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Year seven of the ‘LeBron James Experience’ in Cleveland is set to begin on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics. Yes, in case you didn’t realize, the 24-year-old superstar has already been a part of the Cavaliers for a full six seasons.

Time sure flies when you’re having fun.

Since he was drafted by the team in the summer of 2003, James has led the Cavs to four playoff appearances, including an NBA Finals berth in 2007. He also brought immediate national attention to a struggling franchise upon his arrival. The Cavaliers had been in a five-year playoff drought before the addition of the high school phenom, including a disastrous 17-win season in 2002-03, which led to the club receiving the first overall selection in the ‘LeBron Sweepstakes.”

For all the good James has done for the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland, an NBA title has continued to escape the team. The Cavaliers won a franchise-record 66 games during the 2008-09 regular season, but fell short in the playoffs.

“We had an unbelievable season,” said James after the team’s playoff run ended. ”But we gotta work a little bit harder.”

James did all he could as he averaged 35.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists in the team’s 14 postseason games. After their elimination, questions began to arise about whether the Cavaliers had built a good enough cast around their star to win a championship. General Manager Danny Ferry quickly responded, trading for former MVP Shaquille O’Neal in June.

At 37 years old, O’Neal isn’t the unstoppable force that led the Lakers to three champions in the early 2000s. But he still has the ability to demand a double team, something James hasn’t had alongside him during his tenure with the Cavs.

“He is the most dominant force to ever play the game of basketball,” said James this summer. “There will never ever be another like Shaquille O’Neal.”

O’Neal averagd 17.8 points and 8.4 with the Phoenix Suns last season, earning his 15th career All-Star selection. Whether Shaq can duplicate last season is still unknown as he enters his 18th year in the NBA.

James is immensely more predictable than his aging center. The reigning MVP’s career averages are 27.5 points, 7 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Penciling him in for something similar to those numbers this season is a virtual lock.

Nobody in the NBA is counted on to do more for their team than James. The 6′8″ forward failed to score at least 15 points just four times last season, and that is including the regular season finale against the Indiana Pacers in which he didn’t even leave the bench. Although the team will surely look to alleviate some of the burden on his broad shoulders, at the end of the day the Cavaliers only will go as far as ‘King James’ takes them.

“He’s a great player,” said O’Neal during training camp. “He’s a very, very unselfish player. ”

That unselfishness is one of the things that separates James from many of the other great players in the NBA. His knack for finding open teammates is second to none and helped lure in free agents Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon this summer.

“He’s gonna make my job a lot easier,” said Moon when he signed with the Cavaliers in July.

Things won’t be so easy for Cavaliers opponents this season. Not with James on the other side. Not with the young forward still so hungry for his first championship.