LeBron James' debut game in the NBA: A showcase performance in a losing cause, on this day 19 years ago
19 years ago today, LeBron James played the first NBA game of his illustrious and legendary career.
A 18-year-old LeBron, clad in a maroon Cleveland Cavaliers jersey, put on a spectacle at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California, as the Cavaliers took on the Kings in the 2003 season opener.
19 YEARS AGO TODAY 👑
18-year-old @KingJames impressive NBA debut
25 PTS (12/20 FG, 0/2 3PT, 1/3 FT)
9 AST, 6 REB, 4 STL, 2 TO
PREP TO PRO DEBUTS
LeBron: 25 (12 in 1st Quarter)
Dwight: 12
Amar'e: 10
Bender: 10
KG: 8
Miles: 8
Kwame: 2
J O'Neal: 2
Kobe: 0
T-Mac: 0
Perkins: 0 https://t.co/IDgYAND736
The Sacramento Kings trounced James and company, 106-92, to take their first win of the season. In the loss, LeBron logged 25 points, six rebounds and nine assists to go along with four steals, three of which came in the first quarter.
It wasn't until the Cavs were down 0-5 that LeBron logged his first win in the NBA, somewhat similar to the position he now finds himself in with the LA Lakers.
Brian Windhorst, who has covered LeBron James since his time at St. Vincent-St. Mary, remarked in an ESPN story in 2006 on LeBron's apprehensions before the game:
"Another sellout crowd is rattling the building, but TNT's early game goes into overtime, so everyone waits. James plops his 6-8, 240-pound frame on the scorer's table and waits for the whistle to call him to the opening tip.
"A cameraman is a foot from him, shooting from a low angle and focusing on his face. LeBron is biting his nails."
LeBron James' career in retrospect
From being the golden child of basketball, the chosen one, to being perhaps the most criticized athlete any sport has ever seen, LeBron James has experienced every facet the NBA has to offer.
His first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers was a success insofar as it helped to establish that James was, in fact, one of the greatest basketball players to have ever played the game.
His first season ended with the team logging a 35-47 record, but quickly improved to a 42-40, and a season later, 50-32, which meant a playoff spot. LeBron's first playoff run culminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
However, in the 2006-07 season, James and the Cavaliers made an unprecedented run, which landed them in the NBA Finals. They went on to get swept at the hands of the much more experienced San Antonio Spurs.
In the seasons following 2007, James won back-to-back MVPs and took a middling Cavaliers roster to the conference finals and semifinals, but no further.
The narrative slid from admiring the wonderkid to criticizing his ability to go all the way. James realized that Cleveland was not a place where he could win, not with the lackluster roster he'd been provided with.
So, in the summer of 2010, James made a decision.
His departure to Miami sparked perhaps the most brutal barrage of condemnation toward a player in sports history. It was as if James had committed a federal crime in the city of Cleveland. Jerseys were burned and the love seemed to have all but remained.
LeBron James' stint in Miami was marked by an upset at the hands of Dirk Nowitzki in his first year, back-to-back NBA titles and a battle with the aged San Antonio Spurs, which resulted in his eventual return to Cleveland.
His four-year stint in Cleveland between 2014 and 2018 was perhaps the best of his career. After four straight finals appearances and becoming the team that beat the 73-9 Warriors, LeBron James cemented his legacy with the 2016 NBA championship.
His supporting cast in Cleveland dwindled as the seasons went by, and he finally went to the LA Lakers, where he quickly acclimatized himself to the championship culture by winning one in 2020.
Since then, it has been rough for James. Between injuries, poor front-office decisions and age, James has found himself in poor playing conditions. His personal accolades remain intact as he begins the final push to chase down Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record.