NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders For Every Major Stat Category

The NBA playoffs are the most exciting time of the year for us as fans. It is hands down the best display of basketball we will see all season long, with every player and every team with something to lose as well as something to gain. Legacies are defined during the NBA playoffs, with some players elevating their standing in NBA history while others are left with pieces to pick up and try again. All of the players we refer to as the greatest in league history have all been among the best players on the court when it matters most, in the NBA playoffs. 

Just as we did with the regular season recently, today we are going to break down the leaders in major stat categories for the NBA playoffs. These are the elite scorers, passers, playmakers, and defenders in NBA history who carved out an everlasting legacy in the postseason. They are the shooters who rained down more threes than anyone in NBA history during the playoffs. They are the scorers who will their teams to NBA championships, and they are the ones who were left standing after the chaos had concluded.

These are the all-time playoff leaders for every major stat category.

NBA Playoff All-Time Points Leaders

1. LeBron James – 7,631 Points

2. Michael Jordan – 5,987 Points

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 5,762 Points

4. Kobe Bryant – 5,640 Points

5. Shaquille O’Neal – 5,250 Points

The first category and its leaders are common when it comes to the history of scoring, no matter the stage they were playing on. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer for the regular season, LeBron James, also holds a wide lead in scoring in the playoffs. From a man that has led teams to 10 NBA Finals and has a career playoff scoring average of 28.7 PPG, there is no surprise that the King sits on the throne when it comes to the NBA playoffs as well. James has led three different teams to NBA championships in his career and has claimed four championships with four Finals MVP awards as well.

The two men who sit at second and third are the other two players who still stand strong as far as the NBA GOAT debate goes. Michael Jordan holds the largest regular season and playoff PPG average in NBA history as a 33.5 PPG scorer in the playoffs over a 15-year career. He led the Bulls to six NBA titles and has won an NBA-record six Finals MVP awards as well. In their first three-peat from 1991 thru 1993, Jordan averaged 33.7 PPG and shot 49.7% from the floor. In their second three-peat, he averaged 31.4 PPG in the playoffs on 45.9% shooting.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose record was just surpassed by James, also poured in over 5,500 points in the playoffs as a six-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP in his career. Kareem averaged 24.3 PPG in an incredible 20 playoff appearances. With the Bucks, Kareem averaged 29.7 PPG in the playoffs, with one championship in 1971. With the Lakers, Kareem averaged 22.6 PPG over the course of 14 seasons with five NBA championships.

NBA All-Time Playoff Leader In Rebounds

1. Bill Russell – 4,104 Rebounds

2. Wilt Chamberlain – 3,913 Rebounds

3. Tim Duncan – 2,859 Rebounds

4. Shaquille O’Neal – 2,508 Rebounds

5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 2,481 Rebounds

As rebounders, there have been no other players in NBA history to do it like the top three in this category. Bill Russell is perhaps the greatest rebounder of all time and mastered the craft after realizing that he could help his team win in other ways than just scoring. Russell led the Celtics to 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, using his defensive skills and rebounding excellence to give Boston an edge. Russell averaged 22.5 RPG for his career during the regular season and 24.9 RPG for his career during the playoffs. He led the playoffs in rebounds seven times in 13 appearances and never once averaged less than 20.0 RPG on a playoff run.

The only other rebounder in NBA history close to Russell would be his rival and nemesis, Wilt Chamberlain. As a superbly athletic human being, Chamberlain was able to use it to gain his team extra possessions on offense and flip the script on the defensive end of the ball. For his career, Chamberlain won 11 rebounding titles in the regular season and averaged 24.5 RPG for his career in the playoffs.

Tim Duncan is another underrated rebounder, especially when it comes to the playoffs. Duncan was more respected for what he provided on the defensive side of the ball and the way he could take over games in an instant on offense. However, on more than one occasion, Duncan won games with his rebounding and ability to gain his team extra shots as well as finish misses when the chance arose. For his career, Duncan averaged 11.4 RPG in the playoffs and was grabbing anywhere from 14.0 RPG to 15.0 RPG at his peak. Duncan would lead the Spurs to five NBA championships and win three Finals MVP awards to top it off.

