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LA Lakers forward LeBron James has been to the NBA Finals 10 times in his storied 18-year career. Putting that into perspective, James has been in the Finals for more than half of his professional career.
That’s a staggering thought, and it speaks of LeBron James’ ability to lift his teams to greater heights. His capacity to lead and elevate his team’s play is not talked about often enough, mostly because of how he has lost more times in the Finals (6) than he has won (4).
LeBron James’ NBA Finals Foes
LeBron James’ 4-6 record in the NBA Finals has to be looked at in the context of the strength of his opponents. Many of James’ Eastern Conference teams reached the Finals only to be trounced by a superior opponent, one that was favored to win the championship in the first place.
Here are the 10 teams that LeBron James faced in the NBA Finals:
1. 2007 San Antonio Spurs (Lost 4-0)
2. 2011 Dallas Mavericks (Lost 4-2)
3. 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder (Won 4-1)
4. 2013 San Antonio Spurs (Won 4-3)
5. 2014 San Antonio Spurs (Lost 4-1)
6. 2015 Golden State Warriors (Lost 4-2)
7. 2016 Golden State Warriors (Won 4-3)
8. 2017 Golden State Warriors (Lost 4-1)
9. 2018 Golden State Warriors (Lost 4-0)
10. 2020 Miami Heat (Won 4-2)
The road to the championship has not been easy for LeBron James, except perhaps his third trip to the Finals when his Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012 in five games.
But which teams are the toughest opponents that LeBron James faced in the NBA Finals? Here are the top 5:
5. 2007 San Antonio Spurs
Regular season record: 58-24
Playoff record: 16-4
The San Antonio Spurs of 2007 had their Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker still at the peak of their powers. They were just two years removed from their third championship and were determined to add another trophy to their collection.
LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers of 2007 are considered perhaps the worst team in history to reach the NBA Finals. It’s only because of James' brilliance that this team got past their Eastern Conference foes.
The Spurs had the second-best defense during the regular season and had the fifth-best offense, too.
Facing a young LeBron James who was still learning how to shoot the basketball consistently from the outside, the Spurs took advantage of their superiority at every position to sweep the Cavs 4-0.
4. 2014 San Antonio Spurs
Regular season record: 62-20
Playoff record: 16-7
The 2014 NBA Finals showed what team chemistry and a superior offensive scheme can do against a team with great individual players, which the 2014 Miami Heat were with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Though the Big 3 of the Spurs were already in their twilight years, they were surrounded by an excellent combination of young players and veteran players who understood their roles.
During the NBA Finals, San Antonio mesmerized LeBron James and his Miami team and obliterated them in five games. It was a massacre of epic proportions as the Spurs scored 120 points per 100 possessions.
Though the 2007 Spurs team had the superior manpower, the 2014 team was the better squad as it won four games with an average of 17.5 points per contest. A young Kawhi Leonard won the Finals MVP despite averaging just 17.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
3. 2016 Golden State Warriors
Regular season record: 73-9
Playoff record: 15-9
This Golden State Warriors team remains the greatest regular-season team in league history with a historic 73-9 record. Stephen Curry became the first and only unanimous MVP awardee so far and he was leading America’s team to what would have been a dream season.
With Splash Brother Klay Thompson in tow and Draymond Green anchoring the defense with aplomb, the Warriors obliterated opponents left and right. They went 3-1 up in the Finals, but LeBron James and his Cavaliers stormed back into the series to win the title in epic fashion.
LeBron James had All-Star Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to back him up, but if the Warriors hadn’t forgotten how to play together in the final three games of the series, this would have ended with a championship by Golden State.
2. 2018 Golden State Warriors
Regular season record: 58-24
Playoff record: 16-5
The 2018 version of the Golden State Warriors wasn’t as dominant as the previous year’s version. Much of it was due to a few injuries, a bit of complacency, and a bit of a lack of cohesion on the court.
In the playoffs, the Warriors found their groove, but not without nearly succumbing to James Harden and Chris Paul’s Houston Rockets in the postseason. If not for a hamstring injury that prevented Paul from playing the final two games of the Western Conference Finals, LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers would have faced the Rockets.
A Rockets-Cavs Finals would have given LeBron James a better shot at winning a championship as individual matchups would have been more favorable for Cleveland than when they faced the Warriors.
LeBron James matched up well against Kevin Durant, but without Irving, who demanded a trade in the offseason, the lack of firepower from the Cavs spelled their doom and they got swept easily.
1. 2017 Golden State Warriors
Regular season record: 67-15
Playoff record: 16-1
In Durant’s first season in a Warriors uniform, Golden State played like a well-oiled machine. They may not have dominated the competition like they did the year before, but they had four players who were among the best, if not the best, at their positions.
KD showed why he was the ultimate plug-and-play baller as he fit in seamlessly with the Warriors. Not only did they own the best regular season record in the league, but they were also first in offensive rating and second in defensive rating.
They had a near-perfect record in the playoffs with their lone loss coming against LeBron James’ defending champion Cavaliers. Behind Irving’s 40-point explosion and James’ triple-double performance of 31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, the Cavs defeated the Warriors 137-116 in Game 4.
Other than that one blemish, the 2017 Warriors were practically flawless as LeBron James succumbed to one of the greatest teams in NBA history.
