Player of the Week

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced on Monday, March 26 that Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 23 (games played Monday, March 19, through Sunday, March 25). This marks the second consecutive week and the fourth overall time that James has won the award in 2017-18, increasing his career total to an NBA-record 61 Player of the Week awards.

James led the Cavaliers to a perfect 4-0 record last week after averaging 34.8 points (tied for highest in NBA), 8.8 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 1.25 steals in 36.8 minutes over his four games (all starts). He also shot .627 (52-83) from the field, the highest percentage among any NBA player who took at least 20 field goal attempts, and was the only player in the East to make more than 40 field goals after tallying 52 field goals made on the week. James, who posted three double-doubles (one triple-double), was also the only player in the NBA to average more than 20.0 points and 10.0 assists last week. Among Eastern Conference leaders, he ranked first in points per game, first in field goals made (52), second in assists per game (11.0), second in free throws made (29), tied for second in double-doubles (3) and 10th in rebounds per game (8.8). James made at least 11 field goals in all four games last week and tallied at least 27 points, six rebounds and eight assists in each contest. Also during Week 23, James helped the Cavaliers tie their franchise record by scoring 120 points in four straight games (also accomplished Feb. 7-13, 2018).

James opened the week with his 16th triple-double of the season in the Cavs’ 124-117 win over Milwaukee on March 19, finishing with game-highs of 40 points on .552 (16-29) shooting, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 40 minutes of action. The outing marked his fifth career 40-point triple-double. Versus Toronto on March 21, James tallied a game-high 35 points on a .579 (11-19) clip from the field and .857 (12-14) from the charity stripe, a game-high 17 assists (zero turnovers) and seven rebounds in 39 minutes during Cleveland's 132-129 victory. His 17 assists were the most helpers with no turnovers in James’ career. In the win, James also became the first player in NBA history to record 35+ points, 15+ assists and zero turnovers in any game (including playoffs) since the NBA started recording turnovers in 1977-78. During the Cavs’ 120-95 win over Phoenix on March 23, James recorded 27 points on 11-16 (.689) shooting, nine assists and six rebounds in 29 minutes. His first turnover came late in the third quarter, snapping his streak of 28 consecutive assists without a turnover (longest of his career). James closed out the week by recording his 45th double-double of the season with a game-high 37 points on 14-19 (.737) shooting, 10 rebounds, a game-high eight assists and one steal in 38 minutes of work in Cleveland’s 121-114 win at Brooklyn on March 25.

In 73 games (all starts) this season, James is averaging a team-high 27.5 points (third in NBA) on .550 shooting from the field (13th in NBA), a career-high tying 8.6 rebounds (15th in NBA), a career-high 9.1 assists (second in NBA), 1.51 steals (tied-20th in NBA) and 0.96 blocks (32nd in NBA) in 37.1 minutes per game. The 14-time NBA All-Star also has a career-high 45 double-doubles (tied-fourth in NBA) and a career-high 16 triple-doubles (second in NBA). He leads the league in field goals made (771) and is the only player with at least 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists and a .500 field goal percentage this season. James has 2,009 points so far in 2017-18, marking his 10th career 2,000-point season and first since 2013-14. He is just the third player in NBA history to have 10 different seasons with 2,000 points or more, joining Karl Malone (12) and Michael Jordan (11). This is also the eighth time James (630 rebounds, 665 assists) has registered at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a season, the most such seasons for any player in NBA history. Only two other players have had more than two 2,000-point, 500-rebound, 500-assist seasons – Oscar Robertson (six) and Larry Bird (three). (Elias Sports Bureau)

San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge won Player of the Week accolades for the Western Conference.

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LeBron James Named East Player of the Week for Week 23

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced on Monday, March 19 that Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, March 12, through Sunday, March 18. This marks the third time James has won the award in 2017-18, increasing his total to an NBA-record 60 Player of the Week awards.

In three games this past week, James led the Cavaliers to a 2-1 record after averaging a NBA-best 32.0 points on .569 shooting from the field, 13.3 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.3 blocks in 38.0 minutes. He recorded three double-doubles, which includes two triple-double performances during the week. Among Eastern Conference leaders, the 6-8 forward led the conference in points per game (32.0) and field goals made (37), while tying for first in double-doubles (3) and triple-doubles (2). In addition, he ranked second in assists per game (9.7), tied for second in blocks per game (2.33), third in rebounds per game (13.3), tied for fifth in steals per game (2.0) and 15th in field goal percentage (.569). James, who tallied at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in all three contests, was the only player in the NBA to average at least 30.0 points and 10.0 rebounds.