NBA All-Time Playoff Leader In Assists

1. Magic Johnson – 2,346 Assists

2. LeBron James – 1,919 Assists

3. John Stockton – 1,839 Assists

4. Jason Kidd – 1,263 Assists

5. Chris Paul – 1,181 Assists

The top playoff passers in NBA history are also among the best playmakers ever, so the top three here are no surprise. The greatest point guard of all time, Magic Johnson, sits at number one as the only player in NBA history with over 2,000 assists in the NBA playoffs. From his incredible rookie season in which he became the youngest winner of the Finals MVP award in history to his final championship run in 1988, Magic elevated his teammates to five NBA championships during the 1980s. Magic averaged 12.3 APG in the playoffs for his career and led the playoffs five times in assists as well.

The all-around player that LeBron James has been over the last 20 seasons is staggering. Not only is he the NBA’s all-time playoff leader in points, but he is the only player that is even close to surpassing Magic in assists. James has mastered driving to the lane and finding teammates either open on the perimeter or making back cuts. He makes difficult entry passes into the paint look easy and has led below-average teams to glory with his playmaking abilities. He averages 7.2 APG in the playoffs for his career to 3.7 turnovers, although he never led the NBA in assists during any playoff run.

The final member of the top three for playoff assists in the NBA’s all-time leader in the regular season, John Stockton. Most likely, no player will ever catch Stockton’s assists or steals record, and he is only of only three players to even reach 1,500 playoff dimes. Stockton was never able to lead Utah to an NBA championship, but he did lead them to two Finals appearances in the 90s. Stockton has led the playoffs 10 times in assists with an average of 10.1 APG to go with his nine regular season assists titles.

NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders In Steals

1. LeBron James – 454 Steals

2. Scottie Pippen – 395 Steals

3. Michael Jordan – 376 Steals

4. Magic Johnson – 358 Steals

5. John Stockton – 338 Steals

From the ones who stole the show on offense to the best perimeter defenders once the bright lights were turned on. LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time leader in steals during the playoffs, with 59 more steals than the next closest player. James has always found a different gear when it comes to his playoff defensive abilities and has averaged 1.7 SPG for his playoff career. In each of his championship runs, James averaged 1.2 SPG or better, and a playoff career-high of 2.3 SPG in his historic 2016 championship run.

Scottie Pippen is often considered at the top of the conversation for best perimeter defenders in NBA history. Pippen’s length and instincts made him one of the greatest players in NBA history on the defensive side of the ball and the perfect complement to the greatest player in NBA history, which led to six NBA championships. Pippen averaged 2.0 SPG or better in eight different playoff runs in his career and a career-high of 2.7 SPG in 2001 with the Portland Trail Blazers.

A ton of focus and attention has been given to Michael Jordan’s offensive game, but many have almost tried to discredit what he provided on defense as well. The former Defensive Player of the Year took on some of the biggest names in the game during his time and shut them down, sometimes in embarrassing fashion. Jordan averaged 2.1 SPG in his entire playoff career and never averaged less than 1.5 SPG in any postseason. His Finals MVP performances had just as much to do with the reasons he was the best one on the court just as much as his offense did. 

NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders In Blocks

1. Tim Duncan – 568 Blocks

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 476 Blocks

3. Hakeem Olajuwon – 472 Blocks

4. Shaquille O’Neal – 459 Blocks

5. David Robinson – 312 Blocks

Now that we have discussed the best playoff perimeter player, it is time to discuss the defensive big men who blocked and altered shots more often than any others. Tim Duncan leads all playoff performers in total blocks, which especially took shape during his 1999 and 2003 championships with the Spurs. He averaged 2.3 BPG in the playoffs in his career but averaged 2.5 BPG on a single playoff run seven times. His 2003 championship performance was the most impressive when he averaged 3.3 BPG for the playoffs but 5.3 BPG in the Finals to lead the Spurs to victory and win Finals MVP.

Just as great and effective as he was on the offensive side of the ball, Kareem could change the direction a game was going at any moment on defense as well. He was truly one of the best interior defenders in league history in the NBA playoffs, who anchored championship defenses six times. He averaged 3.0 BPG or better six times and that isn’t including most of his years with the Bucks when they didn’t keep track of blocks yet. His best playoff years as an interior defender came in 1978 and 1979 with the Lakers when he averaged 4.0 BPG and 4.1 BPG, respectively.

