2016-2017 NBA Playoffs is finally here..Spurs vs Dubs (0-4), Cavs vs Celtics(4-1)
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Man, Im all for repping your team, talking shit, blah blah blah; but this stuff is ridiculous; but its cool; shit is entertaining.....
Klay averaged 19 in 2016 and 15 in 2015. Well under his season averages. On what planet is that saying whatever?LOL you cant be seriousMan u fans just say whatever
You GS apologists who aren't even real fans of the team will say whatever.
What you bitching bout now?
Klay averaged 19 in 2016 and 15 in 2015. Well under his season averages. On what planet is that saying whatever?
Trust me bruh, real Golden State fans are worse. A lot of my fam from Oakland and you say some shit like that and you get it 100 times worse than us non-fans.
My issue is you thinking that Klay or anybody else won't show up due to past games of not posting at least season averages. Truth is, somebody's numbers will suffer. I doubt Curry, Thompson and Durant go off all at once. If that happens then the Cavs wouldn't win a game. But don't act like Klay isnt capable of lighting y'all ass up on big stage. He due for one.
Same goes for Durant. People acting like his past experiences will spill over into this Finals. He's not deferring to teammates and he's having fun playing. That can mean the world to how he performs. This isn't Thunder Durant, this is free flowing, knowing he's going to get the ball Durant.
Real fans of the team can talk all the shit they want. They should. They should enjoy the ride. I know I have been with the Cavs.
But let's face it, the last two finals, Klay didn't step up and that was before they needed to get Durant touches. Can Klay go off? Hell yeah. If he does, I'll be the first to admit it. I agree, Durant is in a different situation. I think KD is going to get his.
Klay averaged 19 in 2016 and 15 in 2015. Well under his season averages. On what planet is that saying whatever?
Its ridiculous to bring up what happen last year and the year before to point to whats going to happen this year; for either team; Cavs are still the same but GS is completely different; so to point out anything outside of this year makes no dam sense whatsoever; Cavs cant even defend GS the way they defended them last year; Its really absurd that you continue to do that; not you @Amajorfucup but the others; let the games play out!! shit is dumb as fuck
What does the last 2 years have anything to do with now
; absolutely nothing! you do realize that GS is completely different from last year; you do realize that they are playing differently from last year; last year is exactly what it is, last year; has no bearing on this years final at all...
Bron and Kyrie will get theirs no question
But the elephant in the room is Love, Lue gonna be stupid enough to put Love on Durant? Instant BBQ
Dray will def guard Love at times.. I'm telling you they gonna make that cac irrelevant and someone else on the Cavs gonna have to step up besides Bron and Kyrie
But the elephant in the room is Love, Lue gonna be stupid enough to put Love on Durant? Instant BBQ
Dray will def guard Love at times.. I'm telling you they gonna make that cac irrelevant and someone else on the Cavs gonna have to step up besides Bron and Kyrie
I said it before. I think our championship rides on how Love does. If he is the player Lebron thought he was, Cavs got this. Love just have that sheepish feel about him. Makes me uneasy as a Cavs fans. It's like they have to spoon-feed him just to get his heart up.
What does the last 2 years have anything to do with now
I'm sure Gene knows this. He just talking. Last two years don't mean shit.
X factor for GS is Klay and for CLE is Love imo.
I've watched a lot of the Cavs games this year.. Bron is literally Love's crutch.. if Bron ain't finding him in the pick and pop Love is a ghost and he will stand in the corner twiddling his thumbs.. he refuses to create his own shot if Bron or Kyrie can't find him..
Folk say what they want about Bosh but at least we know when it was time for Bosh to go ham he put the rock on the floor and went to work
Nah fam, totally disagree; Klay will be Klay; KD and steph need to show up; if they do that, they will be fine...
Man Love is a beyond a bum; and he will struggle like he always does against GS; why because Green locks him down; and also because of how Cavs use him; he wont be a factor...
Gotcha. And yea i agree.
Can't say I disagree with this either. Either way like Lebron said, "It's stressful". Don't let all them boys go off. Should be fun to watch and see who came to play. Great series.
I think it should be fun as well; I think LBJ knows that they way he was able to roam last year, he wont be able to do that this; KD aint no Barnes
; and the thing is regardless of how Klay is playing, Cavs wont leave him open; so those lanes will still be open and GS will still benefit from it; Theres no hiding Irving this year and LBJ has to guard someone this year as well...but I do like fan shit talk; i like the back and forth banter and shit; its amusing; but you have been noticeably quiet in regards to this match up
; I wonder why; you already secretly preparing for you to 
once GS wins
Man this shit dont start til 4th of July... im pacing myself.but I do like fan shit talk; i like the back and forth banter and shit; its amusing; but you have been noticeably quiet in regards to this match up
; Oh and thats another issue I have with the NBA; their fucking scheduling sucks; sucks in regular season, sucks in playoffs!!!
I think the X factor is gong to be McGee on the Warriors and the stamina of James and Irving for the Cavs...
I will explain before the series starts...
Nah, you don't have to... We good...
LeBron’s Rise Up The All-Time Playoff Rankings Continues
04/19/2017 at 4:43PM
By Brian Martin
This story was originally published on April 19, 2017, following Game 2 of Cleveland's First Round Playoff series with Indiana. It will be updated throughout the Playoffs as LeBron James moves up the NBA's All-Time Playoff Leaderboards.
Story Update: May 25, 2017
LeBron Passes Jordan To Become All-Time Playoff Scoring Leader
LeBron James entered Thursday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals trailing Michael Jordan as the NBA's all-time leading scorer in the playoffs by 27 points.
With a chance to close out the series (something LeBron has excelled at throughout his career), James and the Cavaliers jumped on the Celtics from the opening tip, scoring a team-record 43 points in the opening quarter to build a lead they would never relinquish.
LeBron missed only one of his eight shot attempts in the first half as he had 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals at the break. His squad held an 18-point lead and were just 24 minutes from advancing to the NBA Finals to face the Golden State Warriors for the third straight year. For LeBron, it is his seventh consecutive trip to The Finals.
