40 great moments from LeBron James on his 40th birthday NBA.com

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LeBron James turns 40 today. That’s hard to comprehend. Even harder? Trying to place his incredible career in perspective.

First: It’s still not over, here in Year 22.

Second: Where do you start?

There are championships, MVPs and NBA Finals MVPs (four each), scoring and assists milestones and streaks with the Cleveland Cavaliers (two tours), Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. It might take a minute.

Maybe it’s better to just list 40 moments that capture the essence of a player who can make a strong case for being the best ever in his sport and one of the greatest athletes regardless of sport.

So here’s the 40 that reflects what LeBron has done — so far — as he celebrates another birthday in the NBA.

40. The Debut: The schedule-makers played a trick in selecting Sacramento and West Coast Time for a massively hyped event. That was LeBron’s NBA birthplace — 25 points and nine assists in his rookie hello in 2003.

39. Father, Son: LeBron became the first NBA player to appear in a game with his son when he and Bronny suited up two months ago against the Timberwolves.

38. Mr. Cav: In the first of many record-toppers, he became the Cavs’ all-time scorer in 2008, needing 100 fewer games to reach the figure held by the player he erased, Brad Daugherty.

37. Shootout: The Cavs and Celtics had a mini-rivalry and in a Game 7 duel with Paul Pierce, LeBron scored 45 points to Pierce’s 41 in a 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals loss.

36. First Fiddy: At age 20, LeBron scored 56 points against the Raptors, becoming the youngest to do so, years before earning the nickname “LeBronto.”

35. Marksmanship: In a stretch marked by efficiency, LeBron was good for 30 points and 60% shooting throughout much of Miami’s 27-game win streak in 2013.

34. Team Leader: It’s rare when a single player shows this much one-man dominance, yet it became a regular feat for LeBron, who led the Cavs in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in 2008-09.

33. Triple Threat: With 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against the Knicks in 2023, LeBron became the first player to get a triple-double in his 20th season.

32. Just One: In 2008 LeBron wrapped up his first, and only, NBA scoring title, averaging exactly 30 points per game, surprising for a player who owns almost all of the scoring longevity records.

31. Loving LA: He scored 56 points, his most as a Laker, in a victory over the Warriors in March 2022. Only Michael Jordan, Jamal Crawford and Kobe Bryant scored 50 beyond age 37.

30. 30-for-30: LeBron became the first player to score at least 40 points against all 30 NBA franchises. The Clippers were the last to accept this honor, victimized by 46 in 2023.

29. Miami Mash-up: It’s almost accepted when players perform better against their former teams, and LeBron did so against the Heat with 51 points as a Laker in 2018.

28. Almost 50 Triple: When the buzzer sounded in New York, LeBron had a 52-point triple-double in 2009. But upon further review … the league erased his last rebound a day later.

27. Another 50, Timely: LeBron’s 51 points in January 2006 against Utah was unique in its own way. It was the second night of a back-to-back, it came the night before Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game, and it pushed LeBron beyond 5,000 career points, the youngest to do so.

26. Gee Wiz, Another 50: LeBron, at 37, became the oldest player to drop multiple 50-point games in a single season when he had exactly that against the Wizards in 2022.

25. LeBron Double Nickel: It was just a regular season game, yet LeBron was in big-game mode in 2009, when he went for 55 in Milwaukee. During a 24-point third-quarter blitz, he scored 16 in two minutes. It was his first Kia MVP season.

24. LeBron Rescue: The season after the disappointing 2011 Finals provided several checkpoints for LeBron. Among them was the playoff series with the Pacers, where Miami was down 2-1 and Chris Bosh was injured. LeBron responded with 40 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists, two steals.

23. LeBronto: LeBron took full ownership of Toronto in 2018 when once again he dismantled the Raptors, this time with 43 points and 14 assists on the road against the No. 1 seed. The Cavs swept the series and the Raptors were so shook they traded DeMar DeRozan that summer for Kawhi Leonard.

22. Big Game 7: LeBron dropped 45 points in a Game 7? It happened in the first round against the Pacers and nemesis Lance Stephenson in 2018. LeBron averaged nearly 42 points in Cleveland’s four wins. Lance would later team with LeBron on the Lakers.

21. Jet Is Grounded: The most disrespectful dunk of LeBron’s career was delivered in 2013 to Jason Terry, who tried to prevent the alley-oop and wound up on the floor. Two years earlier, Terry and Dallas beat LeBron in the Finals and he took delight in talking trash about it. Whoops.

20. Hello, Playoffs: In his playoff debut, LeBron gave a glimpse of the future. He had a 30-point triple-double (32-11-11) in 2007 against the Wizards. He played all 48 minutes of this game, because why sit LeBron when he’s on such a roll — and only 22 years old?

19. Play-In Perfection: LeBron and the Lakers needed to advance through the fledgling Play-In Tournament to qualify for the 2021 playoffs. LeBron notched a triple-double against the Warriors, including a 34-foot shot over Stephen Curry to seal the deal.

