Legends are made in the playoffs. Looking back on NBA history, some of the most important players have cemented a Hall of Fame legacy with their playoff performances.
And we show you in this group.
Although the order is subjective, the list takes into account the team’s playoffs, total points, scores, and performance.
For example, Karl Malone and Elgin Baylor are among the 20 most sensitive in playoff points of their career. But without an NBA title, it’s fair to them and not necessarily the best.
In addition, it is unquestionable that Allen Iverson is one of the greatest scorers he has ever played in the Association. However, their Philadelphia 76ers have reached the Eastern Conference Finals (and the NBA Finals) only once. Pure individual ability is also a factor.
Top scorers have recorded numbers and propelled their team to the NBA Finals and at least one championship.
Maybe you think it’s too early to come with Stephen Curry. That’s a smart opinion, especially if you expect to see Malone, Baylor, Dirk Nowitzki, John Havlicek, Dwyane Wade, Hakeem Olajuwon or a memorable player.
Consider, however, that Curry is already ranked 27th in the playoffs with 2,968 problems in 112 appearances. Among players with at least 50 playoff games, their 26.5 issues are consistent with eighth place in the game. And the Golden State Warriors’ gun base has three NBA titles.
In addition to his triple 40.1, Curry has played in 47 playoff games with more than five triples. The following are Klay Thompson (25), Ray Allen (21) and James Harden (14).
Its blend of autonomy and power has replaced the sport.
When Indiana State retired in 1992, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West had scored more problems than Larry Bird.
The Boston Celtics star has scored 23.8 consistent points for the game in 164 playoff appearances in his career. Bird guided the Celtics to the NBA Finals, winning three rings and a couple of MVP awards. It ranks 12th of all time with 3,897 playoff issues.
Bird peaked in the 1984 playoffs with an average of 27.4 problems (with 14.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists) in a final win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Tim Duncan’s reliability is one of the reasons the San Antonio Spurs built a two-decade dynasty.
After winning the NBA Finals in the shortened 1998–99 campaign, the Spurs won three more titles in the 2000s. Duncan, featured through 3 NBA Finals MVP awards, averaged more than 22 issues in those four championship races.
Overall, Big Fundamental finished his career with the sixth-highest number of problems (5,172) in playoff history.
It’s rarely glamorous. But the Spurs took Duncan’s elite production to five championships in total.
Regardless of the uniform he wears, Kevin Durant has been a nightmare to protect in the playoffs.
As a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, he averaged 28.8 problems on six trips to the playoffs. Then, three playoffs with the Golden State Warriors, which included two rings and two final MVP, their power exploded. Durant stepped forward at 29.6 points consistent with the game while shooting at 51.4% of the ground.
Even at 31, Durant has already recorded the sixth-highest number of games (33) of more than 35 problems in NBA playoff history.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar allegedly stayed and continued to score at an incredible point for the career maximum.
The six-time NBA champion has scored 24.3 points consistent with the game in 237 postseason games. And by taking out the last three of their trips to the playoffs, which is an exercise that invites reflection since they turned 39, 40 and 41 years old, he averaged 27.3 points in 180 appearances.
His heavenly hook devastated him for two decades.
Kareem retired as the top scorer of ALL times in the NBA playoffs (5762) and remains third leBron James and Michael Jordan.
The career statistics of Shaquille O’Neal are impressive, however, his production from 1995 to 2003, in particular, remarkable.
While making 133 playoff appearances for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers in that sequence, Shaq scored 28.3 points consistent with the game. He increased the Magic to an NBA final and held three championships with Kobe Bryant with the Lakers.
That nine-year streak would suffice, however, he averaged more than 18 issues in four other long playoffs and won a fourth circular in the Miami Heat.
O’Neal takes the all-time place with 5,250 career playoff points.
Throughout his 20-year career, Kobe Bryant has played 220 playoff games, the seventh-highest in NBA history. And if you come with everyone who has even played in a playoff series, Los Angeles legend Lakers ranks 13th in trouble consistent with the game at 25.6.
Write down a lot if it’s hard enough. Keeping this ordinary point is what has made Kobe one of the most important players of all time.
Winner of NBA titles and two Finals MVP, Bryant is the fourth of all time with 5,640 playoff issues. Only LeBron James (10) and Michael Jordan (eight) scored more than 450 points in more playoffs than Kobe’s seven.
Only two players average more than 40 problems in a series of unteered playoffs. Michael Jordan did so in 1986, Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics eliminated the Chicago Bulls with a three-game sweep in the first round.
He is Jerry West, who has 40.6 problems consistent with the game in his 11 playoff appearances in 1965. By the way, the Los Angeles Lakers fell to Bill Russell and the Celtics. But the point remains: West had a rising mythical score.
The Hall of Fame goalkeeper averaged 29.1 problems in his 153 appearances, earning a name in 1972 and MVP’s rare honor in the 1969 series lost through the Lakers.
Jordan (38) and LeBron James (27) are the players with the most 40-point playoff games than West and his 20s.
Regardless of his long career with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James has already established himself as one of the two most sensitive players in the playoffs.
He took the 2006–07 Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. From 2011 to 2018, he played four consecutive NBA finals with the Miami Heat and Cavaliers. On thirteen trips to the playoffs of his career, he averaged at least 23.7 numbers a year and surpassed an average of 30 points six times.
Criticize the NBA Finals record 3-6 if you wish, but without questioning LeBron’s overall and sustained excellence.
Michael Jordan won six names with the Chicago Bulls. He earned the name most valuable player of the NBA Finals in all six series and averaged no less than 30.7 points in one of the races to a championship.
Just unstoppable.
When he retired in 1998, MJ held the NBA record for playoffs with 5,987 numbers. Since then, LeBron has surpassed the overall mark, Jordan, who has made 179 appearances, still ranks No. 1 in the playoff average with 33.4 points consistent with the game.
And that record can be reached.
All statistics, unless otherwise stated, are provided through the Basketball Reference or Stathead.