LeBron opened the third quarter needing just eight points to surpass Jordan's all-time mark. After getting to the basket for a pair of layups and a dunk, LeBron needed just two points for the record. With 2:40 left in the period, James took a pass from Kyrie Irving on the left wing and launched a 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net and entered LeBron into the history books as the leader scorer in NBA Playoff history.
Updated All-Time Playoff Scoring Leaders
1. LeBron James: 5,995
2. Michael Jordan: 5,987
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 5,762
4. Kobe Bryant: 5,640
5. Shaquille O’Neal: 5,250
6. Tim Duncan: 5,172
7. Karl Malone: 4,761
8. Jerry West: 4,457
9. Tony Parker: 4,012
10. Larry Bird: 3,897
LeBron would knock down two more threes in the following 93 seconds to up his game total to 35 points and his playoff career total to 5,995 points. With the game in hand, LeBron sat out the fourth quarter as the Cavs cruised to victory. With a date with the Warriors set for June 1 in Oakland, James will have at least four more games to add to his record point total in his 12th playoff run.
It must be noted that LeBron passed Jordan in his 212th playoff game, while Jordan scored 5,987 points in just 179 playoff games. As we've addressed earlier, no player in NBA history has matched Jordan's scoring on a per game basis - he leads the NBA's all-time list in scoring average for both theregular season (30.1) and the playoffs (33.4).
But when it comes to the combination of longevity and consistency, LeBron stands out above the rest. Jordan is the only player in the top six all-time leading scorers to have played fewer games than LeBron. Here's the list: Kareem (3rd overall in scoring, 237 games played), Kobe Bryant (4th place, 220 games), Shaquille O'Neal (5th place, 216 games) and Tim Duncan (6th place, 251 games).
With LeBron showing no signs of slowing down at age 32 and in his 14th season - he's averaging 32.5 points (his highest average since 2009) and shooting career-highs from the field (56.6%) and from three (42.1%) through the first 13 games of this postseason - it begs the question: how high can he set the bar for everyone to chase once he calls it a career?
In climbing past Jordan as the all-time leading scorer in Game 5, LeBron knocked down four 3-pointers to pass Manu Ginobili for third place in playoff leaders in 3-pointers made and just one trey behind second-ranked Reggie Miller.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: 3-Pointers Made
1. Ray Allen: 395
2. Reggie Miller: 320
3. LeBron James: 319
4. Manu Ginobili: 318
5. Stephen Curry: 295
Story Update: May 19, 2017
Following a nine-day layoff after sweeping the Toronto Raptors in the Conference Semifinals, LeBron James and the Cavaliers got back to work on Wednesday as they opened the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics.
In Cleveland's record-breaking Game 2 win in Boston, LeBron finished with 30 points, seven assists, four rebounds, four steals and three blocks in just 33 minutes as the Cavs handed the Celtics their worst playoff loss in franchise history.
With his fourth steal of the night, LeBron passed Michael Jordan for second place in career playoff steals. He now only trails Jordan's Chicago teammate Scottie Pippen, who owns the top mark with 395 playoff steals. LeBron needs 19 more steals to take the all-time lead; if he maintains his 2.3 steals per game average from this postseason it would take just over eight games to break the record.
Updated All-Time Playoff Steals Leaders
1. Scottie Pippen: 395
2. LeBron James: 377
3. Michael Jordan: 376
4. Magic Johnson: 358
5. John Stockton: 338
In addition to ranking second in steals, LeBron is also closing in on Jordan for the all-time lead in playoff scoring. After scoring 30 in Game 2 to become the first player since Jordan score at least 30 points in eight consecutive playoff games, LeBron trails Jordan by just 72 points for the number one spot.
Even if he maintains his ridiculous 34.3 scoring average through the first 10 games of the playoffs, LeBron would need three games to eclipse Jordan as the NBA's top playoff scorer ever.
Story Update: May 3, 2017
LeBron James is now the second-leading scorer in NBA playoff history, as he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Wednesday night.
James entered Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals needing 25 points to pass Adbul-Jabbar on the all-time list and did so in less than three quarters. A 3-pointer with 8:41 to play in the third quarter gave James 27 points and he went on to finish with 39 to bring his career playoff total to 5,777 points.
James entered this year’s postseason ranked fourth on the all-time playoff scoring list and has already passed Kobe Bryant and Abdul-Jabbar in his first six games. He now only trails Michael Jordan (5,987) for the all-time lead and is in position to break the 6,000-point barrier this year.
Updated All-Time Playoff Scoring Leaders
1. Michael Jordan: 5,987
2. LeBron James: 5,777
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 5,762
4. Kobe Bryant: 5,640
5. Shaquille O'Neal: 5,250
When initially looking at projections on how long it would take LeBron to catch and surpass Jordan - he now trials by just 210 points - we used LeBron’s career playoff scoring average of 28.2 points. However, through the first six games of this year’s playoffs, LeBron is averaging 34.2 points per game - the highest mark for any player to advance past the first round.
If we use his career average, LeBron would need eight more games (7.48 to be exact) to pass Jordan. But if he maintains this torrid scoring rate, he could trim a game off that projection and pass Jordan in just seven games (6.17).
The Cavs are 6-0 in the playoffs and hold a 2-0 lead over Toronto in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. At this point they are only guaranteed four more games, but if they are able to finish off Toronto and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron would have a great chance to pass Jordan in the next round.
The basket that moved LeBron past Kareem on the all-time list was a 3-pointer from the left wing with 8:41 to play in the third quarter. It was LeBron’s fourth 3-pointer of the game and the 302 in his playoff career. He joined Ray Allen, Reggie Miller and Manu Ginobili as the only players to make at least 300 3-pointers in the playoffs.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: 3-Pointers Made
1. Ray Allen: 385
2. Reggie Miller: 320
3. Manu Ginobili: 312
4. LeBron James: 302
5. Kobe Bryant: 292
While LeBron knocked down four treys on Wednesday night, Ginobili went 0-of-3 from beyond the arc as he has shot just 3-19 (15.8) from three in San Antonio’s eight playoff games this year.
