LeBron James Fantasy News and Statistics

Already considered the greatest player of his generation, LeBron James is still adding to his resume with the Cleveland Cavaliers as he’s squarely on the back-nine of his career. He is the rarest of athletes who not only lived up to the hype, but he has exceeded it in every way imaginable. From appearing on the SI cover as a high school junior to changing the NBA landscape in Cleveland, Miami and Cleveland again, James has been the epicenter of the sports world for over 15 years. And that isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

As a sophomore in high school, James was already making waves as a basketball player and won the first of three straight Ohio Mr. Basketball awards. The Akron native changed the game in how the casual sports fan viewed high school athletics, as his contests aired on ESPN and even on pay-per-view. By his senior year he was regarded as, perhaps, the best high school basketball player since Lew Alcindor. Even though he had offers from every college in the nation, and briefly considered going to Ohio State, James took his talents to the NBA in 2003.

James made the 40-mile move to Cleveland when the Cavaliers made him the second-ever prep-to-pro to be drafted first overall. While King James was ready for the big stage as soon as he stepped on the court, most of his teammates were not, and James didn’t reach the playoffs until his third season. He reached his first Finals in his fourth season after providing the most memorable game of his young career. In Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, James scored 29 of the Cavs’ final 30 points—including the game-winning layup—to defeat the Detroit Pistons.

Despite winning two MVPs during his first stint in Cleveland, the Cavs were never able to get back to the NBA Finals. The frustration for James finally reached a breaking point as he infamously announced he would leave the Cavs for the Miami Heat in a made-for-TV special. “The Decision” affected James’ image among fans but not his play on the court. He went to four straight Finals, won his first two championships and collected two more MVP awards. But the culture of Miami was much different than what James was used to, as he had practically run the show since he was in high school. That led James to opt out of his contract and return to Cleveland in the summer of 2014.

James picked up right where he left off in South Beach as the Cavs returned to the Finals in 2014-15. However, untimely injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love left the Cavs as essentially a one-man show, as they fell to the Golden State Warriors. But James—and Cleveland—would get their revenge a year later with a healthy squad. Less was more for James, as he played in the fewest minutes of his career but provided the most thrilling ending as the Cavs upset the 73-win Warriors to end Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought. James became the third player to have a triple-double in Game 7 of the Finals, and he won his third Finals MVP award.

The Cavs had somewhat of a championship hangover in 2016-17, as they battled inconsistency and James was criticized for both a lack of effort and for meddling with management decisions. He still led the NBA in minutes per game at the age of 32 and returned to the Finals for the seventh straight season. In the first Finals three-peat in NBA history, the Warriors defeated the Cavs, 4-1, even with James becoming the first player to average a triple-double in the Finals.

James enters Year 15 as still the game’s preeminent attraction. He also enters a contract year with an unknown future both from his and the Cavs’ perspectives. ‘Will he stay or will he go’ will be a theme surrounding James all season, but he’s proven—multiple times—that he can handle the hoopla and not let it affect him on the court.