LeBron James has been dominating the NBA stage for over two decades now.
Since entering the league in 2003 as “The Chosen One”, there has been no turning back for James, who has been the defining player of his generation in the NBA.
During this time, James has established himself firmly in the conversation of being among the NBA’s greatest players of all time, and is the “GOAT” to a large number of fans worldwide.
Assessing his long and memorable career, some moments stand out for their significance to James’ legacy and deserve to be immortalised in basketball history.
Here, we look back at the top ten moments from “King” James’ decorated NBA career and rank them based on their historical significance.
#10. Buzzer-beater vs Toronto Raptors, 2018
James was public enemy No.1 in Toronto for the greater part of a decade in the 2010s.
The Raptors had assembled a fine team that had championship aspirations, but they constantly ran into the same roadblock in the postseason: James and his Cavaliers.
Nothing epitomises their repeated failures in its true heart-wrenching self as the then-Cavaliers star’s unbelievable buzzer-beater against the Raptors in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
This shot headlines every reference to “LeBronto”, the phrase that originated after James’ continued dominance of the Toronto Raptors – a phrase that haunted Raptors fans annually until 2018.
It was only fitting that the Raptors finally got over the hump and won their first NBA championship in 2019 after James finally left the Eastern Conference to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
#9. NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, 2020
The Los Angeles Lakers had failed to win a championship ever since the days of the late great Kobe Bryant.
When a 33-year-old James joined the Lakers in 2018, expectations were high. However, the team failed to impress and missed out on the Playoffs entirely in his debut season with the team.
The pressure was mounting, and the former Cavs and Heat superstar wasn’t getting any younger. So the Lakers went all in, acquired Anthony Davis, and suddenly there was a contender in LA again.
The plan was to develop Davis as the first option, taking pressure away from the ageing James. However, the four-time MVP is no ordinary basketball player and wasn’t ready to give away his status as top dog.
James continued to be the alpha and led the Lakers to the NBA championship in 2020. With this, the veteran won his fourth Finals MVP trophy and became the second-oldest player ever to win the honour.
#8. The Decision, 2010
Arguably the most controversial inclusion in this list, “The Decision” was an iconic moment that will forever be remembered as a key moment in James’ career.
Appearing on live television, the then free agent made a spectacle out of his decision to sign with the Miami Heat, leading to a crash out at Cleveland among the fanbase.
The biggest name in the NBA declaring his next career destination on ESPN was an unprecedented move and had the entire basketball community tuned in.
While controversial, “The Decision” stands as a vital moment in the player empowerment era of the NBA and highlighted player power in a way no move has ever done.
#7. Flag bearer at the Paris Olympics, 2024
The 2024 Paris Olympics represented the last time James would suit up for Team USA at the global stage, and that in itself stands as an important moment in the superstar’s career.
However, the fact that James was selected as the flag bearer for the United States of America alongside Tennis superstar Coco Gauff makes it an even more special moment to look back on.
With this, James became the first male basketball player to bear the American flag at the Olympic stage.
A gold medal performance followed as James repaid his nation’s trust in him, marking the end of a truly spectacular Olympic career.
#6. Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 vs the Boston Celtics, 2012
After his move to the Miami Heat to form a “Big Three” with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James was heavily scrutinised and was the villain that everyone wanted to bring down.
With their first season together ending in failure at the hands of Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, the pressure was on James and the Heat as they entered the 2012 postseason.
And five games into the Eastern Conference Finals, things were looking bleak for the Heat. The Celtics had established a 3-2 lead in the series, and the Heat had to avoid elimination in Game 6 at the TD Garden.
What happened next will forever be etched in history. James took over the game and dropped 45 points on the Celtics to force a Game 7, which the Heat would then win.
The Heat rode the momentum from their star’s performance and went on to win the 2012 NBA championship – the first of “King” James’ career.
#5. First MVP season, 2009
Everybody watching a young James was aware of his prowess and his potential to become one of the best players in the league.
However, there is no better way to cement yourself as the apex player and announce your arrival to the big leagues than by winning the MVP award.
The “Chosen One” was among the best in the league already by 2008-09, but securing his first MVP award all but confirmed his status as the premier two-way force in the NBA.
For the season, James averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.2 blocks a game, all while leading the Cavaliers to a 66-win season. Truly stellar numbers from the then 24-year-old.
The 2009 MVP trophy marked the first of four MVP trophies in James’ decorated career and marked the beginning of his extended run as the best player in the league.
#4. Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 vs the Pistons, 2007
In every legendary athlete’s story, there is a moment that stands out as the first instance where the world took notice of them as being beyond normal.
This was James’s moment.
The young gun had already made a reputation for himself as the future of the league, but on this night against the Detroit Pistons, he made it clear that he had already arrived at the big stage.
The Eastern Conference Finals pitting the Cavaliers against the Pistons marked James’ first appearance at this stage of the competition. The opponents? A Pistons side merely three years removed from NBA success.
None of that mattered to James as he recorded 48 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a legendary performance and scored 29 of his team’s last 30 points to take them to the NBA Finals.
#3. Playing with Bronny James, 2024
One of the most admirable facets of James’ career has been his incredible longevity.
The Lakers’ superstar just completed the 22nd season of his professional career and did so while still playing at an All-Star level.
While this is impressive as a standalone statement, the most unbelievable fact pertaining to his longevity is that he managed to extend his career to such an extent that he got to share the court with his son.
Yes, James and his son, Bronny James, are now teammates with the Lakers, and the duo played together as teammates on Bronny’s debut for the Lakers in October 2024.
Their first moment as teammates will forever be enshrined in basketball lore as one of the most unlikely occurrences ever and one that may never be repeated in NBA history.
#2. Becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, 2023
When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989, he would have never anticipated relinquishing his status as the NBA’s premier scorer, ever.
Kareem’s career was supposed to be an outlier that would never be matched. But then came James.
In 2023, during his 20th season in the NBA, James finally overtook Abdul-Jabbar during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and got to the perch of the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
One of the league’s longest-standing records had finally been broken.
Having since completed close to two years of successful play, it would take a gargantuan effort to usurp James from the top of the standings, and with James not slowing down one bit, the difficulty of the task at hand for any chaser only goes up by the day.
#1. “The Block”, 2016
Imagine making a play so iconic that it comes to be known as “The Block” amidst all the thousands of blocks that have played out in NBA history?
That is exactly what James did, as he chased Andre Iguodala down to swat the ball away from the rim, ensuring that his Cleveland Cavaliers stayed in the game during the NBA Finals in 2016.
The play was almost a physical manifestation of the unbelievable comeback James and his Cavaliers had made to claw back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Championship against the 73-9 Warriors in 2016.
Shortly after this play, Kyrie Irving made one of the most famous go-ahead shots in NBA history, and the Cavs completed the unlikeliest of comebacks, becoming the first team to ever overcome a 3-1 lead in NBA Finals history.
James delivered his hometown franchise an elusive championship and capped off arguably his greatest professional achievement with a highlight reel moment for the ages.