Long live the king: Analysing the career of LeBron James

LeBron James is regarded by many as the best player of all time. Although his career isn't over, he has played 18 seasons in the NBA and has cemented himself in the history books.  

In 2003, LeBron was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was drafted straight out of high school at the age of 18, which is an achievement only certain players have earned, such as, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett.

LeBron during his first season at Cleveland Cavaliers (Image: Getty)

LeBron James came into the league averaging 21 points, six assists and six rebounds as well as a steal, a half and a block per game. He shot 40% from the field and 29% from three-point range. He shot a below average 75% from the free throw line, this would become one of his biggest downsides throughout his career.

His Rookie of the Year campaign is perhaps one of the most hotly debated campaigns in NBA history. He and Carmelo Anthony were neck and neck in voting throughout the whole season. LeBron brought home the award, but Carmelo shot more efficiently and averaged slightly more points. He led his Denver Nuggets team to the playoffs while LeBron’s Cavs missed out. In terms of stats and team success, Carmelo had the marginally better season, but missed out on the award.

LeBron became an all-star calibre player throughout his second year until the 2006 season, where he led the Cavs to the playoffs as a four seed. He was eliminated in the second round by the Detroit Pistons, while his fellow 2003 draftee Dwayne Wade won the championship with the Miami Heat.

LeBron continued to be bounced out of the playoffs for the next three seasons. This included a finals appearance in 2007 and an MVP award in 2009, which is very impressive considering his teammate quality. However, many thought LeBron had to leave Cleveland, but what they didn’t expect was one of the most infamous moves in NBA history. In a notorious 2010 interview, LeBron famously stated he would “take his talents to south beach” and join the Miami Heat alongside Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, forming a super-team.

In their first year together, the Heat’s big three finished as the two seed, with a 58 and 24 record. LeBron took home the MVP award and entered what many would consider his prime years. The team made the finals, but lost to Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavericks, this was by far the lowest point of LeBron’s career so far as he underperformed in the finals series.

The next year was a different story. The Heat finished with a 46 and 20 record and were the two seed in a shortened season. LeBron James won his third MVP award in-a-row, joining an exclusive club of players to do so.  In the playoffs, the Heat made the finals against Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder. They went on to win 4-1 in the series and LeBron finally won his first title. He also won the Finals MVP award and famously stated, “It’s about damn time”.

LeBron during his spell with the Miami Heats (Image: Getty)

The team saw similar success the following year, finishing 66 and 16, their best record so far. LeBron missed out on the MVP trophy to the emerging superstar Kevin Durant, who he defeated in the finals the season before. The team made the finals and defeated the San Antonio Spurs in a legendary 4-3 win with LeBron winning his second Finals MVP in-a-row.

The next season would be LeBron’s last year in Miami as his team were defeated by Kawhi Leanord’s Spurs. LeBron decided he had to get a change of scenery, and he returned to his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers with one goal, to win a championship. In the 2014/15 season the team fell short, but the next year LeBron pulled off what is regarded by most as the best playoff run of all time.

In the 2015/16 playoffs, alongside Kyrie Irving, LeBron led his team to the finals against the Golden State Warriors super-team. Stephen Curry’s Warriors had just broken the record for the best winning record of all time when they finished 73 and nine on the season. In the finals, the Warriors took a demanding 3-1 lead over the Cavs and everyone thought it was over. LeBron then led both teams in every major statistical category over the next three games, leading the Cavs to their first championship in franchise history and his third Finals MVP, famously stating “Cleveland, this is for you”. This was the first time a team came back from a 3-1 deficit in the finals.

LeBron then lost in the finals the year after. This was then followed by another huge decision by LeBron, to move to LA. He signed with the LA Lakers in the 2018 offseason. This sparked arguably the most hotly debated few years of LeBron’s career. In the 2018/19 season, LeBron’s Lakers didn’t make the playoffs, which hadn’t happened since his second season in the NBA. Many thought this was the beginning of the end for LeBron as he was 34 in a weak LA team. This wasn’t further from the truth as in the 2019/20 offseason, the Lakers traded for Anthony Davis who was a superstar power forward.

The stage was set for an exciting season for LA, however, COVID hit and put the world to a halt, cutting the season in half. The NBA was able to hold the last few games of the season and the playoffs behind closed doors at Disney Land Florida. LeBron’s Lakers made the finals that year against Jimmy Butler’s Heat, LeBron’s former team. The Lakers won 4-2 in the finals and LeBron won his fourth finals MVP award. This championship is hotly debated as many think it doesn’t hold as much weight as his others, due to it being behind closed doors.

LeBron’s career as a whole has been going downhill since the 2020 playoffs. In the 2020/21 season he was eliminated in the first round by Devin Booker’s Suns. Throughout this season Anthony Davis struggled with injury and played only a fraction of the team’s games. The following season, the Lakers missed the playoffs with Davis missing most of the season again.

LeBron in action for the Lakers (Image: Getty)

In the current NBA season, LeBron’s Lakers are struggling, they have a losing record and Davis rarely plays, leaving 38-year-old LeBron to galvanise a team in poor form.

At this point, LeBron has three MVP trophies, four Finals MVP trophies, 18 All-Star selections, 18 all NBA selections, six all defensive selections and a rookie of the year trophy. He has the most points in NBA history, the seventh most assists in NBA history, the tenth most steals in NBA history and he has played the third most minutes. He’s truly the greatest of all time.