As LeBron prepares for the finals, we look at the achievements that got him here. Today: his first two years in the league.

On June 22, 2003, Cleveland selected LeBron James with the #1 pick in the draft. Fans across Ohio rejoiced. The favorite son would become the franchise player. Millions watched and wondered what to expect from the 18-year-old phenom.

Surely it couldn’t happen overnight, said the critics and naysayers.

Or could it?

LEBRON: YEAR ONE

October 29, 2003: LeBron takes the floor against Sacramento in his first pro game. Twenty-five points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals later, King James had spoken. It was the most points ever scored by a prep-to-pro player in his debut game.

February 9, 2004: LeBron becomes the youngest player to score 1,000 points in league history.

March 27, 2004: LeBron gets 41 points and 13 assists in a win over New Jersey, making him the youngest of all time to score 40.

April 21, 2004: LeBron receives 2003-2004 rookie honors after taking home the monthly conference honors for an unbelievable sixth month in a row.

When his highlight-filled first season had concluded, LeBron averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, making him only the third player of all time to top the 20-5-5 mark in his rookie year.

And Cleveland fans enjoyed a newfound hope for the future, as LeBron’s contributions helped them more than double their win total from the previous year.

A new era had begun.

LEBRON: YEAR TWO

November 24, 2004: LeBron scores 43 (15-22 FG, 12- 12 FT) to lead Cleveland to a 92-76 win over Detroit.

November 27, 2004: LeBron becomes the youngest player in league history to hit the 2,000-point mark.

January 19, 2004: LeBron puts up 27 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals to defeat Portland, making him the youngest player to post a triple-double in league history.

January 21, 2005: LeBron gets 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against Golden State for his second triple-double just three days after his first.

February 20, 2005: LeBron plays in his first midseason classic, posting 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

March 2, 2005: LeBron puts up 32 against Seattle, becoming the youngest ever to reach the 3,000-point plateau.

March 20, 2005: LeBron goes off for a career-high, franchise-record 56 points to go along with his 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals against Toronto.

April 20, 2005: LeBron finishes the season with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists against Toronto for his fourth triple-double of the season and a new franchise record.

When his thrilling second season came to a close, LeBron had bested the franchise scoring record by nearly three points a game, averaging 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 2.21 steals, and became the fifth player in league history to top the 27-7-7 mark.

The last eight games of the season were particularly memorable, as he averaged 33.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game and lifted Cleveland to a 42-40 winning record, just one game shy of the playoffs.

Was LeBron ready to lead the rising Cleveland squad to the next level?

Only time would tell…

Tune in tomorrow for the next chapter in the WITNESS series, when we follow LeBron’s ascent in the 2005-06 season.

More LeBron Links

• BE A WITNESS: Share your LeBron stories
• WE ARE ALL WITNESSES: The new TV spot
• WITNESS: Five years of LeBron wallpapers
• WITNESS: Rise to Power: 2006-2007
• WITNESS: The Next Level, 2005-2006
• WITNESS: THE SVSM Years, 1999-2003
• The LeBrons Game Pack
• Ask The LeBrons: Scene 1 (Ticket Booth)
• Ask The LeBrons: Scene 2 (Pizzeria)
• Ask The LeBrons: Scene 3 (Playground Court)
• Ask The LeBrons: Scene 4 (Dance Floor)
• Ask The LeBrons: Scene 5 (The Big Game)