The 2015 NBA Finals begins on Thursday, and for the fifth-straight year, LeBron James is in the mix. Because of that, his 11 All-Star selections, and four NBA MVP awards, LeBron has earned the right to be thought of as the best player in the NBA.
But he still took part in two Finals losses with the Heat and one already with the Cavs, and the desire for Cleveland to finally clinch a banner has to weigh on him. After all, if LeBron is able to lead the Cavaliers to their first championship in franchise history, then it will be a signature moment in a career that will be compared against the greatest to ever play the game.
As we wait for LeBron to carve the next chapter of his legacy, we have 10 of his greatest playoff moments to reminisce over.
Triple-double against Chicago — 2010 Conference Quarterfinals, Game 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofMwRzJynnc
LeBron vs. the Bulls is always a fun series. Although this game of the series was a blowout, 121-98, James had a monster night with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, and shot 6-9 from three-point range and 11-17 from the field. Cleveland went on to win Game 5 and take the series, but ended up losing in the second round to the eventual Eastern Conference Champions that season, the Boston Celtics.
49 points against Brooklyn — 2014 Conference Semifinals, Game 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbniFRVq7l8
This was a huge offensive night for LeBron against a Brooklyn Nets team filled with aging stars like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Joe Johnson. James put up 49 points in a close win on the way to the Eastern Conference Finals to face the Indiana Pacers.
29 points and 12 assists in a comeback win vs. Oklahoma City — 2012 NBA Finals, Game 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFyLiPZJIAI
After being down 33-19 to end the first quarter, the Heat came back to get the win in Game 4 of the Finals. LeBron led the charge with 29 points and 12 assists, while holding everyone on the Thunder not named Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook under double-digit points in the game. James led the Heat to win the series in five games.
Triple-double OT win vs. Atlanta — 2015 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrXZc3eUNOE
Although the Cavs swept Atlanta in this years Eastern Conference Finals, it was a better series than the numbers show. Game 3 was particularly awesome to watch, as LeBron started the game missing his first 10 attempts only to come back with 37 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists in the OT win.
47 points in Atlanta — 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 3
This 2009 Cleveland Cavs made it clear that it would have to be “The LeBron Show” if the team was going to win; Mo Williams and Anderson Varejão are the only other players from this team still in the league today. LeBron averaged 28.4 points-per-game in the 2008-09 season, but elevated his game and scored 47 in a tone setting 97-82 win over the Hawks.
48 points in an OT win at Detroit — 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5
With the series tied 2-2, the situation was tense enough, but the pressure got even tighter when the game went into double overtime. LeBron led his Cavs with 48 points to beat the Pistons 109-107 and ultimately lead them into the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
45 minutes and 45 points in Boston — 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z07Se0V0vBo
James logged the same amount of minutes and points in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals: 45. The Heat won 98-79 and went on to win the championship in five games against the Thunder.
Triple-double vs. Indiana — 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 1
Listen to Marv Albert’s call! Gold! Another triple-double for LeBron, 30-10-10, this was a tough overtime win, 108-107, that set the tone for the rest of the seven-game series against the Pacers. Miami went on to win the series and beat the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game series to win back-to-back NBA Finals.
40 points and 18 boards at Indiana — 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlHmHKzl7eU
After losing game three 94-75, LeBron came back in game 4 to drop 40 points, along with 18 rebounds and nine assists, equalizing the series at two games a piece. Miami went on to win the series in seven games and beat Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals.
Triple-double in OT win vs. San Antonio — 2013 NBA Finals, Game 6
Yet again, LeBron leads his team with a triple double — 32-11-10 — in an overtime win. Miami won Game 6 against the Spurs, 103-100, at home and finished the series in Game 7 to win a second championship in two years.
