Look back at LeBron James' seven years in Cleveland and then tell us your LeBron memories.
On May 22, 2003, luck went Cleveland's way. 36 days after the Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors, 96-86, to finish the season 17-65, the ping pong balls in the draft lottery bounced the right way for them to win the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft and select LeBron James. On June 26, LeBron James officially became a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron James officially debuted on October 29, 2003 in Sacramento. James scored 25 points on 12-for-20 shooting while dishing out nine assists and grabbing six rebounds. On March 27 of his rookie year, he became the youngest player in NBA history to record 40 points in a game when he scored 41 points against New Jersey. The Cavaliers won 18 more games than the previous year and James won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award.
James' second season in the NBA fell short of the playoffs, just like his first, but James continued his string of firsts. He became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple double when he posted 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against the Portland Trailblazers. James also made his first All-Star game, recording 13 points, six assists and eight rebounds in a 125-115 East win.
This was also the first offseason of turmoil for James, as the Cavaliers, under new ownership, fired head coach Paul Silas during the season and GM Jim Paxson after. Gilbert hired Mike Brown to coach James and Danny Ferry to spend $28 million of cap space. Ferry added Larry Hughes, Damon Jones, Donyell Marshall and re-signed center Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
The next season saw James reach new heights, including becoming the youngest player to win the All-Star game MVP and just the fourth player in NBA history to average 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists for a season. But the real highlight was James' first career playoff appearance, as the Cavaliers opened the playoffs against the Washington Wizards.
James posted a triple double in his first game against the Wizards and proceeded to hit game-winning shots in Games 3 and 5 of the series to propel the Cavaliers to a six-game series victory. The Cavaliers then went on to face the Pistons in a series many expected Detroit to win easily. After losing the first two games, however, James put up a 21 point, 10 rebound, 10 assist triple double in Game 3 as the Cavaliers rattled three straight victories. They were unable to close the series out at home in Game 6, however, and the Pistons won Game 7.
Following that playoff run, James signed an extension to stay with the team with an early termination option following the 2009-2010 season.
2006-2007 saw James and the Cavaliers reach new heights.
After a 50-win season and a second straight All-Star appearance, the Cavaliers again dispatched the Wizards in the opening round of the playoffs and beat the Nets in six games in the conference semifinals. The Cavs again faced the Pistons, this time in the conference finals, and again found themselves trailing 2-0 heading home. James scored 32 points to go with nine rebounds and nine assists - plus a thunderous dunk over Detroit's Rasheed Wallace - to get the Cavaliers their first win. They never looked back. In Game 5, James put together perhaps his greatest individual performance, scoring 48 points in the double overtime victory, including 25 straight Cavaliers points and 29 of the team's last 30. The Cavs eliminated the Pistons in Game 6 at Quicken Loans Arena and advanced to the franchise's first NBA Finals.
The excitement of the Finals was short-lived, however, as the Cavaliers succumbed to the San Antonio Spurs in four games.
2007-2008 saw James win his second All-Star Game MVP with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the game. James also became the youngest player in NBA history to score 10,000 career points in a game against the Boston Celtics on February 27. Against the Toronto Raptors on March 21, he passed Brad Daugherty to become the Cavaliers all-time leading scorer.
The season also saw the team aggressively pursue a return trip to the Finals, as GM Danny Ferry pulled off a mega-trade that netted the Cavaliers point guard Delonte West, forward Ben Wallace, forward Wally Szczerbiak and forward Joe Smith. The team sent out troubled guard Larry Hughes along with starting forward Drew Gooden and others.
The Cavaliers again faced the Wizards in the playoffs' opening round, a series made intriguing by a feud between Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson and James. The Cavaliers prevailed in a heated, physical series in six games, and the Cavaliers advanced to play Boston and their big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Cavaliers ultimately fell to Boston in seven games. LeBron James battled Paul Pierce in Game 7, scoring 45 points, but it wasn't enough as the team was sent packing.
2008-2009 saw LeBron James reach new heights. After acquiring point guard Mo Williams in an offseason trade, the Cavaliers rolled to a franchise record 66 wins. James won his first MVP trophy following the season and accepted the award at his high school alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary.
James and the Cavaliers rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping both Detroit and Atlanta. Then they ran into the surprising Orlando Magic. After losing Game 1, James made perhaps the most famous shot of his career, a three from up top as time expired to tie the series at one. The shot, however, became a footnote to a disappointing series defeat. James averaged 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8 assists in the series.
Determined not to let such a disappointment happen again, Ferry traded for center Shaquille O'Neal the night before the 2009 NBA Draft. With O'Neal declaring his intentions to win a ring for the King, the Cavaliers ran off 61 wins. The team also acquired Antawn Jamison at the trade deadline from the Washington Wizards.
James overwhelmingly won his second consecutive MVP award. This time around he accepted the award at the James A. Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron.
The Cavaliers faced a tough opening round series against the eighth-seeded Bulls, eventually dispatching them in five hard fought games. The series ended in some confusion, however, as LeBron James shot a free throw late in the game with his left hand, raising concerns over the health of his right elbow.
The Cavaliers moved on the face Boston. After taking a 2-1 series lead following LeBron James' 21-point first quarter in Game 3, the Cavaliers never won again, including a bizarre Game 5 that left many fans question James' effort. The Cavs were eliminated in Boston in Game 6.
Head coach Mike Brown was fired after the season. GM Danny Ferry resigned as well.
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