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    10 moments that fuel LeBron James' GOAT argument

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    No matter how many haters think otherwise, LeBron James certainly belongs in the GOAT conversation with the amount of accolades he has achieved at the highest level of basketball in the NBA and in international competition. Here is a look at 10 moments that fuel LeBron James’ GOAT argument.

    10. Taking over the clutch vs. Germany and South Sudan

    Despite being the oldest player on the court for Team USA, LeBron James proved that he was the best basketball player in the world after a master class against South Sudan and Germany.

    James made the game-winning layup against South Sudan to escape with a 101-100 victory in favor of Team USA. A game later, James took over by scoring Team USA’s last 11 points to sneak out a 92-88 win over Germany. It was another valiant effort by The King.

    9. Scoring 61 points

    After suffering a broken nose, LeBron James put on a mask, paving the way for a Masked LeBron. The King was still effective at the very least by putting on a clinic against the Charlotte Bobcats.

    James shot 22-for-33 from the field overall while making 8-of-10 from beyond the arc. His 61-point output remains to be the Miami Heat’s franchise record for most points scored by a Heat player in a single game.

    8. Inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Champion and MVP

    In the middle of the 2023-2024 season, the NBA held its first In-Season Tournament. James led the Lakers by averaging 26.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game to become the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Champions. Furthermore, The King was also crowned as the first NBA In-Season Tournament MVP.

    7. Four NBA MVPs

    In the 2012-2013 season, James collected his fourth NBA MVP. James is currently tied for the player with the third most NBA MVPs in league history. The King collected the award twice in Cleveland before winning two more in South Beach despite playing alongside an All-Star cast in Miami. Around this time, there was no doubt that the NBA was James’ league.

    6. Only Team USA player to register a triple-double

    One of LeBron James’ brightest moments in a Team USA uniform was against Australia at the 2012 London Olympics. The King tallied 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists to help Team USA punch a ticket to the semifinals.

    James’ numbers paved the way for him to become the first USA player in Olympic history to record a triple-double, which speaks volumes given how many legends have worn the national team colors. Later on, James collected his second Olympic gold medal.

    5. Most All-Star and All-NBA Team selections

    The only time James missed out on the All-Star team and All-NBA Team was his rookie season. Since then, The King has been a fixture in the All-Star festivities and the All-NBA Team selections. Fast-forward to today, James has totaled 20 All-Star Game appearances and the same number of All-NBA Team selections. Not a single NBA player in history can match that total.

    4. Chase-down block vs. Warriors in 2016 NBA Finals

    After winning back-to-back championships in Miami, James returned to Cleveland to fulfill a promise. However, his championship hopes looked bleak after the Golden State Warriors won the title in 2015 before taking a commanding 3-1 series lead in the 2016 NBA Finals.

    But despite facing a 73-9 Warriors team, James took matters into his own hands and willed the Cavs out of the hole, capped off by this legendary game-saving block to seal the city’s first NBA championship. The Cavs were the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 Finals deficit. The achievement ultimately sealed James’ legacy as one of the GOATs.

    3. NBA All-Time scoring leader

    For quite some time, a lot of basketball fans were convinced that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record of 38,387 career points wouldn’t be broken. However, in the 2022-2023 season, that was about to change thanks to James.

    With a lengthy NBA career, James managed to close in on Abdul-Jabbar’s total tally before hitting this fadeaway jumper to finally break the record and to become NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

    2. Only player in the 40K/10K/10K club

    If breaking the scoring record wasn’t enough, let’s not forget that James would eventually reach the 40,000-point milestone becoming the only NBA history to achieve this feat.

    To make matters more interesting, James also accumulated at least 10,000 assists and 10,000 rebounds in his career becoming the only player to be in the 40K/10K/10K club, which is a testament to his unmatched all-around game.

    1. Winning NBA Finals MVP with three different teams

    If there’s another feat that seems unbreakable among LeBron James’ decorated list of achievements, it would be winning not only championships with three different teams but three NBA Finals MVPs. This proved that James wasn’t joining super teams to easily collect rings. Instead, James has stepped up as the go-to guy wherever he chose to go.

    The post 10 moments that fuel LeBron James’ GOAT argument appeared first on ClutchPoints.

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