LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers 2005-2006 Season Game Worn & Signed Nike Zoom LeBron 3 | Size 16

The conversation regarding the greatest basketball player of all time may forever continue to be up for debate, but one thing is for sure, LeBron James will always be a part of the discussion. At 37 years old, entering his 20th season in the NBA, James’ resume puts him on many NBA fans ‘Mount Rushmore.’

A 4-time NBA champion, 4-time league MVP, 4-time Finals MVP, and 2-time Olympic gold medalist (to name just a few accolades), James currently sits at number two on the NBA all-time list for points scored and field goals made, and is currently 7th all-time in assists. He has played more NBA playoff games than anyone in the league's history and sits atop the leaderboard for all-time career playoff points.  

A savvy businessman, LeBron is also the first player to receive a lifetime deal from Nike, and his off-court endeavors have made him the first active NBA player to become a billionaire. He joined Michael Jordan as only the second NBA player to reach billionaire status in the history of the league. 

From LeBron’s early career (third year) in the NBA, these game worn and signed Nike Zoom LeBron 3’s were photomatched to the Cleveland Cavaliers' 115-108 loss to the Seattle Supersonics on December 2, 2005. James registered 34 points with 8 assists and 3 rebounds, including 12 straight points in the first quarter off five consecutive made shots and two free throws.

The sneakers are accompanied by a photomatching certificate from The MeiGray Group in regards to the game use, and a certificate from James Spence Authentication in regards to the signatures. 

Going Deeper | LeBron James

LeBron’s legacy began in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. As a high school phenom at St. Vincent - St. Mary, LeBron and his teammates, dubbed the “Fab Five,” led the school to three state championships in four years. 

During his high school career, LeBron garnered national attention, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school junior in 2002 with the headline “The Chosen One,” and achieving honors such as the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2002, and the McDonald’s All-American MVP in 2003.   

At 18 years old, LeBron James was selected first overall in the 2003 NBA draft, directly from high school, by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. Immediately making an impact upon entering the league, LeBron became the first player in franchise history and the youngest player in NBA history to win the Rookie of the Year award, at 19 years old. 

In his first seven seasons in the NBA, James led the Cavaliers to 50 or more wins on four separate occasions, including a franchise record 66-win season in 2008-2009, collected two league MVPs, and led the Cavaliers to their first trip to the NBA Finals in 2007. However, LeBron and the Cavaliers would fail to bring a championship to Cleveland. 

Taking Heat 

In the 2010 offseason, LeBron entered free agency for the first time in his career. In an ESPN televised event titled ‘The Decision’ - an event that raised over 2 million dollars for charity, a seemingly uncomfortable LeBron informed the world that he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” to join All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. 

The backlash was immense - teams and fans throughout the league felt like they had been played - as LeBron had taken meetings with six different teams during this process. However, perhaps no fan base and organization felt as betrayed as the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert publicly scrutinizing James, and Cleveland media outlets calling for a ‘LeBronfire’ (prompting fans to burn jerseys and LeBron memorabilia), LeBron packed his bags for South Beach.

While the off-the-court backlash was hard to ignore, on the court, the Miami trio of Wade, Bosh, and LeBron enjoyed tremendous success. The ‘big three’ would play a total of four seasons together for the Heat, from 2010 to 2014, reaching the NBA Finals each season. 

In 2011, the Heat would fall short against the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks in six games, before winning back-to-back titles in 2012 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and 2013 against the San Antonio Spurs. In a 2014 rematch with the Spurs, they would fall to San Antonio in five games.

James would be named Finals MVP during both of their championship runs. 

Cleveland is the Reason 

In the 2014 off-season, in what some saw as a moment of redemption, LeBron re-signed with the Cavaliers, returning to his home state of Ohio, vowing to bring a championship to Cleveland. 

Now paired with superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, LeBron (and the NBA for that matter) entered a new era. In his first season (2014-2015) back in Cleveland, LeBron led the Cavaliers to the 2015 NBA Finals. Against the league's soon-to-be dynasty, the Golden State Warriors, the Cavaliers, shorthanded due to injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, fell short in 6 games.  

The following year in 2016, both the Cavaliers and the Warriors returned to the NBA Finals. With the Cavaliers back to full strength, the matchup was highly anticipated.

Ending the regular season with an NBA record of 73 wins, the Warriors entered the series as favorites and took a demanding three games to one series lead, leaving them just one win away from back-to-back championships. However, LeBron had other plans and with true determination, he led the Cavaliers to three straight elimination game wins, ending Cleveland’s drought of 52 years with no major sports championships. The win was historic for a number of reasons, as it was the first championship for the Cavaliers organization, and the first time a team had come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.

LeBron, the MVP of the Finals, was the first player to lead a series in points, assists, blocks, steals, and rebounds, averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game.

In 2017 and 2018, The Cavaliers and the Warriors would face off in the Finals yet again, marking four matchups in a row, and LeBron’s eighth straight finals appearance. However, the dynastic Warriors would prove to be too much, winning both times. 

The Los Angeles Lakers 

On July 1st, 2018, it was announced that LeBron James had signed with the storied Los Angeles Lakers. This time, not with a TV special, but with a tweeted press release from Klutch Sports Group.  

The Lakers, then the NBA’s second-winningest franchise (now tied for first), had recently hired former NBA star and Lakers legend Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson as the President of Basketball Operations. This, coupled with the team's championship legacy, was a deciding factor in LeBron's move. 

On October 11th, 2020, LeBron and the Lakers closed out the opposing Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in 6 games. James was the unanimous Finals MVP. Truly in a class of his own, LeBron also became the first player in the history of the NBA to win the Finals MVP with three different organizations.