LeBron James scored 51 points against the Orlando Magic on Thursday night, which gave the Miami Heat star nine career 50-point games. LeBron is No. 2 among active players in career 50-point games, behind just Kobe Bryant (24).
Ranking LeBron James’ 50-Point Games By Swag Level
But not all 50-point games are created equal. Below, we rank King James’ explosion by Swag Level, an adoption of the soon-to-be-defunct Department of Homeland Security’s color-coded Threat Level.
SWAG LEVEL: LOW (Green)
52 points vs. Milwaukee Bucks, Dec. 10, 2005. LeBron's second career 50-point game came in an otherwise ignoble Cavaliers loss. The defeat actually dropped the Cavs below the Bucks in the standings (however briefly). Bobby Simmons was the victim of James' terror.
51 points vs. Memphis Grizzlies, Jan. 15, 2008. If a superstar scores 50 in a pro basketball game in Tennessee, does it make a sound? (For what it’s worth, it remains one of just two 50-point games by anyone at FedEx Forum. And yes, Kobe has the other one.)
SWAG LEVEL: GUARDED (Blue)
51 points vs. Utah Jazz, Jan. 21, 2006. This performance came the day before Kobe’s 81. Some saw it as a call to action for Kobe; either way, it was immediately forgotten. Any time you drop 50, jump shots will be involved. But LeBron stayed out of the paint for the most part against the angry Utah defense, and just managed to hit a bunch of shots. (Now if this game had come a day after Kobe’s 81, we could consider it a mocking cover and the Swag would soar!
SWAG LEVEL: ELEVATED (Yellow)
55 points vs. Milwaukee Bucks, Feb. 20, 2009. LeBron’s “double-nickel” against the Bucks was his second 50-pointer of the month, and came in just 40 minutes of play. It also came with six turnovers, more than he’s had in any other 50-point performance.
SWAG LEVEL: HIGH (Orange)
51 points vs. Magic, Feb. 3, 2011. LeBron's latest came in what's becoming a heated intrastate rivalry. James claimed before the game that various members of the Magic organization (including but not limited to coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith) had made him angry with comments about the Heat. Do not poke fun at the hornet's nest! (Or something.)
56 points vs. Toronto Raptors, March 20, 2005. Before Kobe shredded the Raptors for 81, LeBron hung 56 on them. And James' first 50-point night remains his highest scoring pro game ever. LeBron played all 48 minutes, but his output wasn't enough to overcome the mighty Dinos. (Note: The Dinos were not mighty that season.) LeBron's bro Drew Gooden scored 24. The rest of the Cavs scored 18 on 29 shots.
51 points vs. Sacramento Kings, March 13, 2009. LeBron didn't break 50 once last season, leaving a seemingly random destruction of Sacramento his last explosion prior to Thursday. But this game was among LeBron's most thrilling big games, with the Cavs needing some Zydrunas Ilgauskas three-pointers in overtime to knock off the crummy Kings. Sacramento had the game won in the fourth quarter until LeBron started nailing 25-footers.
SWAG LEVEL: SEVERE (Red)
50 points vs. New York Knicks, March 5, 2008. Madison Square Garden is reserved for only virtuoso performances and Zach Randolph three-pointers. LeBron provided the former in one of Isiah Thomas' final games as coach and GM of the Knicks. This performance led SportsCenter for a solid week. Spike Lee still hasn't recovered.
52 points vs. New York Knicks, Feb. 4, 2009. LeBron's second 50-pointer at the Mecca has to be understood in context. Kobe dropped 61 at MSG on Feb. 2; LeBron followed in and dropped his 52 a day before the league-best Celtics visited. It turned into Knicks Week on the highlight shows, and LeBron's 11 assists served as a readymade criticism of Bryant, who had all of three in his big game.
See More:
