We NEED To Talk About LeBron 'King' James

What comes into your mind when you hear the name LeBron James? Is it LA Lakers? The NBA? Cleveland? Or MVP? Whatever it is, it's up to you. But LeBron has cemented himself as the greatest NBA player of all time. I know, I know, some of you may want to argue otherwise, but just stay tuned and you'll probably agree with me. From his humble beginnings in Akron, Ohio to becoming the face of the NBA, the journey of LeBron James has been nothing short of extraordinary, With his jaw-dropping athleticism and clutch performances, he has been dominating the NBA for two decades now, and his engine is still running. On February 2, 2023, LeBron achieved one of the crowning achievements of his GOAT argument, passing Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record of 38,387 points. There's no denying there will always be Michael Jordan supporters who believe his legacy and his 6-0 NBA Finals record cannot be supplemented, and of course there are those who back Kareem just as passionately. But after this record-setting night, there are surely some more fans previously on the fence now rethinking their stances in favor of LeBron. Shaquille O'Neal dwelled on that during his post-game interview with the Lakers star. Asked about what he thinks of the GOAT debate after passing Kareem, LeBron said, So, how did LeBron arrive to this status of being referred to as the NBA GOAT? Buckle up as we take a journey through LeBron James's illustrious NBA career and find out how he became the king of the court and the NBA's highest point scorer. LeBron James was born on December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio. He attended high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary and quickly made a name for himself in the basketball world. In 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers made a historic move in the NBA draft, selecting LeBron first overall ahead of stars like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. The King James era was officially underway, and four months later, LeBron made his NBA debut against the Sacramento Kings. The fresh out of high school, 18-year-old LeBron dazzled the crowd with fast break dunks, fancy passes and baseline jumpers as he played as if he were a 10-year pro. He made his presence known as he scored an impressive 25 points, setting a new record for the highest number of points scored by a high school draftee in a debut performance. LeBron made an impressive debut and continued to have a fantastic rookie year. He averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. And this incredible performance led him to beat out Carmelo Anthony for the 2004 Rookie of the Year award, joining Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Jordan as the only rookies to average over 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. And despite the Cavs winning 18 more games in the previous year, they missed out on the playoffs, but they were headed in the right direction with their new superstar on the roster. LeBron ranked 11th in the league in points in the paint, but by his second year, he jumped up to third place, showing just how much he had improved in a short amount of time. His ability to put the ball in the basket in the paint is truly impressive and it's a big reason why he has surpassed Abdul-Jabbar. 2007-2008 5-Year Scoring Champ From a scoring standpoint, LeBron had to work hard to reach his peak. He learned to use his speed, strength and skills to get good shots at the rim and make them count. In 2007-2008, at the young age of 23, LeBron won his only scoring title. He led the league with 794 buckets, with 55.4% of them coming from inside the paint. Although he had already won a scoring title and made it to the finals, LeBron still had one weakness, his jumper. By the time he left Cleveland, he had truly realized his potential as an individual player. He had won two consecutive MVP awards and it was partly because of the lack of talent on the Cavaliers roster. He had to do it all. In the 2008-09 season, LeBron led the Cavs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. It's truly amazing, but it also showed that LeBron needed more help. He needed a team that could support him and push him to be even better. Taking his skills to South Beach LeBron was a staple in Cleveland for 5 seasons, leading the team to the playoffs every year, but despite their efforts, they were unable to secure a championship title. LeBron felt it was time for a change and decided to leave the Cavaliers. But the manner in which he made the announcement did not sit well with the fans. The fans saw James as their hope of winning the maiden NBA championship and his departure was a huge blow to their chances. LeBron announced that he was taking his talents to the Miami Heat through a program titled The Decision. He made it clear that he was interested in competing for a championship and believed Miami was the place to achieve that, and that decision to join forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh led to the formation of what would become one of the most iconic superteams in NBA history. LeBron was known for being the go-to guy on the Cavs team, but when he arrived in Miami, everything changed. You see, in Miami, he was freed from the pressure of being the main focus of the offense. He was able to play off the ball and focus on being more selective and intentional with his shot selection, and it was all thanks to playing on such a great Peak LeBron manifested when his brain, his body, and his playing situation all aligned in Miami. Still, as great as those years were, James left Miami in 2014 as an 11-year vet after spending four incredible years in Miami, where he had established himself as one of the best players in the game. He had racked up a remarkable 23,170 points, 15,217 shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, and won four MVP awards and two NBA championships. Year 15. Reunion with the Cavs. After the 2014 Finals lost with the Heat, James opted out of his contract with the Heat, leaving an aging Miami roster and returned to Cleveland. Although his 25.3 points per game was James' lowest scoring average since his rookie season, he nevertheless guided a young and inexperienced Cavaliers roster to the second best record in the Eastern Conference in 2014-2015. In the 2015-16 postseason, James had one of the greatest individual performances in Finals history, averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game, while leading the undermanned Cavaliers to the franchise's first two Finals victories before ultimately losing a six-game series to the Golden State Warriors. And in 2016, LeBron and the Cavs did the impossible. They ended Cleveland's 52-year championship drought and brought the city its first major sports title since 1964. Not only did LeBron bring a championship to Cleveland, but he also earned his third MVP award for outstanding performance during the Finals. The LA LeBron. In 2018, James, who was a free agent at the time, made the move to join the Lakers. And boy, did he deliver. He continued to play at an incredible level, averaging 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. However, he faced a setback when he suffered from an injury for the first time in his career, a strained groin injury, which caused him to miss significant playing time. But he was back again at his best. For the first time since Kobe Bryant's fifth and final title in 2010, LeBron led the Lakers to be the NBA champions in 2020 and won the Finals MVP award after an impressive Finals triple-double. This was his 11th career Finals triple-double. But that's not all. LeBron James made history by becoming the first player to ever win Finals MVP for three different teams. He previously achieved this feat with both Miami and Cleveland. Father Time is undefeated, as we all know, but LeBron James is making a case for himself as the exception. Just like Tom Brady, James is extending his superstar window beyond 20 years and pushing the league's scoring bar into uncharted territories. Unless he calls it it's reasonable to assume that James will reach the 40,000-point mark next season. His relentless pursuit of excellence and his ability to sustain that level of performance over time is truly a sight to behold. We're excited to see what he'll accomplish next, but for now, we're taking a moment to celebrate his remarkable achievement. As always, thanks for watching, and until next time, take care and stay awesome.