NBA Playoffs, Cleveland Cavaliers F LeBron James (23) on court during Game 4 vs Detroit Pistons, Cleveland, OH 5/15/2006 (John Biever/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
As we wait for LeBron James to return to the court for the 2025-26 L.A. Lakers in what would be his 23rd (!) NBA season, now feels like a fitting moment to rewind and reflect upon the breakout that truly started it all. On November 2, 2005 — 20 years ago this past Sunday — James opened his third NBA season, one that would officially set him down a path toward changing the league forever.
It’s easy to forget now, but James’ Cleveland Cavaliers missed the playoffs in each of his first two pro seasons. As a 19-year-old NBA freshman in 2003-04, he won Rookie of the Year in a somewhat close vote over Denver phenom Carmelo Anthony — with future Miami Heat costar Dwyane Wade a distant third — yet he was far from the player he’d eventually become. Surrounded by Carlos Boozer, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a truly bad supporting cast otherwise, James helped Cleveland improve its record by 18 wins, averaged 20.9 points and showed flashes of his playmaking genius as well, but his below-average .488 True Shooting % (among other stats) reflected little of the efficiency and all-around greatness we would later come to expect from his game.
(Using my percentile-based similarity system, the top comps for a 19-year-old LeBron were young versions of Tyreke Evans, Anthony Edwards, Russell Westbrook, John Wall and Raptors-era Tracy McGrady, which I think checks out.)