The King’s first game is against the Kings. I want my like.

The fact that this dude went from playing kids in highschool to GROWN ASS MEN in the best league in the world, and threw down 25 points in his first game, is unreal.

Mental strength of this dude is what's unbelievable to me, so much expectations and hype and he didn't choke, he persevered

Now 20 years later, he's the NBA's all-time leading scorer

*puts up 25 points and 9 assists in his first game as an 18 year old* “I could’ve done more for the win” Legendary.

The greatest hype anybody ever lived up to: lebron james.

from first 2 point shot to 38,388 pts is just legendary and magical to watch

Him scoring 25 adjusted for 2022 inflation is like scoring 35 today

The day Skip Bayless career started 😂😂

It’s crazy how he lived up to the hype. ALL of it

This building held 17,317 fans and I'm blessed to say I was one of the people in attendance that night. My grandparents used to work at Arco Arena where the Sacramento Kings used to play and since she worked in Management she received season tickets from 1986 to 2005 before they both retired. I was luck enough to attend thousands of Sacramento Kings games over the years. I miss seeing them live. We knew Lebron and the hype that night of having earned a 100 million dollar shoe deal before playing in his first ever NBA game, but we had no idea he'd become what he is today.

I remember watching this kid LeBron James playing in the McDonald's all star game during my 8th year in the military. Now after 24yrs of service, retirement, and starting the second half of my life this kid is still going strong in the NBA! I don't care how you feel about it, you have to respect his drive.

Damn! Is this really his first game?? He plays and talks like he's been in the league for years. Destined for greatness.

7:19 "he's going to go down the lane one day and realize he can dunk that. People are going to be scared of LeBron James getting a step on them." He was speaking the future.

One of the few that lived up to the hype and surpassed it and still going strong at 37 years old. Crazy man definitely one of the greatest athletes of all time.

This guy showed, in his first game, what he’d be in the future. This man lived up to all the hype.

1st game and already carrying the team

the way he played was already so mature , remember he was 18

I can't believe this is 20 years ago now, crazy. I was 21 and remember exactly where I was for this game. And to think he's still ballin' out is pretty incredible.

Who in that crowd would’ve thought they were witnessing the first 2 points of what would become 40,000+ points

2:51 the "Lebron vs Rest of team" stats first started in his 1st ever NBA game goddam thats how good Lebron is

I’ve yet to see a person who’s faced more hate and more adversity than this guy. Hasn’t had off court problems, stayed true to his high school sweetheart, awesome father to his four kids I think? Amazing example on and off the court. I hope he gets the goodbye retirement he deserves when it’s all said and done

At 37 years old he just scored 56 vs GSW and a couple days later put up 50 vs Wizards. Greatness. Lived up to the hype? Surpassed it.

As a Kings fan and lifelong Sacramento resident, I feel proud that LeBron’s first career NBA game was in this city.

The one time I thank UKposts for a recommendation. Now I'm gonna go through all my favourite players first games.

Lebron was donating to the underprivileged community kids since day one in the nba the guy never forgot where he comes from big respect

Lebron first Game. Amazing I was alive but I was too young in 2003. I was born in 1994. LEBRON MY GOAT 🐐

30k pts 10k boards 10k assist 4 MVP 4 Rings 4 FMVP What a career 👑👑👑

Maybe one day he becomes the face of the league, becomes a 4x MVP, 3x champion, and the most important championship he wins is coming back down 3-1 against a 73 win team and bringing a chip home to his hometown😎

Bro LeBron halftime interview is like he’s been in the league for years🤦‍♂️

He’s just out of high school and this is his first NBA game. And he’s being interviewed at halftime talking about “we’re not playing as well as I know we can” crazy

I’m not really a lebron fan but you cant deny the level player he is…for him to come out in his debut game out of high school and play like this…wow, respect

So cool to hear the announcers talking about him before knowing just how legendary he would become

People forget how bad these cavs teams were and he took them deep into the playoffs since his 3rd year when he was 20 years old and scoring 40 points like nothing

This perfectly summarises his first stint with the cavs. Sublime, carrying the team and exceeding all expectations… but the team let him down and they came up short in the end

And Decades later You are the first player in nba history to score 40,000 points all time❤

I’m sitting here, just over 3 minutes in and I’m thinking “damn he did all this in just the first quarter?! For a debut?!” 😂

Here after he just wrapped his 17th season with a 4th Finals MVP for a third different team. What a player.

"You feel old, Dont you?" 😂😂😂

19 years later LeBron still putting video game like numbers. 56pts against the GSW and 50 against WAS

Holy shit! He was an elite passer immediately. I know he's developed even more as a passer, but wow! It was there from the start!

This man came into the league with the highest expectations, and he somehow surpassed all of them

Now 21 years later he's the all time leading scorer with 40k

Who's here after watching Wemby's Debut Game

1:56 Imagine being a GROWN man playing in the league for years and this kid straight outta high school comes and does THAT to you at the beginning of the game.

I love how the cavs bench aren’t realising how amazing this is, at this point they were still hating

Imagine being a Cavs player and seeing this dude the first day of practice. Must have taken less than 5 seconds to realize he was better than everyone else haha

Once in a generation player

Reporter asking LeBron if he could comeback down 13 points would sound like a joke today 😂

Let's not overlook the fact that they interviewed a rookie at halftime. His maturity and leadership was on full display from the time he was 18 until now...

