You’ve probably heard by now, but LeBron James turned 30 today. Yes, he’s in quite the predicament with a still-gelling Cavs team, so it’s not the happiest of occasions for the Akron native. Still, 30 is a milestone (sigh), and the NBA has provided a handy countdown of his top 30 moments in this his twelfth season.
We think LeBron’s jumper over Kawhi Leonard to seal the 2013 NBA Finals by putting the Heat up 92-88 with under 30 seconds to play in Game 7 was his defining moment:
He had been struggling with his jumper for the first five and a half games, only seeming to have confidence in the last half of Game 6 and all of Game 7. But to hit that shot — one he’d struggled with throughout the series as the Spurs dared him to knock them down while packing the paint — at that moment, always sticks out in our minds as the moment anyone who questioned his abilities at the end of game should be completely ignored.
BUT, we can remember exactly what we were doing when the top play on the NBA’s list happened at the end of Game 2 during the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. We had been watching the game out with our family, and when it became obvious — to us, at least — the Cavs were going to squander James’ game 2 line with a loss, we headed to the parking lot for a smoke. When our lady came out and told us what happened…
…we went right back in, ambled over to the bar and took two shots to calm our childish euphoria.
We don’t even want to tell you what we consumed when LeBron led a joke of a Cavs squad to a Game 5 win over the Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals by scoring 28 of their last 30 points in regulation and overtime…that’s No. 2.
It was impressive…but we still think the 2013 Finals shot was bigger for his legacy.
What’s LeBron’s top moment as an NBA player?
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