The Sixers are LeBron James’ fourth NBA destination. Here’s how he fared at his previous three spots.
James' first game in Philadelphia was nearly 24 years ago. Now, he's here 24 years later looking to elevate the Sixers.
LeBron James’ first game in Philadelphia nearly 24 years ago. It was so long ago that Donovan McNabb was the Eagles quarterback, Allen Iverson was in his prime, and Chase Utley was a rookie.
Something memorable happened for James and the Cavaliers that night, as the 17-year-old put on a show for the 20,761 in attendance.
Now, Philadelphia is the fourth and perhaps final stop in his remarkable career. Here is how the first seasons have gone in his previous three stops.
» READ MORE: LeBron James chose the Sixers in his ‘final decision.’ Now he’s bringing a championship ‘blueprint’ to Philly.
2003-04 — Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron’s opening-day age: 18 (turned 19 on Dec. 30 that year).
Team record: 35-47.
Did they improve? Sure did, but it took a little while. The Cavaliers started 4-15, which included an eight-game losing streak. They missed the playoffs by one game but had 18 more wins than the previous season. Cleveland went 42-40 the following year, and finally made the playoffs in James’ third season.
LeBron stuff: Averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists to become the first Cavalier to be named Rookie of the Year. The top three in ROY voting were James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade. Anthony was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025. Wade was inducted in 2023. LeBron will be there someday. … James was Rookie of the Month all six months of the season.
Notable teammates: Carlos Boozer, Dajuan Wagner, Kevin Ollie.
LeBron’s salary: $4,018,920.
Other stuff from that year: The first road win of James’ career didn’t come until Dec. 19 in Philadelphia. It stopped a 13-game in-season road losing streak, and a franchise-record 34-game slide on the road dating back to the previous year. Eek. James had 36 points in the seven-point win in his first game in South Philly. “He can flat-out play,” Sixers guard John Salmons observed. “He didn’t get all that hype for nothing.” … The night before the game, James appeared at Sneaker Villa at 1231 N. Broad St. to promote his “Zoom Generation” sneakers. The site is now home to the nonprofit organization OIC Philadelphia. … The Cavaliers, even before it was assured they would have the No. 1 overall pick it took to get James, overhauled their team colors and logo for the 2003-04 season. … Cleveland went from last in the league in attendance to ninth out of 29 teams. … James had a triple-double in his second career game. … It was the only season in his 23-year career James was not named to the All-Star team.
2010-11 — Miami Heat
LeBron’s opening-day age: 25 (turned 26 on Dec. 30 that year).
Team record: 58-24.
Did they improve? Big time. With the addition of James and Chris Bosh to a decent team led by Wade, Miami became a title contender overnight. They improved their win total by 11, claimed the East’s No. 2 seed and reached the NBA Finals after losing in the first round three of the previous four seasons. Dallas upset the Heat in the finals in six games, however. James won his first ring the following season.
LeBron stuff: James averaged 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists during the regular season. He averaged just 17.8 points during the finals. … James, who posted just the second triple-double in an All-Star Game (29 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists), had the first triple-double in Miami postseason history in a Game 5 loss in Dallas.
Notable teammates: Wade, Bosh, Jerry Stackhouse (seven games).
LeBron’s salary: $14.5 million.
Other stuff from that year: Whether it was the made-for-ESPN silliness of “The Decision” (where James unveiled to the world that he was taking his talents to South Florida) or the offseason formation of the “Big Three” nucleus, the Heat were the villains of the NBA. But boy, they generated electricity everywhere they went. “I understand a lot of the backlash that came with me going to Miami,” James said that season, “but I understand also that I did what was best for me, what was best for my family, and what was best for me being a professional athlete.” … Averaged 24-10-6 in a five-game series win against the 76ers in the first round. It was the only time James’ teams played playoff games in Philadelphia. For a seat next to Matt Cord at the next home game (not really), name the Sixers’ starters that series.
» READ MORE: Meet the Sixers: Season outlook and key questions for each player
2014-15 — Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron’s opening-day age: 29 (turned 30 on Dec. 30).
Team record: 53-29.
Did they improve? Yup, by 20 games. And after going just 33-49 the year before, the Cavaliers made it to the finals before losing to Golden State, then won the title the following year.
LeBron stuff: Averaged 25.0 points, 6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. … Was third in the MVP voting, the 10th consecutive season he finished in the top five. The run would extend three more seasons. Whew. … Missed two weeks with back and left knee soreness, the most time he’d spent on the shelf to date. … Averaged 30-11-8 during the playoffs, the first player to do that in a postseason since Oscar Robertson in 1963.
Notable teammates: Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters.
LeBron’s salary: $20,644,400.
Other stuff from that year: James was the catalyst when Cleveland sent No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins to Minnesota for three-time All-Star Kevin Love that summer. It gave the Cavaliers a “Big Three,” and was a sign they were going all-in. … But it was a rocky start, lowlighted by poor shot selections — especially by Irving and Waiters, which left James beyond frustrated. “We’re a very fragile team right now,” he said after a 17-point loss dropped the Cavs to 5-7. They responded by winning their next eight.
2018-19 — Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron’s opening-day age: 33 (turned 34 on Dec. 30).
Team record: 37-45.
Did they improve? Marginally. While the Lakers improved from 35 wins the previous season, they finished well out of playoff contention.
LeBron stuff: James put up his usual big numbers (27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists), but played just 55 games, the fewest of his career up to that point. … He also missed the postseason for the first time since 2005. … More impressively, James’ run of eight consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals also ended. … Passed Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list in March that year. … Had 51 points in November at Miami. It was his 12th 50-point game, passing Allen Iverson for sixth-most in a career.
Notable teammates: Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart.
LeBron’s salary: $35,654,150.
Other stuff from that year: The documentary Shut Up And Dribble, in which James was an executive producer, premiered in November 2018. The series looked at the NBA’s history of activism and came several months after President Donald Trump criticized James’ intelligence on social media. The two have been adversaries for years. … The Lakers fired coach Luke Walton after the season and replaced him with Frank Vogel. They won the NBA title the following season. It was James’ fourth.
After an exciting Sixers offseason highlighted by the additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, join Inquirer beat writers Gina Mizell and Chris Hine for a preview of the season. Watch here.
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