LeBron James turns 40: Ranking the top 40 highlights from the King's legendary career on his birthday
LeBron James has been a dominant force in basketball for over two decades, amassing a legion of awards, trophies, medals, and records. We try to narrow his incredible resume down to a top 40.
Basketball
LeBron James isn’t just a basketball player—he’s a living legend. For two decades, he’s redefined the game, shattered records, and silenced doubters while cementing his place as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
As he turns 40, we celebrate the King’s unparalleled legacy by revisiting the 40 moments, records, and stats defining his incredible journey. From winning Olympic gold at Paris 2024 to setting the all-time NBA minutes record, here’s how "LeBron James" became a name synonymous with greatness.
40. The decision
Not exactly a highlight, but an important moment in his career nonetheless. During a nationally televised special that aired on ESPN on 8 July, 2010, James, then a free agent, revealed he would be signing with the Miami Heat for the 2010-11 season.
39. Most assists by a small forward in NBA history
James' skill on the court is so elite that he could seemingly play any position, but 'officialy' playing as a forward has seen him rack up 11,261 assists - the most in league history by a clear margin.
38. Most career triple-doubles by a forward
With 119 (regular season) triple-doubles and counting, James holds the record for the most by a forward in NBA history.
37. Oldest player to average 30 points per game in a season
James is the oldest player to average 30 points per game in an NBA season, doing so at age 37 in the 2021-22 campaign. James averaged 30.3 PPG in 59 games.
36. A stunning NBA debut
James' was the most hyped NBA prospect coming out of high school in history, so it only makes sense that his professional debut would be equally seismic for the NBA and indeed the sport itself. Thankfully an 18 year old James gave a taste of what was to come, stuffing the stat sheet with 25 points (on 12-of-20 shooting), 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals in a 106-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings on 30 October 2003.
35. Has 40-plus point game against all 30 NBA teams
No franchise has been able to prevent the King from getting to the basket at will. And yes, you guessed it: James is the only man to accomplish this feat in NBA history.
34. Oldest player to record two 50-point games in the same season
In March of the 2021-22 season, James dropped 50 points in a Lakers win over the Washington Wizards. It was his second 50-point outburst of the campaign, and at age 37, he took over the mantle of the oldest player to accomplish that feat.
James surpassed Bernard King, who was 34 when he did it in 1990-91 with Washington.
33. 122 playoff games with 30-plus points
With 122 games scoring 30 or more points in the playoffs, James leads all players in this category.
32. Most points scored in All-Star game history
As the man with the most All-Star selections in NBA history, it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that James is also the frontrunner for the most points (434 and counting) in the event.
31. James' poster dunk on Jason Terry
James' insane athleticism has seen him soar for countless gravity-defying dunks, the greatest of which came against Jason Terry and the Boston Celtics in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. Words don't really do the play justice, so check it out for yourself below.
30. Breaking the record for most career playoff wins
James overtook Michael Jordan for the No.1 spot in career playoff points in 2017, and he seized the record for career playoff wins a few years later in 2022, when he helped the Lakers to a 122-102 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals.
That win was James' 162nd in the playoffs, moving him past five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher in the rankings. James currently sits on 183 career playoff wins.
29. Breaking the record for career playoff points
James surpassed Jordan for the top spot on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list by scoring his 5,988th point in Game 5 of the 2017 Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics.
He has since increased his playoff tally to 8,162 points; no other player has more than 6,000.
28. Most steals in NBA playoff history
For all of his offensive prowess, in his prime James was one of the most fearsome defenders in basketball; his ability on both sides of the ball is what makes him, for many, the greatest to have ever played the game.
He has 2,298 career steals, which ranks him eighth all-time in NBA history (two-time Olympic gold medallist John Stockton is top with 3,265), but is the outright leader in takeaways in the playoffs with 483.
27. His career-high 61 points
James is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, having tortured all 30 league teams with a barrage of points at one point or another. He tallied a career-high 61 (including eight consecutive 3-pointers) as a member of the Miami Heat in a 124-107 win over the Charlotte Bobcats back in 2014.
26. Posting a 40-point triple-double in the Finals
James has blessed us with several legendary performances throughout the course of his career, particularly in seismic games when the stakes couldn't have been higher. One such fabled outing came in Game 5 of the 2015 Finals between James' Cavaliers and Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors.
With the series tied at 2-2, the winner of the pivotal Game 5 would seize a huge advantage in the quest for the championship. Understanding this, James unleased one of the most spectacular stat lines in Finals history, recording 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in 45 minutes of action. Alas, it was not enough as the Warriors won the game 104-91. Golden State would also win Game 6 to earn the first franchise title since 1975.
25. Most triple-doubles in NBA Finals history
In addition to being the only man to average a triple-double in the Finals, James is the NBA's all-time Finals leader in the category with 11. Fellow Laker legend Magic Johnson trails him with 8, while Draymond Green (3), Nikola Jokic (2) and Jimmy Butler (2) are the only active players with more than 1.
24. Achieving a record 20th All-Star selection
James was named an NBA All-Star for the 20th time in his 21-year career in January 2024, breaking the previous record of 19 held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James has been an All-Star starter for 20 consecutive years, and there's every chance both streaks will continue in 2025 based on his stellar play for the Lakers this season.
23. Most All-NBA First Team selections
The All-NBA Team is an annual honour bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. There are three All-NBA Teams, with the First Team recognised as the most prestigious. James has 13 First Team selections (more than any other player in NBA history), as well as three Second Team and four Third Team nominations.
22. Claiming the NBA scoring title
Considering his once-in-a-generation ability to score the basketball, it's almost crazy to think that James has only won the NBA scoring title once (in 2007-08, when he tallied 2,250 points—a 30.0 per game average).
21. Entering the NBA as the No.1 pick of the draft and winning Rookie of the Year
James was heavily touted as a future NBA superstar while still in high school at St.Vincent-St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and was selected with the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In his first professional game, James (then 18) scored 25 points in a 106-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings, providing an early glimpse of the superstar he would quickly become. With final season averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, James became the first Cavalier to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts with his MVP trophy and Finals trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Championship.
20. Reaching the NBA Finals in eight consecutive seasons
It may be one of the few categories in which he doesn't reign supreme, but James was still able to reach the NBA Finals for eight consecutive years (from 2011 to 2018), which is a testament to his dominance in the league.
NBA legend Bill Rusell holds the record for most consecutive Finals appearances at 10 (winning nine titles in this span).
19. Becoming the first player to win the NBA Finals MVP award with three different franchises
James is one of three men to have won an NBA championship with three different teams along with Danny Green and John Salley. However, James is the only player in history to also be named as the Finals' Most Valuable Player each time.
18. The only player to average at least 25 ppg for 20 consecutive seasons
He may have only won one scoring title in his career, but no-one can argue that this run of extreme consistency by James is a greater feat that will likely never be replicated.
17. Breaking the record for most minutes played
On 19 December 2024, James clocked his 57,447th minute in the NBA as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings. As a result, the 39-year-old overtakes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-standing record, the latter's career culminating with 57,446 minutes in 1989. With James yet to give any indication on when he will finally retire, he now owns another record that may never be broken.
16. Four-time NBA Finals MVP
James has earned Finals MVP honours for each of his four championships, receiving the award in 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2020.
15. Winning gold at London 2012
James second Olympic gold came at the London 2012 Games. The USA successfully defended their title from Beijing 2008, averaging an absurd 115.5 points per game (almost 30 points higher than Argentina in second) and once again beating Spain in the final, 107-100. James averaged 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
14. Only player to average a triple-double in the NBA Finals
One of the more absurd achievements of James' career, in the 2017 Finals (won by Golden State) the King averaged 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists across five games - a first in NBA history.
13. The 2012-13 championship season
Arguably the greatest season of his career, James—fresh off of winning his second Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the London 2012 Games—led the Miami Heat to a 66-win regular season and the NBA title, earning a regular season MVP and Finals MVP on the way.
12. That Game 5 against Detroit in 2007
Considered by many to be the first truly iconic game of James' career, in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals James poured in 48 points, including 25 straight, 29 of the Cavs' last 30, and the go-ahead score with 2.2 seconds left as Cleveland stunned Detroit in double-overtime 109-107.
Returning to Cleveland with a 3-2 series lead, the Cavs would win Game 6 to book their first trip to the Finals.
11. Winning a fourth NBA title
James won his first two titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. He returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers - the franchise that drafted him - in 2014, guiding the Cavs to their first ever title in 2016. He won his fourth championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
10. A double-digit scoring streak for the ages
There will come a day when James fails to score at least 10 points in a game, but it probably won't happen any time soon. The last time the 40-year-old failed to reach double figures in a regular season contest came in a Cavaliers win over the Milwaukee Bucks on 5 January 2007; James scored 8 points.
That streak - which now stands at 1,253 games - is a record which will likely never be broken (the next longest streak in league history is 866 games, set by Michael Jordan from March 25, 1986 to Dec. 26, 2001) and is a further testament to James' incredible longevity and efficiency.
9. Becoming the youngest player to score 10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 points
james reached 10,000 points at age 23, 20,000 at 28, and 30,000 at 33, becoming the youngest player to achieve each milestone in NBA history.
8. Winning a fourth regular-season MVP award
Winning an MVP (Most Valuable Player) award is arguably the single greatest achievement of a player's career (outside of earning a championship). Only 15 men have won the award more than once in the 67 years since Hall of Famer Bob Bettit took home the first MVP title in 1956.
With four MVPs (won in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013), James is among an elite group of five (including Wilt Chamberlain (4), Bill Russell (5), Michael Jordan (5), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6)) to have earned four or more MVPs in his career.
7. Being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honour the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NBA. A panel of reporters, current and former players, coaches, general managers, and team executives selected the greatest players in league history, with James a unanimous selection.
6. Winning a third Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024
James came out of his unofficial "retirement" from national duty for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, helping the USA win a fifth consecutive (and 17th total) gold medal in an absorbing final against hosts France. For his efforts throughout the competition, during which he averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.3 steals, James was named the MVP of the men's tournament.
5. Creating the 30k-10k-10k club
As the first (and only) player to ever accumulate at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists, James is the founder and sole member of the 30k-10k-10k club— an astounding feat he achieved in 2022.
4. "Cleveland, this is for you!"
As mentioned below, "The Block" was a career-defining moment for both James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It helped the Cavaliers claim their first NBA title in franchise history, and it was especially impactful for James after his return to the team following his contentious departure in 2010.
During an on-court interview immediately after the final buzzer sounded, James, born in Ohio and drafted by the Cavaliers in 2003, roared the now-famous words: "Cleveland, this is for you!"
3. "The Block"
With 1:50 remaining and the score tied at 89 in the deciding Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, James delivered what became known as The Block on a layup attempt by Andre Iguodala.
Though there was enough time for the Warriors to produce another stop and get the ball back, James' momentum-shifting block allowed the Cavaliers to run the clock down even further and control the flow of the game, eventually winning the contest (and with it, the NBA championship) 93-89.
The Block is considered to be one of James's greatest clutch moments, and his performance across the series—the only time in which a single player has led both teams in points, assists, steals, and blocks—is considered to be one of the best in NBA Finals history.
2. The Redeem Team's Olympic gold
James was part of the fabled US "Redeem Team", a collection of elite NBA superstars assembled to reclaim Olympic gold at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games after the men's team finished third at Athens 2004. The Redeem Team did just that, defeating Spain 118-107 in one of the greatest basketball games in Olympic history to earn gold—the first of James' career.
In roughly 24 minutes of action across the eight games of the tournament, James posted averages of 15.5 points, 5,3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.0 blocks.
1. Becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer
In his 20th season and at 38 years old, James became the National Basketball Association's all-time leading scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career total of 38,387 points.
James achieved the triumph on 7 February 2023 with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when James hit a step-back jumper for his 36th point of the night - and the 38,388th of his career.
The 38-year-old James accomplished the feat in his 20th season. Abdul-Jabbar's record stood for almost 40 years, when he set the old mark on 5 April, 1984 - nine months before James was born.
James finished with 38 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals as the Lakers lost 133-130 for a new total of 38,390 points.
James has since extended that number to 41,131, and with no signs of him slowing down, the King will no doubt set a new marker that will take another 40 years - if not longer for the next great NBA star to surpass.