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LeBron James is easily a top-3 player in the history of the NBA Playoffs, which makes ranking his 10 greatest games an arduous task for anyone. The King has dominated the NBA in recent times, unlike any other player.
Early in his career, it was all about his athleticism and carefree abandon that came with youth. With experience, he became a more lethal player, as he used a combination of his world-class athleticism and analytical mind to outhink and outmanoevre opponents.
On that note, let us have a look at 10 such games in the NBA Playoffs, where LeBron James produced his most memorable performances.
LeBron James' ten greatest games in the NBA Playoffs
LeBron James is the undisputed greatest active player in the NBA and arguably one of the greatest of all time. Unsurprisingly, he has often reserved his best for the business end of the competition - the NBA Playoffs.
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The King, as LeBron James is often known as, is an all-time great NBA playoff performer and also the all-time leader in games played (282). From such a significant sample size, it is indeed a challenging proposition to handpick a few games as he has had memorable performances galore.
Nevertheless, let us have a look at LeBron James' 10 best performances in the NBA Playoffs. Without further ado, let's get started.
#10 LeBron James vs OKC Thunder - Game 4 (2012 NBA Finals)
Stats: 26 points | 12 assists | 9 rebounds | 2 steals | 10/20 FG | 44 minutes
Despite his unquestionable talent and pedigree, LeBron James was surprisingly ringless when he arrived in the 2012 NBA Playoffs against OKC Thunder. But that would change by the end of that finals series.
In the fourth game of that series against the Thunder, the Miami Heat were up 2-1 but needed to increase their lead in Miami before going back to OKC for the final two games of the series.
A win by OKC in Miami would have meant that the series would have been decided in the former's home, but LeBron James managed to ensure that that did not happen. OKC's best chance to win a game in Miami was in that fourth game of the series, but LeBron James, despite struggling with physical issues in the fourth quarter, had other ideas.
After getting afflicted by cramps in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, LeBron James returned to the court and hit his only three-point shot of the night when the scores were tied at 94-all.
It was a shot in the arm for the Miami Heat, who went on to close the game with a 12-4 run to take a 3-1 lead in the series. In the next game of the series, Miami blew OKC off the floor, as LeBron James won his first NBA title and was also named the Finals MVP.
#9 LeBron James vs Boston Celtics - Game 7 (2018 ECF)
Stats: 35 points | 9 assists | 15 rebounds | 2 blocks | 12/24 FG | 48 minutes
In his last season to date playing for an Eastern Conference team, LeBron James dominated the 2018 Eastern Conference Playoffs despite not having a great supporting cast around him (at least while facing a Western Conference team in the finals).
In the deciding game of that year's Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, James had a memorable night in front of a Boston crowd who witnessed The King's prowess first hand.
LeBron James played every minute of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 87-79 victory on the road against the Celtics. Despite a high number of turnovers (eight), James had an incredible night.
With Boston up by one point entering the fourth quarter, LeBron James scored 12 in the deciding period on 4/6 from the field and dished out four assists to reach his ninth NBA Finals, his eighth on the trot.
#8 LeBron James vs Indiana Pacers - Second Round - Game 4 (2012 NBA Playoffs)
Stats: 40 points | 9 assists | 18 rebounds | 2 steals | 2 blocks | 14/27 FG | 44 minutes
LeBron James' run to his first NBA championship in the 2012 NBA Playoffs was characterised by pressure, which the player experienced every game.
In the second round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, LeBron James and the Heat were down 2-1 against the Indiana Pacers after losing two games in a row and scoring only 75 points in each match.
In game four at Indiana, the pressure was at a crescendo because the team had failed the year before and was close to faltering in the NBA Playoffs again.
Nevertheless, LeBron James destroyed the Pacers with his first 40-point game in the NBA Playoffs for the Heat. That tied the series at two-all. There was more pressure against the Boston Celtics in the Conference semi-finals before LeBron James and the Miami Heat managed to go all the way.
#7 LeBron James vs Miami Heat - Game 6 (2020 NBA Finals)
Stats: 28 points | 10 assists | 14 rebounds | 1 turnover | 13/20 FG | 41 minutes
In his most recent game in his NBA Playoffs career - Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat - LeBron James reinforced his claim for a place among the NBA's all-time greats.
LeBron James led the LA Lakers' to a 106-93 victory over the Miami Heat to help secure the franchise's record-equalling 17th NBA title. In the process, James won his fourth ring to go with his fourth Finals MVP award which he won with a third different team (the only player to ever do so).
