LeBron James and the 2003 NBA Draft changed the Cleveland Cavaliers forever. For better or worse, there's no doubt that the franchise's history has to be divided into B.L. (Before LeBron) and A.L. (After LeBron).
It wasn't always an easy ride, though. James' first tenure with the team ended sourly, not only failing to win an NBA championship but also leaving the team in disgrace with that now-infamous "The Decision" special.
However, that only made his redemption all the sweeter and more inspirational. Heading back home as a more mature and accomplished player and finally leading them to the mountaintop was a different feeling.
LeBron James admits the 2026 championship was the most special
That's why it's not much of a surprise to hear that, of all his four NBA championships, the one he won for his hometown team was the most special. Talking on his appearance on "Bob Does Sports," James took a trip down memory lane:
”Winning the first one was more weight off my shoulders, but winning in Cleveland was a goal that I wanted to do. I needed to close that chapter and that’s why I went back,” James said. ”...So the first one weight off my shoulder, it solidified me being what I thought I always was, but the one in Cleveland was probably the most special one.”
Everything revolving the 2016 championship makes it special. It was a double redemption of sorts, as not only did it give James an opportunity to be a hero after leaving town, but it also gave him payback against the very same team that had beaten him in the NBA Finals last season.
If that wasn't epic enough, the Cavs won that title by taking down the team that had just broken a 30-year record for the most wins in a single regular season, all while becoming the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals. It just didn't get any better than that.
It was a momentous series for LeBron
James was already a two-time NBA Champion, multi-time MVP, and future first-ballot Hall of Famer at the time, but that was when even his biggest detractors had nothing else to say. If some thought he wasn't in the GOAT conversation before that, it was almost impossible to make a case against him after it.
That series also featured probably the most iconic play of his career. That chasedown block on Andre Iguodala killed all momentum for the Golden State Warriors, and it should probably be immortalized with a statue outside of Rocket Arena.
James will be a free agent after this season. He has a golden opportunity to head back home for the final stretch of one of the most legendary careers in sports history. Who knows? He may even go out as a champion.