- Here’s a list of the top five NBA players who scored the most points in the playoffs.
- Lebron James leads the list with 8,023 points.
- James is the only active player included in the top-five list.
The NBA playoffs have been the biggest stage for superstars to showcase their basketball talents, especially in increasing their team’s NBA championship odds and inching closer to the title. These performances have swayed fans to make them a favorite in NBA betting lines when placing their bets online.
LeBron James passes MJ to become the all-time leading Playoff scorer in @NBAHistory. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/RmEFiiRa5G
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 26, 2017
Among the major statistical categories, scoring remains the top output that ultimately helps teams win games in the postseason. With that being said, who among the long list of NBA superstars has accumulated the most points in playoff history?
Top 5 NBA Players With Most Playoff Points
| Player Name | Playoff Appearances | Total Games Played | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 16 | 282 | 8,023 |
| Michael Jordan | 13 | 179 | 5,987 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 18 | 237 | 5,762 |
| Kobe Bryant | 15 | 220 | 5,640 |
| Shaquille O’Neal | 17 | 216 | 5,250 |
LeBron James — 8,023 Points
In 2017, LeBron James officially surpassed Michael Jordan as the all-time scoring leader in the NBA playoffs. He has 8,023 in 16 postseason runs and 282 games played. Aside from having the most points scored, King James also holds the record for the most minutes played with 11,654. Additionally, James is the only player in NBA history to reach over 8,000 points in the playoffs.
Congratulations to @KingJames of the @Lakers for reaching 8,000 career Playoff points 👏 pic.twitter.com/V79lSRw0Hh
— NBA (@NBA) May 23, 2023
Michael Jordan — 5,987 Points
Second on the list is Michael Jordan, who amassed 5,987 points throughout his 13 NBA playoff appearances. In those 13 appearances, he played 179 games and scored a record-setting 33.4 points per game, with 6.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists. Interestingly, he has the fewest minutes played in the top five list, with 7,474. All of his runs in the postseason were when he donned the Chicago Bulls jersey.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 5,762 Points
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar only missed the playoffs only twice during his 20-year career in the NBA. In those 18 postseason runs (five with the Bucks and 13 with the Lakers), “The Captain” recorded 5,762 points in 237 games and averaged 24.3 points per game. These incredible numbers also served as Abdul-Jabbar’s formula to collect six NBA titles and two NBA Finals MVP awards.
Kobe Bryant — 5,640 Points
The late Kobe Bryant captured five NBA titles because of his great playoff performances, including a total scoring output of 5,640 in the postseason. Like LeBron James, Bryant had 15 postseason appearances and played a total of 220 games, where he averaged 25.6 points per outing. Along with this marvelous offensive performance, Bryant also had 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists averages in 8,641 minutes played.
Most career playoff points by a teenager:
170 — Kobe Bryant
155 — Tony Parker
83 — Jonathan Kuminga pic.twitter.com/Lu9AyooKG0— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 6, 2022
Shaquille O’Neal — 5,250 points
Completing the top five list is Shaquille O’Neal, who piled up 5,250 playoff points throughout his 17-year career. The “Big Diesel” donned six different jerseys in his postseason runs with the Magic, the Lakers, the Heat, the Suns, the Cavaliers and the Celtics. Still, his campaigns with the Lakers and the Heat were the most relevant because he won three NBA titles with the Purple and Gold and one in South Beach.
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