<P> Many basketball analysts , coaches , fans , and current and former players consider James to be one of the greatest players of all - time , often ranking him as the best small forward and in the top five overall . He has earned All - NBA honors every season since his sophomore year , All - Defensive honors every season from 2009 to 2014 , and was named Rookie of the Year in his debut season . With four MVP awards , he is part of a select group of players who have won the award four times , including Kareem Abdul - Jabbar , Jordan , Wilt Chamberlain , and Bill Russell ; James and Russell are the only two players who have won four MVP awards in a five - year span . While James has never won the Defensive Player of the Year Award , he has finished second in the voting twice and lists it as one of his main goals . James has appeared in the Finals eight times and won three championships . Some analysts have criticized him for not having a better Finals record , while others have defended him , arguing that his supporting casts were usually poor and , despite the fact that James had played well , his team was defeated by superior competition . </P>
<P> Many basketball analysts , coaches , fans , and current and former players consider James to be one of the greatest players of all - time , often ranking him as the best small forward and in the top five overall . He has earned All - NBA honors every season since his sophomore year , All - Defensive honors every season from 2009 to 2014 , and was named Rookie of the Year in his debut season . With four MVP awards , he is part of a select group of players who have won the award four times , including Kareem Abdul - Jabbar , Jordan , Wilt Chamberlain , and Bill Russell ; James and Russell are the only two players who have won four MVP awards in a five - year span . While James has never won the Defensive Player of the Year Award , he has finished second in the voting twice and lists it as one of his main goals . James has appeared in the Finals eight times and won three championships . Some analysts have criticized him for not having a better Finals record , while others have defended him , arguing that his supporting casts were usually poor and , despite the fact that James had played well , his team was defeated by superior competition . </P>
how many times has lebron james been to the finals in his career
how many times has lebron james been to the finals in his career
eight times
eight times