5 Most memorable dunks of LeBron James' career

LeBron James
LeBron James

No player in the NBA got the kind of fame that LeBron James did at the early age of 18. No player in the NBA ever faced the kind of adversity he did for leaving a team. No player in the NBA ever led his team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the finals to win a championship.

There's nothing in the NBA that LeBron has put his hands into and not won. NBA Rookie of the Year, 3-time NBA champion and finals MVP, 4-time season MVP, 3-time All-Star game MVP. He already has major accolades to his name for his contribution to the game. He has taken part in every major event in the NBA except one, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

James says that he really considered entering the contest a couple of times but was struggling with injuries and did not wish to put things at risk. The fans, fellow NBA players and LeBron himself have expressed to see him in the Slam Dunk contest but LeBron now says that he's "too old for this".

Nonetheless, he has entertained the world with his rim-rocking dunks season after season. In his 16th season, LeBron is dunking like an 18-year-old and getting the stadium to feet. Let us take the time to re-live the moments when LeBron "The King" James did something magical, something monstrous, something LeBron James poster dunk kind of stuff.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.


#5 LeBron James' dunk on Ben McLemore

LeBron James posterizing Ben McLemore
LeBron James posterizing Ben McLemore

This iconic dunk dates back to 2013. The Sacramento Kings' rookie Ben McLemore was caught off-shore when LeBron came off the screen from Mario Chalmers and found the alley well open. McLemore thought of drawing a charge but was positioned outside the restricted area.

James said after the game:

“It sucks that it was him, Because I like him. That sucks.”

McLemore got the taste of what awaits in the NBA. He was still cheerful after the game and said

“I just went over there to try and take the charge, and he dunked the ball.”

youtube-cover

#4 LeBron jumps OVER John Lucas for unreal alley-oop

youtube-cover

You drop people, you make them hazy but one does not simply JUMP OVER A MAN! Any NBA fan will remember what happened back in early 2012.

The Miami Heat were flaunting their new Blackout jerseys. D-Wade was dribbling at the perimeter in the first quarter against the Bulls. He spotted LeBron James cutting to the basket from the baseline. Even before Lucas could realize what was happening LeBron flew over him for a monstrous alley-oop.

The media and social networks went frenzy over the move and it gave Lucas name "that guy LeBron jumped over" for the infamous dunk. Lucas recollects the memory of the dunk and doesn't feel so good about it.

"Hey, it was a hell of a play. I mean, I haven't watched it in a while, but every time I walk into the locker room—they've got the big picture of him jumping before you enter into the locker room. So, I'm always reminded of what happened here. Juwan Howard pointed it out to me. But, you know, it's part of the game."

#3 Poster dunk on Damon Jones

youtube-cover

This dunk is from LeBron's first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers and dates back to 2005. The happening of this iconic dunk is kind of a cliche but the timeline and events that surround it are quite amazing.

Damon Jones was then playing with LeBron's future team Miami Heat. The Cavaliers got a steal, ran a fastbreak, a teammate dimed the ball to LeBron and a helpless guard stood at the receiving end. Only after Jones took a leap he realized that he made a wrong move.

The highlight has been shared and viewed over a thousand times but doesn't get old. Jones joined the Cavaliers in 2005 and went on to play with LeBron for 3 years. He is currently serving as assistant coach for the Cavs.

Last year LeBron went on to troll him on Twitter with some memories that surely haunt him.

#2 LeBron James' signature Tomahawk dunk

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade with the famous poster alley-oop against Milwaukee Bucks
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade with the famous poster alley-oop against Milwaukee Bucks

We have seen it hundreds of times during the 15 years of LeBron's reign in the NBA but the Tomahawk slam never ever gets old. Bodies and reputations of several NBA players have felt the pain of this move. In fact, this signature qualifies for the new NBA Logo in fans' eyes.

The chemistry that LeBron and Wade had in the Heat Super team Era is one of the best the league has ever seen. This no-look pass from D-Wade and a thunderous tomahawk slam dunk from the King is a testimony of that.

In an interview, Dwyane Wade said that the poster from this memorable play is so special that he will get it autographed from LeBron and frame it at his home after retirement. As Dwyane Wade's "Last Dance" is underway, moments like these are worth re-witnessing.

youtube-cover

#1 LeBron "annihilates" Jason Terry

youtube-cover

LeBron James has delivered some nasty, merciless facial dunks throughout his career but this one stands above all.

Jason Terry infamously ran his mouth all over LeBron as he hit three-after-three in the NBA FInals in 2011. In 2013, the Heat were hoping to extend their winning streak at the time to 23 games. LeBron had to get his revenge and it couldn't be served colder than what happened in that game.

Dwyane Wade poked the ball out of Terry's hands, flipped it to Chalmers, Chalmers passed it ahead to Norris Cole. The arena was in anticipation of what was coming. LeBron James barreled down the court as Cole threw him the lob. Before Terry could know. he was bodied down on the floor and the King had his revenge.

While on a talk show Jason Terry recollected the moment saying

“I think the worst thing about this is every time I’m in arenas or at the grocery store, little kids come up to me, ‘Hey, hey, are you Jason Terry?’ ‘Yeah, that’s me.’ ‘Why did LeBron dunk on you?’ I’m like come on, I thought you were gonna ask for an autograph.”

Cleveland Cavaliers Nation! You can check out the latest Cleveland Cavaliers Schedule and dive into the Cavaliers Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Quick Links

Edited by Raunak J
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications