Let’s take a quick look at the top 10 stars with the most points in the history of NBA playoffs
Looking back through NBA history, we have always seen some talented players delivering an extraordinary performance in the playoffs. Some players have even scored more than 50 points in unforgettable playoff nights. It is thus surely true that legends are made in the playoffs.
While most of these players went on to win the NBA Championship, others just padded the stat sheet. But one common thing among all of them is that they became NBA Superstars and have a Hall of Fame basketball career.
Keep on reading to find out about the top 10 stars with the most points in NBA playoff history.
Top 10 stars with most points in the history of the NBA playoffs
1. Tony Parker – 4,045 points
The former San Antonio Spurs point guard has scored 4,045 points in 226 playoff games and is ranked tenth in playoff career points. With a playoff career average of 17.90, Parker has won 4 NBA Championships with the Spurs.
The French player signed a two-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets in 2018. However, in 2019, he announced his retirement from the NBA. He ended his career ranked fifth in playoff career assists (1,143).
2. Kevin Durant – 4,454 points
No matter in which team he is playing, Durant has always been unstoppable in the postseason. The 31-year-old has scored 4,454 points in 151 playoff games and has a playoff career average of 29.50.
The Slim Reaper already has two NBA Championships and two Finals MVP with the Golden State Warriors. Currently playing for the Brooklyn Nets, Durant went to the 2021 playoffs with them. In just 12 playoff games he averaged 34.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists.
3. Jerry West – 4,457 points
The Logo has scored 4,457 points in 153 playoff games and has a playoff career average of 29.13.
The former Los Angeles Lakers point guard averaged 40.6 points per game during his 11 appearances in the 1965 playoffs. The only other player who has averaged 40-plus points in a single postseason is Michael Jordan in the 1986 playoffs.
West has won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 1972 and was also the NBA Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player) in 1969. Surprisingly, the Lakers lost the 1969 Finals.
West also has 20 40-point playoff games and there are only two other players who have done the same. Jordan has 38 games while LeBron James has 27.
4. Karl Malone – 4,761 points
The Mailman is considered as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. He has scored 4,761 points in 193 playoff games and has a playoff career average of 24.67.
Malone has spent most of his career with the Utah Jazz but retired as a Laker in 2004. He went to the NBA Finals three times; two times with the Jazz (1997, 1998) and once with the Lakers (2004) but failed to win an NBA championship.
However, the Louisiana native has won two gold medals in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics respectively. In the 1996 Olympics, Malone averaged 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
He has also won two NBA Most Valuable Player award (1997, 1999).
5. Tim Duncan – 5,172 points
The San Antonio Spurs built a two-decade dynasty based on Tim Duncan’s reliability. Duncan has 5,172 points in 251 playoff appearances and has a playoff career average of 20.61.
The Big Fundamental is a 5-time NBA Champion with the Spurs (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014). Duncan averaged 22-plus points in each of those four championship runs. He was also 3x NBA Finals MVP and 2x NBA Most Valuable Player.
He retired from Spurs in 2016 and joined them as an assistant coach for the 2019-2020 season.
6. Shaquille O’Neal – 5,250 points
O’Neal ranks No. 5 all-time in playoff career points with 5,250 points in 216 playoff games. He has a playoff career average of 24.31.
He averaged 28.3 points per game while playing the playoffs for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.
O’Neal has won 4x NBA championships; three with the Lakers (2000-2002) and one with the Miami Heat (2006). He has also won 3x NBA Finals MVP.
7. Kobe Bryant – 5,640 points
The Black Mamba has 5,640 points in 220 playoff games. He also has a playoff career average of 25.64. His 220 playoff games appearance is the seventh most in NBA history.
Bryant has won five NBA titles and two Finals MVP. He was also the NBA MVP (2008).
He has also won two Olympic Gold medals in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics respectively. He is also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
A brilliant shooting guard, 41-year-old Kobe Bean Bryant died an untimely death on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash.
8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 5,762 points
Jabbar has scored 5,762 points in 237 playoff games and has a playoff career average of 24.31.
The former Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks player has won six NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP. A six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Jabbar’s signature shot, that is the ‘skyhook’ devastated other teams.
Kareem retired as the NBA’s all-time leading playoff scorer and is still third behind LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
9. Michael Jordan – 5,987 points
Air Jordan has 5,987 points in 179 playoff games and has a massive playoff career average of 33.45. It seems that his record of career average cannot be broken anytime soon.
Jordan has won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and has earned NBA Finals MVP in all six series. A five-time NBA MVP, Jordan retired from NBA in 2003 as a Washington Wizards player.
He has also won two Olympic Gold medals in the 1984 Los Angeles and 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Today, he is a billionaire with a net worth of $1.6 billion. He is also known for his famous ‘Jordan’ brand.
10. LeBron James – 7,631 points
James has 7,631 points in 266 playoff games and has a career average of 28.7.
LeBron is a four-time NBA champion and has also won the NBA Finals MVP four times. A 17x NBA All-Star, James has been the NBA MVP four times.
A perennial scorer, James is ranked number 1 in playoff career points. He has gone to the NBA Finals 10 times, a feat not easy to achieve.
He has won two gold medals and one bronze medal in the Olympics. His bronze medal came in the 2004 Athens Olympics and his gold medals came in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics respectively.
A superstar whose net worth is $500 million, 36-year-old James currently plays forward for the Los Angeles Lakers. And he has a lot of fuel left in his tank.
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