18. Triple Final: It was all done in a lost cause, but in 2017 LeBron became the first player to average a triple-double in the Finals, once again bringing force against the Warriors.

17. Not-So-Welcome Back: After “The Decision,” LeBron eventually had to make his way back to Cleveland. The hostility was deep as LeBron was booed each time he touched the ball. His 38 points in that December 2010 game reminded Cleveland what it lost.

16. Career-High: LeBron’s best scoring game? That was the 61 he gave to the Charlotte Bobcats in 2014. He made his first eight 3-pointers. Maybe just as satisfying is he wore a protective black mask, and he did this to a team with Michael Jordan in the ownership group.

15. Boston Bounced: The Celtics were tortuous to LeBron for much of the Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce years and finally, James put them to rest with a powerful Game 5 in 2011. He scored the Heat’s last 10 points to eliminate the Celtics in the East semifinals. After the buzzer, he knelt on the court because, at that point of his career, the moment was massive for him.

14. Buzzer Beater: Maybe the most dramatic of all LeBron shots – and that says a lot — came in 2009, Game 2 of the East Finals, when he drilled a 3-pointer over Hedo Turkoglu to beat Orlando by a point. LeBron was immediately mobbed by his Cavs teammates and, until he left and returned years later, it was perhaps his biggest shot as a Cav.

13. No Headband, No Problem: LeBron had his headband knocked off by Tim Duncan with nine minutes left in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals, then didn’t bother to put it back on. It became a convenient turning point, for LeBron went on a scoring binge, getting 14 points without the ‘band. This is remembered as the Ray Allen Game, but LeBron hit a big 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to give Allen a chance for That Shot.

12. Epic Comeback Triggered: With the Cavs down 3-1 to the Warriors in the 2016 Finals, LeBron sparked a historic rally with 41 points in Game 5. He added 16 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks. Something special was brewing.

11. Forty-One Once More: The very next game in that series came another 41-pointer by LeBron. He scored 18 straight for the Cavs between the third and fourth quarters to help force a Game 7. He added 11 assists, eight rebounds, four steals, three blocks and only one turnover. It was pure dominance.

10. Handicapped: LeBron led the Cavs to the 2015 Finals, and then soon after the series with the favored Warriors started, Cleveland’s odds grew even more grim when injured Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love eventually missed most of the Finals. Without them, LeBron supplied a powerful one-man show, 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game in a lost cause.

9. Seven Gamer: In the 2013 NBA Finals, a few nights after Allen rescued the Heat, LeBron returned with a powerful effort against the Spurs. He tied the then-Finals record for most points in a Game 7 victory with 37. He had five 3-pointers and added 11 rebounds for a second straight title.

8. First Title: LeBron was thirsty for a championship by 2012 and when given the chance to seal it, he came through with a Game 5 triple-double to eliminate Oklahoma City.

7. Bubble Burster: In the decisive game of the 2020 NBA Finals, played in ‘The Bubble’ at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, LeBron delivered as usual and as expected: 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. He won a championship with the Lakers, leading his third different team to a title. It was his 11th triple-double in a Finals game.

6. All-Time Scorer: It wasn’t the biggest shot of his career, or even the most memorable. But on Feb. 7, 2023, once his 15-foot fadeaway swished in the final seconds of the third quarter against Oklahoma City, the career points record that belonged to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and stood for 39 years was his. LeBron was 38 years old and in his 20th season.

5. Prime-Time Player: LeBron came of age as a postseason player when he scored 25 straight points in fourth quarter and overtime against the No. 1 seeded Pistons in Game 5 of the 2007 East Finals. He had 29 of the Cavs’ last 30 points, had three game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final minute of the fourth and OT, and finished with 48 points.

4. Finals Game 1 Ruined: George Hill missed a free throw to potentially win the game. JR Smith forgot the score and dribbled out the clock. But what about the masterpiece by LeBron that was wasted? He went thermo with 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. That struck fear into the heavily favored Warriors, who were fortunate to win in overtime, and then took the 2018 series.

3. Game 7, Warriors 2016: In the moment-of-truth fourth quarter, LeBron scored 11 points. For the game: 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, three blocks and two steals, a thorough performance at both ends in the Finals finale. Cleveland, this was for you.

2. Celtics And The Sinister Stare: The defining moment for LeBron arguably wasn’t any of his championship games, but Game 6 of the 2012 East finals against the Celtics. His legacy was on the line; the previous summer he was meek in the 2011 Finals. And the Heat was down 3-2 to Boston. But LeBron went for 45-15-5, making 12 of 14 first-half shots, his mean “stare down” became a meme and Miami returned to the Finals.

1. Chase. Down. Block: Curiously, it’s a defensive play made by the game’s all-time leading scorer that’ll live forever; ask Andre Iguodala. And this was LeBron’s specialty; how often did he provide help defense in his career? This Game 7 block saved the 2016 championship series for Cleveland and set up Kyrie’s game-winner.

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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