“He's a special kid.”ĭarius Garland added 21 points and 11 assists for Cleveland. After dropping the shot, the All-Star guard strutted around the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse floor nodding his head as James helplessly watched. With Cleveland leading by 12 in the fourth, Mitchell buried a 3-pointer from the left wing to finish the Lakers. “You always want to spoil the homecoming,” Mitchell said with a smile. Mitchell, who has Cleveland fans dreaming of another title run, took over in the second half and scored 29 points with the kind of performance James had routinely during his 11 seasons for the Cavs. With Anthony Davis missing the final three quarters because of illness, the Cavs improved to an NBA-leading 11-1 on their floor, their best start at home since 2015-16, when James led them to a championship. Mitchell scored a season-high 43 points and Jarrett Allen returned from injury to add 24, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in James' only visit home this season. NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles LakersĬLEVELAND - As a kid growing up in New York, Donovan Mitchell idolized LeBron James. He led the league in assists and finished second in Kia MVP voting, too.Mitchell upstages LeBron at home, Cavs down Lakers 116-102 That came during a prolonged season in which he passed both Michael Jordan and later, Kobe Bryant, on the all-time scoring list. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic that year, James led the Lakers to the top of the heap in a season and playoffs like no other, all while collecting Finals MVP honors. to a championship in 2020 during the NBA’s restart in Orlando. The buzz: The legacy James will leave with the Lakers is still being written, but one chapter is certain: leading L.A.

LeBron’s championships: One (beat Heat 4-2 in 2020 Finals) LeBron’s playoff stats: 27.6 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 8.8 apg, 1.2 spg LeBron’s regular-season stats: 26.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 9.2 apg, 1.2 spg (through Dec. The buzz: James returned home in 2014, took Cleveland to four consecutive finals, then led the Cavaliers to the 2016 title and came up with one of the biggest plays of his life by pulling off a chase-down block of Golden State’s Andre Iguodala in the final seconds of Game 7 of that series. LeBron’s championships: One (beat Warriors 4-3 in 2016 Finals) LeBron’s regular-season stats: 26.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 8.0, 1.4 spg He was with the Heat for four years, went to the NBA Finals all four times with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, finally won the title in 2012 and led the way in a Game 7 win over San Antonio to go back-to-back the following year. The buzz: The 2010s for James started with “The Decision,” the widely criticized televised announcement of his choice to leave Cleveland for Miami. LeBron’s championships: Two (beat Thunder 4-1 in 2012 Finals beat Spurs 4-3 in 2013 Finals) LeBron’s playoff stats: 26.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.7 apg, 1.8 spg LeBron’s regular-season stats: 26.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 6.7 apg, 1.7 spg Although he’d fail to taste championship glory, his efforts to merely get the Cavs to the 2007 Finals - specifically his epic Game 5 against the Pistons in the East finals - was the stuff of legend. The buzz: From winning Rookie of the Year to amassing the first two of his five career MVPs, LeBron showed glimpses of what he was capable of during his first stint with the Cavaliers. LeBron’s championships: Zero (lost 4-0 to Spurs in 2007 Finals) LeBron’s regular-season stats: 27.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, 1.7 spg Here’s a look back at some of the plays and on-court moments that marked James’ success in each of those stops. There are the eight straight Finals trips, the ending of Cleveland’s championship drought and so many more moments that have made James an icon in NBA lore. He has left an indelible mark on three NBA franchises - the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and now, the Los Angeles Lakers - while piling up all manner of statistical milestones along the way. To date, he has four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, four NBA MVPs, 16 All-NBA selections, 16 All-Star selections, the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year award and three All-Star MVPs, too. 1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are well within reach.Īs he turns 36 today, James is fresh off being named the Associated Press’ male athlete of the decade for a record-tying fourth time. He started the decade 124th on the league’s all-time scoring list. Including the playoffs, no one in the NBA scored more points than LeBron James in the last 10 years.

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