LeBron Birthday Power Rankings: The best and worst seasons of King James’ storied career

Every other week, we present to you the most exceptional power rankings the world has ever seen, and this week is no exception, albeit with a unique twist. In honor of LeBron James’ 40th birthday, we bring you the finest celebration.

But before we dive into ranking James’ 22 seasons from worst to best, let’s take a moment to determine if his current season is the greatest age-40 season in NBA history, simply because we enjoy ranking things. Out of the 22 players in NBA history who played at age 40, only nine played over 1,000 minutes, with James being one of them. Among these players, only five averaged double digits in scoring:

• LeBron James (40): 24-8-9 on 50/36/77 shooting splits
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (40): 15-6-2 on 53/0/76 shooting splits
• Karl Malone (40): 13-9-4 on 48/0/75 shooting splits
• Robert Parish (40): 12-7-1 on 49/0/74 shooting splits
• John Stockton (40): 11-3-8 on 48/36/83 shooting splits

  There’s no doubt that James is the greatest 40-year-old player in NBA history. Despite his age-40 season being the best ever, it still ranks low on his list of greatest seasons, showcasing his incredible talent. He undoubtedly belongs on the Mount Rushmore of NBA superstars, alongside Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell. But before we debate their order, let’s celebrate James with a unique ranking of his own – the LeBron Power Rankings. According to a NBA executive speaking to Bleacher Report, LeBron James was blamed for "killing the [Lakers’] chemistry," leading to a directionless season that ended early in April. However, all it did was convince LeBron and the Lakers that they were still close to the NBA’s pinnacle when in reality, they were slipping away from it. First came a series with the Pistons and another pivotal Game 5. In this game, he delivered one of the greatest playoff performances in league history, racking up 48 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. He scored an incredible 29 of his team’s final 30 points, including 25 straight at one point, to secure a double-overtime victory of 109-107. He then led his team to a Game 6 victory, capturing his first of 10 conference titles.

  The Finals against the San Antonio Spurs proved to be more challenging, as they dared James to beat them from the perimeter. Unfortunately, his jump shot had not developed at the same rate as the rest of his game, and this weakness was glaring enough for the Spurs to sweep him from the series.

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  8. 2013-14 LeBron James

  • Team: Miami Heat (54-28)

  • Statistics: 27-7-6 on 57/38/75 (77 games)

  • Advanced: 29.3 PER, 64.9 TS%, 15.9 win shares

  • Playoffs: 27-7-5 on 57/41/81 (20 games; lost to Spurs, 4-1, in NBA Finals)

  • Accolades: All-Star, All-NBA first team, top-5 MVP candidate (2nd), top-10 DPOY candidate (6th)

  James’ time in Miami was nearing its end. He was still performing at his peak, contending for both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, but his supporting cast was aging and frequently injured. Despite his individual brilliance, the Heat fell short against the Spurs, who showcased exceptional basketball and won the series in five games.

  It prompts the question of whether James’ time in Miami was as successful as it could have been. While they made the Finals each season, winning twice, the expectations set by the team and its star players were higher. With one of the game’s greatest players surrounded by talented teammates, the Heat did not achieve their ultimate goals.

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  7. 2016-17 LeBron James

  

  • Team: Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31)

  • Statistics: 26-9-9 on 55/36/67 (74 games)

  • Advanced: 27 PER, 61.9 TS%, 12.9 win shares

  • Playoffs: 33-9-8 on 57/41/70 (18 games; lost to Warriors, 4-1, in NBA Finals)

  • Accolades: All-Star, All-NBA first team, top-5 MVP candidate (4th), top-5 DPOY candidate (5th)

  In the Cavaliers’ title defense, James excelled, despite publicly criticizing the front office for the team’s roster construction. Another top-five finish in MVP voting and Defensive Player of the Year consideration. The Cavaliers boasted an impressive offense when healthy, but they couldn’t keep up with the Warriors, who were a dominant force.

  It wasn’t until the end of the 2016-17 season when Irving’s discontent with his role on the team began to unravel their chemistry. Irving, no longer content playing in James’ shadow, reportedly went days without speaking to teammates during the playoffs. (However, it’s worth noting that Golden State was a formidable opponent.)

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  6. 2019-20 LeBron James

  • Team: Los Angeles Lakers (52-19; NBA champions)

  • Statistics: 25-8-10 on 49/35/69 (67 games)

  • Advanced: 25.5 PER, 57.7 TS%, 9.8 win shares

  • Playoffs: 28-11-9 on 56/37/72 (21 games; defeated Heat, 4-2, in NBA Finals)

  • Accolades: All-Star, All-NBA first team, top-5 MVP candidate (2nd)

  When the 2019-20 season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, James and the Lakers held a comfortable lead in the Western Conference. Upon the league’s return in Orlando, they cruised to the championship, facing little resistance. James played with a vengeance, averaging 30-12-9 on remarkable shooting percentages in the NBA Finals, earning Finals MVP honors for the third time with a different team.

  Whether the hiatus benefitted a 35-year-old James and his injury-prone teammate is up for debate. Regardless, James delivered a championship to Los Angeles, earning the respect of Lakers fans, even though there was no traditional victory parade.

