When LeBron James debuted with the Cleveland Cavaliers two decades ago, greatness was his destiny. But little did people know back then, that the 20-year-old they are witnessing would become the GOAT of the league. More importantly, there have been bouts where rivals from the past have returned to spew their game-related frustration. Moreover, when a blast from the past shows up, telling us how brutal the King was in his prime, it just makes us in awe of the huge talent that graced the NBA arena.

Sixteen years ago, LeBron James and the Cavs faced the Wizards in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Those six games will mark one of the NBA’s most brutal moments, like the 2018 Cavs vs Raptors series. In the games that ended with a 4-2 result, with Cleveland taking the upper hand, James was the highest scorer till the end. Despite losing two games to DeShawn Stevenson & Co., and being called “overrated”– LeBron ruled like the rightful king of the court.

So many years later, he still remembers the moment when he singlehandedly ruined the Washington Wizards. In his IG Story, the 39YO shared a throwback of the Cavs vs Wizards beef in 2008. Following the Game 4, LeBron was more than confident that there was no chance Washington would make a comeback. Meanwhile, reopening and adding salt to the decade-old wound, the 20x NBA All-Star captioned his social media Story: “By the way, I was 23 years old! Haha! 🤫”

If this isn’t what you call brutal, then what is? First, he gives a throwback to the Wizards fans. Second he ‘marinates’ their wounds with the salt of his success. Well, to put it in a gen-z way, that’s LeBron James’ “positive aura”! Once a king, always a king. It might feel like a page straight out of a fairytale but the then-23-year-old LeBron reigned over all the six playoff games against the Wizards in 2008. He became the top scorer of the series and took (and continues to take) pride in destroying the team without breaking a sweat.

LeBron James: The true terror and destroyer of the opponents

Despite heading toward the twilight of his career, LeBron James continues to instill the same terror in his rivals’ souls as he did in his prime. During his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James played one of his most lethal games against the Toronto Raptors. Their ex-player DeMar DeRozan remembers those four fateful games to this day. “I said it plenty of times, but yeah, that m**********r was impossible to beat!” DeRozan recalled. Of course, the bitter pill that the Dinosaurs had to gulp down led to a complete reformation of the squad. All the players were replaced and the coaching staff was also changed by GM, Masai Ujiri.

Meanwhile, on May 31, 2007, LeBron James gave one of the most iconic performances of his glorious career. In the Eastern Conference semi-final against the Detroit Pistons James took over in the final 16 minutes, scoring 29 of Cleveland’s last 30 points in a 109-107 double-overtime win. The series was already a tie with two matches each in the bags of both teams. Had young LeBron not stepped in, who knows maybe the Cavs could’ve never won the game.

That day, the King finished with 48 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, dominating one of the league’s best defenses. LeBron outplayed defenders like Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince with a mix of drives, jump shots, and three-pointers. The Pistons, who entered as the East’s top seed, had no answer. Despite the Cavs losing to the Spurs in the Finals, James’ ability to carry his team to the championship series was one of the many glimpses of his greatness.

Well, nothing much has changed over the years. LeBron James continues to be one of the most feared rivals of all time. Despite not being in his ‘best’ performance lately, he is still the key target for most teams. Therefore, when James chooses to dig up the past and give his fans something more to talk about, it’s a treat for the history books!