Cleveland Cavaliers: 25 Best Players To Play For The Cavaliers
By Phil Watson
SF-SG. 2003-10, 2014-16. LeBron James. 1. player. 156. <strong>How acquired:</strong> 1st overall pick from Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School (Akron, Ohio), 2003 NBA Draft; Free agent, July 2014.
McDonald’s All-American LeBron James had been the next big thing for awhile, featured on a Sports Illustrated cover as a junior at Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, picking first in the 2003 NBA Draft, took the Chosen One—as he was dubbed—when he opted to skip college.
James was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003-04 and was named MVP in back-to-back seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
He was also a six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection and two-time All-Defensive pick and was MVP of the All-Star Game in both 2006 and 2008.
He was second in the MVP voting in 2005-06, fourth in 2007-08 and fifth in 2006-07, just for good measure.
James led the NBA in scoring in 2007-08 and in minutes per game in 2004-05, finishing in the top five in scoring six times and in minutes five times, while also placing third in steals in 2004-05.
He also helped the Cavs to the 2007 NBA Finals, averaging 22.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 42.6 minutes per game, shooting .356/.200/.690 in a four-game loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Then came the decision—or “The Decision”—heard ‘round the NBA in July 2010, when James opted to sign with the Miami Heat as a free agent.
The Cavaliers sent him there on a sign-and-trade arrangment, getting baack second-round picks in 2011 and 2012, a first-round selection in 2013, a future first-rounder and a trade exception.
James returned to Cleveland as a free agent in July 2014 and has two All-Star nods was an All-Star once again, two All-NBA selections and back-to-back third-place finishes in the MVP voting.
He was third in scoring and fifth in minutes per game in 2014-15. In 2015-16, James placed fifth in scoring.
The Cavaliers reached the Finals for the second time in franchise history, with James averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 45.7 minutes per game, shooting .398/.310/.687 as the Golden State Warriors won in six games.
In 2015-16, he put up 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 35.6 minutes per game on .520/.309/.731 shooting.
Back in the Finals against the Warriors for a second straight season, James nabbed Finals MVP honors for the third time in his career, averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks–the first player ever to lead a Finals in all five categories–in 41.7 minutes per game, while shooting .494/.371/.721.
The Cavaliers became the first team to erase a 3-1 Finals deficit, winning their first championship in the process.
In nine seasons with Cleveland, James has averaged 27.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 39.4 minutes per game, shooting .481/.330/.739.
While with Miami, James was a two-time MVP, four-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA selection and a four-time All-Defensive pick. He was also the Finals MVP for the Heat’s championships in 2012 and 2013.
James opted out of his contract after the season, but cashed in on a three-year, $100 million deal on Aug. 12, 2016, that includes a player option for the final season in 2018-19.
Next: The 30 Best Small Forwards of All-Time
James is 39th in NBA history with 38,478 minutes, 30th with 1,343 three-pointers, 18th with 6,815 assists, 24th with 1,657 steals, 11th with 26,833 points, seventh with an average of 39.0 minutes per game, fifth with an average of 27.2 points per game and 28th with an averages of 6.9 assists per game.