The NBA season is finally underway. Let’s take a look back at LeBron James’ top five moments during his first stint with the Cavaliers.
5. LeBron Sinks Game Winning Shot Against Orlando Magic
In Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavs were already down 1-0 in the series and were trailing by two points late. Needing a victory to even the series, James took an inbounds pass from Mo Williams, stepped back and drained the game winning three pointer. While at the time it saved the series, Cleveland eventually lost to Orlando, hence why this moment ranks low on our list.
4. James Wins the 2009 MVP Award
The season didn’t end with a championship, obviously, but it did end with Cleveland finishing with a franchise record 66 wins: A feat the Cavs are yet to even come close to repeating. James finished with one of his most dominant seasons to date with a season that averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. And people wonder why Cleveland went crazy when James initially bolted for Miami.
3. James Dunks on Tim Duncan (2006)
This is the only regular season moment on our list, but it was too awesome to leave out. Tim Duncan has three inches on James and was still in the prime of his career. But that didn’t stop James from dunking on him with authority.
2. James Posterizes Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett was the 2008 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the Celtics were on their way to an NBA Championship. With less than two minutes to go in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the game still very much up for grabs, James threw down a monster dunk on the 6’11” power forward.
1. James Takes Over Game 5
It can be said that James single handedly beat the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. James scored the Cavaliers final 25 points in the double overtime victory, finishing with a final stat line of 48 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. The game turned the series in Cleveland’s favor, who went on to win the series and a spot in the NBA Finals. A spot the Cavaliers have not been back in since.
With LeBron James back in Cleveland, there will surely be more moments to replace one, two or all of the moments on this list. Make sure you’re not missing out on history. Head over to StubHub, America’s number one fan-to-fan ticket marketplace, to see the great deals they have on NBA tickets this season and purchase your next top five moment today!
