LeBron James's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of LeBron James.
LeBron James, nicknamed "King James", is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers. He holds the distinction of being the NBA's all-time leading scorer. James has won four NBA championships across 10 NBA Finals appearances, including eight consecutive appearances from 2011 to 2018. He secured the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 with the Lakers. Furthermore, he has earned three Olympic gold medals as part of the U.S. national team, solidifying his status as one of the sport's most accomplished players.
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1976: Abdul-Jabbar
On January 27, 2024, James became the first player in Lakers franchise history since Abdul-Jabbar in 1976 to put up at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.
1981: Joined Magic Johnson
On November 15, 2024, James tied the Lakers franchise record for the most consecutive triple-doubles made, joining Magic Johnson (1981, 1987) and Russell Westbrook (2021).
1982: Became only the third reigning MVP to change teams
On July 10, 2010, LeBron James became only the third reigning MVP to change teams and the first since Moses Malone in 1982.
April 5, 1984: Abdul-Jabbar Sets Scoring Record
On April 5, 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set the record for all-time leading scorer in NBA history, eight months before LeBron James was born.
1987: Joined Magic Johnson
On November 15, 2024, James tied the Lakers franchise record for the most consecutive triple-doubles made, joining Magic Johnson (1981, 1987) and Russell Westbrook (2021).
2000: Previous USA Olympic Gold Medal
In 2000, Team USA won a gold medal, which made the 2008 Olympics the first gold medal since then.
2003: Drafted by Cleveland Cavaliers
In 2003, LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick of the NBA draft.
2003: NBA Debut and Jersey Number Choice
In 2003, LeBron James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft and chose the jersey number 23 in honor of Michael Jordan. He scored 25 points in his debut game against the Sacramento Kings.
2004: NBA Rookie of the Year Award
At the conclusion of the 2003–2004 season, LeBron James received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, becoming the first Cavalier to do so.
2004: First NBA All-Star Game Selection
In 2004, LeBron James earned his first NBA All-Star Game selection.
2005: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2005, LeBron James was named as one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world.
2005: Sets Cleveland's Single-Game Points Record
On March 20, 2005, LeBron James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland's new single-game points record.
2006: Cavaliers Regular Season
During the 2006–2007 season, James finished the regular season averaging 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
2006: All-Star Game MVP and Playoff Debut
In 2006, LeBron James was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Also, under James's leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998, marking his postseason debut where he recorded a triple-double.
2007: LeBron Leads Cavaliers to NBA Finals
In 2007, LeBron James led the Cavaliers to their first-ever Eastern Conference championship, earning them a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. Lebron's performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals is considered one of the greatest playoff performances of all time.
2007: First NBA Finals Appearance
In 2007, LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA Finals appearance.
2007: FIBA Americas Championship Gold Medal
In 2007, LeBron James played in the FIBA Americas Championship, averaging 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. He scored 31 points against Argentina in the championship game, leading Team USA to a 10-0 record, a gold medal, and qualification for the 2008 Olympics.
2008: All-Defensive Team Nomination
At the end of the 2008–2009 season, James finished second in NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award voting and made his first NBA All-Defensive Team.
2008: 2008 Olympics Gold Medal
In 2008, LeBron James played for Team USA at the Olympics in Beijing, China. The team went undefeated, winning their first gold medal since 2000. In the final game against Spain, James recorded 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
2008: All-Star Game MVP and Scoring Title
In February of 2008, LeBron James was named All-Star Game MVP for the second time. On March 21, 2008, he moved past Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer and James also won the scoring title this year.
2009: NBA MVP Award
In 2009, LeBron James won his first NBA Most Valuable Player Award.
2009: MVP Award and Franchise Record
In 2009, LeBron James won the MVP Award and Cleveland went a franchise record 66–16.
2009: All-Defensive Honors from 2009 to 2014
LeBron James earned All-Defensive honors every season from 2009 to 2014.
2012: 2012 Olympics Gold Medal and Records
In 2012, LeBron James led Team USA to win their second straight gold medal at the London Olympics, defeating Spain in the final. He recorded the first triple-double in U.S. Olympic basketball history against Australia, and became the all-time leading scorer in U.S. men's basketball history. He also joined Michael Jordan as the only players to win an NBA MVP award, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, and Olympic gold medal in the same year.
2012: Named MVP for the third time
In 2012, LeBron James was named MVP for the third time, finishing with averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, and the Miami Heat began the year with a franchise-best 18-6 record.
2012: First NBA Championship with the Heat
In 2012, LeBron James won his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat, earning both MVP and Finals MVP honors.
2012: Set multiple shooting efficiency records
In February of 2012, LeBron James averaged 29.7 points and 7.8 assists per game while setting multiple shooting efficiency records. The Heat also began a 27-game winning streak. James's performance was described as a "month for the ages" by Sports Illustrated.
2013: James reported as the most popular player in the NBA
By 2013, LeBron James' image had mostly recovered and he was reported by ESPN as the most popular player in the NBA for the second time in his career.
2013: James surpasses Bryant as highest paid basketball player
In 2013, LeBron James surpassed Kobe Bryant as the highest paid basketball player in the world, with earnings of $56.5 million.
2013: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2013, LeBron James was named as one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world.
