LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in the history of competitive sports and it’s not even close. People give him a hard time for his losing record in the Finals but truth to be told, he’s been the most dominating player in the world since entering the league in 2003.
We’re talking about a guy that averages 28.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 7.1 APG with a 65.3% winning percentage (156-83) in the playoffs. Someone who made it to 8 straight NBA Finals, which is almost unprecedented in modern basketball.
James has always come up huge when his team needs him the most. Hell, he’s the main reason why they make the playoffs in the first place. That’s why today, we’re going to show you some of the most impressive numbers he’s put up in NBA playoffs history.
Minutes – 10,049 (1st)
James averages 42.0 minutes per game in the playoffs. He’s been an example of durability, health, and longevity throughout his entire career, often saving the best for the postseason and carrying most of the offensive load for his team come crunch time.
He’s logged 10,049 minutes in the playoffs, way more than Tim Duncan (9,370) and even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (8,851) which are the 2nd and 3rd in the all-time list. That should tell you just enough about how much of a perennial threat he’s been.
Steals – 419 (1st)
People give LeBron a hard time for his defense lately. Honestly, his defensive intensity in the regular season kind of took a bump over the last couple of years, which is normal for someone his age. However, he takes it up a notch in the playoffs.
As a matter of fact, James is the league’s all-time leader in playoff steales with 419 (1.75 steals per game), passing legends of the likes of Scottie Pippen (395) and even Michael Jordan (376), both of them considered as two of the greatest defenders ever.
Three-Pointers – 370 (4th)
LeBron James has never been known for being a sharpshooter. He’s a career 34.4% shooter from downtown and doesn’t tend to rely on the three-pointer. However, he’s proven to be more than capable of knocking down long-range bullets when needed.
He’s even 4th all-time in the three-pointers made list in NBA playoffs history with 370 (1.5 3PM per game), trailing just Stephen Curry (470), Ray Allen (385), and Klay Thompson (374) on that list. Needless to say, he’s right behind arguably the three greatest shooters of all time.
Assists – 1,687 (3rd)
One of LeBron’s biggest strengths has always been his playmaking. He’s got an outstanding basketball IQ and knows how to tear apart opposing defenses with his ability to find the open guy and get everybody involved. He’s the best point-forward ever.
That’s why it isn’t a surprise to see him 3rd in the NBA playoffs’ all-time rankings in assists with 1,687 (7.1 assists per game). In fact, just Magic Johnson (2,346) and John Stockton (1,839) – the top two greatest playmakers ever, handed out more assists than James in the playoffs.
Rebounds – 2,122 (6th)
Most rebounding-related records are dominated by big men, as they should be. However, James has even made his way to the all-time rebounding list by grabbing 2,122 career boards in the postseason, the most ever by a small forward.
James only trails Bill Russell (4,104), Wilt Chamberlain (3,913), Tim Duncan (2,859), Shaquille O’Neal (2508), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2,481) on that list, which says enough about just how dominant he’s been on both sides of the glass thus far.
Points – 6,911 (1st)
And last, but not least, we have to talk about James’ scoring in the playoffs. He’s scored 6,911 career points in the postseason (28.9 points per game) and sits at the top of the all-time list, and by a long stretch, with Michael Jordan (5,987) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5,762) as the 2nd and 3rd players on the list. To put it in context, the closest active player is Kevin Durant (11th) with 4,043,
James is definitely going to keep adding up numbers and climbing the ladder of the all-time records once the season is resumed and his Los Angeles Lakers go back to the playoffs for the first time in seven years. All thanks, as you could tell by now, to LeBron.
If that wasn’t enough, James also holds the NBA playoffs records for:
– Most 30-point games – 110
– Most 20-point games – 214
– Most 10-point games – 237
– Most field goals made – 2,457
– Most field goals attempted – 5,006
– Most free throws made – 1,627
Also he was the younger player to ever score 3,000; 4,000; 5,000, and 6,000 points in the playoffs as well as the youngest to reach 400 steals. Last, but not least, he’s the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double during a Finals series (33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 10.0 assists per game in 2017 vs. the Warriors). Simply dominating.
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