stylistic:style_transfer, quality:corruption
2004–2008: Rise to superstardom

In the 2004–2005 season, James earned his first NBA All-Star Game selection, contributing 13 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in a winning effort for the Eastern Conference. Around the league, teams took note of his rapid development, and Denver Nuggets coach George Karl told Sports Illustrated: "It's weird talking about a 20-year-old kid being a great player, but he is a great player... He's the exception to almost every rule." On March 20, James scored 56 points against the Toronto Raptors, setting Cleveland's new single-game points record. With final averages of 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, he was named to his first All-NBA Team. Despite a 30–20 record to start the year, the Cavaliers again failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season 42–40.

At the 2006 All-Star Game, James led the East to victory with 29 points and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Behind final season averages of 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, he also finished second in overall NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting to Steve Nash. Under James' leadership, the Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1998. In his postseason debut, James recorded a triple-double in a winning effort over the Washington Wizards. In Game 3 of the series, he made the first game-winning shot of his career, and made another in Game 5. Cleveland would go on to defeat the Wizards before being ousted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round.

In the 2006–2007 season, James's averages declined to 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Some analysts attributed the fall to a regression in his passing skills and shot selection, which stemmed from a lack of effort and focus. The Cavaliers finished the season with 50 wins for the second consecutive year and entered the playoffs as the #2-seed in the Eastern Conference. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, James logged 48 points with nine rebounds and seven assists, scoring 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points, including the game-winning layup with two seconds left, in a 109–107 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons. After the game, play-by-play announcer Marv Albert called the performance "one of the greatest moments in postseason history" and color commentator Steve Kerr described it as " Jordan -esque". In 2012, ESPN ranked the performance the fourth greatest in modern NBA playoff history. The Cavaliers went on to win Game 6 and claim their first-ever Eastern Conference championship, earning them a matchup with the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. During the Finals, James struggled, averaging 22 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game on just 35.6 percent shooting, as Cleveland was eliminated in a four-game sweep.

In February of the 2007–2008 season, James was named All-Star Game MVP for the second time behind a 27-point, eight-rebound, and nine-assist performance. On March 21, he moved past Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer in a game against the Toronto Raptors, doing so in over 100 fewer games than Daugherty. James' 30 points per game were also the highest in the league, marking his first scoring title. Despite his individual accomplishments, Cleveland's record fell from the year before to 45–37. Seeded fourth in the East entering the playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards in the first round for the third consecutive season before being eliminated in seven games by the eventual-champion Boston Celtics in the next round. During the decisive seventh game in Boston, James scored 45 points and Paul Pierce scored 41 in a game the Associated Press described as a "shootout".