The National Basketball Association (NBA) provides unique entertainment to anyone hoping to watch the games from tipoff. Whether people hope to see a ruthless dunk thrown or an impossible three-point buzzer-beater, the NBA carries its promise of joy to all. From the official draft to undrafted pickups, over 4,800 players can say they stepped on the court and played in the top tier of basketball. Dynasties rise and fall, and players either leave an impact or vanish from the face of the sport, but certain players gain enough fame to acquire an induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame. One player who has exceeded the Hall of Fame and stands atop the rest in almost every statistic remains small forward LeBron Raymone James Sr.
“LeBron James is the epitome of what basketball is. He possesses the ball intelligence quotient (IQ) unmatched by most players, the physicality near that of the largest centers and the scoring to rival any player you put him against. The impact he has had on and off the court throughout his career is jaw-dropping. When it comes to the debate of the greatest, James has solidified himself as the goat,” junior Maddox Wang Snider said.
James began his career at St. Mary’s St. Vincent in Akron, Ohio. Off the bat, journalists described him as one of the supreme high school prospects in history, and James upheld the expectations. James averaged 32 points per game, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals, which led him to win Ohio’s Mr. Basketball and become the only junior to win the Gatorade Player of the Year. Though he lost his eligibility to attend the National College Athletic Association (NCAA), James chose to declare for the NBA draft June 26, 2003.
As if fate could not smile brighter on the state of Ohio, the Cleveland Cavaliers landed the first overall pick of the 2003 draft. With no second doubts, the Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson drafted James, becoming one of few players to join the NBA straight out of high school. James immediately worked his way into Most Valuable Player (MVP) talks at 20, garnering consideration from coaches and players alike as the future and current face of the league.
Despite several playoff runs including a finals appearance loss against the San Antonio Spurs, James failed to win a championship with the Cavaliers. James would enter the 2010 NBA offseason without any contract negotiations and roam as a free agent uncertain of his future. On live television, James revealed his decision to leave Cleveland and join the Miami Heat, painting himself as the villain of the league.
At Miami, James proved his standing as the league’s number-one player, winning two MVPs in a row from 2012 to 2013, three NBA all-defensive first-team selections and four straight all-NBA first-team selections. Despite a finals loss in his first season with the Heat against an unstoppable Dallas Mavericks, James would win back-to-back championships with Miami, as well as add two finals MVP awards to his growing repertoire.
Though James failed to fulfill his promise of winning six championships with Miami, he left a lasting impact on the team. At the end of the 2014 season, James announced he would return home to Cleveland, vowing to bring his hometown a championship. James proved his commitment to winning the championship for Cleveland’s sake, leading the team to their first finals appearance since James’ first stint, but unfortunately losing to the Golden State Warriors. Despite the loss, James became the only NBA player to lead both teams in points, rebounds and assists in an NBA finals game.
The Cavaliers would meet the Warriors again in the 2016 NBA finals, the latter coming off of a 73 to nine record, surpassing Michael Jordan’s 72-10 record with the Chicago Bulls for wins in an NBA season. The Warriors would take a commanding three-to-one lead in the finals series, reporters and fans alike calling the finals another championship for the bay. James chose to keep fighting, scoring back-to-back 41-point scores in games five and six, thus forcing a game seven. In the final game of the series, James posted a 27-point triple-double and completed the only three-to-one comeback in NBA finals history.
“Being honest, I thought Jordan was the goat for a while, he had the championships, the playoff achievements and the skill to stay the goat. But after the 2016 finals, I finally realized James was in a league of his own. No other player is doing what he did for a final run like that and I do not think we will see anything like that again. While Jordan stays one of the greatest of all time, he is number two behind Lebron,” Junior Maxwell Thuo said.
While James returned to the finals the following two seasons, he stood no chance against the Warriors, now powered by a scoring duo of Curry and new addition Kevin Durant. In 2019, James chose to move to the Western Conference, joining the Los Angeles Lakers, but unfortunately missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Immediately following this smear on his career, James alongside Anthony Davis led the Lakers through the playoffs in the 2020 NBA bubble playoffs, defeating the Miami Heat in the finals and securing both his fourth championship and his fourth Finals MVP.
As the 2024 season arrived, James announced his newest contract could mean the end of his career, signing a two-year, $99 million extension with Los Angeles. James officially became the second player since Vince Carter to play 22 seasons in the NBA, while scoring the most points for any player near his age. In the 2024 draft, the Lakers drafted his son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., and played together on opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the only father-son duo to play together in a sports game.
Even though the end approaches for his career, James proved his reasoning for why he possesses the title of King James. After shattering record after record, accomplishing feats never seen and reaching the NBA finals eight years in a row, the NBA loses the heart of the league and a pivotal part in globalizing the sport. One thing that remains assured following his upcoming retirement, James sits at the top of the NBA mountain unchallenged for decades to come.
