2014 NBA Top 20: #1 LeBron James and the quest for three-peat

LeBron James of the Miami Heat during the pre-season game against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center on October 15, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

Growing up in a rough neighbourhood in Akron, Ohio, LeBron James had the temerity to wear the fabled 23 on the back of his St. Vincent-St. Mary High School jersey.

A high-school phenom, the then 18-year-old James even had the gall to take that number into his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, having been drafted first overall after graduating in 2003.

To his credit, James won the Rookie of the Year award that season, averaging 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game.

In the process, James joined Oscar Robertson (1960-61) and Michael Jordan (1984-85) as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in their rookie year. Tyreke Evans (2009-10) has since joined this elite group.

While James has managed All-NBA honours every season since his sophomore year, he initially struggled to cope with the amount of criticism he received for his poor passing and defending skills. That only skyrocketed when the forward’s scrutinised (un)clutch plays ensured that the Cavs failed to make the cut for the playoffs in his first couple of seasons.

That was a decade ago.

James always had the potential, and testament to that was his Game 5 performance in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons in the 2006-07 season; one which ESPN ranked the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history in 2012.

James notched a playoff franchise record 48 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, and scored 29 of Cleveland’s last 30 points including the game-winning lay-up with two seconds left en route to the Finals (which the San Antonio Spurs swept).

Today, James has the talents of a possessed exorcist on steroids; the man can truly do (and achieve) crazily outrageous things. But that obviously comes with a bit of chutzpah.

James may have given up the number 23 in favour of the number six (his team USA jersey) as a mark of honour towards the greatest of all time: Jordan. But he did himself no favours when he “took his talents to South Beach” in that infamous interview, live on ESPN in 2010, titled “The Decision”.

In his three seasons since teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, the Heat have made the NBA Finals every year. But the “Big Three” were humbled by Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in six games after they reached the Finals of the 2010-11 season.

Prior to the 2011-12 season, James had won two Most Valuable Player awards and two All-Star MVP awards but the elusive ring he professed to have around his finger was still, well, elusive.

All that soon changed.

The Heat and James have won back-to-back NBA Championships – having defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in 2011-12 Finals and the San Antonio Spurs in seven in the 2012-13 season – on the back of James’ clutch MVP performances.