LeBron James led the Cavaliers in single season points per game four times during his two stints with the team.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had several Hall of Fame players wear their uniform at some point during their career. That means that they have also seen plenty of illustrious scoring seasons. Let’s highlight their top five all-time single season points per game leaders.
1. LeBron James, 2005-06, 31.4 Points Per Game
The Cavaliers selected LeBron James with the first pick in the 2003 Draft. He won the Rookie of the Year Award, averaging 20.9 points per game. He has never averaged fewer points than that in a season during his career. His best performance with the Cavaliers came during the 2005-06 season when he averaged 31.4 points per game. That ranked third in the NBA behind Kobe Bryant (35.4) and Allen Iverson (31.4). It also helped James finish second in MVP voting.
2. LeBron James, 2007-08, 30.0 Points Per Game
The 2007-08 season was the only time that James led the league in points per game. He shot 48.4% from the field that season on his way to providing 30.0 points per game. His additional averages of 7.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.8 steals helped him finish fourth in MVP voting.
3. LeBron James, 2009-10, 29.7 Points Per Game
The 2009-10 season was the final campaign of James’ first stint with the Cavaliers. He won his second consecutive MVP Award and finished inside the top five for the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second straight season. His average of 29.7 points per game ranked second in the league behind Kevin Durant (30.1). Following this season, James left the Cavaliers to play four seasons with the Heat. He would then return to the Cavaliers for four more seasons, which included leading them to a championship in 2015-16.
4. LeBron James, 2008-09, 28.4 Points Per Game
James won his first career MVP Award in the 2008-09 season. He averaged 28.4 points per game, which ranked second in the league behind Dwyane Wade (30.2). James was also a force on the defensive end that season, averaging 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks on his way to finishing second in the voting for the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
5. Donovan Mitchell, 2022-23, 28.3 Points Per Game
After spending the first five seasons of his career with the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell was traded to the Cavaliers leading up to the 2022-23 season. He couldn’t have started off his tenure with his new franchise on a much better note. He averaged 28.3 points per game, which ranked seventh in the NBA. One of the biggest factors for his scoring outburst was him shooting 48.4% from the field, which has been the highest mark of his career. He made the All-Star team, was named Second Team All-NBA and finished sixth in MVP voting. The Cavaliers finished with a 51-31 record during the regular season, which landed them the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Knicks.
.