It’s Dec. 30, 2024, which means it’s the day LeBron James turns 40. For the last, oh, 24 years or so, James has captivated sports fans, going from an up-and-coming high school star in Akron to arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, the guy who has embraced being more than an athlete. He entered the NBA with expectations of becoming the face of the league, the best player on earth, and someone whose name gets kicked around with Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and all the other giants who have come to symbolize greatness in professional basketball.
He’s done all of that and then some. James has spent his career shifting our expectations for what greatness is in basketball, to the point that he’s a productive NBA starter as a 40 year old and absolutely no one bats an eye, because of course LeBron can do that. And to celebrate the fact that he’s turning the big 4-0, we looked back on 40 of James’ best moments, both on and off the court, from his days at SVSM to now.
2002: St. Vincent-St. Mary’s beats No. 1 Oak Hill on ESPN
For many, this was their introduction to LeBron James on a major national stage. ESPN sent Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, and Jay Bilas to broadcast the game, where James scored 31 of his team’s 65 points as his SVSM squad upset top-ranked Oak Hill in a dominant win.
2003: NBA Debut in Sacramento
Arguably the most-hyped NBA debut ever, James came out and scored 25 points and dished out nine assists to announce his arrival to the league as the Cavs visited Sacramento.
2003: Nike ad with Bernie Mac
James has been in some iconic ad campaigns over the years, particularly with Nike, but his first might’ve been his best, as Nike tapped Bernie Mac as a preacher reading from the “King James playbook” before LeBron arrived and showed off his court vision
2005: First 50-point game against Toronto
LeBron’s first career 50-point game came, somewhat fittingly, against a Raptors franchise he would go on to torment for more than a decade. James scored 56 against Toronto, a harbinger of things to come whenever he would face Canada’s team.
2006: The LeBrons
It didn’t take long for Nike to follow-up the Bernie Mac commercial with another legendary campaign, as The LeBrons debuted before the 06-07 season and featured LeBron going full-Eddie Murphy and playing a bunch of different versions of himself.
2007: LeBron scores 25 straight to beat the Pistons in Game 5
James dragged the Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals, with his best performance coming in Game 5 of the ECF against the Pistons, as he scored 25 consecutive points across the fourth quarter and overtimes in what became a 2-point Cavs win in double OT — giving them a 3-2 series lead.
2007: LeBron hosts Saturday Night Live
At this point, LeBron had become not just a household name for basketball fans, but was becoming one of the most famous people in America. While we’d seen some of his personality, his first time hosting SNL in 2007 cemented his comedy chops as being legit and not just the product of Nike’s ad machine.
2008: ‘More Than A Game’/’Forever’
As someone who played high school basketball in 2008, including “Forever” on this list — the track that featured Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem together — was a non-negotiable. This was one of our first glimpses into how James wanted to use basketball as a vehicle to do other things, like a documentary about his high school career. And of course, “Forever” is a great song, whether you’re talking about the original or the AI cover of LeBron that has taken over my FYP.
2009: LeBron scores 52 in the Garden
The biggest stage in basketball is Madison Square Garden, and the best players in the world have a tendency to raise their games in the Mecca. That includes James, who went for 52 points in the building as a member of the Cavs in 2009.
2009: ‘This Is SportsCenter’ Chair Commercial
There aren’t many honors bigger than getting a “This is SportsCenter” ad, and LeBron’s with Scott Van Pelt is one of the funniest. Frankly? I think SVP’s lying here.
2009: Game 2 buzzer-beater vs. the Magic
It’s worth remembering that, by this point, the lack of a clutch gene thing with LeBron was pretty set. This pushed back against that, with an iconic call from Marv Albert to boot. Unfortunately for the Cavs, they’d go on to lose this series to the Magic, 4-2.
2010: Iconic dunk pic with Dwyane Wade
One of the earliest memories of the Big 3 days in Miami was this dunk. While the highlight is a fun reminder of how devastating the Heatles could be in transition, the picture of this dunk — with James elevating and Wade sticking his arms out — might be the single most iconic picture from their run.
2012: Jumps over John Lucas for a crazy dunk
There is not much to say here other than I do not think this went especially well for John Lucas.
2012: 45-point, 15-rebound Game 6 performance against the Celtics
All things considered, this might be the greatest individual performance of LeBron’s career. After the Heat disappointed in his first season and all the questions about whether he could win a title were louder than ever, James went into TD Garden facing elimination, had a look on his face before the game that made clear he was not losing, and then spent 48 minutes bending a game in Boston against the Celtics to his will. I will never forget seeing that look on LeBron’s face and assuming he wasn’t losing that night. He did not.
