behind James’ historic night as well as 19 points off the bench from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

33. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors, 124-116 W (2021-22 Season)

LeBron James: 56 Points, 31 Shot Attempts

In what felt like a revenge game from the 2015-2018 Finals, James would go 19-31 from the floor for 56 points including 6-11 from three as they defeated the Golden State Warriors by eight in Los Angeles. Despite 30 points from Stephen Curry and 23 points from Jordan Poole, James led the Lakers to a win while also getting 20 points from Russell Westbrook on the night.

34. Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics, 121-125 L (2022-23 Season)

LeBron James: 41 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

This past season, LeBron James would have one game in which he attempted at least 30 shots from the field and it came in an overtime loss to those pesky Boston Celtics. In this back-and-forth contest between the two teams, James would go an even 50.0% from the field on 30 shots for 41 points in the loss. With 37 points from Jaylen Brown and 30 from Jayson Tatum, James still had the Lakers within striking distance of the Celtics but fell just short, 125-121.

LeBron James Stats When He Took 30 Or More Shots:

Regular Season: 42.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 7.4 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 18-16 Record

The Playoff Games In Which LeBron James Took 30 Or More Shots

LeBron James has also played in a total of 282 playoff games in his NBA career which is the most in NBA history. Of those 282 games, James has had just 16 games in which he attempted 30 or more shots from the field which accounts for just 5.6% of his entire playoff career. Just as we did with the regular season, let’s take a closer look at these 16 games and the results that came from LeBron James attempting 30 or more shots.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons, 86-84 W (2006 Eastern Conference Second Round)

LeBron James: 32 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

The first time that LeBron James was able to lead his team to the NBA playoffs came in 2006. In the second round of those playoffs, James and the Cavaliers would take on the Detroit Pistons. In Game 5, with the series tied 2-2, James would help the Cavaliers take a 3-2 series lead with 32 points on 13-30 shooting in an 86-84 win. James took it upon himself to put the team on his back and will them to a much-needed win in 47 minutes of play. James’ 43.3% shooting was not ideal but it got the job done although the Pistons would come back in the series and win in seven games.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons, 109-107 W (2007 Eastern Conference Finals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ5AFLXzBFs

LeBron James: 48 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

The following season, LeBron James would lead the Cavaliers back to the playoffs and to a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals. In an overtime thriller during Game 5 with the series tied 2-2 yet again, LeBron James would step up and deliver. James would go for 48 points on 54.5% shooting from the field to lead Cleveland to an overtime win to take a 3-2 series lead. This time, the Cavaliers would defeat the Pistons in six games to advance to the NBA Finals.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs, 82-83 L (2007 NBA Finals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePK06PmMIfU

LeBron James: 24 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

During those 2007 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers would find themselves in a matchup with a locked and loaded San Antonio Spurs team. In Game 4 of that series with their season on the line, James would have one of his worst shooting nights in the playoffs ever. James would shoot just 10-30 from the field (33.3%) for 24 points. The Cavaliers would lose by only one point but the series was over thus came James’ first loss in the NBA Finals in his career.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic, 106-107 L (2009 Eastern Conference Finals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eDCyWEdX6o

LeBron James: 49 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

In 2009, LeBron James would lead the Cavaliers back to the Eastern Conference Finals for a matchup with the Orlando Magic led by Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard. In Game 1 of that series, James would give everything he had in order to try and gain the upper hand in the series. Of his 30-shot attempts, James would knock down 20 of them for 66.7% shooting and 49 points in total. Unfortunately for him, the effort would go to waste in a one-point defeat behind 30 points and 13 rebounds from Howard as well as 22 points from Rashard Lewis. The Magic would advance to the NBA Finals in six games over Cleveland and James’ goal of an NBA championship would fall short again.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls, 86-84 W (2015 Eastern Conference Second Round)

LeBron James: 25 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

It would be six seasons before we ever saw LeBron James attempt 30 or more shots in a playoff game again. In a second-round matchup against the Chicago Bulls, James and the Cavaliers found themselves down 2-1 heading into Game 4 in Chicago. In Game 4, James would shoot just 10-30 from the field for 25 points. He also added 14 rebounds which was just enough to even the series at two games apiece. Eventually, the Cavaliers would win the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to play the Atlanta Hawks.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks, 114-111 W (2015 Eastern Conference Finals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MflhMmWSUAM

LeBron James: 37 Points, 37 Shot Attempts

In Game 3 of those Eastern Conference Finals against Atlanta, James and the Cavaliers would all but put the series away with a win. James would lead them to that win with 37 points on 14-37 shooting along with 18 rebounds and 13 assists in a 114-111 overtime win. James’ poor shooting night had no effect on the outcome of the game as he was backed up with 17 points from both Matthew Dellavedova and J.R. Smith. Of course, the Cavaliers would complete the sweep and advance to the NBA Finals.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, 100-108 L (2015 NBA Finals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99tD_SglWxo

LeBron James: 44 Points, 38 Shot Attempts

In Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers were getting ready to take on the Golden State Warriors led by MVP Stephen Curry and their high-powered three-point shooting offense. In that first game, James would do everything he could to lead his team to victory. He shot 18-38 from the field for 44 points along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists but to no avail. The Warriors would get 26 points from Curry and 21 points from Klay Thompson as the Warriors edged out Cleveland for a 1-0 series lead.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, 95-93 W (2015 NBA Finals)

LeBron James: 39 Points, 35 Shot Attempts

In Game 2 of the 2015 NBA Finals, we would get a much closer contest between these two teams with the Cavaliers evening up the series 1-1 in the end. James would have a rough shooting night going 11-35 from the field (31.4%) but added 16 rebounds and 11 assists to help even the series, 95-93. He would also get plenty of support from Timofey Mozgov with 17 points and 11 rebounds as well as 13 points off the bench from J.R. Smith.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors, 96-91 W (2015 NBA Finals)