James opened the week with a triple-double in the Cavs’ 129-107 win at Phoenix on March 13, tallying 28 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and two blocks, while going 13-15 (.867) from the foul line in 33 minutes. At Portland on March 15, James posted his 400th career double-double with a game-high 35 points on 15-25 (.600) shooting, a game-high 14 rebounds, six assists, two steals and three blocks in 41 minutes, becoming just the sixth active player to reach that double-double plateau. During Cleveland’s 114-109 victory at Chicago on March 17, James registered his 70th career triple-double (15th of season) with 33 points on 15-26 (.577) shooting, 13 rebounds, a game-high 12 assists, a steal and two blocks in 40 minutes of work. He became just the sixth player in NBA history to reach 70 career triple-doubles, joining Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107), Russell Westbrook (102) and  Wilt Chamberlain (78). James also passed Mike Miller (1,590 3FGM) for sole possession of 21st place on the NBA’s all-time career three-pointers made list with his first triple in the win at the United Center.

In 69 games (all starts) in 2017-18, James is averaging a team-high 27.1 points (4th in NBA) on .545 shooting from the field (14th in NBA), a career-high tying 8.6 rebounds (13th in NBA), a career-high 9.0 assists (2nd in NBA), 1.52 steals (21st in NBA) and 0.99 blocks (31st in NBA) in 37.1 minutes per game. The 14-time NBA All-Star also has a career-high tying 42 double-doubles (tied-5th in NBA) and a career-high 15 triple-doubles (2nd in NBA). James leads the NBA in field goals made (719) and is the only player with at least 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists and a .500 field goal percentage this season.

Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook won Player of the Week accolades for the Western Conference.

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LeBron James Named East Player of the Week for Week 22

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced on Monday, December 18 that Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 9 (games played Monday, December 11, through Sunday, December 17). This marks the second time James has won the award in 2017-18, increasing his total to an NBA-record 59 Player of the Week awards.

In four games this past week, James led the Cavaliers to a perfect 4-0 record after averaging 24.8 points on .522 shooting from the field, 10.5 rebounds, an NBA-high 13.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 38.0 minutes. He recorded three straight triple-doubles to close out the week, tying the longest streak of his NBA career (3/7/09-3/12/09). Among Eastern Conference leaders, the 6-8 forward ranked first in triple-doubles (3), first in double-doubles (4), first in assists per game (13.5), sixth in rebounds per game (10.5) and sixth in points per game (24.5). James, who tallied at least 20 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in all four victories, was the only player in the East to average a triple-double.

James opened the week by having the third-highest field goal percentage of his NBA career, shooting 11-13 (.846) and tallying 25 points, a career-high tying 17 assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes in the Cavs' 123-114 win against Atlanta on December 12. During the Cavs' 121-112 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on December 14, he registered a triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and two blocks in 39 minutes. With 29 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes in a 109-100 win over Utah on December 16, he notched his 60th career triple-double, passing Larry Bird (59) for sixth all-time in NBA history. James closed out the week with his third consecutive triple-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists in 41 minutes in Cleveland's 106-99 road win at Washington on December 17. With his fourth basket that night, James passed Hakeem Olajuwon (10,749 FGM) for ninth place on the NBA’s all-time field goals made list. He also set a career high with his fifth consecutive game of at least 10 assists.

In 31 games (all starts) in 2017-18, James is averaging 27.8 points (3rd in NBA) on a career-best .570 shooting from the field (6th in NBA), 8.5 rebounds (20th in NBA), a career-high 9.3 assists (2nd in NBA), 1.39 steals and 1.10 blocks in 37.4 minutes per game. The 13-time NBA All-Star has 22 double-doubles (tied for 2nd in NBA) and six triple-doubles (2nd in NBA) for the Cavaliers, who have the best record in the NBA since November 11 at 18-1 (.947).

Houston’s Chris Paul won Player of the Week accolades for the Western Conference.

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LeBron James Named NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 9

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced on Monday, December 4 that Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 7 (games played Monday, November 27, through Sunday, December 3). This marks the first time James has won the award in 2017-18, increasing his total to an NBA-record 58 Player of the Week awards.

In four games this past week, James led the Cavaliers to a perfect 4-0 record after averaging 27.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 block in 34.0 minutes. He registered a double-double in all four outings, while shooting .597 (43-72) from the field, .368 (7-19) from long range and .800 (16-20) from the charity stripe. Among Eastern Conference leaders, the 6-8 forward ranked first in double-doubles (4), first in assists per game (9.0), first in field goals made (43), third in points per game (27.3), ninth in field goal percentage (.597) and tied for 10th in rebounds per game (8.5). James, who was the only player in the NBA with averages of at least 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists this past week, scored at least 20 points and shot over .500 from the field in all four contests.

