There’s no doubt that LeBron James is one of the greatest players of all time. Ever since he made it to the NBA as the first-overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, there were a lot of expectations and hopes over his shoulders, and needless to say, he’s lived up to them and even surpassed them.
LeBron James is a born-winner. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of talent and a gifted athlete, and the fact that he’s still going strong 17 years later is almost unprecedented and a testament to his relentless work ethic.
However, even The King has had its fair share of struggles in the most competitive basketball league in the world. Regardless of how dominant he’s been, he’s had a tough time winning NBA championships. Here, we’ll walk you through every single one of his 4 rings.
First Trip To The NBA Finals
It didn’t take long before LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to basketball’s ultimate stage. During his 4th season in the league and at the ripe age of 22, he led a team with no other All-Star and against all odds.
However, the almighty San Antonio Spurs were just too overpowered for a young LeBron and his subpar supporting cast. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili. and Tony Parker were just too much to handle and swept him that year.
LeBron stood put through thick and thin with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the management’s inability to surround him with talented players eventually forced him out of the franchise to look for his first ring elsewhere.
The Heatles Era: LeBron’s First Two Rings
LeBron James became the most hated guy on the planet when he said that he was ‘taking his talents to South Beach’ to join Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat in the 2010 offseason.
There, he’d finally play with elite stars and, as expected, the Miami Heat was an unstoppable juggernaut that dominated the Eastern Conference even ahead of the Boston Celtics, who were the strongest team at the time.
LeBron led the Heat to the Finals in 2011 and were heavily favored vs. Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. However, The Great Teuton overcame adversities and beat the Heat’s Big 3 in 6 games.
The King came back stronger than ever and played with a chip on his shoulder next season, leading the team back to the Finals, this time to play Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, and James Harden after a shortened season.
The Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games with LeBron James winning his first-ever NBA Championship and Finals MVP award after three tries and years of struggles.
Erik Spoelstra’s team made a habit of going the distance, as they went back to the NBA Finals to face the Spurs, a team that put them against the ropes until Ray Allen hit a miracle three-pointer in Game 6 to force Game 7 and beat them at home to win back-to-back rings.
James promised to win many more rings at South Beach but the Spurs got back at him in the very next season, with Kawhi Leonard blossoming as a lockdown defender to win a Finals MVP in 5 games. That’ll be the last time we’d ever see James in Heat threads.
Homecoming: LeBron Makes History At Cleveland
The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference without LeBron James so needless to say, they buried the hatched and welcomed back the King with open arms. This time, they vowed to give him what he needed to win.
The Cavs traded multiple assets to pair LeBron and Kyrie Irving with Kevin Love and it surely paid off, as they made it to the Finals on his very first year back home, even though they couldn’t beat the Golden State Warriors after suffering major injuries in the playoffs.
Cleveland went back to that stage next season and at full strength. The Warriors put them against the wall and were up 3-1 in that series. Then, the Cavs’ Big 3 became the first team in NBA history to ever come back from such a deficit in the Finals, with LeBron winning his third ring.
The next two years were quite tough for the Cavaliers on and off the court. Locker room issues, trades, and countless moves hurt the team’s chemistry, and even though they made it to the Finals the two following seasons, the Warriors beat them twice and put an end to James’ second stint in Ohio.
Cementing His Legacy: LeBron Leads The Lakers Back To The Top
The Los Angeles Lakers signed LeBron James, who was coming off 8 straight trips to the NBA Finals, to try and go back to the biggest stage for the first time since 2010. However, the King suffered the first major injury of his career – in his 16th season – and they couldn’t even make the playoffs.
Los Angeles traded multiple assets and Draft picks for Anthony Davis and the Lakers became the biggest contender in the league right away. Needless to say, LeBron and Davis made an instant click and led the team back to the Finals.
LeBron James now made his 10th appearance in the NBA Finals in 17 years, and his 9th in the past decade. That’s just unthinkable in the modern era. And while his haters give him a hard time for his 4-6 record at that stage, he still led the Lakers to their 17th title by beating the Miami Heat and even won the Finals MVP award, again.