Both LeBron and Ginobili - the only active player in the top eight all time - are in striking distance of Miller (320) and LeBron may pass Ginobili in the process.
A quick side note: Stephen Curry currently ranks ninth with 262 playoff 3-pointers. And he’s done that in just 63 games. By comparison, James and Ginobili have played 205 and 204 career playoff games, respectively, and no other player in the top 10 has played fewer than Miller’s 144 playoff games.
Story Update: April 23, 2017
LeBron James had 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks to lead the Cavaliers to a 106-102 Game 4 win over Indiana and another first round sweep.
Not only did LeBron set a new NBA record by winning 21 straight first round games, he also passed Tim Duncan for the most playoff sweeps in playoff history as the Pacers became the 10th victim of playoff LeBron.
To cap things off, LeBron also passed Kobe Bryant to climb to fourth place in field goals made in the playoffs. LeBron shot 13-of-25 on Sunday and it was his last bucket that gave LeBron fourth place all to himself with 2,015 career playoff buckets.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: Field Goals Made
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 2,356
2. Michael Jordan: 2,188
3. Shaquille O'Neal: 2,041
4. LeBron James: 2,015
5. Kobe Bryant: 2,014
The Cavs are the first team to advance to the second round, guaranteeing LeBron at least four more games to continue his march up the charts. Here is a look at five categories that he will either move up or at least challenge to do so in the second round.
Points
Field Goals Made
Minutes
Steals
3-Pointers Made
Story Update: April 20, 2017
In Game 3 against Indiana, the Cavaliers set an NBA playoff record by overcoming a 25-point halftime deficit as they won the game 109-108 to take a 3-0 series lead. In the process, LeBron James recorded his 17th career playoff triple-double as he finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. He shot 14-of-27 from the field and drained six 3-pointers in 12 attempts.
In addition to leading the Cavs to an epic comeback, LeBron also moved up in the playoff leaderboard in three categories: points, rebounds and 3-pointers made. LeBron entered the game ranked fourth in scoring, trailing Kobe Bryant (5,640) by 11 points. With a 41-point outburst, LeBron cleared Kobe by 30 points and now only trails Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (,762) and Michael Jordan (5,987) in career playoff scoring.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: Points
1. Michael Jordan: 5,987
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 5,762
3. LeBron James: 5,670
4. Kobe Bryant: 5,640
5. Shaquille O'Neal: 5,250
LeBron needed only four rebounds to pass Wes Unseld for seventh place on the playoff leaderboard and took care of business less than a minute into the second quarter. After beginning this year's playoffs in ninth place, LeBron has climbed two spots on the all-time list, but will likely not challenge Karl Malone for sixth place during this year's playoffs.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: Rebounds
1. Bill Russell: 4,104
2. Wilt Chamberlain: 3,913
3. Tim Duncan: 2,859
4. Shaquille O'Neal: 2,508
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 2,481
6. Karl Malone: 2,062
7. LeBron James: 1,787
8. Wes Unseld: 1,777
9. Robert Parish: 1,765
10. Elgin Baylor: 1,724
LeBron not only passed Kobe Bryant in playoff scoring, he also leapfrogged him in 3-pointers made to move up to fourth place on Thursday night. LeBron entered the game trailing Kobe by four treys, but knocked down six (in 12 attempts). It was only the third time in his playoff career (202 games) that LeBron made at least six 3-pointers in a game and the first time since 2010.
LeBron should continue to climb the 3-pointers made list - especially if keeps knocking down six per game - but this is the only category in which he is competing with another active player. Manu Ginobili currently sits in third place leading LeBron by 14 treys as the Spurs opened their own Game 3 on Thursday night. Both are within striking distance of Reggie Miller for second place if they have long playoff runs.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: 3-Pointers Made
1. Ray Allen: 385
2. Reggie Miller: 320
3. Manu Ginobili: 309
4. LeBron James: 295
5. Kobe Bryant: 292
Original Story: Published April 19, 2017
In Cleveland’s Game 2 win over Indiana on Monday, LeBron James continued his ascent up the NBA’s all-time playoff leaders by climbing a rung in both the steals and rebounds categories.
His 10 rebounds brought his playoff total to 1,774 as he passed Celtics legend Robert Parish for eighth on the all-time list. He should climb to seventh in Game 3 of the first round series with the Pacers as he currently sits just three boards shy of Wes Unseld’s 1,777.
James also swiped four steals on Monday to pass Magic Johnson forthird on the all-time last with 361 steals. With an average of 1.8 steals per game over 201 career playoff games, LeBron would need nine games to pass Michael Jordan (376) for second and 19 games to surpass Scottie Pippen as the all-time leader.
By reaching the NBA Finals for six straight seasons, LeBron has played in at least 20 playoff games in each of those years. Another return trip to the Finals could allow him to make major leaps among the NBA’s all-time playoff leaders.
Here is a snapshot of where LeBron stands now - April 18, 2017 - after two playoff games in Cleveland’s current title defense.
With his first game of the 2017 Playoffs, LeBron became the ninth player in playoff history to play in 200 playoff games - a category led by Derek Fisher at 259 - and ranks in the top 10 in every statistical category, with the exception of blocks.
Let’s take a closer look at each category to see where LeBron stands now and where he could potentially reach with another long playoff run.
Points
In late March, LeBron passed Shaquille O’Neal for seventh place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. While he is nearly 10,000 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leader in regular-season scoring, when it comes to the playoffs, the top spot is attainable this season.
LeBron is currently in fourth place in playoff scoring with 5,629 points and is on pace to become the first player to ever reach 6,000 playoff points. The current leader - Michael Jordan - scored 5,987 playoff points in his career, 358 more than LeBron.
