Top 10 stats which prove why LeBron James is the king of NBA Playoffs
There are some analysts and fans who still doubt LeBron James' status in NBA history. But there should be no doubt about one of the greatest players in the history of basketball.
LeBron James' status in the NBA Playoffs, which is the most important aspect of every superstar's resume, has been too extraordinary to be dismissed by some blemishes.
10 Stats that prove LeBron James is the king of the NBA Playoffs
Though LeBron James' 2020-21 season ended in the first round of the NBA Playoffs as the LA Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games, he managed to enter the Top 10 for every stat that exists in the NBA Playoffs.
His dominance in the NBA Playoffs could simply be described by his four NBA titles and four Finals MVPs, but the 10 Finals LeBron James has appeared in are also a tremendous achievement in the modern NBA.
In this piece, we will take 10 NBA Playoffs stats to show you just how dominant LeBron James has been in the postseason.
Without further ado, let us start.
#10 10th in blocks in NBA Playoffs history
LeBron James' offensive game is highly recognized and it is easily the best aspect of his basketball game. But his defense has always been there to back his team up in big moments of the NBA Playoffs.
'The King' ranks 10th in total blocks in the history of the NBA Playoffs, with 252. James' durability has helped him rank higher than premium shot-blockers like Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace and Dwight Howard.
Of course, James has played twice as many postseason games as each of those three players, which is also a merit.
James averages roughly one block per game in his NBA Playoffs career. Out of his 252 postseason blocks, none was more important than his block on Andre Iguodala's layup in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals..
#9 Most minutes played in NBA Playoffs history
Again, LeBron James' durability has allowed him to perform at a unique level for an extended period, and his basketball dominance has often put his teams in the NBA Finals.
His success in the NBA Playoffs and his 10 appearances in the NBA Finals have helped LeBron James to play the most minutes in the history of the postseason, with 11,035 minutes, 1,665 more than the second-placed player (Tim Duncan).
#8 Second-most three-pointers in NBA Playoffs history
LeBron James is not regarded as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, and teams allowed him to shoot in his early days. Still, James has proven to hit long-distance shots in big moments during the NBA Playoffs, including game-winner jumpers.
LeBron James ranks second in NBA Playoffs history in three-pointers made, with 432 in 266 games. He ranks only behind Stephen Curry, who's hit 470 threes in only 112 postseason games.
James' career three-point percentage in the postseason is 33.7%.
#7 Most steals in NBA Playoffs history
LeBron James' defense has been underrated throughout his entire NBA career. Though he was arguably never a perennial candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award, James' defense showed up in big moments.
In terms of steals in the postseason, LeBron James is the all-time leader in steals with 454, 59 more than second-placed Scottie Pippen, who was a 10-time All-Defensive player.
James has been selected six times to the All-Defensive teams in his career.
#6 Second-most assists in NBA Playoffs history
It might be shocking to see LeBron James is not the all-time leader in assists during the NBA Playoffs, but the only player ahead of him in that table is Magic Johnson, with 2,346 assists in 190 playoff games (12.3 per game).
LeBron James, on his side, has 1,919 assists in his NBA Playoffs career in 266 games, which gives him an average of 7.2 assists per game. Of course, when compared to Johnson's postseason career, James averages 28.7 points per game in the postseason (fifth-most in NBA Playoffs history), while Magic put up 19.5 points per night in the postseason.
#5 Second-most triple-doubles in NBA Playoffs history
Again, Magic Johnson's extraordinary all-around basketball game in the NBA Playoffs allows him to be in front of James in a table, this time, it is on the triple-double list.
Johnson had 30 triple-doubles in his glorious postseason career, while LeBron James ranks second with 28 triple-doubles in the playoffs. However, James is the all-time leader in triple-doubles in the NBA Finals, with 11 in 55 games.
#4 Most field goals in the NBA Playoffs
As mentioned before, LeBron James ranks fifth in career average of points per game in the NBA Playoffs, and his offensive arsenal has always been on full display in the postseason, apart from some off moments.
Given the current style of play in the NBA, it'd be easy to imagine a big man leading the postseason in field goals made, but it is LeBron who leads the table ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 5,502.
James is the only player with at least 4,500 field goals made in the history of the NBA Playoffs.
#3 Most games in the NBA Playoffs
Clearly, the endurance of LeBron James and his continued greatness in the NBA Playoffs put him at a seemingly uncatchable level in terms of games played. James has played 266 postseason games, the most in NBA history.
Among active players, Andre Iguodala is second behind James, with 170 appearances in the postseason in his career. If we consider only superstar players, Kevin Durant is fifth among active players with 146 playoff games.
#2 Most wins in the NBA Playoffs
LeBron James' endurance is an absolutely decisive aspect for 'The King' to lead most of the statistical tables in the postseason, but his success has certainly played an even bigger role.
A player can appear in the NBA Playoffs for 20 consecutive seasons, but if his team is eliminated in the first round, he would not catch LeBron James' record of games played, even if each series went to seven games.
So James' greatness has allowed his teams to play deep into the postseason, which is also the reason behind him being the player with the most wins in the NBA Playoffs, with 174.
#1 Most career points scored in the NBA Playoffs
Ultimately, LeBron James' scoring is arguably the most overlooked aspect of his game, probably because his approach seems destined towards creating plays for his teammates.
Still, 'The King' is the all-time leader in points scored in the postseason, and he might even finish his career as the overall all-time leader in regular-season games too.
James has scored 7,631 points in the NBA Playoffs and is followed by Michael Jordan on the list. However, James' advantage is quite big and he is the only player to reach 6,000 career points in the postseason.
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