Thanks to a 25-point performance against the Indiana Pacers last night, LeBron James is now only 11 points away from surpassing the legendary Kobe Bryant on the all-time playoff scoring list. James has scored 5629 points in the postseason, while Bryant had 5640 points in his glorious NBA career. Unless a miracle happens, LeBron will take the sole possession of the third place on the scoring list Thursday night, when the Cleveland Cavaliers play game 3 against the Pacers.
Even though LeBron James is not a pure scorer, his postseason success has allowed him to break numerous records and get to the top 10 in nearly every major statistical category.
Surpassing Kobe Bryant is not an easy task, yet James is going to do it at the age of 32. He is truly a unique player and, without any doubt, the best player of the current NBA generation.
James is a better playoff scorer than Bryant
Kobe Bryant is best known for his scoring and he is one of the best scorers in the history of the league. However, James is a much more efficient scorer and his position on the all-time scoring list is proof of that. Bryant needed 220 playoff games to reach 5640 points, as he averaged 25.6 points per game during his postseason career. He shot 44.8 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from the three-point range and he was taking over 20 shots per game. On the other side, LeBron James reached 5629 playoff points in only 201 games, with an average of 28.0 points.
He shot more efficiently than Bryant, converting 47.9 percent of his shots.
LeBron is about to move to #3 on the all-time playoff scoring list pic.twitter.com/cDwwTDg027
— AsPe Heat (@AsPe0308) April 18, 2017
Beside his efficient scoring, James has averaged impressive numbers in other statistical categories as well, and that is something that no other NBA player has done.
LeBron will be the best playoff scorer after this season
James needs less than 400 points to become the best playoff scorer in the NBA history, and he will most likely achieve this amazing feat after the season ends. The first spot on the list is occupied by the great Michael Jordan, who scored 5987 playoff points in his career.
Considering that the Cleveland Cavaliers will most likely make the NBA finals once again, James will have to average only 20 points per game to become number one. He is currently averaging 28.5 points in this year's playoffs.
Once he passes Bryant on the scoring list, the next player he will surpass will be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who ranks second on the list with 5762 points. This will be an incredible achievement for LeBron James, who is already one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
