<P> James was selected by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft . In his first regular season game, he scored 25 points against the Sacramento Kings, setting an NBA record for most points scored by a prep - to - pro player in his debut performance . At the conclusion of the season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, finishing with averages of 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game . He became the first Cavalier to receive the honor and just the third player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game as a rookie . The Cavaliers finished the season 35--47, failing to make the playoffs despite an 18 - game improvement over the previous year . </P> <P> James earned his first NBA All - Star Game selection in 2004--05, contributing 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in a winning effort for the Eastern Conference . Around the league, teams took note of his rapid development, with Denver Nuggets coach George Karl telling Sports Illustrated, "It's weird talking about a 20 - year - old kid being a great player, but he is a great player...He's the exception to almost every rule ." On March 20, James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland's new single - game points record . With final averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, he was named to his first All - NBA Team . Despite a 30--20 record to start the year, the Cavaliers again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season 42--40 . </P> <P> At the 2006 All - Star Game, James led the East to victory with 29 points and was named the NBA All - Star Game Most Valuable Player . Behind final season averages of 31.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, he also finished second in overall NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting to Steve Nash . Under James's leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998 . In his postseason debut, James recorded a triple - double in a winning effort versus the Washington Wizards . In Game 3 of the series, he made the first game - winning shot of his career, making another in Game 5 . Cleveland would go on to defeat the Wizards before being ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round . </P> <P> In 2006--07, James's averages declined to 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game . Some analysts attributed the fall to a regression in his passing skills and shot selection, which stemmed from a lack of effort and focus . The Cavaliers finished the season with 50 wins for the second consecutive year and entered the playoffs as the East's second seed . In Game 5 of the NBA Conference Finals, James notched 48 points with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, scoring 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points, including the game - winning layup with two seconds left, against the Pistons . After the game, play - by - play announcer Marv Albert called the performance "one of the greatest moments in postseason history" and color commentator Steve Kerr described it as "Jordan-esque". In 2012, ESPN ranked the performance the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history . The Cavaliers went on to win Game 6 and claim their first - ever Eastern Conference championship, earning them a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals . During the championship round, James struggled, averaging 22 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on just 35.6 percent shooting, and Cleveland was eliminated in a sweep . </P>

When did lebron win his first playoff series