The 2010 Miami Heat were one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. With LeBron James leading the way, the so-called “Super Team” reached four straight NBA Finals, winning two championships. Despite that run, the “King” doesn’t believe that version of himself was the best. Instead, he says the greatest LeBron appeared seven years ago.
James is a near-mythic figure in the NBA. Over his 23-year career, his accomplishments are almost too many to count, and his list of accolades spans pages.
During his time in Miami, James played alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. On a roster stacked with stars, he earned Finals MVP honors in 2012 and 2013 and won regular-season MVP in both of those years.
Even so, LeBron believes his peak came later. According to the veteran forward, it was during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers that he felt truly unstoppable.
The season that cemented LeBron’s legend
James played two separate stints with the Cavaliers. His first, from 2003 to 2010, included two MVP awards. His second, from 2014 to 2018, didn’t bring as many trophies, but LeBron insists it produced the best basketball of his life.
“If you asked me what I feel like was my best season, where I felt the most complete as a basketball player, I would say 2018,” James said on a recent episode of his podcast, Mind the Game.
That year, the Los Angeles Lakers star felt more polished than ever.
“I felt like I could do no wrong out there on the basketball floor, offensively, defensively.”
Reflecting on that season, he added, “I felt no flaws in my game. Every time I stepped on the floor, I felt like I could do everything I wanted.”
The only thing missing from LeBron’s 2018 season was a championship
In 2018, James was named All-Star MVP and earned another All-NBA First Team selection. He finished the regular season averaging 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game.
Even without the recently retired Kyrie Irving, LeBron led the Cavaliers past the Pacers in the first round, swept the Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and survived a grueling seven-game battle with the Celtics in the conference finals.
But the Golden State Warriors swept Cleveland in the NBA Finals, denying James a championship in what he considers the best year of his career.
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