Fansided

Ranking the 10 best playoff series of LeBron James’ career

By Jeremy Morris

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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LeBron James (23) of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks on the Detroit Pistons in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
LeBron James (23) of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks on the Detroit Pistons in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

10. 2007: Eastern Conference Finals vs. Detroit Pistons (won series 4-2)

Series Averages: 25.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 44.9 FG%, 46:05 minutes

Detroit sent the Cavs packing after round two in the 2006 playoffs. The following season, King James and company got their revenge by bouncing the Pistons from the Eastern Conference Finals.

After dropping games one and two in Detroit in 2007, the Cavs stormed back and won four in a row to advance the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. In those four wins, LeBron was a rebound and an assist shy of averaging a triple-double (31 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists). He ultimately finished the series averaging just under 26 points a game and had three double-doubles in six games.

No one realized it at the time, but the 2007 playoffs would be the first appearance of a theme that would re-occur over the course of a decade (and counting) — LeBron carrying a team that wouldn’t have belonged in the playoffs without him all the way to the Finals.

Best single-game performance: Game 5 (Pistons 107 – Cavs 109 OT)

With the series tied at two games apiece, LeBron had what was easily one of the five best games of his career, playoffs or regular season, in game five of the Pistons series. Along with his 9 rebounds and 7 assists, he dropped 48 including the Cavs’ last 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. The last two points of his 25 straight came with 2.2 seconds left in OT and gave the Cavs a two-point victory.