LeBron James

Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-2010, 2014-2018)

Miami Heat (2010-2014)

Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present)

USA (2004-2012, 2024)

4-time NBA MVP (’09, ’10, ’12, ’13)

4-time NBA Champion (’12, ’13, ’16, ‘20)

4-time NBA Finals MVP (’12, ’13, ’16, ‘20)

13-time All-NBA 1st Team (’06, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16, ’17, ’18, ‘20)

3-time All-NBA 2nd Team (’05, ’07, ‘21)

4-time All-NBA 3rd Team (‘19, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24)

5-time NBA All-Defensive 1st Team (’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13)

2014 NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team

2004 NBA Rookie of the Year

21-time NBA All-Star

2008 NBA scoring champion

NBA 75th Anniversary Team 

2004 Olympic Bronze Medal

3-time Olympic Gold Medal (’08, ’12, ‘24)

2024 Olympics MVP

2006 FIBA World Championship Bronze Medal

2003 FIBA Americas Gold Medal

LeBron James is perhaps the best high school basketball prospect of all-time, and he has turned that hype into the greatest NBA career of all-time. He was drafted 1st overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 and immediately made a huge impact on the franchise and the league. James won Rookie of the Year in 2004 and in 2005, LeBron made his first All-Star and All-NBA Team, accomplishments that he has matched every year since then. The first seven years of LeBron’s career were played in Cleveland, where he blossomed into the best player in the league. The Cavs fell short in the playoffs in each of those campaigns, however, which led LeBron to sign with the Miami Heat in 2010. Obviously, that move has been written about many times over, but it led to maybe the best all-around basketball of James’ career. He won both league MVP and Finals MVP in ’12 and ’13, his first two championships.

In 2014, LeBron “came home” to Cleveland, and led the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals appearances. In 2016, James and the Cavs completed a legendary 3-1 comeback in the Finals against the favored Warriors, earning Cleveland their first championship in half a century and turning LeBron to an unquestioned icon. In 2018, LeBron moved into a new chapter in his career by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. In just his second season in LA, LeBron and new teammate, Anthony Davis, led the Lakers to the NBA title during the COVID pandemic completing the most unique season in NBA history. After that he continued to rack up accolades, including becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer in February of 2023. 

Whether or not you think LeBron is the greatest player of all-time or worthy of the discussion is kind of beside the point. The sheer amount of accomplishments and career numbers place him in the upper echelon of players to ever dribble a basketball. He is fourth all-time in points per game, and this is without scoring being his absolute best strength. His court vision is nearly unparalleled and his combination of size, strength and speed is totally unique. Plus, he has leaned into his role as a potential voice and inspiration for others, which has led to numerous incredible acts of donation and kindness to both students and the less fortunate. LeBron James came into the league with hype surrounding him that no one had ever experienced before and he has more than lived up to that hype.

Other accomplishments that didn’t factor into this ranking

2017 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award

AP Male Athlete of the Decade (2010’s)