LeBron James Turns 40: Greatest Moments in Legendary Career

On the NBA superstar’s birthday, we take a trip down memory lane for some of his most memorable games, highlights, off-the-court contributions and Sports Illustrated images.

LeBron James celebrates during a Los Angeles Lakers game in 2018. / John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

In celebration of LeBron James’s 40th birthday on Monday, Sports Illustrated takes a look back at The King’s momentous career through our camera lens and iconic sports covers along with highlights and memorable games. Here are 40 of his greatest moments in chronological order. 

1. “The Chosen One”

It all started on Feb. 18, 2002, with “The Chosen One,” Sports Illustrated’s first cover featuring LeBron James. Writer Grant Wahl profiled the high school phenom, then pegged as “the heir to Air Jordan,” oh what was to come. The cover shoot was a dream come true for photographer Michael J. Le Brecht II. James has been featured on dozens of SI covers since then, but the first is probably the most iconic to sports fans. 

James's first Sports Illustrated cover on Feb. 18, 2002. / Michael J. LeBrecht II/Sports Illustrated

dark. Photo gallery. LeBron Covers. LeBron James on the cover of Sports Illustrated

2. NBA debut against the Kings in 2003

Few pro debuts have been as heavily hyped as James, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, who played his first NBA minutes in … Sacramento. James, then just four months out of high school, gave a national audience a taste of what was to come, stuffing the stat sheet with 25 points (on 12-of-20 shooting), nine assists, six rebounds and four steals. The 2.8 rating the game drew on ESPN was greater than all but one of the 69 games the network aired in all of the previous season.

3. First 50-point game in 2005 vs. Raptors 

He immediately proved he belonged among the pros in his first NBA season, and his second season proved he could truly live up to the hype. He hit a big milestone with his first 50-point game against the Toronto Raptors in March 2005. It wasn’t one of his best big-time scoring games; the Cavs lost by seven and it took him 36 shots to score 56 points. But it was one of the formational “Welcome to the LeBron era” moments that would go on to define decades of the NBA.

James dunks against the Mavericks in 2006. / Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

4. Earning first trip to NBA Finals with dominant 2007 ECF closeout

In closing out the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals and notching his first trip to the NBA Finals, James scored the Cavs’ last 25 points (and 29 of its last 30) and hit the go-ahead bucket with three seconds left in double-overtime to clinch the win. Facing a deep and experienced ex-champion, James was masterful. James’s final stat line: 48 points, nine rebounds, seven assists. He made 10 of his 14 free throws, two of his three triples and committed just two turnovers in 50 minutes of play.

5. Winning scoring title in 2008 season

Years later, after James plowed through Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record, we can remember the 2007–08 season as an early example of his scoring prowess. James averaged 30.3 points that season—nearly four better than the next highest scorer, Kobe Bryant—shooting a then-career-high 48.4% from the floor. It was the second time in his first five seasons that James averaged 30-plus, a remarkable feat for a still-developing superstar. He became the youngest player to score 9,000 career points in that season while claiming his first All-Star MVP.

James during a 2008 game against the Magic. / Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated

6. “LeBron James with no regard for human life!”

James’s first stint in Cleveland is littered with memorable moments, and his thunder dunk against the Boston Celtics during the 2008 playoffs certainly qualifies. It was a perfect storm of everything fans love about basketball: an amazing display of athleticism, an awesome dunk, a home crowd that went absolutely nuts and an all-time great call from the announcer. Kevin Harlan’s “with no regard for human life!” amid the roar of the Cleveland faithful is instantly recognizable and will serve as quite the crescendo to James’s Hall of Fame dunking reel.

7. Gold medal with the Redeem Team

In 2004, James, still a teenager, was part of a USA Basketball program that reached its nadir: a bronze medal finish in the 2004 Olympics, which ended three cycles of Olympic dominance. Four years later, James wore the same jersey in ’08, helping the U.S reclaim its place on the world stage with a gold medal-winning effort in Beijing. That “Redeem Team,” which made a multi-year commitment to the U.S. basketball program, ending (at least temporarily) the practice of American NBA stars parachuting in for the Olympics, was one of the most important in USA Basketball history. James was the only U.S. player to play and start in all nine games, and averaged 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals in a team-high 24.2 minutes per game.

Bryant and James celebrate after winning the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. / Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated

8. Winning first MVP in 2009 season

Perhaps the only remarkable thing about James winning MVP in 2009 is that it took him six years to do it. After finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting in each of his first five seasons—and top five in the last three—James broke through in ’09, averaging 28.4 points in 81 games for the 66-win Cavaliers to earn the league’s top regular-season honor. At 24, the MVP signaled the ascension of James to the top of the NBA’s food chain.

