Ranking LeBron James' top three NBA playoff runs
LeBron James is one of the few basketball players who does not need an introduction. The superstar is the embodiment of the modern-day NBA and basketball as a whole, just as Michael Jordan was before him. Like MJ, his achievements have seen him being touted as the greatest of all time.
King James has proven himself to be a clutch player since being drafted out of high school with the No. 1 pick in 2003, evident in his four championship titles. He is the only player in NBA history to win a ring with three different franchises, finishing as Finals MVP on all occasions.
He has been dominant since making his first playoff appearance in 2006 and ranks at the top of the list for total points (7,631) and steals (454), while also placing second for assists (2,346). His consistency in the playoffs has been stellar, and despite being a month and a half from celebrating his 37th birthday, James and the Los Angeles Lakers have all the pieces to make another title run.
James' greatest playoff seasons
Despite winning four championship rings, James’ best performances, according to Statmuse, came in seasons when the superstar finished empty-handed. They all came during his two stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Here are James' best postseason runs.
Playoff runs with a PER of 33+:
LeBron James: 2
Every other player in NBA history combined: 3
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No. 3: The 2016-17 playoffs
James and the Cavaliers entered the 2016-17 season after winning the championship the season before.
Although the early part of his season was interrupted by injuries, James rose to incredible heights in the playoffs, starting the first round on fire and inspiring the Cavs to landslide series wins over the Indiana Pacers (first round) and Toronto Raptors (Eastern Conference semifinals). His 32.8 points per game were the third highest he has averaged in a postseason in his career.
James starred in the third game against the Pacers, registering 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. In the Eastern Conference Finals, James went on to surpass Jordan as the top postseason scorer in NBA history after netting 35 points in a 135-102 victory over the Celtics.
However, James and the Cavs couldn’t secure back-to-back titles as they lost to a Golden State Warriors side that had added Kevin Durant to an already star-studded squad. Despite the loss, James became the first player to average a triple-double in the Finals, posting 33.6 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists per game in a 4-1 defeat.
No. 2: The 2017-18 playoffs
After losing the previous season’s Finals to Steph Curry and Durant, the Cavaliers battled their way to the playoffs as James, then 33 years old, continued to put together impressive performances.
James averaged 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.0 assists throughout the playoffs, producing notable highlights against the Pacers in the first round. Despite being limited by a weak roster, James powered the Cavs by recording more than 40 points in three opening-round games and three in the Eastern Conference Finals.
LeBron James' PER of 32.2 is the fifth highest postseason PER of all time. James now holds two out of five best individual playoff runs in NBA history.
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James averaged 34.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 11.3 assists in the conference semifinals. James then helped the Cavs overcome a 2-0 series deficit to beat the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference finals showdown, with Cleveland winning the seventh game by eight points.
However, the Cavaliers lost in to Golden State in a four-game sweep in the NBA Finals, the teams' third consecutive Finals meeting. Despite James posting a career-high 51 points in Game 1, Cleveland lost by 10 points. He finished the Finals with an average of 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and nine assists per game and then departed the Cavs for the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason.
No. 1: The 2008-09 playoffs
According to Statmuse, James' best playoff run was in his fourth playoff run with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009. James led the Cavaliers in points, field goals, rebounds, assists, steals and free throws in an MVP campaign, becoming the first Cavs player to win the award.
His amazing form carried into the playoffs as James and the Cavs defeated the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Orlando Magic.
Regardless, the future Hall of Famer showed why he had started to earn comparisons with Jordan, hitting 20 of his 30 field-goal attempts while adding six rebounds and eight assists to finish with 49 points in a one-point Game 1 loss.
James almost secured the win for the Cavaliers in Game 4 but missed a last-minute 3-pointer as the Cavs lost the opportunity to tie the series with two wins.
James finished the conference finals averaging a career-high 35.3 points per game, making 51% of his field goals, while also averaging 9.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game.