2013: Second NBA Championship with the Heat
In 2013, LeBron James won his second NBA championship with the Miami Heat, earning both MVP and Finals MVP honors.
2013: Scored career-high 61 points against Bobcats
On March 3, 2013, LeBron James scored a career-high and franchise-record 61 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats, converting on his first eight three-point attempts.
2014: James named most popular male athlete in America
In 2014, LeBron James was named the most popular male athlete in America by the Harris Poll.
2014: All-Defensive Honors from 2009 to 2014
LeBron James earned All-Defensive honors every season from 2009 to 2014.
February 13, 2015: James elected first vice president of NBPA
On February 13, 2015, LeBron James was elected the first vice president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
2015: James ranked sixth highest earning sportsperson
In 2015, LeBron James was ranked the sixth highest earning sportsperson.
2016: First Championship for Cleveland Cavaliers
In 2016, LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA championship, overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors.
2016: Highest-Paid Player in the League
In 2016, LeBron James signed a three-year deal with the Cavaliers, becoming the highest-paid player in the league for the first time in his career.
2016: James ranked third highest earning sportsperson
In 2016, LeBron James was ranked the third highest earning sportsperson.
2017: James receives J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
In 2017, LeBron James received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award from the NBA for his outstanding service and dedication to the community.
2017: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2017, LeBron James was named as one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world.
July 30, 2018: I Promise School officially opens
On July 30, 2018, the I Promise School officially opened, with LeBron James reflecting that it was his most important professional accomplishment.
November 2019: Oldest player to record a triple-double
On November 13, 2024, James broke his own record previously set in November 2019 for the oldest player to record a triple-double in three consecutive games.
2019: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2019, LeBron James was named as one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world.
2020: Another Title with Lakers
In 2020, LeBron James won another NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming the first player to win Finals MVP with three different teams.
February 18, 2021: James reaches 35,000 career points
On February 18, 2021, LeBron James became the third player in NBA history to reach 35,000 career points, at the age of 36 years and 50 days, becoming the youngest player to reach this milestone.
2021: Joined Russell Westbrook
On November 15, 2024, James tied the Lakers franchise record for the most consecutive triple-doubles made, joining Magic Johnson (1981, 1987) and Russell Westbrook (2021).
February 26, 2022: James ends streak of 23 consecutive 25-point games
On February 26, 2022, LeBron James ended a streak of 23 consecutive games with at least 25 points, having played 23 out of 27 games since December 19, 2021.
2022: Regular season
In 2022, James had averages of 28.9 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, 6.8 assists per game, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a season.
2022: James at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game
In 2022, at the NBA All-Star Game held in Cleveland, LeBron James was celebrated as part of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Leading in fan votes for his 18th All-Star selection, his team secured its fifth consecutive All-Star victory.
January 9, 2023: Player of the Week Award
On January 9, 2023, LeBron James received his 66th Player of the Week award, which was double the career total of runner-up Bryant.
February 7, 2023: All-Time Leading Scorer in NBA History
On February 7, 2023, LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. The game was stopped, and a ceremony was held on the court where he received the game ball from Abdul-Jabbar.
May 2023: James becomes a billionaire
According to Forbes, in May 2023, LeBron James became the first active NBA player to become a billionaire.
June 2023: Most Followed Basketball Player on Instagram
As of June 2023, LeBron James is the most followed basketball player on Instagram, boasting over 155 million followers.
2023: NBA Cup win
In 2023, LeBron James and the Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup.
2023: NBA All-Time Leading Scorer
In 2023, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
January 25, 2024: 20th NBA All-Star Selection
On January 25, 2024, LeBron James was named an All-Star starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, marking his 20th NBA All-Star selection and surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most All-Star selections in NBA history.
2024: All-NBA Team Selection in 2024
As of 2024, LeBron James has been named to 21 All-NBA Teams, including 13 times to the First Team, which are both NBA records.
2024: First father-son teammates in league history
In 2024, LeBron James and his son Bronny James became the first father-son teammates in NBA league history.
2024: Named FIBA Men's Olympics MVP and Selection to the FIBA Men's Olympics All-Star Five in 2024
In 2024, LeBron James rejoined the national team on the Olympic squad in Paris as Team Captain. Voted by the U.S. delegation, James was named as one of the Team USA flag-bearers for the opening ceremony of the games, becoming the first male basketball player to be so honored. James led the team in rebounds and assists and recorded his second Olympic triple double in a comeback win in the semi-final against Serbia. Team USA went on to win their fifth straight gold medal, defeating France 98–87 in the final game. At the conclusion of the tournament, James was named the FIBA Men's Olympics MVP and was selected to the FIBA Men's Olympics All-Star Five.
2024: Career Averages and Rankings in 2024
Through the 2024-25 season, LeBron James's career averages are 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. Throughout the 2010s, he was usually ranked as the best player in the NBA each season by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.
January 3, 2025: Most 30-Point Games
On January 3, 2025, LeBron James surpassed Michael Jordan for the most 30-point games in NBA history with 563 games.
March 4, 2025: Surpassed 50,000 career points
On March 4, 2025, James surpassed 50,000 career points across the regular season and playoffs during a 136–115 win against the New Orleans Pelicans.
2025: Hall of Fame Induction
In 2025, LeBron James was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.
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