James started off the week with 30 points on 12-22 (.545) shooting from the field, a 3-7 (.429) clip from deep, 13 rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes during the Cavs’ 113-91 win at Philadelphia on Nov. 27. The following night against Miami on Nov. 28, a 108-97 victory, James recorded another double-double with 21 points on 10-16 (.625) shooting, 12 rebounds, six assists and a season-high five steals in 28 minutes. In the 121-114 win at Atlanta on Nov. 30, he set a season high in field goal percentage (.727, 8-11) and tallied 24 points, six rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and two blocks in 38 minutes, while also moving past Alex English (10,659 FGM) for 10th all-time in NBA history in field goals made with his fifth basket of the night. James closed out the week by scoring Cleveland’s final 13 points and finishing with 34 points (13-22 FG, 8-8 FT) and 12 assists in 39 minutes during a 116-111 win over Memphis on Dec. 2.

In 23 games (all starts) in 2017-18, James is averaging 28.3 points (3rd in NBA) on .583 shooting from the field (7th in NBA), including a career-high .413 from three-point range, 7.9 rebounds, 8.7 assists (4th in NBA), 1.26 steals and 1.17 blocks (tied-22nd in NBA) in 37.1 minutes per game. He also has 15 double-doubles (tied for 4th in NBA) and two triple-doubles.

Houston’s James Harden won Player of the Week accolades for the Western Conference.

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LeBron James Named NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 7

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, February 6, through Sunday, February 12. This marks the fourth time James has won the award in 2016-17, increasing his total to an NBA-record 57 Player of the Week awards.

In four games this past week, James led the Cavaliers to a 3-1 record after averaging 25.5 points on .580 (40-69) shooting from the field, including .600 (9-15) from beyond the arc, 5.8 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in 38.5 minutes. Among Eastern Conference leaders, the 2017 NBA All-Star forward ranked first in total assists (45), second in assists per game (11.3), third in total points (102), tied for sixth in plus/minus (+30), seventh in points per game (25.5), 10th in three-point percentage (.600) and 13th in field goal percentage (.580). James, who was the only player in the NBA with averages of at least 25.0 points and 10.0 assists this past week, scored at least 25 points and shot over .560 from the field in three of the four games, including .667 or better on two occasions.

In the Cavs' 140-135 overtime win at Washington on Feb. 6, James hit a late game-tying three-pointer that sent the contest into overtime and finished with 32 points on 12-18 (.667) shooting, including a season-best 6-8 (.750) shots from beyond the arc, seven rebounds, a career-high 17 assists, two steals and two blocks in 42 minutes. He became the first player in franchise history to record at least 32 points, seven rebounds and 17 assists in a single game, as he also moved past Lenny Wilkens (7,211) for 13th all-time in assists and passed Magic Johnson (1,724) for 20th in all-time steals that night. Cleveland's 140 points were the franchise’s most ever in a road game (prev. 137 on 2/28/84 at Kansas City Kings).

In a 132-117 road win at Indiana on Feb. 8, James tallied his 800th career block and posted 25 points on 9-16 (.563) shooting, nine assists, six boards, a steal and a block in 38 minutes. James helped the Cavs record at least 130 points in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history and also led them to becoming the first team in NBA history to win consecutive road games against teams that had a winning streak of seven games or longer (Washington-7, Indiana-7). In the following contest in Oklahoma City on Feb. 9, James recorded 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks in 41 minutes. He closed out the week with 27 points on 11-16 (.688) shooting, five rebounds and 12 assists in 33 minutes, while also passing Brad Daugherty (5,227) for second place in franchise history in rebounds in the the Cavs' 125-109 win over Denver on Feb. 11.

With their three wins this past week, Cleveland is an Eastern Conference-best 36-15 on the season. James has appeared in 50 games (all starts), averaging a team-high 25.8 points (10th in NBA) on .533 shooting from the field (12th in NBA), 7.8 rebounds, a career-high 8.8 assists (fourth in NBA) and 1.46 steals (25th in NBA) in 37.6 minutes. He also has 25 double-doubles (13th in NBA), five triple-doubles and a plus/minus of +349 (7th in NBA).

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LeBron James Named East Player of the Week - February 13, 2017

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, December 5, through Sunday, December 11. This marks the third time James has won the award in 2016-17, increasing his total to an NBA-record 56 Player of the Week awards.

In four games this past week, James led the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference at 4-0 after he averaged an NBA-high 32.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 2.25 steals in 38.5 minutes. He shot .585 from the field and .409 from the three-point line. Among Eastern Conference leaders, James ranked first in points per game (32.5), first in total points (130), first in field goals made (48), second in assists per game (8.0), tied for second in plus/minus (+62), tied for fourth in steals per game (2.25), tied for fifth in free throws made (25), tied for ninth in field goal percentage (.585) and tied for 10th in three-pointers made (9). He tallied at least 25 points, six rebounds and seven assists in all four outings and extended his streak of consecutive games with at least 10 points to 738 (third-longest in NBA history).

