As Toronto Raptors fans are excruciatingly aware, LeBron James is killing it these playoffs. Despite a relatively quiet Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 Sunday versus the Boston Celtics, he’s leading the league with 32.7 points per game in the playoffs, and supplementing that total with 9.2 boards and 9.0 assists.
But this type of dominance is nothing new. He’s long been a force in the post-season, and he has the stats to prove it.
Around this time last year we looked at where LeBron stood on just about every major all-time playoff stat. Back then he was already first all-time in points, win shares, three-point attempts and turnovers. Since then he’s gained top spot in minutes played, free throws, field goal attempts and steals.
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So how many other career ladders could LeBron climb before it’s all said and done? We crunched the numbers to catch you up.
Note: In order to extrapolate out, we are counting on LeBron maintaining his career playoff averages (he’s exceeding those right now) for the foreseeable future. That includes playing 18 playoff games per year.
Without further adieu, let’s get to it.
NOT HAPPENING
Thanks for coming out, LeBron. It’s like you’re not even trying to be No. 1 in literally every playoff counting stat.
THREE POINTERS MADE
1. Ray Allen: 385
2. LeBron: 346
3. Stephen Curry: 330
LeBron’s No. 2 placement here is a little deceiving. He might someday pass Allen — but he won’t do it before Curry, who’s currently averaging 4.2 threes per career playoff game.
OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
1. Shaquille O’Neal: 866
21. LeBron: 351
No.
TOTAL REBOUNDS
1. Bill Russell: 4,104
7. LeBron: 2,032
Uh-uh.
BLOCKS
1. Tim Duncan: 568
15. LeBron: 222
Moving on!
UNLIKELY
But hey, it’s fun to dream.
ASSISTS
1. Magic Johnson: 2,346
2. John Stockton: 1,839
3. LeBron: 1,597
The only reason this one is here and not in the definitely-not-happening section above is because LeBron is a magic robot from the future. The feat would require him maintaining his career playoff average of 7.0 assists per game for 107 more games (that’s six more massive playoff runs beyond this season).
Topping Stockton, though? He could do that in a mere 35 games.
PERSONAL FOULS
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 797
17. LeBron: 541
This, too, would require 107 games. So … don’t hold your breath.
But, still, take a second to imagine the beauty of that hypothetical tilt in 2024 when a 39-year-old LeBron dishes to a 19-year-old LeBron Jr. for his Magic-passing assist and then hammers a 34-year-old Lance Stephenson for blowing in Junior’s ear to pass Kareem on the fouls list. It could happen!
POSSIBLE
With continued health and team success, wherever that team may be located, this stuff is all eminently achievable.
GAMES
1. Derek Fisher: 259
5. LeBron: 229
Obviously this record is held by … Derek Fisher.
At current rates, this should be doable by 2020. But 31 games — even with a guaranteed three more this season — feels just a hair too many to be a given. (See the entry for games started, below.)
FREE THROWS ATTEMPTED
1. Shaq: 2,317
2. LeBron James: 2,094
LeBron (9.1 attempts per game, career) needs 24 more playoff games for this one — which means he could get there towards the end of the 2019 playoffs at the earliest.
DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS
1. Duncan: 2,081
2. LeBron: 1,681
Is it me, or does this one seem particularly ridiculous? Sure, he could finish with more games played than anybody, but a nominal small forward pulling down more playoff defensive boards than anyone in recorded history just scans funny.
Still, though: LeBron would need 55 games at career averages to get there. If all goes per the track record, it could happen in 2021.
SURE THING
Might as well start counting these already.
GAMES STARTED
1. Duncan: 251
2. LeBron: 229
Even if LeBron’s production falls off a cliff (and based on the fact that he’s enjoying one of his most productive playoffs ever, it sure seems like it won’t), there is absolutely no way he doesn’t make 23 more playoff starts. By the numbers, this will happen next post-season.
FIELD GOALS
1. Kareem: 2,356
2. LeBron: 2,327
LeBron averages 10.2 makes per game, which means he needs just three games to pass Kareem. He’ll get there this season even if this Cavs get swept by the Celtics. Chalk up another one for LeBron.