If LeBron maintains his playoff scoring average of 28.0, he would need 14 games (13.25 to be exact) to become the first player to eclipse the 6,000 playoff points plateau. On the way, he would pass Kobe Bryant (3rd at 5,640 playoff points), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5,762) and Jordan (5,987). Entering this season, LeBron has averaged 18.1 playoff games per season, so getting 14 more on top of the two he’s played this playoffs is definitely in reach.
Steals
LeBron will likely pass Jordan in another category this playoffs, and has an outside shot of catching Scottie Pippen for the all-time lead in steals. LeBron trails Jordan by 15 steals and with a 1.8 playoff average, he would need approximately nine games to surpass Jordan. To reach Pippen, who leads LeBron by 34 steals, the Cavs would likely have to make a return trip to the Finals. If LeBron maintains his playoff average, he would need 19 games to catch Pippen.
Minutes
LeBron sits one slot ahead of Pippen inall-time playoff minutes with 8,468 entering Friday’s Game 3. If this series goes at least six games, LeBron could pass Kobe (173 ahead) in the first round. Up next would be Kareem (383 ahead), who LeBron would need at least nine games to catch, for second place all-time. It’s unlikely LeBron would be able to surpass Tim Duncan as the all-time leader this season. If he keeps playing 42 minutes per game, it would take 22 more games to top Duncan’s mark of 9,370 playoff minutes. LeBron has never played in 24 playoff games in a single season - his personal high is 23, which he did twice in Miami.
Free Throws Made
This is the final category that LeBron has a realistic chance at the all-time lead during this year’s playoff run, but he will need to get the line more frequently than he has during the first two games of Cleveland’s first round matchup with Indiana. LeBron needs to hit 100 more free throws to pass Jordan for the all-time lead. For his career, LeBron has averaged 6.8 free throws made in the playoffs, but averaged a career-low 3.9 in Cleveland’s championship run last year and is only at 4.5 through the first two games of this year’s playoffs. At his playoff average, LeBron would need 15 games to pass Jordan, but if he stays at 4.5 per game, he would need 23 games, which seems unlikely.
That’s four statistical categories in which LeBron has a shot at becoming the all-time leader over the next two months. But there are more stats in which he will make gains, but won’t realistically challenge for the top spot.
Rebounds
LeBron entered this year’s playoffs in ninth place all-time and has alreadypassed Robert Parish (1,765) for eighth and should pass Wes Unseld (1,777) for seventh place in Friday’s Game 3. After that, there is a large gap before reaching Karl Malone (2,062) for sixth place. Malone leads LeBron by 288 rebounds, which will be insurmountable this season. If LeBron maintain his career average of 8.8 rebounds per game, he would need 33 games to catch Malone. Even if the Cavs made it to the Finals and played seven games in each series, that’s only 26 more games this playoffs.
3-Pointers Made
While LeBron would need only 13 or 14 games to pass Ray Allen for the all-time lead in 3-pointers attempted, he has no real shot of catching his former Heat teammate for the all-time lead in three made at 385. LeBron currently sits in fifth place at 289 treys in his playoff career, just three behind Kobe Bryant for fourth place and 20 behind Manu Ginobili for third place. While most players on these all-time lists are retired, Ginobili is still active and can increase his lead over LeBron as the Spurs work out West, while LeBron works out East. Manu (309) has a better shot at catching Reggie Miller (320) than LeBron does this season.
Field Goals Made
Just like in 3-pointers made, LeBron currently ranks fifth all-time in overall field goals made and should pass Kobe Bryant (2,014) for fourth place very soon. LeBron trails Kobe by just 26 field goals and has averaged just under 10 per game for his career so he should pass the Black Mamba either in the next three games, whether that be against the Pacers (considering Indiana picks up a W at home over the next two games) or in the second round. Next would be Kobe and LeBron’s former teammate - Shaquille O’Neal - at 2,041 field goals. That should happen in the second round, assuming the Cavs advance, as LeBron will need five or six games to surpass Shaq. If the Cavs can make it back to the Finals, Michael Jordan will appear on LeBron’s radar. His Airness sits 200 buckets ahead of LeBron, so it would take just over 20 games for LeBron to make up that difference.
As much progress as LeBron will make this year, there are some categories where his position is essentially locked in for the foreseeable future.
Assists
LeBron currently ranks third all-time in playoff assists at 1,368; he leads Jason Kidd by over 100 dimes and Tony Parker - the only active player in the top five - by over 250 assists. But when it comes to the top two - John Stockton (1,839) and Magic Johnson (2,346) - its going to take a while for LeBron to reach their stratosphere. If LeBron were to maintain his career playoff average of 6.8 assists per game, he would need 70 games to catch Stockton and 144 to catch Magic. LeBron should get comfortable in that No. 3 slot since he’s going to be there for at least next few years.
Blocks
This is the only category in which LeBron does not sit in the top 10 already, and its unlikely he’ll even breach the top 20 this season. LeBron is averaging 2.0 blocks though the first two games of Cleveland’s series with Indiana, but his career stats show that its unlikely he’ll maintain that pace. LeBron has averaged more than 1.3 blocks in the playoffs only once in his career (1.8 in 2009-10) and he holds a career average of 0.9 per game. He would need 21 more blocks during this year’s playoffs to pass Mark Eaton for 20th place on the all-time list. That’s attainable if he keeps up his 2.0 blocks average from the first two games, but unlikely if he reverts back to his career average.
How He’s Done It
When it comes to climbing these all-time lists, the two keys are longevity and consistency. When the Cavs opened the 2017 Playoffs, LeBron became just the ninth player in NBA history to play in 200 playoff games. We’ll look at the players on that list shortly, but first consider who is not on that list - Michael Jordan (179), Larry Bird (164), Magic Johnson (190), Karl Malone (193) and Wilt Chamberlain (160) are just a handful of the NBA legends to have played fewer than 200 playoff games.
So LeBron has a distinct advantage in driving up his stats totals just by being on the court more than some of the game’s greatest players. But when we look at the nine players that have appeared in 200 games, LeBron stands out among that group as well.