As far as interior defense goes, Hakeem Olajuwon has a case to be the absolute greatest ever. Olajuwon was relentless in his determent of opposing shot attempts as well as being an elite offensive weapon. The NBA’s all-time leader in blocks wasn’t far behind a player who made 5 more playoff appearances than he did. Olajuwon’s shot-blocking numbers are staggering in the postseason which includes NBA championship runs in 1994 and 1995. He led those championship teams in scoring while still averaging 4.0 BPG in 1994 and 2.8 BPG in 1995. His career-high came in 1990 when he averaged 5.8 BPG and finished with a career playoff average of 3.3 BPG which ranks first in NBA history.

NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders In Three-Pointers Made

1. Stephen Curry – 561 Three-Pointers

2. Klay Thompson – 451 Three-Pointers

3. LeBron James – 432 Three-Pointers 

4. Ray Allen – 385 Three-Pointers

5. James Harden – 369 Three-Pointers

Three-point shooters have often been kept at bay when it comes to the NBA playoffs, and that is mostly due to how much the game has changed over the last 20 years. The man who changed the game and made it attractive to shoot from the perimeter to eventually become the greatest shooter in NBA history is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made in the regular season and playoffs. Curry’s volume of shots from deep and the efficiency with which he connects on them is what has made him so special to watch, and that has continued on four NBA championship runs in the 2010s and 2020s. Curry shoots 40.1% on an average of 10.4 attempts per game in his playoff career.

Curry’s partner in crime, or Splash Bro if you will, Klay Thomspon is also one of the most successful three-point shooters in NBA playoff history. Thompson has made over 450 three-pointers in his playoff career on 41.0% shooting from deep and on 7.6 attempts. Klay has shot 38.0% from three on all four of Golden State’s championship-winning playoff runs and has produced some of the most remarkable shooting displays in playoff history. His legendary shooting and success from three is the reason why he is one of the Warriors’ greatest players ever.

Surprise, surprise, another category in which LeBron James has made his way into the top three. Three-pointers were never an overly used part of LeBron’s game, especially in his earlier season with Cleveland and Miami. James shoots just 33.7% from the playoffs in his career on only 4.8 attempts. The fact that James is more of an attacker of the basket and a playmaker makes it even more impressive that he ranks third in NBA history in playoff threes made.

NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders In Free Throws Made

1. LeBron James – 1,749 Free Throws

2. Michael Jordan – 1,463 Free Throws

3. Kobe Bryant – 1,320 Free Throws

4. Karl Malone – 1,269 Free Throws

5. Tim Duncan – 1,217 Free Throws

Next up, we have the scorers who worked their way to the foul line and converted more often than any others in the NBA playoffs. LeBron James also holds the record for most playoff free throws made, almost 300 more than second place behind him. James is a slightly better playoff free throw shooter but not by much over his regular season efficiency. He shoots 73.5% for his career in the regular season and 74.0% in the playoffs but has worked his way to the foul line like no other we have seen in NBA history.

Michael Jordan ranks just behind LeBron in free throws made with just over 1,450 in his career. Opposite James, Jordan was slightly worse at free throws in the playoffs than in the regular season but percentage-wise, Jordan was still higher with 82.8% from the foul line in the postseason. Of course, Jordan was forcing himself to the line more in the playoffs than at any other time. Jordan’s makes and efficiency from the line definitely contributed to his six championship runs and record of six Finals MVP awards. 

The final member of the top three for free throws made in the playoffs is the great Kobe Bryant who helped the Lakers win five NBA championships during his 20-year career. Bryant was as talented as any player there has ever been as far as creating shots and getting to the basket. You could say that Bryant got the star treatment after a while with the referees, with more than his fair share of controversial calls floated his way. He was a career 83.7% free throw shooter in the playoffs and attempted 7.4 free throws on average per game for his career. At his peak, Bryant would shoot 85.0% or better on an average of 10.0 or more attempts from the foul line in the playoffs as well.

NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders In Turnovers

1. LeBron James – 975 Turnovers

2. Magic Johnson – 696 Turnovers

3. Shaquille O’Neal – 649 Turnovers

4. Kobe Bryant – 647 Turnovers

5. Tim Duncan – 633 Turnovers

You will notice that every player who sits at the top of the leaderboard for playoff turnovers either ran the offense themselves or it was run through them on championship-winning teams. LeBron James being number one on this list is no shock considering he ran the offense for all 10 of his teams that made the NBA Finals, and he is the player whose hands you want on the ball down the stretch of close games. However, the cause for concern here would be the fact that he has nearly 300 more turnovers than the next closest player.

Magic Johnson was the engine and heart of the 1980s Showtime Lakers teams that would go on to win five NBA championships in the decade. Magic liked to push the pace and control the tempo of the game, which could often lead to forcing bad passes when trying to make a spectacular play in the open court. Johnson’s 12.3 APG to his 3.7 turnovers look pretty good when you consider the handful of rings it led to.

The final member of this list will have you scratching your head for a minute. Shaquille O’Neal committed more turnovers than almost every guard in NBA history during the playoffs, but it is not hard to understand why. The Magic and Lakers teams he was a part of relied on him to get his team going. Often times he would make a bad pass from the post trying to find cutting teammates or even just get stripped from a weakside defender in the paint. Regardless, Shaq was so dominant at his peak that others didn’t really touch the ball when he got going. I think the four NBA championships and three Finals MVPs far outweigh the lost possessions.

NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders In Games Played

1. LeBron James – 266 Games Played

2. Derek Fisher – 259 Games Played

3. Tim Duncan – 251 Games Played

4. Robert Horry – 244 Games Played

5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 237 Games Played

The man who sits in the top five for most of the categories on this list has also played the most games in NBA playoff history. LeBron James passed Derek Fisher for this honor back in 2020 when he led the Lakers to an NBA championship in the Bubble. James made his NBA playoff debut in 2005-06 with the Cavaliers and made his last appearance with the Lakers in 2021 in a first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Derek Fisher has played the second-most amount of playoff games in NBA history during his 18-year career with the Lakers, Warriors, Jazz, Thunder, and Mavericks. Fisher was never an All-Star, but he played a big role in five NBA championships for the Lakers during his career. He started every game on four of their five NBA championship runs at point guard for the Lakers and appeared in all 21 games on the run in which he wasn’t a starter. For his playoff career, Fisher averaged 8.3 PPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.1 SPG.

The final member of the top three for playoff games played is Tim Duncan, who made 18 playoff appearances in his 19-year NBA career with the Spurs. Duncan played and started every game of all five of his NBA championships and more often than not, he was the best all-around player on the court. On top of his five championships and three finals MVPs, Duncan was a three-time MVP, 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA Team selection, and a 15-time All-Defensive Team selection.

NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders In Wins

1. LeBron James – 174 Wins

2. Derek Fisher – 161 Wins

3. Tim Duncan – 157 Wins

4. Robert Horry – 155 Wins

5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 154 Wins

The NBA leaders for playoff wins list is identical to the ones for games played. LeBron James sits atop the list once again with 174 wins which is just 13 more than Derek Fisher for the most all-time. James is 174-92 in his career during the NBA playoffs with the Cavaliers, Lakers, and Heat. In his 20 seasons and 266 playoff games, James has become one of the most accomplished playoff performers in NBA history with four NBA championships and four Finals MVP awards.

Derek Fisher benefited greatly from being a part of dynastic Lakers teams in both the 2000s and 2010s. Fisher was a starting point guard for the Lakers during their dominant days during the early 2000s and would routinely come up clutch for them along the way. He made four more Finals appearances for the Lakers in his career in which he served as the starter for all four and finished with two NBA championships.

Tim Duncan finished his career just four wins shy of Fisher’s spot for second on this distinct list. Duncan’s overall record in the playoffs was 157-94 making him one of the winningest players in NBA history between the playoffs and regular season. In his 18 playoff appearances, Duncan was successful five times at delivering an NBA championship to San Antonio and claimed three of the five Finals MVP awards that came with it. 

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