James in 2009 with the Cavaliers. / John W. McDonough (left) and Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

9. 2009 ECF Game 2 winner vs. Magic

James’s first playoff buzzer beater is also his most memorable. The Cavs were down by two to the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference finals. James got the ball off the inbound at the top of the key with exactly one second on the clock. He rose up and rattled in the long jumper that gave Cleveland the victory. Legendary players are judged by their ability to rise to the occasion, and by recording his first true buzzer beater, The King made it clear he was capable of doing so under nearly any circumstance.

10. The Decision 

The story of James’s career cannot be told without that fateful night at the Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Conn. It was a landmark moment in his career, one that changed not only his basketball life but the way he was viewed by the general public. It set the stage for James’s first two championships, and eventually a hero arc when he returned to Cleveland years later. The Decision was the first big domino to fall as the league transitioned into what we now know as the player empowerment era. James has always been a trailblazer, and The Decision was arguably his most consequential choice. Its implications still echo throughout the basketball world and will always be a central chapter of James’s career.

The July 19, 2010, Sports Illustrated cover featuring Bosh, Dwyane Wade and James on The Decision. / Gregory Heisler/Sports Illustrated

11. First game in Cleveland after The Decision 

James’s hero to villain back to hero arc defined much of this century’s NBA environment. There was no bigger story in sports. His first game back in Cleveland after The Decision was one of the most highly anticipated games. All eyes were on Quicken Loans Arena on Dec. 2, 2010, for his first game against the Cavs. The crowd was in an absolute frenzy. The anger was palpable. And naturally, James tuned out the noise and dominated, scoring 38 points in a blowout win.

Bosh, James and Wade with the Heat. / Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

12. Viral dunk with Dwyane Wade

What was otherwise a meaningless (sorry, NBA) early December regular-season game in 2010 yielded one of James’s most shared images when Dwyane Wade, after flipping a transition bounce pass to James, spread his arms wide as James soared for a one-handed dunk. A photo of the dunk, snapped by a baseline photographer, Morry Gash, quickly went viral. In the years that followed, everyone from NBA players to college stars have tried to recreate the iconic moment, making it the most unlikely signature moment in James’s career.

13. Jumping over John Lucas for an alley-oop 

Of all the examples one can pull from the archives to demonstrate James’s other-worldly athleticism, one stands out: when he jumped clean over an opposing point guard for an alley-oop dunk. In 2012, James’s Heat hosted the Chicago Bulls in an otherwise unremarkable regular-season contest. Then James made it remarkable by soaring so high for an alley-oop from Wade that he jumped completely over 5' 11" John Lucas. It was a genuinely outrageous display of his verticality.

14. 2012 ECF Game 6 vs. Boston

With four championships, James’s legacy is secure. That wasn’t the case in 2012, nearly two years into James’s run in Miami when the Heat were faced with a second consecutive championship-less season. Down 3–2 in the conference finals against the Celtics, James was staring at another hard offseason. The result: a 45-point masterpiece in Boston that forced a Game 7. Miami went on to win Game 7, advancing to the Finals where James led the Heat to a championship. More than a decade later, James’s play in that Game 6 still stands as perhaps the signature performance of his career.

15. First NBA title in 2012 

James booming, “It’s about damn time,” into the microphone after finally, finally winning his first NBA championship is one of the great Finals moments of the century. The significance of the moment cannot be overstated; James was hailed as one of the great players of his generation but couldn’t get promoted into all-time discussions without a ring. By getting one in taking down the Oklahoma City Thunder, he put himself on the trajectory we bear witness to today: a player widely recognized as one of the two greatest talents to step foot on the hardwood. After all the questions, after the vitriol toward James peaked following the 2011 Finals, there was something undeniably awe-inspiring about watching him finally reach the mountaintop.

Wade, James, Bosh, Norris Cole, Terrel Harris and Udonis Haslem celebrate winning the 2012 NBA title. / John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

16. 2012 Sportsperson of the Year

James has earned Sports Illustrated’s top honor, Sportsperson of the Year, three times. The first came in 2012 when SI writer Lee Jenkins wrote about the last frontier James had to conquer as the “Best of All-Time.” James also won Sportsperson of the Year in 2016 after delivering an NBA championship to the Cavaliers and shared the honor in 2020 as an advocate for racial equality.

