Rankings: Was LeBron James's 2016 NBA Finals performance his best yet?

Ranking all seven of LeBron James’s appearances in the NBA Finals over the years.

Author:
Rohan Nadkarni
Publish date:
Jun 17, 2016

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LeBron James has done the impossible, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a massive Finals upset of the 73-win Golden State Warriors.

James won his third Finals MVP in the series, and deservedly so. James was incredible against the Warriors, posting back-to-back 41-point games when Cleveland was facing elimination, then recording a triple double in an epic Game 7.

James is now 3–4 in the Finals, with performances ranging from meltdown to miraculous. How does James's 2016 series stack up with the rest of Finals appearances? We’ve ranked all seven of them below:

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7. 2011 Finals

17.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, 6.8 assists per game

LeBron’s first Finals with the Heat was easily the worst of his career. James struggled against the Mavericks, who flummoxed him with a zone defense and an uncanny ability to keep him out of the paint. The series was catnip for his critics, who could point to LeBron’s fourth-quarter stats as evidence of his inability to perform in the clutch. He was shockingly passive at times in the series, refusing to take J.J. Barea into the post and failing to dominate his matchups defensively. Of course, the series likely set the stage for James’s return to form and was the beginning of his biblical arc in Miami.

6. 2007 Finals

22.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.8 APG

A young James was no match for the veteran Spurs in 2007. The Cavaliers were swept, with Gregg Popovich daring LeBron to shoot from the outside for much of the series. With space on the perimeter, James couldn’t capitalize with his inconsistent shot. To Cleveland's credit, this series was close over the final couple games. After the sweep, Tim Duncan told LeBron that James would soon be the face of the NBA. Little did Duncan know he and LeBron would still have epic battles to come.

5. 2014 Finals

28.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.0 APG

The Heat were outclassed by the Spurs in 2014, but by no stretch was LeBron to blame. People may remember the cramps from Game 1, but LeBron was outstanding during this series. He was failed by his teammates, with a limping Dwyane Wade often barely in the frame on defense and Chris Bosh struggling against San Antonio’s frontcourt. James was extremely efficient against the Spurs’ defense, a testament to how much his jumper had improved since his first go-around with Popovich seven years earlier. James shot 57.1% from the field and nearly 52% from three, and the series was ultimately an injustice to his performance.

• LeBron James: ‘I’m coming home to Cleveland’

4. 2013 Finals

25.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 7.0 APG

There were so many huge LeBron moments from this series. His emphatic block of Tiago Splitter in Game 2. A Batman-and-Batman game from James and Wade in Game 4. And a clutch jumper—his MJ moment—to clinch Game 7. But let’s talk about Game 6. People love to say LeBron was saved by Ray Allen’s three pointer. This is a horrible opinion. James was unreal on that unforgettable night. Remember when he lost his headband and seemingly found a new level of power? James left every single thing he had on the floor in that game, posting more than 30 points and a triple double to help save the Heat’s season. This was LeBron at his finest. He was everywhere on the court defensively. He anchored lineups in which he was surrounded by four shooters, lifting Miami to new heights offensively. He did everything and more that had been asked of him, and James is more responsible than Allen when it comes to protecting his legacy.

Oh, and James was equally special in the closeout, scoring 37 to seal the deal on his second straight championship.

LeBron James Off the Court

And so it begins....

Lebron went with a stuffed elephant over a basketball for this portrait.

A high-school aged LeBron poses during a Field of Dreams-inspired photo shoot in 2002.

James didn't always boast a 250-pound frame, but has always been an intimidating presence, having averaged 21 points per game as a freshman in high school.

St. Vincent-St. Mary games were often broadcast on national television and played in college arenas during James' time with the Irish. He never did play in a college game, though.

Despite all the fanfare and attention surrounding James in his high school years, the kid destined for stardom stayed hungry.

LeBron got to meet Michael Jordan while His Airness was still playing. Jordan had just finished playing against the Cavaliers in this 2003 picture.

LeBron's younger brother, Frankie, accompanies LeBron at the 2003 NBA draft.

Because what else would James watch in his leisure time?

Don't we all wish we could be teenage superstars with a limo stocked with Tootsie Pops.

LeBron goes all "Cat in the Hat" while speaking to kids at a Cavaliers Read to Achieve event in 2003.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

LeBron shows off his pearly whites during an NBA photo shoot in 2003.

LeBron James Lil Wayne — Johnny Nunez/WireImage

LeBron celebrates his 21st birthday by sharing the mic with rapper Lil' Wayne.

James' kid-friendly image has been shaped by his life as a father. He has three children with his high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson — LeBron Jr., Bryce Maximus, and Zhuri.

LeBron James: MVP, All-Star, scoring champ and ... MC Hammer look-alike at the 2007 ESPYs.

Fans and experts alike wonder how good LeBron could have been as a pro football player, given his size and strength. He was an All-State wide receiver in high school, and even Packers president Mark Murphy has compared his skills to Jerry Rice's.

And if he decides to pull a Michael Jordan and try a career in baseball, it looks like LeBron may have a bright future in that, as well.

