NBA Players With Most Playoff Appearances

Utah Jazz legends Karl Malone and John Stockton are tied for the record of most playoff appearances with 19 campaigns in the postseason. They shared 18 playoff runs in Salt Lake City, where they became top names in points and assists categories. Malone scored 4,761 playoff points, ranking him seventh all-time, while Stockton dished out 1,839 assists, placing him third in the category.

Two big men are tied in the second spot for the most playoff appearances, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan each had 18 postseason runs. Abdul-Jabbar and Duncan immensely helped their team’s chances in the NBA odds to capture multiple titles. “Captain Hook” became instrumental to the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, contributing to six titles, while the “Big Fundamental” was a centerpiece with the San Antonio Spurs’ five championships.

Shaquille O’Neal, Tony Parker, and Jason Kidd sit in the third spot on the list with 17 playoff appearances apiece. In those postseason campaigns, O’Neal and Parker won multiple NBA titles (O’Neal won four titles with the Lakers and one with the Heat, and Parker four with the Spurs), while Kidd collected one ring of his own with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

Rounding out the list is a four-way draw between Robert Horry, Scottie Pippen, Derek Fisher, and Robert Parish, who reached the playoffs 16 times during their careers. All four of these players have won NBA titles, with Horry hauling seven rings (two with the Rockets, three with the Lakers, and two with the Spurs), Pippen with six (all with the Bulls), Fisher with five (all with the Lakers) and Parish collecting four titles (three with the Celtics and one with the Bulls).

Below is a table of NBA players with the most playoff appearances. Note that these numbers are as of the 2021-22 season.

NBA Players With Most Playoff Appearances