11 Hall of Famers that have had LeBron’s number in the playoffs
LeBron James is arguably the best basketball player in the world. He has garnered four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, an NBA In-Season Tournament Championship, an In-Season Tournament MVP, four NBA MVPs, and 20 All-Star Game appearances. He’s also the NBA’s All-Time leading scorer.
But while James’ Hall of Fame legacy has been cemented, there’s no doubt that James also ran into problems in the playoffs. Here’s a look at 11 Hall of Famers that have had LeBron’s number in the playoffs.
Chris Paul (Future HOF)
Playoff record vs James: 4-2
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Although Chris Paul doesn’t have a ring yet, CP3 can say at least he’s had some success over the best basketball player in the world in the postseason. Back in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, CP3 led the Suns past James and the Lakers in six games. The Point God averaged 9.2 points 7.7 assists per game on 39% shooting from the field.
Ben Wallace
Playoff record vs. James: 4-3
In James’ playoff debut, he led the Cavs past the first round at the expense of the Washington Wizards. However, a hungry Pistons squad waited for them in the second round. Led by Hall of Famer Ben Wallace, the Pistons survived a valiant effort by James and the Cavs in seven games. Wallace averaged 5.1 points. 11.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
Dirk Nowitzki
Playoff record vs. James: 4-2
Despite facing The Big Three in South Beach, Dirk Nowitzki’s unstoppable shooting pulled off the impossible by leading the Dallas Mavericks over James and the Miami Heat in six games. Instead of what was supposed to be James’ first NBA title, the Mavs’ zone defense shackled The King and forced him to have the worst playoff series of his NBA career.
Nowitzki averaged 26.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 42% from the field and 37% from three. He also made 98% from the free-throw line.
Dwight Howard (Future HOF)
Playoff record vs. James: 4-2
Although they won a championship together in Los Angeles inside the 2020 NBA Bubble, before then Dwight Howard and LeBron James tussled in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. A young and unstoppable Howard led the Magic past the Cavaliers in six games to book a ticket to the NBA Finals.
Howard averaged 25.8 points and 13.0 rebounds per game to deny James a dream NBA Finals meetup with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
Kevin Durant (Future HOF)
Playoff record vs. James: 9-5
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Although James pretty much captured his first NBA title at the expense of Kevin Durant’s Thunder, after that, Durant has won the rest of their playoff matchups. In fact, with Durant joining the Warriors, the NBA MVP captured both of his NBA championships against James and the Cavaliers for two-straight years.
Stephen Curry (Future HOF)
Playoff record vs. James: 17-11
There’s no doubt that Curry and the Warriors pretty much tormented James’ championship pursuits. They denied him the title in 2015, 2017, and 2018. As a result, it isn’t surprising that Curry has had a great track record against The King.
However, pretty sure Curry hasn’t forgotten the time when James and the Cavs came back from a 3-1 series deficit in 2016. Furthermore, it was James and the Lakers who eliminated the Warriors the last time the two met in the postseason.
Nikola Jokic (Future HOF)
Playoff record vs. James: 8-4
Despite James and the Lakers dominating the Nuggets inside the 2020 NBA Bubble, since then, the Nuggets have asserted their mastery over the Purple and Gold.
Led by Nikola Jokic’s brilliance, the Serbian star has been responsible for the Nuggets’ playoff victories over the Lakers. They swept them in the 2023 Western Conference Finals and knocked out the Lakers in five games in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard (Future HOF)
Playoff record: 7-5
Known as The Klaw, Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs fell to James and the Heat in seven games in the 2013 NBA Finals. But a year later, the story changed thanks to the rise of The Klaw. Leonard was tasked to defend James in the 2014 NBA Finals, which allowed the San Antonio Spurs to emerge as champions. Leonard was also named the 2014 Finals MVP.
Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan
Playoff record: 11-5
The San Antonio Spurs’ dynasty have haunted LeBron James’ championship pursuits. With the help of Manu Ginobili’s high IQ off the bench, Tony Parker’s playmaking, and Tim Duncan’s scoring and defense, the Spurs basically denied James two NBA championships.
The Spurs trio first swept James and the Cavs in the 2007 NBA Finals. Seven years later, they continued to haunt James in Miami, denying him the three-peat in just five games.
The post 11 Hall of Famers that have had LeBron’s number in the playoffs appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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