LeBron James is the all-time points leader in NBA playoff history. No one else comes even close to the King.
Credit: Fadeaway World
The NBA playoffs are where legends and legacies are written. On the NBA’s biggest platform, stars from all over the league showcase their talents to the world, all with the same goal in mind, to lead their teams to an NBA championship. Of course, there are players that rise above the rest to achieve this goal, while others put on all-time great performances while coming up just short. The NBA players below are the ones who, at their best, lifted their teams with scoring performances that we will remember forever as the NBA carries on.
There have been 27 NBA players who have scored at least 3,000 points in their NBA playoff careers. Only four active players are a part of that group, while Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul are the two active players closest to reaching the 3,000-point mark. The other 23 players are some of the greatest to ever lace up their shoes and hit the court in the NBA playoffs. Today, we will honor these scorers by placing them on tiers according to their points scored in the NBA playoffs.
These are the greatest NBA playoff scorers in history by tiers.
Tier 5 - 3,000+ Points
Dwyane Wade - 3,954 Points (22.3 PPG, 177 Games)
Larry Bird - 3,897 Points (23.8 PPG, 164 Games)
John Havlicek - 3,776 Points (22.0 PPG, 172 Games)
Hakeem Olajuwon - 3,755 Points (25.9 PPG, 145 Games)
Magic Johnson - 3,701 Points (19.5 PPG, 190 Games)
Dirk Nowitzki - 3,663 Points (25.3 PPG, 145 Games)
Scottie Pippen - 3,642 Points (17.5 PPG, 208 Games)
Elgin Baylor - 3,623 Points (27.0 PPG, 134 Games)
Wilt Chamberlain - 3,607 Points (22.5 PPG, 160 Games)
Stephen Curry - 3,570 Points (26.6 PPG, 134 Games)
James Harden - 3,414 Points (22.9 PPG, 149 Games)
Kevin McHale - 3,182 Points (18.8 PPG, 169 Games)
Paul Pierce - 3,180 Points (18.7 PPG, 170 Games)
Dennis Johnson - 3,116 Points (17.3 PPG, 180 Games)
Julius Erving - 3,088 Points (21.9 PPG, 141 Games)
Manu Ginobili - 3,054 Points (14.0 PPG, 218 Games)
James Worthy - 3,022 Points (21.1 PPG, 143 Games)
The first rung of our playoff scoring tier contains 16 NBA players, past and present. The first one of those players is Big Game James Worthy, who spent his entire career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Worthy would win three NBA championships with the Lakers, but none sweeter than the one he captured in 1988. Worthy would win the Finals MVP award for his performance during the Finals, as he averaged over 21.0 PPG for the whole playoffs. In 1989 and 1990, Worthy would average 24.0 PPG or better in each playoff run.
Manu Ginobili was a member of four NBA championship teams in his career with the San Antonio Spurs. The former Sixth Man of the Year would have one of his best playoff-scoring stretches during their 2005 championship season. He averaged 20.8 PPG on that title run and 16.7 PPG when they won again in 2007. Ginobili would average over 20.0 PPG once again in 2011, but the Spurs were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Overall, Ginobili wasn't known for his scoring, but when the playoffs came, he was certainly a threat.
Julius Erving did a ton of damage in the playoffs during his ABA days with the New York Nets. He also carried over those great performances in the NBA with the 76ers, whom he led to the NBA Finals four different times. Erving averaged 20.0 PPG or better in nine of his 11 playoff appearances in the NBA and over 25.0 PPG once. In 1983, Erving and the Sixers finally captured an NBA championship, with Erving averaging 21.4 PPG for the entire run.
Before he won two NBA championships in Boston, Dennis Johnson was a scoring machine for the Seattle SuperSonics and Phoenix Suns. In 1979, Johnson led Seattle to their first NBA championship when he averaged 20.9 PPG and won Finals MVP honors. In three seasons with Phoenix in the playoffs, Johnson averaged 20.9 PPG, and in seven seasons with the Celtics in the playoffs, he averaged 17.9 PPG.
Paul Pierce has somehow become one of the more underrated players from the 2000s and 2010s. Pierce led the Celtics to 10 playoff appearances in 15 seasons with the team and averaged 21.8 PPG on those 10 runs. In 2008, Pierce and the Celtics were finally able to win an NBA championship, with Pierce gaining Finals MVP honors. He averaged 19.7 PPG on that title run and averaged 20.0 PPG or more in the playoffs a total of six times.
Kevin McHale is one of the greatest power forwards and bench players in NBA history. McHale was able to capture three NBA championships with the Celtics during the 1980s and was a key piece of their three-headed monster with him, Larry Bird, and Robert Parish. McHale was always a dangerous playoff scorer, but his best performance had to have been in 1986, when he averaged 24.9 PPG to help them win their third title. He averaged 18.8 PPG in his playoff career and shot 56.1% from the field.