2012: Game 2 duel with Kevin Durant in the NBA Finals
James needed to get by a scrappy young Thunder team with three future Hall of Fame inductees to win his first ring. He ended up doing that, thanks in large part to his Game 2 battle with Kevin Durant. Both went for 32 points in a 100-96 win for Miami in Oklahoma City, and set the stage for what will go down for one of the best individual rivalries in the sport’s history.
2013: Legendary dunk on Jason Terry
Jason Terry has many highlights in his incredible NBA career. This is not one of them. He did the ethical thing — he tried to play defense instead of planting himself on the ground and trying to draw a charge — and yet LeBron was bigger and faster and stronger and more athletic. He steamrolled Terry on an alley-oop from Norris Cole, then stood there and looked at Terry for a second. Even the crowd in Boston seemed impressed.
2013: Buzzer Beater vs. the Pacers
The 2013 Eastern Conference Finals were a war between the Heat and the Indiana Pacers, which won 49 games on the back of a tenacious defense. The team’s crown jewel was Paul George, an ascendent, two-way star who battled with James. And yet, with the game on the line in Game 1 of the series, James was able to scoot right by him for a layup as the clock hit zero.
2013: 37 points vs. the Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals
Everyone remembers Ray Allen’s shot in Game 6 of this series to save the Heat. What people can forget is that Miami still needed to knock off San Antonio in Game 7, which was a pretty tall task, even if it was a home game. Things were tight throughout, with both Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard going for double-doubles, but it was James who got the last laugh, as he had 37 points and 12 rebounds in 45 minutes of work to secure a 95-88 win and the second ring of his career.
2014: A career-high 61 points in a mask
James suffered a broken nose a few games prior to this tilt against the Hornets. It sure seemed like it gave him superpowers, as he had it on his face as he systematically destroyed Charlotte, going for a career-best 61 points. He looked like a superhero, and he played like one, too.
2014: The Return
It’s hard to put into words just how wild it was at the time that LeBron went home. When he left the Cavs for the Heat, it seemed like he and Dan Gilbert both burned that bridge forever. And yet, in the summer of 2014, James announced in Sports Illustrated that he planned on heading back to Cleveland in free agency, and the roar of the crowd when he got announced before the game still gives me chills.
2015: The Banana Boat pic
Why, exactly, is this picture so funny? I’m not 100 percent sure, but all I know is the image of Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and LeBron on a banana boat together has made me consistently laugh for a decade now. It’s just unfortunate that the fourth member of the Banana Boat Crew
, Carmelo Anthony, couldn’t have been there.
2015: LeBron stars in “Trainwreck”
As it turns out, LeBron can be extremely funny. “Trainwreck” featured LeBron playing himself as one of Bill Hader’s closest friends, and while we’re glad he decided to focus his time and attention on basketball, he was a pleasant surprise in this, and straight up stole a few scenes with his performance.
2016: LeBron and Kyrie go for 41 each in Game 5 of the NBA Finals
The 2016 NBA Finals were flat-out cinema. The Cavs looked dead and buried after Game 4, as they faced a 3-1 series deficit against a 73-win Warriors squad. But thanks to the heroics of LeBron and Kyrie Irving in Game 5 at Oracle Arena — along with Draymond Green getting himself suspended in the waning moments of Game 4 — the Cavs picked up a crucial road win, then defended their home court in Game 6. It led to an all-time great Game 7, which leads nicely to…
2016: The Block
You can put this right up there with any of the great sports moments of this century, and any of the greatest moments in NBA history. The final few minutes of this game were an all-out rock fight, as both teams were clearly gassed by the end of things. And then, Andre Iguodala had a layup in transition. And then, he didn’t. And then, Kyrie hits a huge three, Kevin Love somehow clamps Steph Curry, LeBron ices it at the free throw, and in the words of Mike Breen, Cleveland is a city of champions once again.
2016: The ESPYs opening alongside Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade
Four of the defining players from this era of the NBA teamed up to deliver a powerful message at the ESPY Awards after two Black men — Alton Sterling and Philando Castile — were shot and killed by police officers. While mentioning that the ESPYs would honor the recently-deceased Muhammad Ali, James called for athletes to educate themselves, use their influence to renounce violence, and use their platforms as a way to rebuild and strengthen their communities.
2017: His crazy shot against the Wizards
The John Wall-era Wizards were one of the many teams that unfortunately had to exist at the same time as LeBron at the height of his powers. This might have been the best single shot of his career, as he catches a hail mary, shoots a fadeaway while falling into Washington’s bench, and banks in a three. I vividly remember watching this game and busting out laughing.
