LeBron James: Then Vs. Now

By:

Christina Casiano

August 8, 2021 2:17PM EDT

LeBron James is considered one of the best basketball players of all time. Here are some of his most memorable moments over the years.

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LeBron James on the basketball court

LeBron James on the basketball court — LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers defeated the Cavaliers, 90-80, at the Staples Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2003 in Los Angeles.

LeBron is best known as a professional basketball player. He first started playing basketball when he was in the fifth grade. He went on on to play all throughout high school (he also played football) and eventually started his professional basketball career by joining The Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. He later joined The Miami Heat in 2010 and played with the team until 2014, when he went back to the Cavaliers. In July 2018, it was announced that LeBron was joining the L.A. Lakers and started his first season with the team a few months later. Although his debut season with the Lakers was highly anticipated by many fans, it proved to be a tough one. LeBron suffered a groin injury in December during a game against the Golden State Warriors, causing him to miss 17 games, the most he ever missed in a season up until that point. A few months later, on March 30, it was announced LeBron would be missing the final six games of the season due to the same injury. The team also didn’t make the NBA playoffs, which was a contrast for Lebron considering he went on to the NBA Finals with every team since 2010. He’s one of the most decorated NBA players history, winning 3 NBA Championships and being a 4-time NBA Most Valuable Player.

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LeBron James Wins His First NBA MVP

LeBron James Wins His First NBA MVP — LeBron James is presented with the 2008-09 MVP Award ahead of an Eastern Conference Finals game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Falcons. LeBron would win the award again in 2020, 2012, and 2013. He also won the Rookie of the Year award in 2004. However, he wouldn’t win the NBA Championship until 2012.

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LeBron James In South Beach

LeBron James In South Beach — LeBron James joined the Miami Heat in 2010. They made it to the 2010-11 NBA Finals, but were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks in six games. Over the next ten NBA Finals, LeBron would play in nine of them.

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LeBron James Finally Wins The Title

LeBron James Finally Wins The Title — Though LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade couldn’t get the job done in the 2011 Finals, they did in 2012. The Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games, giving LeBron James his first NBA Championship. Here, he holds the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy while basking in the long-sought glory.
(AP Photo/Tom DiPace)

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LeBron Goes Back-To-Back

LeBron Goes Back-To-Back — LeBron James secured his second NBA Championship in 2013. He and the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in seven games. LeBron would add a second NBA Finals MVP title to his resume, having won it in 2012.

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LeBron James Returns To Cleveland

LeBron James Returns To Cleveland — LeBron James and the Miami Heat would fail to pull off the three-peat. In 2014, after losing the NBA Finals to the Spurs, James opted out of his final year with the Heat to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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LeBron James Wins It For Cleveland

LeBron James Wins It For Cleveland — LeBron James’ return to Cleveland was to make good on a promise – to bring the NBA Championship to his hometown. He did so in 2016. After falling to the Golden State Warriors in the 2015 Finals, it looked like the Cavs were going to get eliminated again when they went down 3-1 in the series. Instead, LeBron led the team, winning four-straight games to end Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought. Here, LeBron celebrates with Cleveland during the Cavs’ victory parade in 2016.

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LeBron James In Purple And Yellow

LeBron James In Purple And Yellow — After fulfilling a promise to Cleveland, LeBron James looked west. After failing to overcome the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018, LeBron opted out of the final year of his deal with the Cavs, and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. At the time, they were considered one of the worst squads in the league. Two years after LeBron joined, they were competing for the title again.

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LeBron James Returns To The NBA Finals

LeBron James Returns To The NBA Finals — LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers failed to make the playoffs in 2019. In 2020, despite the shortened and modified season (due to COVID-19), LeBron and the Lakers made it to the Finals. It was LeBron’s 10th time in the Finals, meaning he had more Finals appearances than 27 teams in the league.

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LeBron James Is An Icon

LeBron James Is An Icon — 16-time NBA All-Star. 13-time All-NBA First Team. 4-time NBA MVP. 3-time NBA Finals MVP. 3-time NBA Champion. Rookie of the Year. 2008 NBA scoring champion. All these accolades, and the numerous others he’s accumulated in his career, are why many consider LeBron James to be the Greatest Of All Time.

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