The peak of LeBron James is classically considered one of the longest ‘primes‘ in sports history, let alone the NBA, as he made the Finals eight straight years from 2011 to 2018.
Many believe James’ peak came in 2013 on the Miami Heat, in a season in which he won nearly every single major award, and led his team to a championship. However, speaking recently on his podcast, Mind the Game, the 21-time All-Star detailed another season that he thought was his best year in the league.
“If you ask me what I feel the best season I had was — where I felt the most complete as a basketball player — I would say 2018,” James said to his co-host, Steve Nash.
Then on the Cleveland Cavaliers, James made his fourth straight finals with the team, though they fell in four games to the legendary Golden State Warriors featuring Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
LeBron’s Best Season Ever
Again, there are a lot of seasons to point to as James’ best throughout his 23 years in the league, but his claim on 2018 makes a ton of sense, considering the lengths he took to take a subpar Cavaliers roster to the Finals yet again, against one of the greatest teams this century.
“I felt like I could do no wrong out there on the basketball floor,” James said. “Offensively, defensively, I felt no flaws in my game. I felt like every time I stepped out on the floor, I really could do everything I wanted to do.”
In the 2017-18 season in Cleveland, James averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists on 54.2% shooting, with the counting stats his highest in his second stint with the team. That postseason, James’ scoring jumped to 34 points a night, while averaging nine rebounds and nine assists in 22 playoff games.
Though with a lackluster supporting cast, James went on to average 34 points, 8.5 rebounds, and ten assists on 52.7% shooting against the Warriors in the Finals, in which he made a strong case to win the Finals MVP award, despite sitting on the losing side.
“That season right there, I felt like that was probably my most complete season,” James added. “I played all 82 games, I believe, that year, and if you include the playoffs, I played over 100 games. I didn’t miss one game that season, so a lot of factors went into that.”
James ended the 2017-18 season with the Cavaliers on the All-NBA First Team, won All-Star MVP, led the league in minutes, set the mark for the most points, rebounds, and assists in one playoff run, and finished second in MVP voting.
LeBron In 2025 On The Lakers
With James’ second run with Cleveland feeling like ages ago, it seems almost impossible that he is still an impactful player in the NBA today. The legendary tweet from 2015 was proven drastically wrong, and though the signs of aging have been obvious recently, he is still putting in strong performances for the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Most recently, James had a season-high 29 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, a game in which he scored ten consecutive fourth-quarter points and had the game-clinching steal. Though closing in on 41 years old, it felt like a moment from his early career, when he took over a 2007 playoff game against the Detroit Pistons, where he scored 25 straight points.
“I mean, that was amazing,” Doncic said after James helped the Lakers clinch the game over the Sixers. “That was vintage Bron. We’re happy he was there to save us.”
That has been the peak for the Lakers’ star this season, as so far he’s dealt with multiple injuries, only appearing in seven of Los Angeles’ first 23 games. His scoring has dropped overall, as his double-digit points streak is now over, but he remains a key facilitator and offensive threat next to his star teammates in the backcourt.
Again, the signs of aging are clear, but even still, James performing at this level at his age is something that very few people thought would be possible. Though he’s been limited, James has helped push the Lakers up to second in the Western Conference standings, and remains a valuable player in the league, despite now having the longest career the NBA has ever seen.
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