James, decked out in warm-ups of his high school alma mater, enjoys a chuckle with Jay-Z during the 2010 All-Star Weekend in Dallas.

LeBron entered the 2010 offseason as the most sought-after free agent on the market. After contemplating a future in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Miami or a return to Cleveland, James chose to take his talents to South Beach where he could play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Regardless of the ill will, James still makes time for his fans. In this photo, The King plays Connect Four with children from the Miami Rescue Mission in 2010.

Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sprite

LeBron joins 200 youth in a spontaneous "chalk clap" to dedicate a new athletic field at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida in 2010.

James joins Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade at a Miami performing arts center to celebrate Bosh's 28th birthday in March 2012. No word on whether this newly formed band performed any songs for the audience.

LeBron greets First Lady Michelle Obama at the 2012 London Olympics.

LeBron enjoys some time at a club in London.

Two months after battling in the NBA Finals, James and Kevin Durant teamed up to win an Olympic gold medal in 2012.

2013-LeBron_James-NBA_Cares-Houston_All_Star_2013BY4_5077.jpg — Bruce Yeung/NBAE/Getty Images

LeBron helps plant a tree during the 2013 NBA Cares Day of Service at the LIVE Project in Houston.

LeBron enjoys a cigar after winning his second consecutive NBA championship and Finals MVP in 2013.

Lebron looks to be filming his role in the 2015 comedy "Trainwreck" with Bill Hader at a restaurant in New York City during the summer of 2014.

2014-1005-LeBron-James-Kyrie-Irving-X158759_TK1_0698.jpg — Fred Vuich

Kyrie Irving and LeBron James share a laugh on the bench during the Cavs 2014 preseason exhibition game with Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv in Cleveland.

Lebron James and Kevin Love attend The 2015 ESPYS in Los Angeles.

LeBron smiles during a photo shoot in 2015.

2016-0619-LeBron-James-daughter-Zhuri-SI146_TK1_11706.w_0.jpg — John W. McDonough

LeBron holds his 20-month old daughter Zhuri alongside his third NBA Finals MVP trophy following the Cavs' Game 7 victory over the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

LeBron poses with some of the nation's top high school players during Nike's 2016 Skills Academy in a private hangar at the one-runway Hawthorne Municipal Airport in Los Angeles.

Kevin Love and LeBron James pose with foam fingers during the Cavs' 2016 media day in Independence, Ohio.

LeBron celebrates during Game 2 of the 2016 ALCS between the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

2016-1110-Cleveland-Cavaliers-White-House-LeBron-James_0.jpg — Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

LeBron and the 2016 NBA champion Cavaliers were honored by President Barack Obama on the South Lawn of the White House.

LeBron James throws a pass on the field as Cavs teammate J.R. Smith looks on before Ohio State's game against Michigan at the Horseshoe in 2016.

3. 2012 Finals

28.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 7.4 APG

James completed his transformation from villain to hero—a feeling only he and Ye know—with a dominant series in the 2012 Finals. This was the only Finals of LeBron’s career in which it felt like he had a direct rival: Kevin Durant. James took the challenge. He outplayed his counterpart offensively and defended Durant during the game’s key moments. James exhibited a hunger in this series that could only emerge after years of heartbreak. There was a memorable moment in the fifth and final game of the series when LeBron grabbed a rebound over three defenders, missed a shot, got his own rebound, then made a layup while being fouled. The play was a perfect example of James’s physical dominance and refusal to be contained. With a triple double in the closeout game, James ensured his legacy would be one of a championship winner.

• LeBron wins Finals MVP | Best highlights from Game 7

2. 2015 Finals

35.8 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 8.8 APG

In an underdog role without his best teammate, Kyrie Irving, James put the Cavaliers on his back in the 2015 Finals. His efficiency dropped as his counting stats rose, but James single-handedly managed to slow down the team that had been running roughshod through the NBA. James’s performance wasn’t enough to lead his team to a win, but it should have been worthy of the Finals MVP award. James slowed the game down against Golden State in 2015, often pounding the ball before going 1-on-5 at the end of the shot clock. Even when everyone in the world knew what was coming, James managed to pour in buckets while scrambling all over the place on defense. The look of exhaustion on James’s face by the end of the series was more than well earned.

1. 2016 Finals

29.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 8.9 APG

After two years of Stephen Curry hype, James reclaimed his status as the best player in the NBA with an incredible Finals performance. Curry had earned all the accolades usually reserved for James during the regular season, as he was crowned (by many) the league’s best player and earned the NBA’s first unanimous MVP selection. But James thoroughly outplayed Curry for most of the Finals, and personally reminded Curry who the NBA’s top dog was with a degrading swat—and hilarious smirk—during Game 6. LeBron went up against all odds in this series—down 3–1 entering Game 5, going against the winningest regular season team in NBA history—but showed that he himself could serve as an equalizer in the face of so many narratives. James’s back-to-back 40-point explosions in Games 5 and 6 sent a message to every single fan of the NBA: When LeBron James is locked in, there’s no one capable of stopping him.