LeBron ranks in the top 10 in four of the five major statistical categories. No other player on that list can match that - Shaq, Kobe, Kareem and Duncan are top 10 in three categories, but none of them effect the game in a more complete way than LeBron. When looking at the average combined ranking in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, the closest matches for LeBron (7.8) are Pippen (12.4) and Kareem (12.6).
In order to compare LeBron to all players, let’s look at where he ranks when using career playoff averages. Using a minimum of 10 playoff games played as a benchmark to remove outliers that have a limited sample to consider, here are LeBron’s career playoff average rankings side-by-side with Michael Jordan.
LeBron ranks in the top 30 in points, rebounds and assists, with his lowest ranking coming in blocks (132nd). By comparison, Jordan ranks in the top 30 in two categories (but is in the top 13 in two, which LeBron cannot match) and has two categories (rebounds and blocks) that rank below LeBron. This is presented not to put LeBron and Jordan’s playoff career in competition, but to show that LeBron’s rise up the all-time ranking is not only about appearing in more games than his fellow superstars. LeBron has done the most with those opportunities to set himself in a unique position when looking at the game’s all-time greats.
04/19/2017 at 4:43PM
By Brian Martin
This story was originally published on April 19, 2017, following Game 2 of Cleveland's First Round Playoff series with Indiana. It will be updated throughout the Playoffs as LeBron James moves up the NBA's All-Time Playoff Leaderboards.
Story Update: May 25, 2017
LeBron Passes Jordan To Become All-Time Playoff Scoring Leader
LeBron James entered Thursday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals trailing Michael Jordan as the NBA's all-time leading scorer in the playoffs by 27 points.
With a chance to close out the series (something LeBron has excelled at throughout his career), James and the Cavaliers jumped on the Celtics from the opening tip, scoring a team-record 43 points in the opening quarter to build a lead they would never relinquish.
LeBron missed only one of his eight shot attempts in the first half as he had 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals at the break. His squad held an 18-point lead and were just 24 minutes from advancing to the NBA Finals to face the Golden State Warriors for the third straight year. For LeBron, it is his seventh consecutive trip to The Finals.
LeBron opened the third quarter needing just eight points to surpass Jordan's all-time mark. After getting to the basket for a pair of layups and a dunk, LeBron needed just two points for the record. With 2:40 left in the period, James took a pass from Kyrie Irving on the left wing and launched a 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net and entered LeBron into the history books as the leader scorer in NBA Playoff history.
Updated All-Time Playoff Scoring Leaders
1. LeBron James: 5,995
2. Michael Jordan: 5,987
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 5,762
4. Kobe Bryant: 5,640
5. Shaquille O’Neal: 5,250
6. Tim Duncan: 5,172
7. Karl Malone: 4,761
8. Jerry West: 4,457
9. Tony Parker: 4,012
10. Larry Bird: 3,897
LeBron would knock down two more threes in the following 93 seconds to up his game total to 35 points and his playoff career total to 5,995 points. With the game in hand, LeBron sat out the fourth quarter as the Cavs cruised to victory. With a date with the Warriors set for June 1 in Oakland, James will have at least four more games to add to his record point total in his 12th playoff run.
It must be noted that LeBron passed Jordan in his 212th playoff game, while Jordan scored 5,987 points in just 179 playoff games. As we've addressed earlier, no player in NBA history has matched Jordan's scoring on a per game basis - he leads the NBA's all-time list in scoring average for both theregular season (30.1) and the playoffs (33.4).
But when it comes to the combination of longevity and consistency, LeBron stands out above the rest. Jordan is the only player in the top six all-time leading scorers to have played fewer games than LeBron. Here's the list: Kareem (3rd overall in scoring, 237 games played), Kobe Bryant (4th place, 220 games), Shaquille O'Neal (5th place, 216 games) and Tim Duncan (6th place, 251 games).
With LeBron showing no signs of slowing down at age 32 and in his 14th season - he's averaging 32.5 points (his highest average since 2009) and shooting career-highs from the field (56.6%) and from three (42.1%) through the first 13 games of this postseason - it begs the question: how high can he set the bar for everyone to chase once he calls it a career?
In climbing past Jordan as the all-time leading scorer in Game 5, LeBron knocked down four 3-pointers to pass Manu Ginobili for third place in playoff leaders in 3-pointers made and just one trey behind second-ranked Reggie Miller.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: 3-Pointers Made
1. Ray Allen: 395
2. Reggie Miller: 320
3. LeBron James: 319
4. Manu Ginobili: 318
5. Stephen Curry: 295
Story Update: May 19, 2017
Following a nine-day layoff after sweeping the Toronto Raptors in the Conference Semifinals, LeBron James and the Cavaliers got back to work on Wednesday as they opened the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics.
In Cleveland's record-breaking Game 2 win in Boston, LeBron finished with 30 points, seven assists, four rebounds, four steals and three blocks in just 33 minutes as the Cavs handed the Celtics their worst playoff loss in franchise history.
With his fourth steal of the night, LeBron passed Michael Jordan for second place in career playoff steals. He now only trails Jordan's Chicago teammate Scottie Pippen, who owns the top mark with 395 playoff steals. LeBron needs 19 more steals to take the all-time lead; if he maintains his 2.3 steals per game average from this postseason it would take just over eight games to break the record.
Updated All-Time Playoff Steals Leaders
1. Scottie Pippen: 395
2. LeBron James: 377
3. Michael Jordan: 376
4. Magic Johnson: 358
5. John Stockton: 338
In addition to ranking second in steals, LeBron is also closing in on Jordan for the all-time lead in playoff scoring. After scoring 30 in Game 2 to become the first player since Jordan score at least 30 points in eight consecutive playoff games, LeBron trails Jordan by just 72 points for the number one spot.
Even if he maintains his ridiculous 34.3 scoring average through the first 10 games of the playoffs, LeBron would need three games to eclipse Jordan as the NBA's top playoff scorer ever.
