Cleveland Cavaliers (2003–2010)
Rookie season (2003–04)
James picks up his dribble against the Washington Wizards in November 2006.
James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft.[24] In his first professional game, he recorded 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for most points scored by a prep-to-pro player in his debut outing.[25] In a late season match-up with the New Jersey Nets, he scored a season-high 41 points, becoming the youngest player in league history to score at least 40 points in a game.[26] He was eventually named the Rookie of the Year, finishing with averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.[27] He became the first Cavalier to receive the honor and joined Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in their rookie year (Tyreke Evans has since joined this group).[28] The Cavaliers finished the season 35–47, failing to make the playoffs despite an 18-game improvement over the previous year.[29]