2018: Smiling through if all! Can’t believe this is my life
Never one to shy away from commenting on politics, LeBron criticized then-president Donald Trump a few times, which sparked an infamous response from Fox News personality Laura Ingraham, where she told him, among other things, to “shut up and dribble.” James then responded with the above picture on his IG Story, which has turned into a meme.
2018: His 45-point Game 7 performance against the Pacers
I covered this game, and I will never, for as long as I live, remember the sound that Cavs fans made when he was introduced before it happened. It was the sound of an entire city putting their hopes and dreams into their fellow northeast Ohioan, and then, LeBron repaid that faith by dragging Cleveland past a scrappy Pacers team that gave them all they could handle.
2018: Ripping Toronto’s heart out again
Few things were more captivating than watching LeBron take it to the Raptors over and over again during his second Cavs tenure … well, unless you’re from the Six, then I imagine you didn’t enjoy it all that much. LeBron and the Cavs eliminated Toronto from the playoffs three years in a row, and no moment was more memorable than this game-winning buzzer-beater that seemingly everyone on earth knew was going to go in.
2018: His 51-point performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals (and subsequent, JR Smith-induced meltdown)
You can make the case that this is as good of a game as LeBron has ever played, as he led a flawed Cavs team into the belly of the beast and nearly took down the Warriors with a thrilling, 51-point performance. Unfortunately, JR Smith lost track of time in regulation, which led to Cleveland losing and Golden State sweeping the series, with an especially upset James not liking a line of questioning after the game and storming out of his postgame press conference.
2018: The I Promise School opens
James has called this the most important thing he’s ever done, alongside marrying his wife, having three kids, and taking care of his mother. There have been plenty of other charitable efforts done around Akron via the LeBron James Family Foundation, and since 2022, it’s taught students from first to eighth grade.
2020: LeBron destroys the Nuggets in Game 5 of the WCF in the Bubble
In recent years, the Nuggets have owned LeBron and the Lakers in the playoffs. But back in 2020, LeBron had his best performance in the Bubble against Nikola Jokic and co., as he had 38 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in a Game 5 win to secure a spot in the NBA Finals.
2020: LeBron and the Lakers return to the mountaintop
That first year of LeBron and AD together on the Lakers really was special, and while the circumstances under which they won a ring were unfortunate — it happened in Disney during the COVID-19 pandemic — the team was pretty special, and LeBron looked as good as he ever has. In a series-clinching Game 6, he went for a 28-point triple double en route to winning the NBA Finals MVP award for the fourth time.
2021: Wendell Carter’s goggles fly off and LeBron puts them on for some reason
No, seriously, why did he do this?
2022: LeBron has way too much fun with Kevin Durant during the All-Star Draft over the Nets imploding
There was some major drama in Brooklyn about how James Harden tried to force his way out of town. Unfortunately for Kevin Durant, this happened at a point when LeBron and the Inside the NBA guys could have fun at his expense, as Harden remained on the board throughout the All-Star Draft while Durant clearly got progessively more and more upset … and James laughed harder and harder throughout the whole thing.
2022: LeBron goes for 56 against the Warriors
LeBron and Steph taking the floor together is always going to be something special. Back in 2022, with Curry leading the Warriors into L.A., we got a reminder of that, as James was masterful going for 56 points and 10 rebounds in the high point for a down year in Laker Land.
2023: LeBron passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s all-time scoring record with Kareem in attendance
It happened in a loss, but LeBron doing this in Los Angeles while Kareem in attendance still gives me goosebumps. He got right to his spot, pulled up, and then, the game stopped to celebrate the most prolific scorer we’ve ever seen. Also: God bless Thomas Bryant.
2024: Our favorite LeBron meme after he hated a call against the Nuggets
The number of times I have dropped this image into a conversation since it happened has to be in the triple-digits. It is so damn funny.
2024: LeCaptain American leads the United States into the Paris Olympics, then gets named MVP of the men’s basketball tournament
Obviously, all the memes of James as an American flag-bearer alongside Coco Gauff were hilarious, but it was a legitimately cool moment watching him get the honor (and learning about it from Steph Curry). And then, the games started, and James was the best player for the United States in their run to a gold medal.
2024: LeBron takes the floor with Bronny for the first time
There are plenty of reasons to be ultra-cynical about Bronny joining the Lakers, but even then, that first moment where LeBron and Bronny stepped onto the floor together was something special. We’ve never seen that happen in the NBA before, and you could tell that it meant the world to both of them. Whether we get a similar moment with Bryce remains to be seen, although Bryce does seem skeptical of that.