James’s first Sportsperson of the Year honor came in 2012 during his stint with the Heat. / Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

17. Posterizing Jason Terry 

Among the many very impressive posters James collected in his career, his alley-oop slam over Jason Terry ranks among the very best. The backdrop—occurring in TD Garden near the height of the Heat’s rivalry with the Celtics, the dunk spurring Miami to a huge comeback, the rare staredown from James leading to a tech—makes it a good dunk. But the sheer force and athleticism on display is what made it a great dunk. His chin was at the rim! One of the many examples of James’s generational dunking ability and one that is hard to forget.

18. Blocking Tiago Splitter in the 2013 Finals 

James had long made a habit of highlight-reel blocks in Finals games even before his legendary Game 7 swat against Golden State. His rejection of Tiago Splitter in Game 2 of the 2013 Finals stands above the rest. James didn’t come in from the side or block Splitter from behind. James stood right in the 7-footer’s path, went up mano a mano, smashed the Spurs center’s dunk attempt to Bosh, and basked in the glory of the crowd’s cheers. In terms of sheer skill and strength, it was one of the most impressive rejections in Finals history. 

19. Game 6 of the 2013 Finals

Who knew that when Tim Duncan knocked the headband off James late in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals it would spark one of the finest performances of James’s career? After losing the headband early in the fourth quarter of a back-and-forth game, James caught fire, connecting on four of his first five shots, finishing his band-less minutes with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block. After the game, Heat teammate Shane Battier compared James’s headband to Dumbo’s feather, a fantastic line worthy of a spectacular performance.

James shoots during Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the Spurs. / Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

20. Shot over Kawhi Leonard in 2013 Finals Game 7 to seal second title 

Ray Allen’s tying corner three with seconds remaining in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals is rightfully recognized as the shot that saved the Heat’s championship hopes. But the shot that won the Heat’s championship? That was all James. He drained a midrange jumper in Game 7 over Kawhi Leonard to put Miami up by four with 28 seconds remaining. It was a clutch shot. The sort of shot great players make. And for it to come over Leonard, who made his grand entrance as an elite defender in that series and would go on to establish himself as one of the great perimeter defenders of the era, makes it all the better. 

21. The Silencer celebration after winning three vs. Warriors

There was something magnetic about James after his first championship in Miami. With any questions about his ability to win the big one wiped away, it was crystal clear the audience was enjoying one of the greatest players ever at the peak of his powers. And it feels like there are few better snapshots than when James sunk a buzzer-beating three to beat the Warriors, then broke out his signature silencer celebration with a snarl on his face. It was a good microcosm of his excellence in those seasons, which felt like it was inevitable in the biggest of moments.

James during Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals in which he won his second title. / John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

22. Career-high 61 points vs. Bobcats in 2014 

James will go down in NBA lore as one of the greatest passers, dunkers, defenders and overall basketball minds the game has ever seen. The fact that he prioritized bending the defense to his will in order to create an advantage instead of getting his own shot was once a criticism and eventually turned into a defining trait of his play. But it should not go unspoken that James can fill it up whenever he wants to. On Mar. 3, 2014, he decided he wanted to. James had 61 points against the Charlotte Bobcats, still a career high 10 years later. He made 22 shots on 33 attempts (including 8-of-10 from three) and recorded only eight points from the charity stripe. It was an incredible display of shotmaking from an all-time great player at his physical peak.

23. Lance Stephenson blowing in his ear

It won’t go down as one of James’s favorite moments, but it is one of his most viral. During Game 5 of the 2014 conference finals, Stephenson, the Indiana Pacers’ top defender/chief antagonist, took advantage of a break in the action to lean over James’s shoulder and blow into his ear. The video quickly circulated on social media, spawning countless memes—the Nintendo cartridge is a favorite—and cemented Stephenson as the peskiest rival of James’s career. Said Stephenson years later: “Sometimes you do whatever it takes to win the game.”

24. LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant in 2016 All-Star Game 

James and Kobe Bryant are two of the defining players of the 2000s, perhaps the two defining players. But they never met in the playoffs. Therefore, the lasting memory for NBA fans that connect the two came in Bryant’s final All-Star Game in 2016. The pair of basketball legends went back and forth throughout the evening, with the best moment coming in the form of James slapping the floor with a huge grin on his face as he defended Bryant one-on-one. It’s an image near and dear to the hearts of many NBA fans. 

25. Games 5 and 6 of the 2016 Finals 

While James’s clutch heroics brought the Cavaliers their first championship trophy in Game 7, he had to get them there first. He did so by playing what quite possibly could be the best two-game stretch of his illustrious career. With Cleveland down 3–1 to the Warriors and zero room for error, James posted 82 points, 24 assists, 18 rebounds, seven steals, six blocks and committed only three turnovers in Games 5 and 6 combined. He shot 56% from the floor and 50% from three. James was required to play immaculate basketball to give the Cavs a shot at the greatest comeback in NBA history—and he did.

