LeBron James at Madison Square Garden: his best games

The Lakers face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. These are some of LeBron James’s memorable performances in the most famous stadium in the world over the years.
Editor’s note: This story was published in February 2024 and was updated for LeBron James’s Saturday game and Lakers in New York.
LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers will travel to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks on Saturday (8:30 pm est per ABC/ESPN3/AM850+ in the US; Disney+ in Mexico).
James He has played 30 regular season games in the world’s most famous stadium, accumulating a record of 22-8. Its average points in the Madison Square Garden (28.0 points) are not far from the general average of your career: 27.0 points.
He has only faced the Knicks once in a series of playoffs, the first round of the Eastern Conference of 2012, which the Miami Heat won 4-1. He averaged 27.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists, and only scored less than 20 points once in that series. James has had a good amount of memorable games in the Madison Square Garden over the years. Here is a look at some of the most notable.
2008: 50 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 robberies, 53% in shots
Game Result: 119-105, the Cleveland Cavaliers won
After losing 45 points at home against the Knicks in November, James He did something better in the Garden in March.
It became the first player with at least 50 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds in a match from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar On January 19, 1975, according to Associated Press. James left the game between songs of “MVP!” and described the ovation as “a dream come true.”
2017: 23 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 caps, 50% in shots
Game Result: 104-101, won the cavs
Although the numbers are not among the best of James In the Garden, it was the clown on the court that became the story. James and Enes Freedom had a shock of heads in the first quarter.
James He sank the ball and then did not turn away from the way of the then guard of the Knicks, Frank Ntilikina, while trying to put the ball. Freedom was offended by that and defended Ntilkina while James He pushed Freedom, which caused a double technique.
Freedom said after the game: “I don’t care … what’s called. King, queen, princess, whatever you are. You know what, we’re going to fight and nobody out there will attack us.” “
James He led a comeback in the last quarter to win the game and had an answer on Instagram.
2010: 32 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 robbery, 60.9% in shots
Game Result: 113-91, Victoria del Heat
In his first game in New York as a player El Heat, James registered a very efficient triple-double. The fans booed him because he did not join the Knicks in the low season, but it was not enough to hinder his game on the court.
60.9% of field shots marks its third percentage of higher field shots of all time in Madison Square Garden (70% once, 70.6% twice).
2009: 52 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 caps, 51.5% in shots
Game Result: 107-102, won the cavaliers
In possibly the most emblematic party that James He has played at Madison Square Garden, offered a show. James It represented almost half of the points of the cavaliers. His 52 points were their maximum of the season at that time.
The performance occurred two nights after Kobe Bryant established a record of the then MSG with 61 points. James became one of the two players (Michael Jordan was the other) to have multiple games of 50 points as a visitor in the current Madison Square Garden.
2023: 28 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 1 robbery, 44% in shots
Game Result: 129-123, Lakers win
With 20 years or not, James He never loses the opportunity to surprise the New York public.
It was his first game there since January 2020 and James He made the wait worthwhile. He achieved his first triple-double of the season when the Lakers achieved a victory in extra time.
There was a stir before the game, with James weeks of breaking the record of annotations of all the time of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that would break three games later against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, after the game, James He focused on his general skills.
“Simply play the game in the right way. I face the game every night trying to be a triple threat scoring, recovering rebounds, attending, defending and that things fall where they can,” he said.