At his peak, there was no better scorer in the league than James Harden at the time. He was lethal with his handles and step-back three-point shots, as well as his Euro-step and attack on the basket. It won him three scoring titles and an MVP during the late 2010s. From 2013 thru 2020, Harden averaged 25.0 PPG or more every single playoff run, and although it did not amount to an NBA championship, Harden's offensive showing was at an all-time great level in the NBA playoffs.
Stephen Curry is not only a great regular season three-point shooter and scorer. That success has translated mightily to the NBA playoffs, where he has led the Golden State Warriors to four championships since 2015. Curry may not have been named the MVP of every championship he has won, but he had a case all four times and a strong case at that. Curry has averaged 23.0 PPG or better in every playoff appearance he has been a part of since his career started and has averaged 25.0 PPG or better in every championship run.
Wilt Chamberlain and scoring go hand-in-hand, just like peanut butter does with jelly. Chamberlain rewrote the history books with his incredible feats of scoring in his career, which was not limited to the regular season. He averaged over 30.0 PPG in his first four playoff appearances with the Warriors and 20.0 PPG or better in all four appearances with the Sixers, including their title win in 1967. Chamberlain is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, and that is elevated because of the work he did in the NBA playoffs.
Elgin Baylor is one of the unluckiest players in the history of the NBA. Baylor put the Lakers on the map and is credited with helping the move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. Baylor was one of the great scorers of his time, and he did his best performances came in the NBA playoffs. He holds the NBA record for the most points in an NBA Finals game and one of the highest playoff PPG averages in NBA history. Baylor went to eight NBA Finals and lost every single one, having run into the Celtics and Knicks, full of Hall of Famers.
Scottie Pippen was never known for his scoring, and that is the way it was supposed to be. Michael Jordan carried the bulk of the scoring load while Pippen and others focused on the intangibles. Pippen is up here this far on the list due to his incredible playoff longevity that continued well after he was done with Chicago. He went on deep playoff runs with both the Rockets and Trail Blazers, which helped get him this far up on the list as well. Seeing Pippen this high on here should surprise no one that knows how good Pippen truly was outside of his days with Chicago.
Dirk Nowitzki is another one of the NBA’s great playoff performers, but that wasn’t always the case. Prior to 2011, Dirk was known as a playoff choker who shrunk during the NBA playoffs and saw his teams faced with an early exit. Nowitzki shattered this narrative with his run to the NBA championship in 2011. He went through the Thunder with Durant and Westbrook, the Lakers with Kobe and Gasol, as well as the Heat with Wade, LeBron, and Bosh to achieve the ultimate prize in the NBA.
Magic Johnson is yet another player that wasn't known for his scoring but more so for his passing, playmaking, and defense. Johnson just so happened to win five NBA championships during the 1980s and advanced to nine Finals in his NBA career. Those sorts of deep runs are bound to result in an accumulation of points when a player like Magic averages 19.5 PPG in the playoffs. In every one of his NBA title runs, Magic averaged at least 17.0 PPG as well which will add up over time as well.
Hakeem Olajuwon made a career out of embarrassing other great NBA centers once the NBA playoffs came around. He went on complete tears in the NBA playoffs, but none were better than when he led the Rockets to back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995. In 1994, he led them to their first title with 28.9 PPG, which led all scorers and secured the Finals over Knicks legend Patrick Ewing. The following season, Hakeem averaged 33.0 PPG, which again led the playoffs and secured the title in dominant fashion over Shaq. We can talk about the other times he led the playoffs in scoring, like in 1988 when he led all scorers with 37.5 PPG, but none were more dominant than 1994 and 1995.
John Havlicek was a winner of eight NBA championships in his career, all with the Boston Celtics of the 60s and 70s. From 1966 thru 1976, Havlicek and the Celtics won four of those eight championships, with Havlicek playing a much larger role than in previous years. He averaged 23.9 PPG over this time and was named the 1974 Finals MVP. His last championship came in 1976 when he was much older, but he still contributed with 13.4 PPG.
Larry Bird is another Boston Celtics legend who kept the winning tradition alive during the 1980s. The Celtics claimed three NBA championships from 1981 thru 1986, and Bird was a large part of the reason why. He would win three straight MVPs from 1984 thru 1986 but also secured two championships and two Finals MVPs during that stretch. From 1984 thru 1990, Bird averaged 26.2 PPG on 48.4% shooting showing that he was still one of the game’s best scorers after the titles stopped coming in.
The final member of the NBA playoff 3,000-point club is Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. Most fans know that Wade was a second option to LeBron James during their four straight Finals runs from 2011 thru 2014. However, Wade’s best performance came in 2006 when he led the Heat to their first championship in franchise history. Wade averaged 28.4 PPG that playoff run and over 32.0 PPG in the Finals to secure the win. From 2005 thru 2012, he averaged 26.2 PPG on 48.1% shooting while still playing elite, winning basketball.
