How many NBA Finals appearances does LeBron James have ?
Follow Us
LeBron James is one of the NBA’s all-time greatest basketball players. He has a reputation for excellence and has broken many records during the course of his career. His appearances in NBA Finals are among his most remarkable career accomplishments. Ten trips to the NBA Finals by LeBron James are a remarkable accomplishment that only a select few NBA players have ever accomplished. The year, the teams involved, and the result of each of LeBron James’ NBA Finals appearances will be discussed in this article.
Also Read: LeBron James vs Michael Jordan stats: comparing regular season, playoff and NBA finals
1. 2007: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs (Lost)
In 2007, during his fourth season in the league, LeBron James made his debut in the NBA Finals. James was only 22 years old when the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavs. In the series, he was the only Cavalier to average more than 10 points each game, but it was obvious that he wasn’t yet ready to lead his squad to victory.
Partner: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
7’3″ centre Zydrunas Ilgauskas played with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1996 through 2010. He was LeBron James’ most dependable teammate in the NBA’s early years and was a two-time All-Star. Ilgauskas had a 9.3 point and 7.3 rebound average in the 2007 NBA Finals. Although he was unable to assist James in winning his first championship, he was crucial in the Cavaliers’ trip to the Finals.
2. Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks in 2011 (Lost)
LeBron James starred in his second NBA Finals in 2011 while playing for the Miami Heat. James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh of the Heat were the overwhelming favourites to win the title. They competed against the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks, the underdogs in the series.
Nonetheless, despite LeBron James’ 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game, the Mavericks shocked the Heat and won the series 4-2. James and the Heat were extremely disappointed by the defeat, and it cast doubt on their ability to share a championship together.
Partner: Dwyane Wade
From 2010, Dwyane Wade was LeBron James’ teammate on the Miami Heat. In his prime, he was one of the league’s top shooting guards and a three-time NBA champion. Wade had a 26.5-point, 7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game average in the 2011 NBA Finals. He performed admirably, but was unable to defeat the Mavericks’ well-rounded offence. In 2012 and 2013, Wade and James would team together to win two championships.
3. 2012: Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Won)
With the Miami Heat, LeBron James made his third appearance in the NBA Finals in 2012. The Heat competed against the up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder, who were led by James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook.
LeBron James, on the other hand, was in superb form and controlled the series with averages of 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. LeBron James received the NBA Finals MVP award for the first time in his career as the Heat prevailed 4-1 in the series.
In the NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade averaged 22.8 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, which was crucial to the Heat’s title run in 2012. He gave the Heat a scoring boost and seasoned leadership that enabled them to defeat the powerful Thunder club.
4. 2013: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs (Won)
In 2013, the Miami Heat returned to the NBA Finals, facing off against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were determined to avenge their loss to the Heat in the previous year’s Finals. The series was close and went to a decisive Game 7.
However, LeBron James once again delivered a stellar performance, with 37 points and 12 rebounds, to lead the Heat to victory. LeBron James was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time, and the Heat won their second consecutive championship.
Dwyane Wade, who averaged 15.2 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, was crucial in helping Miami. Wade put on an especially good performance in Game 4, contributing 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists to the Heat’s 2-2 series tie.
Wade’s 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in Game 7 helped the Heat win the championship. Wade and James’ great friendship off the court and on it contributed significantly to their success that season.
5. 2014: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs (Lost)
In the NBA Finals the next year, in 2014, LeBron James and the Miami Heat squared up against the San Antonio Spurs once more. The Heat lost to the Spurs in five games this time, failing to successfully defend their crown.
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh served as James’ teammates during this Championship series. James averaged 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game for the course of the series, but it wasn’t enough to carry the Heat to victory.
As a teammate, Dwyane Wade struggled throughout the series, scoring only 15.2 points, pulling down 3.6 rebounds, and dishing out 2.6 assists per game while shooting just 43.8% from the field.
The Heat were unable to stay up with the Spurs, who put on one of the most dominant performances in NBA Finals history in large part due to Wade’s troubles. James and Wade continued to be one of the league’s most formidable teams despite the defeat and would play at the highest level for years to come.
6. 2015: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors (Lost)
LeBron James made his first NBA Finals appearance with the Cleveland Cavaliers after rejoining the group following his time with the Miami Heat. As they battled the Golden State Warriors, he was joined by his new teammates Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.
