LeBron James has passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time scoring leader. To celebrate this milestone, we wanted to share which scoring version of LeBron James is our favorite.
Isaac Go: My favorite version of LeBron as a scorer was during his Miami Heat stint where he unlocked his scoring efficiency by developing his low post game.
After years of falling short, including a disappointing loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2010 NBA Finals, LeBron learned to optimize his size and bulk by backing his defenders down on the block. This allowed the Heat to space the floor for him with shooters and allow him to go one-on-one against his defender. This was highlighted during a six-game stretch where he set an NBA record with most consecutive games with 30+ points while shooting over 60 percent from the field - a clear demonstration of his dominance on the court.
Chris Newsome: For me, it's the 2012-2013 Miami Heat Bron.
He won his fourth MVP award that year by shooting 56 percent from the field and an incredible 40 percent from beyond the arc, his most efficient offensive shooting season to date. Though he only averaged just under 27 points per game, It was the efficiency that made this season so special.
This made it a nightmare for teams to match up or game plan for the King. In my opinion, this is the season we saw his basketball IQ reach an all-time high (which explains his high efficiency) matched perfectly with his hot 3-point shooting and well-rounded mid-range game - qualities that are critical of any go-to player’s game come playoff time.
He capped off this incredible season with ring No. 2 and of course, the Finals MVP award.
Willie Wilson: My favorite version of LeBron as a scorer has to be Cavaliers 2.0.
I feel he was still at his physical prime but mentally he hit his peak as well. He was able to add a post game which, for me, made him a complete offensive player. He also had to carry some injury-riddled teams in Cleveland. With defenses all focused on him, he was still unstoppable. His incredible play during that stretch brought the first-ever NBA title to Cleveland.
JC Ansis: The best scoring version of LeBron James, for me, would be during his time with the Miami Heat. He was an absolute monster on the offensive end - no one in the league could stop him.
In the 2012-13 season, James was in his prime. He was relentless with the ball and played like he had achieved his highest state as a basketball player both mentally and physically.
Not to mention that the Heat had the league's best record that year, including the well-known 27-game winning streak. Imagine this version of LeBron in today's NBA, he would destroy opponents with his sheer strength, athleticism, and determination.
He was so unstoppable that even Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh—both who were still playing at All-NBA levels—had to sacrifice their game a bit and take a back seat to let James do his thing and become a predator on the floor. Being a scorer isn’t just about getting buckets, but getting buckets efficiently. LeBron notched career-high percentages from the field (56.5 percent) and 3-point area (40.6 percent) during that 2012-13 season and eventually won the fourth of his MVP trophies.
Polo Bustamante: This is going to sound extremely biased, but my favorite version of LeBron as a scorer is his current run with the LA Lakers.
Taking a look at the numbers, his scoring average with the Lakers is the highest when compared to his runs with other teams. In the past two seasons, LeBron is averaging 30 points per game, even challenging for the scoring title last season. Sure, he’s not as efficient or as well-rounded in his previous stints, but this is purely about getting buckets. As Laker, LeBron has done just that.
It probably also has something to do with the fact that the Lakers have built the worst team possible to surround him so he’s had to carry a heavier offensive load in the past few years. And that struggle is also the poetic beauty of LeBro’s run in LA. Everyone knows that James loves to create for his teammates first. In LA, he hasn’t had that luxury. So this late in his career, he’s had to make a slight tweak to his game to turn into a score-first kind of player. Even at 38, he’s proven that he can add new wrinkles to his offensive game that make use of his unique explosiveness and basketball IQ.
Watching LeBron constantly fend off Father Time while setting the all-time scoring record has been the best kind of entertainment.
Lei Macaranas: How could the Miami Heat Bron not be anyone’s favorite version of LeBron as a scorer?
I was only 10 years old when the basketball universe directed all its eyes to the Miami Heat when LeBron announced that he would be taking his talents to South Beach. I was a kid but I already saw the mean posts on Facebook criticizing his move. I didn’t understand much of the drama back then but the online reactions, as well as comments from my dad and relatives during the family gatherings, made me feel how big of a deal it was that he left the Cavaliers.
I remember watching Bron in the dark Heat jersey running up and down the court alongside Bosh and Wade, eyes on the rim the whole time like he was out for blood. Of course, he still has these killer moves now at age 38 but the energy was completely different then since he was eyeing his first championship.
Averaging 29.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.3 boards per game, the back-to-back champion was more aggressive, maybe even careless a little bit, but that’s just because he had a decade less of experience during that time. In 2010, he was dunking the ball at any chance he got or aggressively bullying the defense for the post-up or the quick two. He was producing from anywhere on the floor. Bron was ferocious and it’s incredible to think that we’re still witnessing that now.
Jon Carlos Rodriguez: My favorite version of LeBron as a scorer is the LeBron James we saw back on October 29, 2008, the very first game of his NBA career. While most of us probably focused our efforts on carefully navigating the college scene months after our high school graduation, 18-year-old LeBron put on his Nikes and suited up for his first pro appearance.
His first basket wasn’t a particularly awesome shot: a baseline jumper over Brad Miller. But that’s what made ‘03 LeBron a kind of raw, raw, and unfiltered version of who he is today. He had so much to prove, so many moves in his bag he wanted to flaunt, and so many points he needed to make.
It’s unimaginable to think that the jumper over Miller was the first two points in his quest to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. But also, it could’ve been a subtle warning to history: LeBron can score whichever way he wanted.
Yoyo Sarmenta: When LeBron ran it back with the Cavs from 2014-2018, for me, that was when he figured everything out. Looking back, it was like detective Benoit Blanc solving a Knives Out mystery: a sudden realization as every piece of the puzzle came to light. James knew what he could do on the court and saw everything one step ahead of everybody else. He was at the peak of his powers and it took a historic superteam from the Golden State Warriors to stop him.
When James returned to the Cavaliers, he was able to merge his physical gifts with an experienced NBA mind. He was still in his prime physically, but he didn’t need to overpower opponents with sheer athleticism every time down the court. Instead, he used his veteran smarts to pace himself and explode when needed. He became more cerebral and decisive with his actions and did not simply rely on high-flying dunks or speeding down the lane.
Furthermore, his performances and statistics from four straight finals appearances during that stretch were mind-blowing. The guy did everything for his team and dropped 30, 40, or even 50 points on the biggest stage.
