However, he came out victorious in only his second season there, winning his 3rd championship ring in the process. The series' most famous play is a chase-down block by James on Andre Iguodala, and it is only fitting considering the effort he put forth with 2.6 SPG and 2.3 BPG for the series. San Antonio defeated the Cavs in the first two games easily. LeBron James finally gets his ring to cap off the lockout-shortened season as the Heat took down the Kevin Durant-led Thunder out in five games. And while Irving was absolutely vital to the success of this series with his clutch shot-making Love didnt actually do too much, for those wondering and theres an argument for the impact Draymond Greens suspension had, this series was all about James. LeBron will be re-evaluated in three weeks due to a foot tendon issue suffered against the Mavericks last weekend LeBron said on the court he heard it "pop.". At age 32, in his 14th season, in his seventh straight Finals, LeBron James is having the finest championship performance of his career. What years did LeBron James go to the NBA Finals? On the defensive side, I do not really think it is a question when LeBron is out there disrupting most possessions and guarding every position on the floor. LeBron had realized it at that point.". His highest scoring effort in a Finals series came in a 2015 loss to the Warriors. Meanwhile, James finished the series averaging 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4 assists. Series outcome: Miami loses to San Antonio 4-1. James finished the finals with 17.8 points (his worst in a final), 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists a night. Series outcome: Cleveland loses to Golden State 4-2. Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-2. He turned in 30+ point games in all 6 games, which included 2 games with over 40 points scored. All Time Leaders. To get there, the Heat needed a Ray Allen 3-pointer late in Game 6 to force overtime as Miami beat San Antonio. . Since that 2007 Finals trip, James has been in The Finals six times, winning three championships in that span. Playoffs. The 3-point shooting is much further apart than just 4.3%. Stephen Curry: 27.3 PPG (928 Total Points), LeBron James: 28.4 PPG (1,562 Total Points). The highest rated and most watched NBA Finals series was the 1998 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz, which averaged an 18.7 rating / 33 share and 29.04 million viewers on NBC.That series also featured the highest rated and most watched NBA Finals game, as the Sunday night . LeBron, a four-time MVP, fell to a young Warriors team that won their first title in 40 years. Cleveland was considered underdog to a San Antonio team that won its fourth NBA title with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker all in their prime. Its been better, James said. The Mavericks conquered their first NBA title beating the Heat in six games after being down two times. The games will only become more competitive as the teams complete their last remaining 20 or so games. See where all 30 teams rank as we enter the final quarter of the 2022-23 season. We really appreciate your support. Jordan is slightly behind James in terms of shooting percentages, with a career field goal percentage of 49.7% to 50.5%. James has also earned his 4 titles with 3 different teams, while Curry has won all 4 of his with the Golden State Warriors. James has been to the finals 10 times, coming out with the championship on four occasions. James has shot more effectively than Jordan in the NBA Finals. But once again, James was denied a title as the Warriors earned the franchises first championship in 40 years. MJ went a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and never needed a Game . Keep in mind that even if James is cleared when hes reevaluated in three weeks, it would likely take him some additional days to actually return to game action. It is clear that if LeBron continues to play at . With LeBron set to miss time, can L.A. still make a run at the playoffs? According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. He made the first four trips with the Miami Heat (2011-2014) and the last four with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-2018). In 2007 a 22-year-old James in just his fourth NBA season led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals with a supporting cast that included such standout names as Larry Hughes, Zydrunas Ilgauskus and Anderson Varejao. With James fellow Cavaliers co-stars Kevin Love (the entire series) and Kyrie Irving (all but Game 1) out with injury, James took up the slack to all but win two games against a 67-win Warriors squad virtually by himself. Even though the 1st season in LA turned out to be a disaster, the King alongside Anthony Davis managed to get the storied franchise back to where it belongs, helping them win their 17th NBA Championship and his 4th personally. Not only did the Boston Celtics fall to the Golden State Warriors in six games last season, watching Stephen Curry and the Warriors claim a fourth championship in the past eight years on the floor at TD . LeBron James put up 22.0 points per game in the 2007 NBA Finals. The track record is long and clear for LeBron James as a playmaker who recently passed Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list. Michael Jordan outperforms LeBron James in terms of postseason stats. This is a list of television ratings for NBA Finals in the United States, based on Nielsen viewing data. Jonathan Quick Net Worth: How Much the NHL Player is Worth? Wes Unseld ('71 & '75 Bullets) His best Finals series as a facilitator came in the 2017 Finals once again, as he dished out 9.4 APG in the series. Miami beat the Spurs the previous season in the Finals in seven games, but this time