How many years has Lebron been in the NBA

LeBron James came to the NBA back in 2003 when he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first pick in the first round. “The King” is 37 years old today, but he is still active, which means that he has played a total of 19 seasons in the strongest basketball league in the world. 

Although he is no longer so young, LeBron provides equally good games as when he came to the NBA as a very young player after great games at St Vincent-St Mary High School. 

Seasons Lebron Played in NBA

During almost two decades of playing in the NBA, James changed only three clubs. As it was mentioned, he started his career in Cleveland Cavaliers, a club from his hometown to which he brought the title they had been waiting for so long a couple of seasons ago.

In the first term of playing in this club, he did not succeed….

History of each season Lebron played in NBA

LeBron provided really great games already in the first season in the NBA, and then it was seen that LeBron has a fantastic potential to one day make top results. He spent a total of seven seasons in Cleveland during his first stay. The entire basketball world was thrilled with what LeBron had been doing on the court for only twenty years. 

In his second season, James managed to set a record for the number of points scored when it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers because he scored as many as 56 points in the game against the Toronto Raptors. That season, LeBron played in the All-Star Game for the first time, in which his team, composed of players from the Eastern Conference, won. LeBron scored 13 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in that game.

The guy who played in high school only a few seasons ago delighted all basketball fans with his unreal games, and among them was the legendary coach George Karl. 

Deservedly already in his second season of playing in the NBA, James was selected in the top five of the league. In the first two seasons, LeBron could be satisfied with the individual performance, but his team did not manage to place in the playoffs. The following season, James entered the race for the league’s MVP, but ended up in second place behind the legendary Steve Nash. 

READ ALSO  How Long Are Basketball Games? NBA, WNBA, and NCAA Rules

Lebron with Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron was most credited for the Cleveland Cavaliers playing in the playoffs for the first time since 1998.

In the 2005/06 season, the Cavaliers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Detroit Pistons, and that season was marked by another great performance by LeBron in the All-Star game in which he was named MVP, as he scored 29 points. 

The following season, LeBron played in the playoffs with the Cavaliers again. In the final of the conference against the Pistons, James provided an unreal game because he scored as many as 48 points in the fifth game of that final series and a particularly interesting fact was that James scored 29 of the last 30 points Cleveland scored in that match. LeBron reached his first NBA final that season, but was unlucky enough to reach his first championship ring as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the grand final.

During the 2007/08 season, “The King” became the best scorer in the history of this franchise, which was not surprising considering that he averaged 30 points per game. That season, as expected, LeBron won the title of the best scorer. 

In the penultimate season spent in the Cavaliers, James was the leader of the team in the number of points scored, rebounds, assists, stolen balls and blocks, which is truly amazing. There are few players who have succeeded, and LeBron was just one of them. In that season, quite unexpectedly, James became the first player in the history of the franchise to win the MVP award.

In the penultimate season, he played incredibly in the playoffs with just over 35 points on average, but a great individual performance was not enough for the title. The Cavaliers were defeated in the conference final by the Orlando Magic, and after the end of the series, LeBron ran off the field in a rage without giving a hand to the opposing players, which the media assessed as an unsportsmanlike gesture. In the last season in his first term in Cleveland, LeBron was eliminated with the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs. 

In the duel against the Boston Celtics, he provided one of the worst games in his career, because in the fifth game he had a percentage of shots of only 20%, which was really very disappointing, so LeBron was the subject of sharp criticism. LeBron left Cleveland after seven seasons because it was obvious that he would not be able to win the championship ring with that team.

READ ALSO  Best NBA Draft Classes: Top Full Guide in 2022

Lebron with Miami Heats

Lebron makes the best possible decision and after playing for the club from his hometown he moves to the Miami Heat where he will play with players like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. That big three will bring the mentioned team two championship titles. 

By playing for Miami, LeBron finally realized his dream of becoming an NBA champion. He played really great in Cleveland, but the support of his teammates was lacking, so Lebron in the Cavaliers had to be content with exclusively individual awards. Now he has finally managed to win the long-desired trophy. 

Already in his first season in Miami, LeBron was given the opportunity to play in the NBA Finals, but the Boston Celtics were better than his team.

What he failed to do in seven seasons of playing for Cleveland and in his first season in Florida he finally managed to achieve in the 2011/12 season and he repeated that achievement a year later. LeBron led the Miami Heat in a rematch against the Celtics in which Miami was now more successful, so they advanced to the grand final where they met the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

First Championship Ring for Lebron James

After five games played, the team from Florida defeated Thunder and LeBron won the first championship ring in the NBA after almost a decade of waiting. 

He waited for the first title for nine years, and then he won two titles in two seasons, since he repeated the achievements from the previous season in the 2012/13 season. It was characteristic of LeBron that whenever he won the championship ring he was also the MVP of the finals, so it was in his penultimate season in Miami. 

That season, LeBron played with Miami in the final against the San Antonio Spurs, who had prevented him from winning his first championship title six years earlier. 

This time, LeBron was more successful and left Miami with two championship rings. James returned to Cleveland to try to win what he missed the first time. 

Lebron back with Cleveland Cavaliers

This time James will stay in Ohio for four seasons and LeBron managed to achieve what was his but also the dream of all the club’s fans from his hometown. James is a born winner who did not want to allow himself to end his career one day without becoming a league champion with the club from the city where he was born. 

READ ALSO  Why Do Some Basketball Hoops Have Double Rims

After being defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the first season, the following season LeBron led the Cavaliers to a historic title.

James was quite criticized that season, especially because he was the decisive factor in why coach David Blatt left the club. It turns out that this decision did not negatively affect the club at all, which finally achieved what many generations before LeBron dreamed of. 

The Cavaliers were on the verge of defeat as they lost 3-1 and then made a sensational turnaround. In the last game, LeBron made a move that will be remembered in the years to come when he blocked Andre Iguodala in a fantastic way. 

LeBron had one very awkward fall towards the end of the game but he gritted his teeth until the end of the game. After the game ended and after the Cavaliers achieved an incredible victory on the away field, LeBron could not hide his enthusiasm. In the end, he cried with happiness.

Finally he made his dream come true. In the next two seasons, Cleveland played again with the Golden State Warriors in the playoff finals, but in the end he achieved a total of one victory in those two duels. 

Lebron with Lakers

LeBron subsequently completed a second term at Cleveland and moved to the Los Angeles Lakers. In the first season in one of the most trophy-winning franchises, he had a problem with injury, and the Lakers failed to qualify for the playoffs. 

The following season, James also won the championship ring in the third club he played for. In the grand final held in the bubble in Orlando due to the Covid pandemic, they defeated his former club Miami Heat. In the next two seasons, James and the Lakers failed to repeat that success. LeBron is still playing really great and it seems that he could play in the NBA in the fifth decade of his life, which would mean that LeBron will have over 20 seasons in the league. 

James likes to compete and outplay and it is possible that he will crown his already rich career with another championship ring.

About The Author

/* */