LeBron James' top 10 moments with Miami Heat as he closes in on NBA all-time scoring record

LeBron James is 36 points shy of breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record of 38,387 points, meaning he is in control of when that record falls.

If LeBron wants to score 36 Tuesday when the Lakers host Oklahoma City, he will. If he wants that moment to come early in a home game against Milwaukee two night later, he'll make sure of that.

The guess is the record falls Tuesday against the team that ranks 20th in the league in points allowed and is one game ahead of the Lakers in the standings.

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James' total will include four prime years with the Miami Heat when he advanced to four consecutive NBA Finals, won two titles and was a two-time MVP. His career totals will include 294 regular-season games in a Heat uniform with 7,919 points, 1,980 assists and 2,225 rebounds.

The Heat were 224-88 during the LeBron era.

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Here are 10 highlight moments from LeBron's time with the Heat:

The Decision

Nothing happens without The Decision. And outside of Miami, this was not well received. From the time LeBron uttered the words, "I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat" to him boasting "not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven," when asked about championships during the celebration at the arena with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh , the Heat became sports' biggest villains.

Saving Heat legacy

James' greatest game with the Heat, and probably his career, was Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals at Boston. With Miami trailing 3-2. LeBron totaled 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, while holding Paul Pierce to nine points. The Heat won 98-79, eliminated the Celtics in Game 7, and beat Oklahoma City for James' first NBA title. Losing that Game 6 and coming up empty the first two years of the Big Three era would have been devastating.

Finally a ring

That first championship came in his second year in Miami and ninth year in the league. The Heat defeated the Thunder in five games and James was at his best until the very end when he had a 26-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound triple double in the clincher. The result was the first of four career finals MVPs in a year in which he was named regular season MVP for a third time.

Back-to-back

James' only back-to-back championships came in 2012-13, the latter a seven-game series against San Antonio. Ray Allen's 3-point shot late in Game 6 saved the series and set up a Game 7 in which LeBron had 37 points and 12 rebounds, capping another season in which he was the regular season and Finals MVP.

Masked man

LeBron's highest scoring game of his career was March 3, 2014, while wearing a mask to protect a facial fracture. He scored 61 points against Charlotte on 22-of-33 shooting, including connecting on his first eight 3-pointers before missing his final two. His total still stands as his career high and a Heat team record.

We Are Trayvon Martin

James has been an outspoken activist, never prescribing to the "shut up and dribble" theory. His boldest moment while in Miami was posting a link to a photo of himself and teammates wearing hooded sweatshirts in response to the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Accompanied were the following hashtags: #WeAreTrayvonMartin. #Hoodies. #Stereotyped. #WeWantJustice.

Dropping 40 on pesky Pacers

Before being challenged by the Celtics in the 2012 playoffs, the Heat had to deal with the Pacers in the conference semis. Miami trailed 2-1 entering Game 4 at Indiana. With Bosh injured, James scored 40 points (without attempting a 3) and grabbed 18 rebounds to even the series. Miami won the next two.

Near unanimous MVP

James was under pressure for a big bounce-back year in 2011-12 after Miami was upset in the 2011 Finals by Dallas in the first year of the Big Three. He responded by averaging 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals while shooting 53.1 percent. He received 120 out of a possible 121 first-place votes for MVP, Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks receiving one vote.

Kodak moment

This play turned iconic because of a photograph by Morry Gash of the Associated Press. Playing in Milwaukee early in his first year, James trailed Wade on a fast break when Wade bounced a pass behind his back to his streaking teammate, who caught it and took off for a windmill dunk. What made the play special was Wade, who never looked back, veering off at the baseline and being captured with his arms spread and James flying through the air in the background ready to throw it down.

Welcome back … not

James' first game in Cleveland after joining Miami was not the hometown hero being welcomed back. With extra security in the arena, James was relentlessly booed, from the time he walked onto the court until he left and each time he touched the ball in between. He scored 38 points in a 28 point win.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: LeBron James won two titles with the Heat. His top moments in Miami