Who has won the most playoff matches in NBA history?
NBA legends have conquered the playoffs but no one has done it better than LeBron James who amassed the most playoff wins of all time over his career
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The NBA playoffs are the time of the year when every player kicks into a different gear in a quest for a championship. Making the playoffs are much easier than playing in them, and nobody has won more playoff matches in NBA history than LeBron James, with 174 wins. The King has taken part in 266 playoff games which is also the most of all time and has been exceptional in the post-season.
However, in terms of win percentage amongst players who have played over 100 games, Draymond Green is at the top. The Golden State Warriors dynasty have made the NBA Finals every year they have made the playoffs since 2015 which accounts for a lot of playoff wins in a relatively short time. However, LeBron James was one of only two teams to beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals since 2015, when he came back from 3-1 down in the 2016 NBA Finals.
LeBron being the overall leader comes as no surprise as the King made eight straight NBA Finals appearances and 10 overall which is the most of any active player. LeBron has won four of his ten appearances in the NBA Finals and won three of the eight consecutive Finals he made between 2011 and 2018. King James’ first ever playoff win was in his first-ever game in 2006 when he scored 32 points to beat the Washington Wizards.
LeBron James’ most iconic playoff wins
The King had played and won more playoff games than anyone else and has had quite a few memorable games. Young LeBron James at the Cleveland Cavaliers was already an MVP-level player by his first playoff appearance and by 2007 he made it all the way to the NBA Finals. The King dropped 48 points in the Eastern Conference Finals at the age of just 22. LeBron scored over 20 straight points for the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter and both overtime to will them to a crucial Game 5 win.
In 2012 The King won his first NBA championship and dropped a classic performance in the Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. LeBron was coming off the back of his second Finals loss in 2011 and was 3-2 down against Boston in 2012 going away for game 6. LeBron zoned in and gave everyone the iconic ‘LeBron stare’ meme that is so famous and scored 45 points in a do-or-die game to push it to 7 and win the series and eventually his first ring.
The King returned to Cleveland in 2014 but that did not stop him from making the NBA Finals. The King made 4 straight NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors from 2015-2018 and won just one of them. LeBron’s most impressive game in the 2016 Finals came in game 5 where he dropped 41 points while facing elimination to keep the series alive.
How many teams has LeBron James beat in the playoffs?
LeBron James has perpetually lived in the post-season and has beaten many wishful teams on his way. Bron has beaten 22 different teams in the NBA playoffs throughout his 20-year career and has got the most wins against the Boston Celtics with 25 wins in 41 games against them. The King spent most of his career in the Eastern Conference which explains the frequent meetings with Boston.
There are only two NBA teams who have never beaten LeBron James in the playoffs even once, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Bobcats who got swept by LeBron James in their only meeting. The 4x NBA Champion however, is known for beating the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs as the city’s own newspaper called him ‘LeBronto’ after he knocked them out of the playoffs in 2018 for the third time in a row.
On the contrary, there are only three teams to beat LeBron James in a playoff series and not get beaten in subsequent or previous years. The Dallas Mavericks in 2011, The Orlando Magic in 2009 and the Phoenix Suns in 2021. Out of all those teams, the Suns are still the only team to ever defeat LeBron James in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
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Anuj Shrikanth Iyer
(290 Articles Published)