Aerial rear view of James in action against the Warriors in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals. / Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated

26. The Block on Andre Iguodala in 2016 Finals

Arguably the biggest moment of James’s career was easily the most dramatic. Tie game, less than two minutes to play in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals against Golden State and Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala had a clean line to the basket—or appeared to, at least, until James sprinted in from the backside to pin Iguodala’s layup attempt off the glass. Moments later, Kyrie Irving broke the tie with a three that delivered Cleveland to its first NBA title, fulfilling a promise James made when he re-signed with the Cavaliers in ’15.

A commemorative Sports Illustrated issue celebrating the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA title. / Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

27. Opening the I Promise School

How many pro athletes can claim they opened a school? After opening the I Promise School, a public elementary school in Akron, Ohio, James can. Supported by the LeBron James Foundation, the school is the continuation of James’s I Promise initiative, which is aimed at boosting the graduation rates of kids in the Akron community. His foundation’s support helps supply students with free uniforms, tuition to the University of Akron when students graduate high school and family services like GED classes and job placement assistance. There have been some bumps—in 2023 the school made headlines when test scores fell to troubling levels—but James’s support for his hometown continues to be unwavering.

28. Behind-the-back dribble between the legs of Tristan Thompson in 2018 

As he has done often over the years James turned a run-of-the-mill regular-season contest into something memorable in 2018, leading the Cavs against the Philadelphia 76ers, when he dribbled between his own teammate’s legs en route to a bucket. James set up a pick-and-roll with Tristan Thompson and split the double team by dribbling behind his back toward the basket. His first dribble snuck perfectly between Thompson’s legs, giving James an open runway to an and-one. The best part about this play is that it doesn’t even matter whether James did it on purpose or not. The fact it possibly could have been on purpose speaks to his skill and the expectations he bears after so many years of crazy highlights.

29. Faking out entire Lakers team for an easy assist in 2018

James’s reputation as one of the great floor generals in NBA history is well-earned and his career passing highlight reel is the stuff of legend. No-looks, behind-the-backs, skip passes right into the shooter’s pocket, the man has made every pass under the sun and then some. His ability to manipulate defenses is an impossible standard to reach, as demonstrated by one of his very best assists: when he fooled all five defenders on the floor solely with his eyes. One glance by James to Kyle Korver and the entire Lakers defense shifted, leaving Ante Žižić wide open underneath the basket. An amazing example of how easy James can make the game look—and how silly his opponents can look at times trying to figure him out.

30. Entire 2018 playoff run

Some of James’s most impressive work has come when his team needed him to do everything in order to win. Part of what sets him apart from his peers is he always answered that call. Such was the case for the entire 2017–18 season, his final in Cleveland, as the Cavs’ attempts to rebuild the roster after Irving requested a trade failed in many ways. Still, they made the Finals that season, because James put the whole team on his back for one incredible playoff run. In 22 games, James averaged 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game despite facing an overall talent deficit in every series. He was conductor and first chair of his own orchestra for a glorious two months, even if the Warriors eventually proved insurmountable in the end.

31. Dominating Toronto in 2018 postseason

In the eight consecutive seasons James made the NBA Finals from 2011 to ’18, he crushed the hopes and dreams of many a title hopeful. But there was no opponent he dominated so thoroughly and crushed so completely than the Toronto Raptors. In three straight seasons, the Raptors finished with over 50 wins and a top-three seed in the East. In all three seasons, they were stopped in their tracks by James. The degree to which The King ruled Toronto was never greater than in 2018, when the Raptors posted a 59–23 record, met James’s Cavaliers in the second round and were summarily swept with ease; his buzzer beater to win Game 3 (and effectively the series) is one of James’s top postseason highlights. James owned the East for an entire decade and no one team’s championship goals were more thoroughly decimated by his reign than the Kyle Lowry–DeMar DeRozan Raptors.

32. Game 1 of the 2018 Finals

Game 1 of the 2018 Finals will forever be known as the “JR Smith forgot the score” game, a reference to the brain cramp Smith suffered late in the fourth quarter when he passed on an open putback that would have put Cleveland ahead. It overshadowed a magnificent performance from James, who strapped the Irving-less Cavs to his back to score 51 points (19-of-32 from the floor) while collecting eight rebounds and eight assists. Unfortunately for James—and Smith—the Cavs would lose in overtime. 