Story Update: May 3, 2017
LeBron James is now the second-leading scorer in NBA playoff history, as he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Wednesday night.
James entered Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals needing 25 points to pass Adbul-Jabbar on the all-time list and did so in less than three quarters. A 3-pointer with 8:41 to play in the third quarter gave James 27 points and he went on to finish with 39 to bring his career playoff total to 5,777 points.
James entered this year’s postseason ranked fourth on the all-time playoff scoring list and has already passed Kobe Bryant and Abdul-Jabbar in his first six games. He now only trails Michael Jordan (5,987) for the all-time lead and is in position to break the 6,000-point barrier this year.
Updated All-Time Playoff Scoring Leaders
1. Michael Jordan: 5,987
2. LeBron James: 5,777
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 5,762
4. Kobe Bryant: 5,640
5. Shaquille O'Neal: 5,250
When initially looking at projections on how long it would take LeBron to catch and surpass Jordan - he now trials by just 210 points - we used LeBron’s career playoff scoring average of 28.2 points. However, through the first six games of this year’s playoffs, LeBron is averaging 34.2 points per game - the highest mark for any player to advance past the first round.
If we use his career average, LeBron would need eight more games (7.48 to be exact) to pass Jordan. But if he maintains this torrid scoring rate, he could trim a game off that projection and pass Jordan in just seven games (6.17).
The Cavs are 6-0 in the playoffs and hold a 2-0 lead over Toronto in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. At this point they are only guaranteed four more games, but if they are able to finish off Toronto and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron would have a great chance to pass Jordan in the next round.
The basket that moved LeBron past Kareem on the all-time list was a 3-pointer from the left wing with 8:41 to play in the third quarter. It was LeBron’s fourth 3-pointer of the game and the 302 in his playoff career. He joined Ray Allen, Reggie Miller and Manu Ginobili as the only players to make at least 300 3-pointers in the playoffs.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: 3-Pointers Made
1. Ray Allen: 385
2. Reggie Miller: 320
3. Manu Ginobili: 312
4. LeBron James: 302
5. Kobe Bryant: 292
While LeBron knocked down four treys on Wednesday night, Ginobili went 0-of-3 from beyond the arc as he has shot just 3-19 (15.8) from three in San Antonio’s eight playoff games this year.
Both LeBron and Ginobili - the only active player in the top eight all time - are in striking distance of Miller (320) and LeBron may pass Ginobili in the process.
A quick side note: Stephen Curry currently ranks ninth with 262 playoff 3-pointers. And he’s done that in just 63 games. By comparison, James and Ginobili have played 205 and 204 career playoff games, respectively, and no other player in the top 10 has played fewer than Miller’s 144 playoff games.
Story Update: April 23, 2017
LeBron James had 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks to lead the Cavaliers to a 106-102 Game 4 win over Indiana and another first round sweep.
Not only did LeBron set a new NBA record by winning 21 straight first round games, he also passed Tim Duncan for the most playoff sweeps in playoff history as the Pacers became the 10th victim of playoff LeBron.
To cap things off, LeBron also passed Kobe Bryant to climb to fourth place in field goals made in the playoffs. LeBron shot 13-of-25 on Sunday and it was his last bucket that gave LeBron fourth place all to himself with 2,015 career playoff buckets.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: Field Goals Made
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 2,356
2. Michael Jordan: 2,188
3. Shaquille O'Neal: 2,041
4. LeBron James: 2,015
5. Kobe Bryant: 2,014
The Cavs are the first team to advance to the second round, guaranteeing LeBron at least four more games to continue his march up the charts. Here is a look at five categories that he will either move up or at least challenge to do so in the second round.
Points
- LeBron needs 60 points to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second all-time playoff scoring (5,762). LeBron scored 131 points in Cleveland’s four-game sweep in the first round, an average of 32.8 points per game, which gives him a realistic shot of passing Kareem in just two games.
Field Goals Made
- After passing Kobe on Sunday, LeBron needs 27 baskets to pass Shaq for third all-time (2,041). LeBron had 50 field goals made in first round, so he should only need two to three games to pass Shaq.
Minutes
- LeBron needs to play just 84 minutes to pass Kobe for third all-time in playoff minutes (8,641). LeBron played 175 minutes in first round and currently leads the playoffs in minutes played at 43.7 per game. At that rate, he would need only two games to pass Kobe.
Steals
- LeBron needs 11 steals to pass Michael Jordan for second all-time (376). LeBron had a dozen steals in the first round, an average of three per game, which ranks second among all players this postseason.
3-Pointers Made
- LeBron sits 13 treys behind Manu Ginobili for third place all-time (309). Of all the categories LeBron can challenge in the second round, this is the biggest unknown. LeBron had nine 3-pointers in the first round, so if he maintained that pace and the Cavs were pushed to a longer series in round two, he could get to 13.
However, unlike most of the players LeBron is chasing on these all-time lists, Manu is still active and the Spurs are currently locked up with the Grizzlies at 2-2 in the first round. He has had - and will continue to have - opportunities to build on his lead, making it difficult for LeBron to catch him. So far Manu has come up empty, shooting 0-10 from beyond the arc in San Antonio’s first four games of the playoffs. Considering he’s shot 36.1 percent from three during his playoff career, he’s not bound to stay ice cold for too long.
Story Update: April 20, 2017
In Game 3 against Indiana, the Cavaliers set an NBA playoff record by overcoming a 25-point halftime deficit as they won the game 109-108 to take a 3-0 series lead. In the process, LeBron James recorded his 17th career playoff triple-double as he finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. He shot 14-of-27 from the field and drained six 3-pointers in 12 attempts.
