LeBron James Still Can’t Believe He Dragged That 2007 Cavs Team To The NBA Finals

LeBron James has achieved some of the most iconic feats in NBA history, but even he can't believe one of the earliest and most impressive: carrying the 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, LeBron reflected on that improbable run to the Finals, and it’s clear that time has only made the achievement feel more surreal.

“You look back at our roster and you’re like, 'What the hell? How is that possible?”

He wasn’t wrong—because that Cavaliers team might just be one of the least talented squads to ever reach the Finals in the modern NBA era.

LeBron was just 22 years old during the 2006–07 season, but he put the franchise—and the entire city of Cleveland—on his back. He averaged 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in the regular season while leading the Cavaliers to a 50-32 record, good for second in the Eastern Conference.

Outside of LeBron, the Cavaliers' supporting cast lacked star power. The second-leading scorer that year was Larry Hughes, who averaged 14.9 points per game on 40.3% shooting. Zydrunas Ilgauskas contributed 11.9 points and 7.7 rebounds. Other key rotation players included Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejao, Sasha Pavlovic, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones. Not exactly a murderer’s row of elite talent.

And yet, LeBron willed that group to the NBA Finals, putting together one of the greatest individual playoff runs in league history—especially in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.

Facing a seasoned Pistons team that had made four straight conference finals and was just two years removed from a championship, LeBron went nuclear. 

In Game 5 in Detroit, with the series tied 2-2, he delivered a 48-point masterpiece, scoring 29 of the Cavs’ final 30 points, including the team’s last 25, to win in double overtime. It was the kind of performance that instantly etched itself into NBA lore.

Cleveland would go on to win the series in six games, clinching their first-ever NBA Finals appearance. The moment was monumental—for the city, for the franchise, and for a young LeBron who had already shown signs of transcendent greatness.

Once in the Finals, however, reality struck. The Cavaliers were overmatched by a dynastic San Antonio Spurs team led by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and coached by Gregg Popovich. 

The Spurs swept Cleveland 4-0, exposing the Cavaliers’ lack of offensive firepower and depth. LeBron struggled under the weight of double teams and an elite defensive system, averaging just 22.0 points on 35.6% shooting in the series.

Still, that Finals run was a turning point in LeBron's career. It confirmed what many already believed—that he wasn’t just a young star, he was a generational force who could elevate even the most pedestrian roster into championship contention.

Even nearly two decades later, LeBron still looks back at that team and shakes his head in disbelief. And honestly, so do we. Because dragging that Cavaliers team to the Finals in 2007 wasn’t just impressive—it was damn near impossible.