LeBron James has had one of the greatest careers in NBA history, and most can say he’s one of the top two players of all-time without question. Like every other NBA great, James had a career-changing moment, one where everyone around the world was put on notice. That moment came in 2007 during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had fallen down 0-2 in the series against the Eastern Conference powerhouse Detroit Pistons, had come back to tie the series at two apiece and came back to Detroit for the pivotal Game 5. For years, NBA history has shown that the winners of Game 5 in a 2-2 series more than likely goes on to win the series.
With the Cavs down 84-88 with 2:24 left in the fourth quarter with possession, LeBron James nailed a 26-foot three-pointer to bring Cleveland within one. Those three points were the start of an unbelievable, career-changing scoring streak. James scored 25 straight points for the Cavs too close out the game, including clutch shots in the fourth quarter as well as both overtime periods.
By the end of night, James finished with 48 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals on 18-33 shooting from the field and 2-3 from beyond the arc. The Cavs defeated the Pistons 109-107, with their second-leading scorer, Zydrunas Ilguaskas, finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. James had 11 of the last 12 points in the fourth quarter, all nine points in the first overtime period, and all nine in the second overtime as well.
Former Detroit Pistons’ guard Rip Hamilton, who finished with a team-high 26 points and five assists, was able to witness James’ takeover while his team could do nothing about it. The Pistons have been unable to climb back to the top of the East since that year.
Hamilton, who now does some work for NBA TV, joined the Starters to discuss a number of topics. One of those topics was the rise of LeBron James, with that game against the Pistons being the one that changed his career. Hamilton revealed that at the time, Pistons players didn’t even realize that James scored 25 straight points and 29 of the Cavs’ last 30 points until they got back in the locker room. Once there, Rasheed Wallace went off on the coaching staff asking them why they didn’t adjust any schemes to account for James’ takeover.
The Cavs went on to win Game 6 back home thanks to a monster 31-point performance from Daniel Gibson off the bench, which was followed up by their first (and least impressive) appearance in the NBA Finals.