33. LeBron to L.A.

In the summer of 2018, James opted out of his Cavaliers contract and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. SI writer Lee Jenkins profiled the move for the July 16–23, 2018, issue. In Jenkins’s article, agent Rich Paul says, “In 2010, when he went to Miami, it was about championships. In 2014, when he went back to Cleveland, it was about delivering on a promise. In 2018, it was just about doing what he wants to do.”

The July 16–23, 2018, Sports Illustrated cover after James signed with the Lakers. / Photo Illustration by Bryce Wood

34. 2020 bubble title

While being quarantined in Disney World may be a fantasy for some, it wasn’t for NBA players, who spent months holed up in Orlando with the league attempting to finish a COVID-halted season. In what amounted to a war of attrition, James’s Lakers went 16–4 in the postseason, earning James the distinction of becoming just the fourth player to win championships with three different teams. 

A commemorative Sports Illustrated issue after the Lakers won the NBA championship in the bubble. / Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

35. 2021 play-in tournament vs. Warriors

Oftentimes, it feels as though James cannot help but play a leading role in NBA history. So it feels only natural he provided the first big highlight of the NBA’s play-in tournament era. The Lakers took on the Warriors as the seventh and eighth seeds, providing another James vs. Stephen Curry playoff matchup (albeit with significantly lower stakes this time around). The King sealed L.A.’s win by drilling an absurdly deep, off-balance three-pointer mere minutes after getting poked in the eye by Draymond Green. The league has long been able to count on James to deliver epic moments in front of millions of viewers, and he did it again during the inaugural play-in tournament.

36. “The Chosen Sons”

In the summer of 2022, the idea of James playing with one—or both—of his sons in the pros started to take hold. SI writer Chris Ballard featured “The Chosen Sons” for the October 2022 issue. It was one of Bronny James’s first sit-down interviews: “I was born into it, so I feel like the path was already chosen. But my dad is cool enough to let me take whatever path I want if I wanted to not pursue basketball. But I think basketball is going to be my thing, for sure.” Two years later, the duo would suit up together on an NBA court for the same team.

James posing with his two sons, Bronny and Bryce, in 2022 for Sports Illustrated. / Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated

37. Breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record

In the early years, James comparisons were often more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan, a nod toward James’s superior playmaking that often overshadowed his scoring. Turns out, Abdul-Jabbar would have been a better comp. Through a combination of durability, longevity and a skill set that diversified as he developed, James closed in on a record that once appeared unbreakable: Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 career points. In Feb. 2023, James passed him, flipping in a fadeaway jumper in the third quarter of a Lakers game against Oklahoma City. James has zoomed past 40,000 points making this record feel unbreakable—again.

38. 2024 Olympics as flag bearer and first Olympic basketball MVP 

Firmly in the twilight of his basketball life by the time he suited up for his fourth Olympic Games in Paris, James still put on one heck of a show. He was chosen to be the men’s flag bearer for Team USA in the opening ceremonies and the shot of James hoisting the flag in the pouring rain on the Seine will be prominently featured in every documentary about his career going forward. Then he won the first Olympic basketball MVP award by guiding the U.S. team through its toughest gold medal run to date. It was a storybook ending to his national team career and proved to everybody watching that, even inching toward 40 years old, James is still one of the best players in the entire world.

James at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

39. First game with Bronny 

Not since the Griffeys, Ken Sr. and Jr., shared an outfield with the Seattle Mariners has a father-son duo played a meaningful game together in a major U.S. sport. (Tim Raines and Tim Raines Jr. played together in October 2001 for the Baltimore Orioles in a largely ceremonial appearance.) That changed in the second quarter of the Lakers’ 2024–25 season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves when Bronny, LeBron’s eldest son, checked in just before halftime, making the Jameses the first father-son duo to ever share an NBA floor. Bronny missed two shots during his two-plus-minute stint but that did little to take away from the magnitude of the moment. Said LeBron: “That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together, [is] something I will never forget.”

LeBron and Bronny James share an NBA court for the first time on Oct. 22, 2024, in Los Angeles. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

40. Career record for minutes played

​​Nearly two years after James passed Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, another Abdul-Jabbar record fell, this time the top mark for durability. In December 2024, weeks before his 40th birthday, James eclipsed Abdul-Jabbar’s longstanding record for total minutes (57,446) to officially become the regular-season leader in minutes played. In sports, the best ability is availability and James has been that: He’s averaged 38 minutes per game in his 22-plus seasons, leading the NBA in minutes per game three times. He played 71 games last season and is on track to play in roughly the same in this one. Among the many things that define James’s greatness, his consistency ranks near the top.

James during the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s basketball gold medal ceremony. / Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated