King James Gospel
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: This is the best LeBron James we’ve ever seen

By Nathan Beighle

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after his game winning shot against the Toronto Raptors to win Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals 105-103 during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after his game winning shot against the Toronto Raptors to win Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals 105-103 during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 5, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON – MAY 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers points across the court in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics during the 2010 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2010 at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics won 94-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON – MAY 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers points across the court in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics during the 2010 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2010 at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics won 94-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

LeBron James in the 2009 postseason

LeBron James has transformed his game drastically during his time in the league, and James before his stint in Miami was as pure of a scorer as the game had at that time.

In the 2009 postseason, James swept both the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks before meeting Dwight Howard and Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Magic defeated the Cavs in six, but even getting that far was an incredible feat for James.

During his first tenure in Cleveland, James received little to no on-court help. The 2008-2009 Cavaliers’ second best player was Zydrunas Ilgauskas and their third best player was Mo Williams. If that doesn’t tell you enough, James put up 49 points in Game 1 and still lost.

However, this entire postseason was a one-man show, and James didn’t disappoint. He averaged 35.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists throughout the 14 games. He did this on 51% from the field and actually averaged just 2.7 turnovers per game which is the lowest during his playoff career.

This LeBron James was on another level, and if the NBA didn’t know it by then, they then knew that James would be dominant for the next decade to come. However, with a bit better efficiency and a bit more assists, this postseason’s James still edges his past self.

Next: Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 30 all-time greatest players

That said, this LeBron James is the best we’ve ever seen, and let’s not take his greatest for granted.