they were blown out. After falling to the Warriors . At a career average of 33.2%, Jordans three-point shooting in the postseason is marginally lower than James 33.7%. He has a greater career rebounding average (11.7 to 7.4) and a higher careerfield goal percentage (54.0% to 50.4%) than James. LeBron James NBA Finals appearances/record. Lakers forward LeBron James suffered a right foot injury during a road victory over the Mavericks on Sunday. The Heat went on to win the NBA Finals by beating the San Antonio Spurs in seven games. As for what offense entails, James has been considerably better despite dropping 3 out of 4 matchups against Currys Warriors. LeBron led the Cavs to their first finals in franchise history just to be swept by the Spurs. Sign up for the LeBron Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. It is the only time he has been held to under 20 in a playoff series. 2016: In a rematch against the Warriors a year later, LeBron spearheaded a Cavs side that became the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals and win the NBA championship. However, Curry has found ways to be disruptive on that end throughout his NBA Finals career and beyond. James is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 36.1 minutes per game this season over 47 appearances. At this time there are no . Series outcome: Cleveland loses to San Antonio 4-0. Jordan won six NBA championships. Points. Curry recorded 3 blocks in a game during the 2016 NBA Finals against James and the Cavaliers. 2015: Although the Cavs lost 4-2, James produced a string of stellar displays against the Golden State Warriors to become the first player to average at least 35 points per game in a Finals since Shaquille O'Neal in 2002. There isnt enough recent news in your lineup. After winning two straight NBA titles with the Heat, James was looking for a three-peat against the opponent he managed to vanquish in the Finals the year before. LeBron during the 2015 #NBAFinals. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. James has been the best player on the court overall in 90.0% of his NBA Finals appearances, whether he won or lost. If there was any category that we spoke about today where Stephen Curry was going to have an advantage over LeBron James, shooting efficiency was going to be the one. LeBron James: 4-6. His 3rd ring came over the Warriors in 2016, but he suffered losses to Golden State in 2015, 2017, and 2018. In addition, the forward also has a better career three-point shooting percentage (34.4 to 32.7% for Jordan). Lebron James is the G.O.A.T and not Michael Jordon: Alex Caruso. The Lakers' superstar has crafted an NBA legacy chock full of championships, trophies and more. LeBron James of the @Lakers will be the first NBA player to win a Finals MVP with a team and then later play against that team in the playoffs. Yet its crucial to remember that Jordan played in a time when the defense was prioritized over the offense. The Lakers were without James the NBAs all-time leading scorer for Tuesdays game at Memphis with what they called right foot soreness. Well give you the latest news when it becomes available, or feel free to add some more selections to My Favourites. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. For all 4 titles, he was either the best or 2nd-best player on the court for a championship-winning team. https://lebronwire.usatoday.com/2023/03/02/lebron-james-has-right-foot-tendon-injury-will-be-out-at-least-three-weeks/, Darvin Ham has poignant words about Lakers' focus following Friday's loss, Hollinger: Keep an eye on Kyrie Irving joining Lakers this summer, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Stats and Records. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. He is shooting 50.1% from the field, 30.8% from the three-point arc. Curry is by no means a bad rebounder for his position, especially in the NBA Finals. Today, we will take a look at each of these two superstars and compare them based on their Finals performances. James' crew made history the previous season when the Cavaliers became the first team to come back from a 1-3 deficit in the Golden State debacle. Magic Johnson: Johnson, regarded as one of the finest point guards of all time, is renowned for his excellent passing ability. It is ultimately up to each individual fan to decide who they think is the greatest player of all time because the influence that both LeBron James and Michael Jordan have had on the game of basketball extends far beyond these stats. Abhinav remains committed to expanding his understanding of the sports industry, consistently keeping up-to-date with the latest newsandtrends. He finished Game 5 with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, making him the first player since James Worthy in 1988 to have a 25-point triple-double in a title-clinching win. Critics will always find something to nitpick at with James, but that still doesnt change the reality that James managed to beat the Spurs in the NBA Finals. In the playoffs, James has averaged 28.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, while Jordan has averaged 33.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. James was a dominant force averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists. LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry Career Comparison: Steph Still Can't Sit At LeBron James' Table, LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry Career Highs Comparisons, The Most Accomplished Active NBA Players: Rings, MVPs And Finals MVPs Combined, The Most Accomplished Current NBA Players: LeBron James Leads With 14, Stephen Curry Chases Him With 9, The NBA Players Who Have Won The Most MVP Awards: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Is The Ultimate Leader With 6 Trophies.