LeBron James' Top 5 High School Performances
LeBron James has easily had one of the most dominant careers the NBA has seen. From blowouts to clutch comebacks or last-minute daggers for the win, the 17-time All-Star has done it all. Standing third all-time for points in the regular season and first all-time for points, steals, minutes played and games played in the playoffs, James has no gameplay boundaries.
He has achieved four NBA championships, four Finals MVP awards, four MVP awards, scoring leader (2008), assist leader (2020), two Olympic Gold medals and Rookie of the Year, with a six-time NBA All-Defensive team selection during his 18 full seasons. All of these, and he did not even go to college. So what was he doing in high school to be able to skip college and still dominate?
Before entering the NBA as the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, LeBron James won a national championship, three state finals, had been the Gatorade National Player of the Year twice and received numerous other awards.
With everything he accomplished so early on, here are LeBron James’ five best high school games.
No. 5: LeBron James' and St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Jamestown Greeneview (March 25, 2000)
Fifth on the list is his matchup against Jamestown as a 15-year-old freshman, when LeBron James helped St. Vincent-St. Mary to their first of three state titles. James totaled 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes, nearly snaring a double-double in the state title game. He shot 10 for 12 from the field.
Not too many people of LeBron James' age get to play varsity ball, let alone make the impact on the court he did. This game is a testament to the domination James has been reaping since day one.
This game would rank in the same spot regardless of whether they had won the title or not. His age and the numbers he put up were special on their own. Winning the state trophy was just the cherry on top of an undefeated season, at 27-0.
No. 4: St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Oak Hill Academy (Dec. 12, 2002)
In the first high school game broadcast by ESPN, a 17-year-old LeBron James danced with a triple-double to only fall short in assists. He scored 31 points, 13 rebounds and six assists against Oak Hill Academy, a perennial powerhouse from New Jersey. James lost to this team both as a sophomore and a junior, so this win meant a lot to prove he was the player he knew he could be.
On this date in 2002, @KingJames and No. 23 St. Vincent-St. Mary knocked off No. 1 Oak Hill, 65-45, in Cleveland on ESPN2. Here's @JayBilas talking with the 17-year-old after a 31-point, 13-rebound, 6-assist effort. https://t.co/ZVR5oDUM83
Many of his points came from his signature style of insane dunks and no-look passes, popping a groove into his game that dazzled the nation. When asked about LeBron James, Oak Hill’s coach said,
“I’ve had great players … He's the best I've ever seen. But I said that two years ago. He's off the charts”.
The win was a testament to the future of LeBron James' style of play. If he ever needed any reassurance about his ability to play dominantly in the clutch, this win silenced anything on his mind.