LeBron James recalls his best plays from each team he has played on: “I’ve evolved into where I do what I wanna do”
LeBron James has delivered numerous memorable moments during crunch time throughout his memorable career. This season alone, as he continues his quest for the NBA regular-season scoring record, he has turned back the clock to deliver fantastic performances.
In fact, many have even gone so far as to say that if the Lakers' record was better than 24-28, James could be an MVP candidate. James is averaging 30.2 points per game over 41 games, a full three points higher than his career scoring average of 27.1 ppg.
Although he has continued to deal with injuries, he has put together a wicked highlight reel this season. From late-game buckets to sensational dimes, James has done it all. As he closes in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record (38,387 points) and NBA history, he reflected on some of his most memorable moments.
"People always talk about my signature tomahawk dunk," said James, who has 38,299 points, during an interview with ESPN. "That's been pretty cool, and that came out of nowhere, too. Versus (national prep powerhouse) Oak Hill my senior year on national television, I was just living in the moment.
What feels like a lifetime later, James now can score at will from anywhere on the court.
"Over the course of my career, I've just gotten better with every facet of my game. I've evolved into where I do what I want to do."
You can see his comments in the video above.
LeBron James' evolution from teenager to NBA superstar
When LeBron James entered the league as a teenager in 2003, nobody knew exactly how dominant he would be. After the national attention he drew as a high schooler, James lived up to every single wild prediction made about him. It's not something that happens often. Time and time again, analysts have tried to predict the next great talent.
James is one of the few in recent memory who proved to be true. As he approaches NBA history once again, he recalled the nerves before his first game for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"I didn't know how my first bucket was going to come, if it's gonna be a layup or a free throw, I was hoping it would be a layup, but it ended up being a baseline jump shot."
Now, 20 years later, it's merely a question of when James will become the league's regular-season scoring leader. With plenty of memories from every team he's played on, it would be hard to narrow down his best plays without his assistance.
As for his time in Miami, unsurprisingly, James recalled the numerous alley-oop lobs from Dwyane Wade. The most notable of which will forever live on in NBA history as one of the most iconic photos of all time.
As James pointed out, over his career he has continued to evolve in all facets of the game. With no end to his dominance or his career, in sight, it will be interesting to see how the next few years play out for the Akron, Ohio, native.
Above you can see some of his highlights from this season.