For it being his firs official NBA Halftime interview, it blows my mind. So many rookies would be all smiles just happy to be there, he was like, we have to win and be better. Unreal

Who's here after Jabari Smith Jr. Told bron that he played against his dad Jabari Sr. 🤣

Could you imagine being 18 and just finishing high school, playing with basketball with kids, then being the first overall pick, then dropping 25 pts against grown ass men in your very first game. I want to know what was in his head during that first game

Its literally unbelievable what this man did in his first ever NBA game, the man's averaged 27-7-7 for 15 straight seasons

Who’s here after Jabari Smith Jr reminded Lebron about this day 🤘🚀

I watched his fourth NBA game (against the Nuggets -- Carmelo was also a rookie) in an airport bar. The guy on the stool next to me was glued to the game, chuckling and shaking his head at some of the things LeBron was doing. After a while, we started talking, and he pointed out how LeBron was positioning himself on the court like a 10-year veteran. How he had the vision to make passes that set up the next pass. How he was funneling people on defense to the right spots. Turns out, the guy was an assistant basketball coach at a D1 school in California. Unlike me, he KNEW the game. And he knew what he was seeing was transcendent. At that point, I realized that maybe, for once, all the hype was deserved. Best flight delay I've ever had.

I remember this game like it was yesterday. It seemed like LeBron could plow his way to the basket at will, and the only thing stopping him from dropping 40 on us was him not realizing he could do it.

Very first game gets 25 points, distrubutes the ball well, and says "i could have done more" in self criticism after the game. Yet dudes think hes "arrogant" for years after.

Who else here after that recent post lol

even if you root against him, you can't help but appreciate his greatness. I lived to see his career from the start. remarkable basketball player

Thanks for basically entertaining us for 17 years

Who came here after the Jabari video?

Man I was in college at that time, now I am father of three and looking to retire and this dude is still dropping 40s.

What a first game!

Gonna be a sad day when he retires. Nobody has ever had game like the king

My dad graduated high school when LeBron started , He had me in ‘06. I graduated high school this year and he still playing….

Jabari Smith Jr brought me here lol

I don’t think anyone was or is more nba ready at 18.

That first quarter was absolutely IMMACULATE!

I have never seen anyone seem to look like he facilitated and carried his team in his f*cking first game?!! the king really is something else and he still doing it. sheeeeesh 🤯

His 1st quarter in this game alone is better than most player’s careers.

His 1st game he had to play against Webber, Stajokavic, Bibby, Christie, and Divac ?.... Impressive

I wonder what will Zion do in his first game

here because of the talk between James and Smith junior. 😂

Who came here after Jabari Smith Jr's comment?

wow lebron really turned into a man and really became the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!! and im so grateful to have witnessed him since 2001

I loved how he had an open dunk but unselfishly passed it to his teammate

im here after watching jabari smith jr told lebron he played againts his father on his very first nba game

Watching after jabari jr said hey lebron u played against my dad ur first nba game😅

2:35 a dude in Sacramento, wearing a Lakers jersey, rooting for the Cavs.

His box score: 25 PTS 6 TRB 9 AST 4 STL

Crazy im watching this while he's going for the scoring record tonight. Fast 20 years man.

42 minutes In your first game is wild gah damn 18 years later he’s still playing heavy minutes like that

This guy is the best ever. Just a different mindset to anyone I've seen of that age. Came in against big men and started to lead them and push. And they let him because they knew that he was the truth. Crazy to watch this knowing what we know now. Just shows the dedication and discipline you need to reach the top and start breaking all time records.

First words were “I could have done better.” Fucking legend. He knew what was coming.

Jabari Smith Jr. reminding Bron he played with his dad brought me here lol

And to think this season he will become the all time NBA leading scorer. Will have a career stat line of 40k/10k/10k. That will never be duplicated.

Two highlights above the actual highlights are 1. Him talking in the huddle on game 1. Rookies did not talk back then. He was already telling what he sees. 2. His halftime interview at 18 years old. Lebron was designed specifically for what he is doing in life. The rare human that fulfills his actual destiny.

DEFINITELY MUCH WATCH!!

Crazy how far he’s come over the years. Nobody thought he’d be as big as he ended up being.

Commenting here after he became the all time leading scorer earlier

2:10 2003 LeBron: **passes to Davis** 2020 LeBron: **passes to Davis**

He been doing it since day one now he in his 17th season..Respect!

in todays league if you calculate the points and assist with the inflation(change of ppg and apg overall in the league )this would be a 31p 11a 4steals debut that is insane

5:18 ok but can we take a moment and acknowledge how ridiculous this layup was ? With the left, jumping backwards after a hop, roll off the finger.

17 years later still at the top of his game.... crazy endurance

damn still cant belive now his playing against him son

Ahh MEMORIES! I remember watching this live and then later on in the night I watched WWE Raw Or Smackdown can't remember which one lol

After Lebrons 4th ring this hit different

No one had any idea what we we're going to witness 17 seasons later 🐐