In addition to leading the Cavs to an epic comeback, LeBron also moved up in the playoff leaderboard in three categories: points, rebounds and 3-pointers made. LeBron entered the game ranked fourth in scoring, trailing Kobe Bryant (5,640) by 11 points. With a 41-point outburst, LeBron cleared Kobe by 30 points and now only trails Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (,762) and Michael Jordan (5,987) in career playoff scoring.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: Points
1. Michael Jordan: 5,987
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 5,762
3. LeBron James: 5,670
4. Kobe Bryant: 5,640
5. Shaquille O'Neal: 5,250
LeBron needed only four rebounds to pass Wes Unseld for seventh place on the playoff leaderboard and took care of business less than a minute into the second quarter. After beginning this year's playoffs in ninth place, LeBron has climbed two spots on the all-time list, but will likely not challenge Karl Malone for sixth place during this year's playoffs.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: Rebounds
1. Bill Russell: 4,104
2. Wilt Chamberlain: 3,913
3. Tim Duncan: 2,859
4. Shaquille O'Neal: 2,508
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 2,481
6. Karl Malone: 2,062
7. LeBron James: 1,787
8. Wes Unseld: 1,777
9. Robert Parish: 1,765
10. Elgin Baylor: 1,724
LeBron not only passed Kobe Bryant in playoff scoring, he also leapfrogged him in 3-pointers made to move up to fourth place on Thursday night. LeBron entered the game trailing Kobe by four treys, but knocked down six (in 12 attempts). It was only the third time in his playoff career (202 games) that LeBron made at least six 3-pointers in a game and the first time since 2010.
LeBron should continue to climb the 3-pointers made list - especially if keeps knocking down six per game - but this is the only category in which he is competing with another active player. Manu Ginobili currently sits in third place leading LeBron by 14 treys as the Spurs opened their own Game 3 on Thursday night. Both are within striking distance of Reggie Miller for second place if they have long playoff runs.
Updated All-Time Playoff Leaders: 3-Pointers Made
1. Ray Allen: 385
2. Reggie Miller: 320
3. Manu Ginobili: 309
4. LeBron James: 295
5. Kobe Bryant: 292
Original Story: Published April 19, 2017
In Cleveland’s Game 2 win over Indiana on Monday, LeBron James continued his ascent up the NBA’s all-time playoff leaders by climbing a rung in both the steals and rebounds categories.
His 10 rebounds brought his playoff total to 1,774 as he passed Celtics legend Robert Parish for eighth on the all-time list. He should climb to seventh in Game 3 of the first round series with the Pacers as he currently sits just three boards shy of Wes Unseld’s 1,777.
James also swiped four steals on Monday to pass Magic Johnson forthird on the all-time last with 361 steals. With an average of 1.8 steals per game over 201 career playoff games, LeBron would need nine games to pass Michael Jordan (376) for second and 19 games to surpass Scottie Pippen as the all-time leader.
By reaching the NBA Finals for six straight seasons, LeBron has played in at least 20 playoff games in each of those years. Another return trip to the Finals could allow him to make major leaps among the NBA’s all-time playoff leaders.
Here is a snapshot of where LeBron stands now - April 18, 2017 - after two playoff games in Cleveland’s current title defense.
With his first game of the 2017 Playoffs, LeBron became the ninth player in playoff history to play in 200 playoff games - a category led by Derek Fisher at 259 - and ranks in the top 10 in every statistical category, with the exception of blocks.
Let’s take a closer look at each category to see where LeBron stands now and where he could potentially reach with another long playoff run.
Points
In late March, LeBron passed Shaquille O’Neal for seventh place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. While he is nearly 10,000 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leader in regular-season scoring, when it comes to the playoffs, the top spot is attainable this season.
LeBron is currently in fourth place in playoff scoring with 5,629 points and is on pace to become the first player to ever reach 6,000 playoff points. The current leader - Michael Jordan - scored 5,987 playoff points in his career, 358 more than LeBron.
If LeBron maintains his playoff scoring average of 28.0, he would need 14 games (13.25 to be exact) to become the first player to eclipse the 6,000 playoff points plateau. On the way, he would pass Kobe Bryant (3rd at 5,640 playoff points), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5,762) and Jordan (5,987). Entering this season, LeBron has averaged 18.1 playoff games per season, so getting 14 more on top of the two he’s played this playoffs is definitely in reach.
Steals
LeBron will likely pass Jordan in another category this playoffs, and has an outside shot of catching Scottie Pippen for the all-time lead in steals. LeBron trails Jordan by 15 steals and with a 1.8 playoff average, he would need approximately nine games to surpass Jordan. To reach Pippen, who leads LeBron by 34 steals, the Cavs would likely have to make a return trip to the Finals. If LeBron maintains his playoff average, he would need 19 games to catch Pippen.
Minutes
LeBron sits one slot ahead of Pippen inall-time playoff minutes with 8,468 entering Friday’s Game 3. If this series goes at least six games, LeBron could pass Kobe (173 ahead) in the first round. Up next would be Kareem (383 ahead), who LeBron would need at least nine games to catch, for second place all-time. It’s unlikely LeBron would be able to surpass Tim Duncan as the all-time leader this season. If he keeps playing 42 minutes per game, it would take 22 more games to top Duncan’s mark of 9,370 playoff minutes. LeBron has never played in 24 playoff games in a single season - his personal high is 23, which he did twice in Miami.
Free Throws Made
This is the final category that LeBron has a realistic chance at the all-time lead during this year’s playoff run, but he will need to get the line more frequently than he has during the first two games of Cleveland’s first round matchup with Indiana. LeBron needs to hit 100 more free throws to pass Jordan for the all-time lead. For his career, LeBron has averaged 6.8 free throws made in the playoffs, but averaged a career-low 3.9 in Cleveland’s championship run last year and is only at 4.5 through the first two games of this year’s playoffs. At his playoff average, LeBron would need 15 games to pass Jordan, but if he stays at 4.5 per game, he would need 23 games, which seems unlikely.
That’s four statistical categories in which LeBron has a shot at becoming the all-time leader over the next two months. But there are more stats in which he will make gains, but won’t realistically challenge for the top spot.