LeBron James: 40 Points, 34 Shot Attempts

In Game 3, the two teams would travel to Cleveland for a momentum-shifting game with the winner gaining the upper hand in the series. The Cavaliers turned to their leader for a big night, and he delivered. LeBron would go 14-34 from the field (41.2%) and 10-12 from the foul line to record 40 points along with 12 rebounds and 8 assists to help them take a 2-1 series lead into Game 4. James would also get 20 points from Matthew Dellavedova in the win as they began to back The Warriors into a corner.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, 91-104 L (2015 NBA Finals)

LeBron James: 40 Points, 34 Shots

After a Warriors win in Game 4, the two teams headed back to Golden State for the most important game of the series in Game 5. Once again, Cleveland turned to James to lead them into battle. James would have a decent shooting night, going 15-34 from the field (44.1%) and 3-8 from three-point range. He also added 14 rebounds and 11 assists but it was not enough to catch the fast-paced lights-out offense of Golden State. The Warriors would gain a 3-2 series lead behind 37 points from Stephen Curry who shot 7-13 from three and never looked back.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors, 97-105 L (2015 NBA Finals)

LeBron James: 32 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

With their season on the line, the Cavaliers returned home for Game 6 against the Warriors. Cleveland was perfectly comfortable living or dying with James being the man who attempted the most shots. James would shoot just 13-33 from the field (39.4%) in the important game while going just 2-10 from three. Despite the 18 rebounds and 9 assists he added, the Warriors ran away in the end by a score of 105-97. Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala led Golden State with 25 points each. Iguodala would earn Finals MVP honors in the win while James and company were left stunned and defeated.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, 112-97 W (2016 NBA Finals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q76in4JZgoM

LeBron James: 41 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

It wouldn’t be until the following season’s NBA Finals that James would attempt at least 30 shots in a game again. Down 3-1 against a team that won 73 games during the regular season, LeBron answered the call with 41 points on 16-30 shooting (53.3%) along with 16 rebounds and 7 assists. The performance sparked something within the Cavaliers as they went on to complete the greatest upset in NBA playoff history and win the first championship in franchise history. James would be named Finals MVP for the third time in his career and officially entered the GOAT conversation.

13. Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, 120-129 L (2017 NBA Finals)

LeBron James: 41 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

In 2017, LeBron James would lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their third straight NBA Finals appearance against the Golden State Warriors. In Game 5, Cleveland was hoping for some of the same magic from 2016 as they found themselves down 3-1 in the series once again. James would do his best to pull a rabbit out of the hat with 41 points on 19-30 shooting (63.3%) with 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Unfortunately, there was too much firepower coming from the Warriors with 73 points combined from Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry and the Warriors ran away with the game as well as the NBA championship, 129-120.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors, 113-112 W (2018 Eastern Conference Second Round)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o4xydaDwcc

LeBron James: 26 Points, 30 Shot Attempts

The 2018 playoffs would be the greatest stretch of LeBron James’ career in the NBA playoffs. One of the teams that felt the wrath of his play repeatedly over the years was the Toronto Raptors. In Game 1 of their second-round matchup, LeBron James would go 12-30 from the floor to lift his team to a 1-0 series lead with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. J.R Smith also contributed 20 points to the cause with Kyle Korver also pitching in 19 points as they took a 1-0 series lead.

15. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics, 109-99 W, (2018 Eastern Conference Finals)

LeBron James: 46 Points, 33 Shot Attempts

After dismissing the Raptors, James and the Cavaliers moved on to the Eastern Conference Finals to take on a young but hungry Boston Celtics team. Down 3-2 heading into Game 6, James went into killer mode with 46 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists on 17-33 shooting (51.5%) and 5-7 shooting from three. With the win, the Cavaliers forced a Game 7 which they would also win and advance to their fourth straight NBA Finals. It was the eighth straight NBA Finals appearance for James, an NBA record that may never be broken.

16. Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, 114-124 L (2018 NBA Finals)

LeBron James: 51 Points, 32 Shot Attempts

The final time we ever saw LeBron James put 30 or more shot attempts up during a playoff game would come during the 2018 NBA Finals. For the fourth straight season, the Cavaliers would face the Warriors in the Finals led by James. This epic performance came in Game 1 of the series with a chance for Cleveland to shock the world and take a 1-0 series lead. However, thanks to a bouncer by J.R Smith at the end of regulation, this was not in the cards. James would lead the Cavaliers with 51 points on 19-32 shooting (59.4%) but the Warriors would win their third title in four years in a dominant four-game sweep.

LeBron James Stats When He Took 30 Or More Shots:

Playoffs: 38.4 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 8.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 9-7 Record

LeBron James Could Have At Least 5 NBA Scoring Titles If He Wanted To

Phew! Now, I know this is a ton of information to unpack. These are 50 games between the regular season and playoff in which LeBron James has hoisted up at least 30 shots in a single game. In the grand scheme of things, this is an extremely small sample size when looking at his 20-year career. As a matter of fact, James has attempted 30 shots or 2.8% of the games he has ever appeared in during his career, including the regular season and playoffs.

In the regular season, we saw that LeBron James averaged 42.5 points per game in 34 regular season games when attempting 30 or more shots. While it is impossible to predict if James could have sustained that average over the course of an entire season, it is safe to say that the scoring titles would have come flooding in if he had focused on reaching that 30-shot mark every single night. This is especially true if is in attack mode and chasing shots at the rim.

He could have been an even more dominant playoff scorer as well even though he is already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in both the regular season and postseason. There is no telling if attempting more shots would have resulted in more championships or MVP awards for LeBron, but it has to remain a possibility considering his winning record in those games, right?

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