SI’s Best Photos of LeBron James
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From high-flying dunks to memorable playoff performances, here are some of our best images of LeBron James through the years.
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Drafted by the Cavaliers with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, LeBron entered the NBA and immediately lived up to the hype.
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As a 19-year-old, James won Rookie of the Year honors that season, averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
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As a masked man, LeBron dunked all over Damon Jones to finish a two-on-one fast break during a 2005 game against the Heat.
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A year after leading the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007, LeBron had an epic showdown with the Celtics in the ’08 playoffs. The Cavs fell in seven games.
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In 2009, LeBron won his first MVP award and had a memorable game-winning three-pointer against the Magic in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.
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James’s rise to superstardom was swift. He made his first All-NBA First Team in 2006 and has gone on to earn that recognition a record 13 times.
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After LeBron took his talents to South Beach as a free agent in 2010, the Heat became an instant title contender, making four Finals in a row.
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LeBron won his first NBA championship in 2012 against a young Thunder team that featured Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
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LeBron added to his MVP collection while in Miami, winning the award in 2012 and ’13 to bring his career total to four.
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LeBron capped off a dominant 2013 season—in which the Heat won 66 games and had a 27-game winning streak—with another Finals victory.
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Following a Finals loss to the Spurs in 2014, LeBron announced he was “coming home” and returning to play for the Cavs.
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LeBron led the Cavs to a major turnaround in 2014–15. The team won 20 more games than the season before and became the East champs.
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With LeBron back in Cleveland, the Cavs would make four straight Finals appearances, all against the Warriors.
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In 2016, LeBron finally won one for The Land, leading the Cavs back from a 3–1 series deficit against the Warriors to bring the franchise its first NBA title.
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LeBron was the unanimous Finals MVP in 2016, averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.3 blocks and 2.6 steals over seven games.
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In 2018, LeBron opted out of his contract to join the Lakers. In his first four years in L.A. he had the top-selling NBA jersey.
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LeBron’s arrival in L.A. brought fresh hope to a franchise that had missed the playoffs in its previous five seasons.
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During LeBron’s first season in L.A., the Lakers finished 37–45 and missed the playoffs in a crowded Western Conference.
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In the Orlando bubble in 2020, James led the Lakers to their 17th title and became the only player ever to win a Finals MVP award with three different franchises.
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At 38, LeBron is still playing at an All-NBA level and has long cemented his status as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
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LeBron became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Feb. 7, 2023, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record with a fadeaway jumper.