CLEVELAND -- Scoring his 30,000th career point on Tuesday, LeBron James joined an exclusive club that only includes seven other players.
But of all the points the Cleveland Cavaliers megastar has scored throughout his 15-year NBA career, some have of course stood out from the others. With that in mind, let's take a look back at five of James' most memorable regular season baskets as he reaches yet another career milestone.
King vs. Kings
It didn't take long for James to first get on the board.
In what was one of the most highly anticipated debuts in NBA history, LeBron and the Cavs traveled out West for their 2003-04 season opener against the Sacramento Kings. Starting for Cleveland at point guard, James showed instant flashes of greatness, scoring 25 points to go with 9 assists and 6 rebounds. And although he showcased a couple highlight-worthy dunks, the first points of his NBA career came on a pull-up jumper over Sacramento point guard Mike Bibby and center Brad Miller.
James would proceed to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 20.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds. And it all started with a simple jump shot, just outside the key at Arco Arena.
Dunk on Damon
With all of James' basketball abilities, his dunking can sometimes get overlooked. That, however, wasn't the case on Feb. 3, 2005, when the Cavs took on the Miami Heat in a nationally televised game.
With James racing out to a 2-on-1 fast break alongside Jeff McGinnis, Heat guard Damon Jones found himself trapped between the two Cleveland teammates. And it wasn't before long that Jones would find himself trapped under the future 4-time MVP, as James threw down one of the most memorable poster-worthy dunks of his 15-year NBA career.
James and Jones would go on to become teammates in Cleveland and Jones currently serves as an assistant coach on the Cavs staff. But for all the time they've since spent together, the most lasting image of the two came from a time when they were still opponents.
Dunkin' on Duncan
With the San Antonio Spurs stretching their dynasty over the course of nearly two decades, it wouldn't be until 2012 that James would win his first NBA title. But a passing of the torch type of moment occurred six years earlier, when James dunked on future Hall of Fame big man Tim Duncan in the first quarter of a nationally televised matchup in November 2006.
James and Duncan would meet again later that season, when the Spurs swept the Cavs in what was James' first NBA Finals appearance. The two would later square off twice in the Finals after James took his talents to Miami, with the Heat winning the 2013 championship and San Antonio hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy the following year.
Peanut butter jelly time
Although it took a year for James to win his first title with the Heat, the potential of a team that included James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh was apparent early. That was the case during a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 6, 2010, when Wade dished a no-look pass to a soon-to-be dunking James, in what would be one of the most iconic images of their four-year partnership in South Beach.
James and Wade would go on to make four straight NBA Finals appearances together, winning two championships in the process. They have since reunited in Cleveland, where Wade is now serving as a key member of the Cavs' bench.
Off the glass
When it's come to James' second go-round in Cleveland, the regular seasons have been a bit of a blur. But one matchup that stood out was the Cavs' Feb. 6, 2017 matchup with the Washington Wizards. And that game certainly would have wound up a lot less memorable if not for the heroics of James, who hit a turn around 3-pointer to tie the contest with less than a second remaining in regulation.
James' bank shot gave the Cavs enough life to pull off what was ultimately a 140-135 victory in overtime. They may have just been three of 30,000, but those points seemed to epitomize James' spectacular career.