Rebounds
LeBron entered this year’s playoffs in ninth place all-time and has alreadypassed Robert Parish (1,765) for eighth and should pass Wes Unseld (1,777) for seventh place in Friday’s Game 3. After that, there is a large gap before reaching Karl Malone (2,062) for sixth place. Malone leads LeBron by 288 rebounds, which will be insurmountable this season. If LeBron maintain his career average of 8.8 rebounds per game, he would need 33 games to catch Malone. Even if the Cavs made it to the Finals and played seven games in each series, that’s only 26 more games this playoffs.
3-Pointers Made
While LeBron would need only 13 or 14 games to pass Ray Allen for the all-time lead in 3-pointers attempted, he has no real shot of catching his former Heat teammate for the all-time lead in three made at 385. LeBron currently sits in fifth place at 289 treys in his playoff career, just three behind Kobe Bryant for fourth place and 20 behind Manu Ginobili for third place. While most players on these all-time lists are retired, Ginobili is still active and can increase his lead over LeBron as the Spurs work out West, while LeBron works out East. Manu (309) has a better shot at catching Reggie Miller (320) than LeBron does this season.
Field Goals Made
Just like in 3-pointers made, LeBron currently ranks fifth all-time in overall field goals made and should pass Kobe Bryant (2,014) for fourth place very soon. LeBron trails Kobe by just 26 field goals and has averaged just under 10 per game for his career so he should pass the Black Mamba either in the next three games, whether that be against the Pacers (considering Indiana picks up a W at home over the next two games) or in the second round. Next would be Kobe and LeBron’s former teammate - Shaquille O’Neal - at 2,041 field goals. That should happen in the second round, assuming the Cavs advance, as LeBron will need five or six games to surpass Shaq. If the Cavs can make it back to the Finals, Michael Jordan will appear on LeBron’s radar. His Airness sits 200 buckets ahead of LeBron, so it would take just over 20 games for LeBron to make up that difference.
As much progress as LeBron will make this year, there are some categories where his position is essentially locked in for the foreseeable future.
Assists
LeBron currently ranks third all-time in playoff assists at 1,368; he leads Jason Kidd by over 100 dimes and Tony Parker - the only active player in the top five - by over 250 assists. But when it comes to the top two - John Stockton (1,839) and Magic Johnson (2,346) - its going to take a while for LeBron to reach their stratosphere. If LeBron were to maintain his career playoff average of 6.8 assists per game, he would need 70 games to catch Stockton and 144 to catch Magic. LeBron should get comfortable in that No. 3 slot since he’s going to be there for at least next few years.
Blocks
This is the only category in which LeBron does not sit in the top 10 already, and its unlikely he’ll even breach the top 20 this season. LeBron is averaging 2.0 blocks though the first two games of Cleveland’s series with Indiana, but his career stats show that its unlikely he’ll maintain that pace. LeBron has averaged more than 1.3 blocks in the playoffs only once in his career (1.8 in 2009-10) and he holds a career average of 0.9 per game. He would need 21 more blocks during this year’s playoffs to pass Mark Eaton for 20th place on the all-time list. That’s attainable if he keeps up his 2.0 blocks average from the first two games, but unlikely if he reverts back to his career average.
How He’s Done It
When it comes to climbing these all-time lists, the two keys are longevity and consistency. When the Cavs opened the 2017 Playoffs, LeBron became just the ninth player in NBA history to play in 200 playoff games. We’ll look at the players on that list shortly, but first consider who is not on that list - Michael Jordan (179), Larry Bird (164), Magic Johnson (190), Karl Malone (193) and Wilt Chamberlain (160) are just a handful of the NBA legends to have played fewer than 200 playoff games.
So LeBron has a distinct advantage in driving up his stats totals just by being on the court more than some of the game’s greatest players. But when we look at the nine players that have appeared in 200 games, LeBron stands out among that group as well.
LeBron ranks in the top 10 in four of the five major statistical categories. No other player on that list can match that - Shaq, Kobe, Kareem and Duncan are top 10 in three categories, but none of them effect the game in a more complete way than LeBron. When looking at the average combined ranking in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, the closest matches for LeBron (7.8) are Pippen (12.4) and Kareem (12.6).
In order to compare LeBron to all players, let’s look at where he ranks when using career playoff averages. Using a minimum of 10 playoff games played as a benchmark to remove outliers that have a limited sample to consider, here are LeBron’s career playoff average rankings side-by-side with Michael Jordan.
LeBron ranks in the top 30 in points, rebounds and assists, with his lowest ranking coming in blocks (132nd). By comparison, Jordan ranks in the top 30 in two categories (but is in the top 13 in two, which LeBron cannot match) and has two categories (rebounds and blocks) that rank below LeBron. This is presented not to put LeBron and Jordan’s playoff career in competition, but to show that LeBron’s rise up the all-time ranking is not only about appearing in more games than his fellow superstars. LeBron has done the most with those opportunities to set himself in a unique position when looking at the game’s all-time greats.
Props on that entire post Mask. I wondered where he was in those other categories.. MJ aint in sight in most of those stats.. Look at his company on the boards list... All bigs save for my man Elgin.
MJ is not in sight in the stats you'd expect a SG not to be in sight i.e. assists rebounds blocks...and him not ranking high in the most minutes logged in doesn't hurt...that's a pretty irrelevant stat for the purpose of this argument...yet he still appears in the top 2 spots in almost half of the categories listed...my comment is not about MJ vs lebron btw...but let's not be completely daft and act like you don't know why MJ was unarguably the goat prior to the emergence of lebron...that being said lebron will easily go down as the goat when all is said and done...shit a solid argument can be made for him now...only thing MJ has over him is the rings/undefeated finals appearances...but no one who is sincere can argue that lebron isn't the best well-rounded player in NBA history...I've said this before and I'll say it again for me the most impressive thing about lebron is the amount of assists he has given his size/natural position (dude is easily the same height/weight as karl malone)...dude is only behind magic and and stockton on that fucking list...that is fucking insane
I hate when I take my time and carefully type/say something to make sure I'm 1000% clear and not subject to misinterpretation and somebody still responds and says/questions some shit I clearly addressed smh
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