Top 5 players with most NBA playoff points before age 27
The Boston Celtics secured their 18th NBA championship at TD Garden by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday. For franchise superstar Jayson Tatum, it was his first time lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
En route to winning his maiden NBA title, Jayson Tatum notched a colossal milestone, overhauling one of his mentor Kobe Bryant's playoff records in the process.
The five-time All-Star became the player with the most playoff points before turning 27.
Here's a closer look at the top five players to score the most playoff points before the age of 27.
Top 5 players with most playoff points before age 27
#1. Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum extended his total playoff points tally to 2,711 points. The 26-year-old breached the 2,700-point mark after playing 113 playoff games in his career. Tatum has shooting splits of 44% from the field, including 34.5% from 3-point range in his playoff career.
#2. Kobe Bryant
The late great Kobe Bryant had scored 2,694 points in the playoffs before turning 27. The five-time NBA champion appeared in 119 playoff games before celebrating his 27th birthday. Bryant had a shooting split of 43.4% from the field, including 32.3% from beyond the arc.
#3. LeBron James
The four-time NBA champion featured in 92 playoff games before the age of 27. The 20-time All-Star notched 2,578 points in the playoffs by shooting 46% from the field, including 32.3% from 3-point range.
#4. Tony Parker
San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker scored 2,300 points in 122 playoff games before the age of 27. Parker registered shooting splits of 46% from the field including 29.4% from downtown.
#5. Kevin Durant
The two-time NBA champion featured in 73 playoff games before turning 27. The Phenix Suns superstar notched 2,109 with 46.2% shooting from the field including 34.1% from 3-point range.
Jayson Tatum in 2024 NBA Finals
Tatum led the Boston Celtics' charge from the front in their close-out game on Monday. He dropped 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists on the night.
Tatum played good ball right through the series and contributed in more facets than just scoring. Tatum narrowly missed out on the Finals MVP award to fellow star Jaylen Brown.
In the series against the Mavericks, Tatum averaged 22.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 7.2 apg and 1.0 spg. The Celtics superstar struggled to be efficient though, as he shot a sub-par 38.8% from the field, including 26.3% from 3-point range.