James, who was the only player in the East to average at least 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists, started off the week with 34 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 42 minutes during the Cavs’ 116-112 road win at Toronto on December 5. He followed that up with 25 points on 7-10 (.700) shooting, six rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in 32 minutes during a 32-point win (126-94) at New York on December 7. In the Cavs’ 30-point victory (114-84) over Miami on December 9, James passed Elvin Hayes (27,313) for ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals in 37 minutes. He closed out the week with a season-high 44 points on 17-24 (.708) shooting from the field, including 5-10 (.500) from beyond the arc, nine rebounds, a game-high 10 assists and three steals in 42 minutes in Cleveland's 116-105 win against Charlotte on December 10. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, James became the first NBA player to have at least 44 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and a .700 field goal percentage since Wilt Chamberlain on March 18, 1968 (53/32/14/.828). James also reached his 7,000th career assist with his fourth dish against the Hornets, becoming the first player in league history to amass 27,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists.

With their four wins this past week, Cleveland is an Eastern Conference-best 17-5 on the season. James has appeared in 21 games (all starts), averaging 25.0 points (11th in NBA) on .517 shooting from the field (21st in NBA), 7.7 rebounds and a career-high 9.1 assists (fifth in NBA) in 36.4 minutes. Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

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LeBron James Named East Player of the Week - December 12, 2016

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, November 21, through Sunday, November 27. This marks the first time Love has won the award as a member of the Cavaliers and third honor of his career (twice with Minnesota in 2013-14).

This past week, Love helped lead the Cavs to an Eastern Conference-best 3-0 record after averaging 30.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.3 minutes. He also shot .553 (26-47) from the field, .655 (19-29) from the three-point line, and a perfect 21-21 from the free throw line. Among Eastern Conference leaders, Love ranked first in points per game (30.7), first in three-pointers made (19), first in free throws made (21), first in free throw percentage first (1.000, minimum 10 FTA), first in three-point percentage (.655, minimum 10 3FGA) and first in plus/minus (+68). He also tied for 10th in the conference in rebounds per game (9.7).

Love, who registered two double-doubles and scored at least 25 points in all three contests, opened the week with an historical performance in the Cavs’ 137-125 win against Portland on Nov. 23. That night, Love put up 34 points in the first quarter en route to his highest scoring game as a Cavalier with 40 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes. Love scored the second-most points in any quarter in NBA history (Klay Thompson, 37 points on 1/23/15), while also setting the NBA record for points in a first quarter (prev. 32 by David Thompson on 4/9/78) and the Cavaliers’ single quarter records for points, field goals made (11) and three-pointers (8). During Cleveland’s 128-90 victory over Dallas on Nov. 25, Love notched a double-double with 27 points on 8-14 (.571) shooting from the field and 7-9 (.778) from beyond the arc, 10 rebounds, a season-high tying four assists and a season-high tying three steals in 28 minutes. He closed out the week by producing his 11th double-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and a perfect 9-9 mark from the foul line in 28 minutes in a 112-108 win at Philadelphia on Nov. 27.

With their three wins this past week, Cleveland is 13-2 this season, which is their best 15-game start in franchise history. Love has appeared in all 15 games for the Cavs, averaging 22.3 points and 10.7 rebounds (eighth-best in NBA) in 31.7 minutes this season. He is one of only two NBA players to average at least 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in 2016-17 (Anthony Davis). Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

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Kevin Love Named East Player of the Week

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, October 31, through Sunday, November 6. This marks the second consecutive week James has won the award, increasing his total to an NBA-record 55 Player of the Week awards. This also marks the 55th time in franchise history a player has earned Player of the Week honors and the 36th time James has earned the honor as a member of the Cavaliers.

In three games this past week, James led the Cavs to a perfect 3-0 record after averaging a near triple-double of 24.7 points, 11.3 assists and 9.3 rebounds in 36.0 minutes. Among Eastern Conference leaders, James ranked first in assists per game (11.3), first in plus/minus (+44), second in double-doubles (3), fifth in points per game (24.7) and 11th in rebounds per game (9.3). The 12-time NBA All-Star notched a double-double in every game this past week and was the only player in the NBA to average at least 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists. He also scored in double figures in all three games, increasing his streak of consecutive games with at least 10 points to 723 (third-longest in NBA history).

James started off the week with 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in 36 minutes during the Cavaliers’ 128-120 win over Houston on November 1. He followed that up with a strong performance in a 128-122 victory against Boston, scoring 20 points in the third quarter and finishing with 30 points on 12-22 (.545) shooting from the field, 12 assists and seven rebounds in 36 minutes. James closed out the week with 25 points, 14 assists, eight rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes, while passing  Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with his first basket in Cleveland’s 102-101 win at Philadelphia on November 5.

With their three wins this past week, Cleveland is now 6-0 for the first time since 1976-77, when they began the year 8-0. George Hill of the Utah Jazz was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.