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  5. 2008-09 LeBron James

  <img class="caas-img caas-lazy has-width" alt="CLEVELAND – MAY 22: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates after hitting the game-winning shot against the Orlando Magic in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at The Quicken Loans Arena on May 22, 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

  LeBron celebrates after hitting the game-winner in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference finals. (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

  Team: Cleveland Cavaliers (66-16)
  Statistics: 28-8-7 on 49/34/78 (81 games)
  Advanced: 31.7 PER, 59.1 TS%, 20.3 win shares
  Playoffs: 35-9-7 on 51/33/75 (14 games; lost to Magic, 4-2, in the ECF)
  Accolades: All-Star, All-NBA first team, MVP, top-5 DPOY candidate (2nd)

  This season remains baffling. James was a monster. At 24 years old he led a 66-win team — the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs — in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, playing all but one game of the regular season. He scored 50 points on three occasions and eclipsed 40 points another nine times.

  Cleveland swept the Pistons and Hawks from the first two rounds of the playoffs, and then came the Magic. James dropped a 49-6-8 in Game 1 and lost. He needed a game-winner to even the series at 1-1. And he lost the series in six games, despite averaging a 39-8-8. So LeBron James, in his prime, on a 66-win team, opposite Dwight Howard, lost, robbing us of a Finals showdown with Bryant. Inexplicable.

  4. 2017-18 LeBron James

     Team: Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32)
     Statistics: 28-9-9 on 54/37/73 (82 games)
     Advanced: 28.6 PER, 62.1 TS%, 14 win shares
     Playoffs: 34-9-9 on 54/34/75 (22 games; lost to Warriors, 4-0, in NBA Finals)
     Accolades: All-Star, All-NBA first team, top-15 MVP candidate (11th)

     After Irving’s exit from Cleveland, James was surrounded by a hodgepodge of talented players, none of whom seemed all that interested in playing together. James was going to have to do it by himself — and nearly did, surviving a pair of seven-game series to emerge from the East for an eighth straight season.

     Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals may have been James’ finest performance. He totaled 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 47 minutes. If not for the end of regulation — a George Hill missed free throw and a J.R. Smith brain fart — James might have stolen the opener and changed the series against one of the game’s greatest teams. As it were, the Warriors won in overtime and swept the series.

  5. 2011-12 LeBron James

     Team: Miami Heat (46-20, NBA champions)
     Statistics: 27-8-6 on 53/36/77 (62 games)
     Advanced: 30.7 PER, 60.5 TS%, 14.5 win shares
     Playoffs: 30-10-6 on 50/26/74 (23 games; defeated Thunder, 4-1, in NBA Finals)
     Accolades: All-Star, All-NBA first team, MVP, top-5 DPOY candidate (4th)

     A lockout-shortened season. And an absolute a**-kicking from start to finish. Motivated by his lackluster effort in the 2011 NBA Finals, James arrived with renewed focus. Nothing would stop him from his first championship, and no one could deny his status as the game’s most valuable player — superteam or not.

     Then came Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against his rival Celtics. James harnessed all his skill and determination into a night of undeniable greatness. He totaled 45 points (on 26 shots), 15 rebounds and five assists, tying the series, 3-3, before disposing of Boston in Game 7. James then defeated Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder to win his first ring, shedding the world’s weight from his shoulders.

  6. 2015-16 LeBron James

     Team: Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25, NBA champions)
     Statistics: 27-7-7 on 47/35/75 (80 games)
     Advanced: 27.5 PER, 58.8 TS%, 13.6 win shares
     Playoffs: 26-10-8 on 53/34/66 (21 games; defeated Warriors, 4-3, in NBA Finals)
     Accolades: All-Star, All-NBA first team, top-5 MVP candidate (3rd), top-15 DPOY candidate (11th)

     The season that stamped James as all but peerless in NBA history. We might as well have entered his season averages — a 27-7-7 on 47/35/75 shooting splits — into Basketball Reference before the season began. He was programmed to put up those numbers by this point. He was not quite the unparalleled athlete that he was at age 27, but by 31 he had essentially solved the game from a mental standpoint.

     Case in point: The 2016 NBA Finals. Trailing the 73-win Warriors 3-1 in the championship series, James went on a tear that will be remembered forever. With Irving meeting him on another level, James put together back-to-back 41-point outings to even the series. He dropped a triple-double in Game 7, but it was his chase-down block of Andre Iguodala — the signature highlight of his career — that sealed the deal. LeBron James delivered Cleveland its first championship against the greatest regular-season team ever, becoming the first player to lead his team back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. Storybook stuff.

  7. 2012-13 LeBron James

     Basketball: NBA Finals: Closeup of Miami Heat LeBron James (6) victorious with cigar after winning Game 7 and series vs San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena. Miami, FL 6/20/2013 CREDIT: Greg Nelson (Photo by Greg Nelson /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X156677 TK1 R12 F9)

     

  • Team: Miami Heat (66-16, NBA champions)

  • Statistics: 27-8-7 on 57/41/75 (76 games)

  • Advanced: 31.6 PER, 64 TS%, 19.3 win shares

  • Playoffs: 26-8-7 on 49/38/78 (23 games; defeated Spurs, 4-3, in NBA Finals)

  • Accolades: All-Star, All-NBA first team, MVP, top-5 DPOY candidate (2nd)

  What a season. Armed with the experience of winning a title, James was on a mission for another, and the Heat followed his lead. They won 27 consecutive games over two months on their way to 66 for the regular season. James averaged a 27-8-8 on 58% shooting on the winning streak. It was a masterclass. He won his fourth MVP in five seasons and probably should have been the Defensive Player of the Year.

  Lost to Ray Allen’s series-saving 3-pointer was James’ performance in Games 6 and 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals. There is no series to save without him. He finished Game 6 with a triple-double and added 37 points in Game 7, beating a beloved San Antonio Spurs team in legendary fashion. He was a back-to-back champion and a certified all-timer at the peak of his powers. Put 2013 LeBron James up against anyone.