15 Times LeBron James' Clutch Moments Saved the Day
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1. LeBron's Debut
LeBron entered the league in 2003 with unbelievable hype as the next great NBA superstar. High praise for someone that was just 18 years old at the time. But LBJ's first game took the league by storm. He dropped a game-high 25 points and nine dimes in the loss to the Kings.
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2. Warriors Woes
Back in 2009, LeBron and the Heat were trailing the Warriors, but with .2 seconds left The King hit a jumper for the game-winning shot.
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3. The Stare Down
After struggling mightily in the first half against the Trail Blazers, LeBron was heckled by a fan in Portland. That fan learned his lesson in taunting The King. LeBron led the Cavs from 14 down to win and gave a nice look to the fan as he walked off the court.
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4. Eastern Conference Finals: Game 5
Down double digits with three minutes to go against the No. 1 seed in the East is a bad place to be. But James hit two clutch 3-pointers and the go-ahead basket to lift the Heat over the Bulls in 2011.
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5. Bucks Beatdown
In just under three minutes, LeBron James pulled a Houdini-act and scored 16 points as the Cavs soared past the Bucks in '09. Oh yeah, James scored a ridiculous 55 points that night.
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6. Washington Winner
James' first playoff game winner of his illustrious career. The King dropped a 40-burger on the Wizards, including a game-winning jumper to lead the Cavs 97-96.
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7. Washington Winner Part Deux
Poor Washington. Just five nights following LeBron's demoralizing winner, he netted 45 points including the dagger in overtime over five Wizards.
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8. "WITH NO REGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE!"
In the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals, LeBron James and the Cavs trailed their nemesis, the Celtics, 2-1. Then LeBron unleashed the infamous dunk that spawned the famous call from Kevin Harlan: "With no regard for human life!"
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9. Celtic Crush
Facing elimination in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics, LeBron put the Heat on his back. The King put up a ridiculous 45-15-5 line that is widely considered one of the best of the his career.
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10. Game 5
At one point, LeBron scored 25 straight points for the Cavaliers when Cleveland battled the Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 31, 2007. James and the Cavs would eventually go on to the NBA Finals after the upset over Detroit.
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11. Triple-Double, Game Winner, Same Game
LeBron James became the first player to record a triple-double and hit a game-winning shot in the same contest. The clutch lay-in over Paul George set the tone for the incredible playoff series in 2013.
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12. No Headband Game
Jordan's Flu Game, The Shrug, Willis Reed, the No Headband Game. In one of the greatest and most devastating games of all time, the Spurs were on the verge of the championship on June 19, 2013, but LeBron sans headband came away with the biggest block of his career -- on Tim Duncan, no less -- to force a Game 7.
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13. Cementing the Championship
After forcing a Game 7 in the 2013 NBA Finals, the Spurs dared LeBron to beat them with jump shots. With ice in his veins, James met the challenge head on and hit shot after shot to win the title. Who says the King ain't clutch?
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14. Buzzer Beater
For years LeBron got the stigma that he wasn't a clutch player. But in Game 2 of the '09 Eastern Conference Finals, James hit the most clutch shot of his career -- a high-rising 3-pointer from the top of the key for the win.
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15. Yeah, LeBron's Excited
LeBron sure looks like he enjoyed proving his haters wrong and that he is, in fact, a clutch player since his NBA career started in '03.
Credit: Gregory Shamus, Getty Images
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