Tier 4 - 4,000+ Points
Karl Malone - 4,761 Points (24.7 PPG, 193 Games)
Kevin Durant - 4,559 Points (29.4 PPG, 155 Games)
Jerry West - 4,457 Points (29.1 PPG, 153 Games)
Tony Parker - 4,045 Points (17.9 PPG, 226 Games)
Tony Parker’s spot on this list may be surprising to some but not to those that know he played over 225 playoff games in his career. Parker was super important to four of the five NBA championships won by the Spurs during his career, averaging 14.5 PPG or more during every single championship run. In 2007, Parker had his best playoff appearance by a long shot when he averaged over 20.5 PPG and took home Finals MVP honors in a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jerry West is another one of the great playoff performers ever despite his lack of championships. West led the Lakers to nine NBA Finals appearances in his career, netting only one win in 1972 over the Knicks. West averaged over 29.0 PPG for his playoff career and did so without the luxury of a three-point line which would undoubtedly have him higher on this list. West is still one of the highest-scoring Finals MVPs ever and is still the only player to win the Finals MVP in a losing effort.
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Durant dominates the game on the offensive end from all three levels and is one of the best at creating his own shot from the perimeter. Durant has led the NBA playoffs numerous times in scoring, including averaging over 30.0 PPG three times in the NBA playoffs. Durant would capture two Finals MVP awards in 2017 with 28.5 PPG for the playoffs and in 2018 with 29.0 PPG for the playoffs with the Golden State Warriors. As far as playoff scorers go, not many have done it better than Kevin Durant has done in his career.
The final member of the 4,000-point tier on our playoff scoring tier is Karl Malone. This should come as no surprise, considering Malone is a top-three scorer in NBA history and was one of the most consistent scorers ever. Malone was never able to deliver a championship to his team in his career, but he did lead them to two Finals appearances in the 1990s. Malone averaged at least 20.0 PPG 17 times in the NBA playoffs and at least 25.0 PPG 12 times.
Tier 3 - 5,000+ Points
Michael Jordan - 5,987 Points (33.4 PPG, 174 Games)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 5,762 Points (24.3 PPG, 237 Games)
Kobe Bryant - 5,640 Points (25.6 PPG, 220 Games)
Shaquille O’Neal - 5,250 Points (24.3 PPG, 216 Games)
Tim Duncan - 5,172 Points (20.6 PPG, 251 Games)
The members of the 5,000-point club in the NBA playoffs are all top 10 players to ever play the game. Tim Duncan led the Spurs to five NBA championships in his career and multiple other deep playoff names to get himself high on this list over the course of 20 years. Duncan wasn’t flashy, but his playstyle won games, and in the end, that’s all that matters. His three Finals MVPs are among the best performances in NBA history.
Shaquille O’Neal dominated the NBA playoffs for multiple franchises during his NBA career. As a young man with the Orlando Magic, Shaq took his team to the NBA Finals in 1995, averaging 29.3 PPG and leading the NBA playoffs. He averaged 27.2 PPG in his four playoff appearances with Orlando, with one Finals appearance. With the Lakers, Shaq led them to three NBA championships claiming all three Finals MVP awards averaging 29.9 PPG on those three playoff runs.
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest scorers ever in both the regular season and the playoffs. Bryant helped the Lakers capture five NBA championships in his NBA career, mostly broken up by the time he spent with Shaq and without Shaq. During the first three NBA Finals wins with Shaq, Bryant averaged 25.3 PPG on 44.7% shooting. During his two championships after Shaq, Bryant took home both Finals MVPs and averaged 29.7 PPG on 45.7% shooting.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the NBA’s all-time leading scoring record for over 30 years until it recently fell to the man who sits at number one on this list. Kareem led two different franchises to NBA titles and won Finals MVPs with both of them. He led the Bucks to the 1971 NBA championship and averaged 24.5 PPG in five playoff appearances. With the Lakers, Kareem won five more NBA championships and averaged 16.8 PPG in 13 playoff appearances, and won the 1987 Finals MVP award.
The final member of the 5,000-point club is the greatest player of all time and the greatest scorer in NBA regular season and playoff history. Michael Jordan owns the highest PPG in the playoffs with 33.4 PPG and in the regular season with 30.1 PPG. It was Jordan’s scoring that made him a legend, like when he averaged 43.7 PPG in 1986 against Boston. Jordan would win an NBA record six Finals MVPs and have an undefeated record in NBA Finals at 6-0.
Tier 2 - 6,000+ Points
No Player Eligible For This Tier
Tier 1 - 7,000+ Points
LeBron James - 7,631 Points (28.7 PPG, 266 Games)
Now, the only player in NBA history to score over 6,000 or 7,000 playoff points in their career is LeBron James. For 20 years, we have witnessed LeBron James defy the odds in the NBA playoffs carrying teams further than they should have ever gone, as well as making 10 NBA Finals appearances and winning NBA championships with three different teams. James has averaged 20.0 or better in every playoff appearance he has made and over 25.0 PPG 13 times. He has hit the 30.0 PPG mark in the playoffs six times, leading to four NBA championships and four Finals MVP awards. There is no doubt that when we mention the greatest playoff performers ever, LeBron James is right behind Michael Jordan on that list.
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