Also read: 5 Achievements LeBron James was the youngest to reach
The Kid from Akron played his 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th season with the Cavs franchise after leaving the Miami Heat at the end of the 2013-14 season. He joined the likes of a gifted ball-handler in Kyrie Irving and a dominant scorer in Kevin Love and laid the foundation for a franchise that would dominate the East for 4 years to come.
Call it fate or coincidence, but the Cavaliers had the Warriors waiting for them in the Finals in all 4 seasons, despite both teams going through grueling transition phases.
Bron spearheaded the Cavs’ post-season campaign, defying his age and posting inhuman numbers both on the offense and defense. What follows is an effort to pick 5 of his most valiant efforts in the NBA Finals against the Warriors.
“CLEEVVELANNDD .. this is for you”
Also check out: Lebron James’ Finals Appearances and stats
#5 Game 4: 2017 Finals
Stat line: 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds
Before Game 4 tipped off, Warriors had a fatal 3-0 lead in the 2017 NBA Finals, putting Cavs on the brink of an embarrassing Finals sweep. LeBron’s heroics saved the homecourt and the series shifted back to Oakland, where Cavs eventually lost the trophy to the Warriors in a 4-1 series loss.
The game was notable for shattering a number of NBA Finals records. Their 49 points in the first quarter were the most in any frame in Finals history, and it looked for a while like they’d threaten the all-time single-game points record of 148. The Cavaliers finished the game with 24 three-pointers, which easily broke the Finals record for the most threes in a game set by the Warriors in Game 2.
LeBron James tallied his ninth triple-double of the Finals (31 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists), surpassing Magic Johnson for the most triple-doubles in a championship series. While he contributed his usual array of flashy plays, including a second-half alley-oop to himself off the backboard, it was King James’ steady play that drove these Cavaliers.
#4 Game 1: 2018 Finals vs Warriors
Stat line: 51 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and 1 block
It was the 4th consecutive year that the Golden State Warriors were meeting Cavs in the NBA Finals. But this was different. The Cavs were unexpected to make it, tracing back to the turbulent season they had, marred by losses, consistent roster changes, and injuries.
The King had a historic performance to start his 8th consecutive NBA Finals. LeBron’s 51-point night was only the sixth 50-point night in NBA Finals history. This Cavaliers team was put together on the fly last summer, blown up and reconstructed at the trade deadline, leaving behind a group of playoff-inexperienced basketball players.
James said he decided he was going to go all out and push this team to the limit who were on pace to sneak away with a Game 1 win at Oracle Arena. In the end, the game went into overtime after a bizarre final few seconds that saw Smith try to dribble out the clock despite the fact that the game was tied. The Warriors then pulled away in OT, winning 124-114.
James notched his eighth 40-point game during this playoff run to tie Hall of Famer Jerry West’s feat in 1965 for most in a single postseason. He finished with 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. LeBron and the Cavs could not run past the repercussions from this heartbreaking loss as the Warriors swept them 4-0 to win the 2018 NBA Finals.
#3 Game 6: 2016 Finals vs Warriors
Stat line: 41 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks
The 2016 Finals deserve to headline LeBron’s NBA Finals legacy without question. No team in the history of the game had come back from 3-1 down to win a championship before LeBron and Kyrie Irving led the Cleveland Cavaliers to do so.
About this game, the Cavs were staring at elimination on home-court and were desperate for some kind of spark. That spark came from none other than the best player on the team, LeBron. He scored 41 points back to back in games 5 and 6.
In game 6, The King recorded 41 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks with just 1 turnover. He helped them establish a dominant 20-point lead in the first quarter and the Cavaliers just never looked back winning game 6 convincingly and forcing a game 7 back in Oakland. We all know what happened next.
LeBron’s performance in game 6 will probably be overlooked a few years down the road but it is still another game that added to his legacy of rising to the moment when his back was against the wall.
#2 Game 3: 2015 Finals
Stat line: 40 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals
The 2015 Finals shifted to Cleveland after two overtime thrillers in Game 1 and Game 2, with each team having one win to their name. With the home crowd of the Championship-thirsty Cavaliers franchise on their feet, LeBron forced another magnificent spectacle aided by some huge hustle plays from Matthew Dellavedova.
LBJ went for 40 in game 3 bringing his Finals scoring average to 41. LeBron had then scored 123 points through this series’ first three games, which is an NBA Finals record. He was also averaging 12 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game this series and continued to put the Cavaliers on his back (he sat just two minutes in Game 3 and took 34 shots, making 16 of them).
James, who was without star team-mates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for the series, also had 12 rebounds and eight assists in a game where Cleveland led by as many as 20.
“I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to help our team win,” said the four-time MVP, who hit two late free-throws to put the game out of sight. “It’s the finals, and it’s whatever it takes. This is a totally different challenge.”
#1 Game 5: 2016 Finals
Stat line: 41 points, 7 assists, 16 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks
LeBron’s performance in this game deserves to headline the Cavs vs Warriors Finals rivalry spearheaded by LeBron. Cavs were down 3-1 in the series and facing elimination in a building considered to be one of the toughest to play in, the Oracle Arena.
The Warriors were on the verge of becoming back-to-back champions on their homecourt, but LeBron and Kyrie had other plans. James and Irving each scored 41 points to become the first teammates in Finals history to score 40 or more in the same game, and won game 5 112-97.
LeBron had already lost in the Finals to the Warriors in the previous year, with a 4-2 series end. But the alibi that he didn’t have Love and Kyrie at his service didn’t hold this year. If he hadn’t shown up in game 5, another Finals loss would have been enough to tarnish his legacy against the Warriors.
Some might argue that this game should not top the list (also because Kyrie aided his cause), but when considering the circumstances and pressure LeBron was in while playing this elimination game, it seems like a fairly decent choice.
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