What more should be said about the GOAT, the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball, with the longest sustained run of excellence in league history, that has not already been said? After going No. 1 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, James has done nothing but transform multiple franchises into contenders, winning titles for all three teams he has been on.
Take either of James’ stints with the Cavaliers and you have the player who would rank first on this list. He first played seven seasons after being drafted, making six All-Star teams, winning two MVP awards and taking the team to the NBA Finals. Then he returned after four years in Miami and led the Cavaliers to four-straight Finals, finishing Top-5 in MVP voting all four years and bringing him a championship in 2016.
No other player can hold a candle to what James accomplished during his times in Cleveland; he is the best player in franchise history, not to mention a reasonable candidate for best player in NBA history, period. The Cavaliers won a literal lottery when they won the first overall pick.
LeBron James therefore leads the way among all players drafted first overall to suit up for the Cavaliers. It’s a list of former stars and those who ended up in Cleveland at the end of careers, not the beginning. And at the top, where he should be, is LeBron.