The Cavaliers lost the series in six games despite James’ best efforts, who averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.
Partner: Kyrie Irving
Irving’s series was cut short by a knee injury sustained in Game 1, but he still made a significant impact in the three games he did play. Irving recorded a game-high 30 points on 12-for-25 shooting in Game 3 after scoring 23 points on 10-for-22 shooting in Game 1. Irving sat out Game 6 but witnessed James’ triple-double performance of 32 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists.
The Cavaliers would go on to win the championship with Irving as a key contributor the next year after James and Irving proved they could be a formidable team.
7. 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors (Won)
For the second year in a row, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors met in the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers completed a stunning comeback to win the championship in seven games after dropping the first two games of the series.
LeBron James, who averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game, was essential to the victory. For the third time in his career, James was voted Finals MVP.
Partner: Kyrie Irving
In the 2016 Finals, Kyrie Irving teamed up with LeBron James to take against the Golden State Warriors once more. The Cavs overcame a 3-1 deficit and won their first NBA Championship thanks in large part to Irving. He had a triple-double per game with 27.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He scored 41 points in Game 5, including the game-winning three-pointer with just under a minute remaining.
With less than a minute left in the game in Game 7, Irving made another crucial shot, this time a three-pointer over Stephen Curry, giving the Cavs a three-point advantage. The NBA Finals MVP title went to Irving as a result of his performance, earning him the league’s youngest recipient of the honour alongside LeBron James.
8. 2017: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors (Lost)
LeBron James performed admirably in the 2017 NBA Finals despite his team’s defeat against the Golden State Warriors. That was an amazing accomplishment for him to average 33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game. James gave one of the best performances of his career in the 2017 NBA Finals.
James demonstrated his durability and dedication to the team’s success by playing 43.7 minutes each game. He demonstrated his versatility on the court with a field goal percentage of 56.4% and a 3-point percentage of 38.7%. His ability to rule games and have an impact on all parts of the game was evidenced by his triple-double average and excellent shooting percentages.
Partner: Kyrie Irving
With game averages of 29.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, Kyrie Irving put up a strong performance throughout the entire series. He scored a playoff-best 38 points in Game 3 to help the Cavs to their first victory of the series.
He had 40 points and made the game-winning shot in Game 4 to help the Cavs win and tie the series at 2-2. Despite Irving’s stellar performance, the Cavs were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the series in just five games.
9. 2018: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors (Lost)
In 2018, James once again led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, where they played the Golden State Warriors for the fourth consecutive season. James gave it his all, but the Cavs once again fell short against the Warriors, dropping the series in four games. Kevin Love, who played with James in the Finals, gave a strong performance despite the outcome.
James produced outstanding individual stats throughout the series despite his side losing 4-0. He became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in the NBA Finals with his 34.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 10.0 assist per game average.
Partner: Kevin Love
In the Finals, Kevin Love, the power forward for the Cavaliers during the playoffs, averaged 14.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Despite his best efforts, the Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games. James was given more room to work on his offence because of Love’s ability to spread the floor with his three-point shooting.
10. 2020: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat (Won)
James guided the Los Angeles Lakers to their first championship in ten years in 2020 by defeating the Miami Heat in six games. James won the Finals MVP award for the fourth time in his career by averaging 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game throughout the series, but he also had help from several of his colleagues who played well, including Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo.
King James has a different supporting cast in each of his Finals appearances, but he has consistently served as the team’s captain and primary playmaker. He has continually shown the capacity to step up his performance in crunch time, and he has turned in some of the most memorable performances in NBA Finals history. There’s little doubt that James will continue to add to his remarkable résumé and solidify his status as one of the best basketball players of all time with more seasons to go.
Partner: Anthony Davis
Davis shot an incredible 57.1% from the floor while averaging 25.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game in the six-game series against the Miami Heat. In Game 2, he was outstanding, scoring 32 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and adding one block. Davis also contributed to limiting the Heat’s scoring opportunities throughout the series by playing excellent defence.
The Lakers decisively won Game 6 106-93 to clinch the championship. Davis won the game’s MVP award and his first NBA title with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists.
In case you missed:
How many rings does Lebron James have?
Stay Updated!
Abhinav Singh Tomar
(58 Articles Published)