James rose to the fore when he was required the most to seal the title for the Lakers in a difficult year for the city and the franchise.
The player capped his tenth NBA Finals by averaging 30 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists on 59% shooting from the field and 42% from the three. Arguably, that was James' greatest ever performance, in terms of stats, in an NBA Finals/NBA Playoffs series.
#6 LeBron James vs Detroit Pistons - Game 5 (2007 ECF)
Stats: 48 points | 7 assists | 9 rebounds | 2 steals | 18/33 FG | 50 minutes
This was LeBron James' greatest game in his career in the NBA Playoffs for many, which came against the Detroit Pistons in game five of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals.
If anyone needed further proof of LeBron James' arrival among the NBA's elite in history, they need not look further than this game. LeBron James is called 'The King' for several reasons, one of them being his performances in the NBA Playoffs.
Against one of the greatest defensive teams of the modern era, James put up an amazing performance to get a double-overtime win for the Cavs, who took a 3-2 lead before wrapping up the series at home in game six.
LeBron James scored the last 25 points for Cleveland in his first-ever appearance in an ECF against a team that was playing their fourth consecutive ECF and had won the NBA title in 2004 and reached the NBA Finals in 2005.
#5 LeBron James vs Denver Nuggets - Game 5 (2020 WCF)
Stats: 38 points | 10 assists | 16 rebounds | 15/25 FG | 40 minutes
With the LA Lakers up 3-1 in the 2020 Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets, the talk in the series was about Denver, as they had returned from 3-1 deficits in the previous two rounds of the NBA Playoffs.
However, it was obvious that LeBron James would put an end to that narrative because those things have never happened to him in the NBA Playoffs. Lack of a killer instinct in the NBA Playoffs? No, James is simply different.
In game five, the Nuggets were hanging well with the Lakers, as they did in most games in that series (James was not having his greatest series at that point).
LeBron James then took the game by the scruff of its neck in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points on 7/10 shooting from the field to close the series and advance to his tenth NBA Finals, his ninth in the last ten years.
#4 LeBron James vs San Antonio Spurs - Game 7 (2013 NBA Finals)
Stats: 37 points | 4 assists | 12 rebounds | 2 steals | 18/33 FG | 5/10 3P | 45 minutes
In his first-ever game seven in an NBA Finals, LeBron James handled the pressure well to win back-to-back titles (after winning an epic game six). In this game, James proved that his perimeter shooting was good enough on the biggest of stages.
In the entire series, the Spurs gave up mid-range and three-point shots to LeBron James as a defensive tactic, trying to reduce James' impact when he entered the paint to find open shots for his teammates.
The ploy worked to an extent, as the San Antonio Spurs took a 3-2 lead and were certainly in a position to close the Heat out in game six before Ray Allen's all-time iconic shot tied the game, and Miami eventually took an OT win.
James made five of his ten attempts from the three in the deciding game after making only seven of 24 in the first six. His three-point range and a mid-range jump shot, with the Heat up by two points with 28 seconds remaining, sealed the game in Miami's favor.
LeBron James also scored nine points in the fourth quarter to give the Heat back-to-back NBA championships. He earned his second Finals MVP too to close out a tremendous 2013 NBA Playoffs run.
#3 LeBron James vs Boston Celtics - Game 6 (2012 ECF)
Stats: 45 points | 5 assists | 15 rebounds | 2 steals | 18/26 FG | 45 minutes
In easily his most efficient and impactful game of his NBA Playoffs career, LeBron James dominated the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden with one of the NBA's best individual performances ever seen.
This was a ring-less LeBron James facing a team that had won the NBA championship in 2008 and played in the Finals in 2010, both times eliminating James' team in the NBA Playoffs along the way.
This time, James' team was certainly the more favored, one but Boston won three straight games to take a 3-2 lead. With home court advantage in game six, it was looking good for the Doc Rivers-coached team.
However, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen had to experience one of their toughest losses during their tenure together in the NBA Playoffs. James scored 30 points (12/14 FG) in the first half to put the Heat up 55-42 after 24 minutes.
He then made timely shots in the second half to break Boston's heart before shutting down their comeback attempts with 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists on 73% shooting. In game seven, the Heat overwhelmed Boston again to reach the 2012 NBA Finals, where LeBron James won his first NBA title.
#2 LeBron James vs Golden State Warriors - Game 6 (2016 NBA Finals)
Stats: 41 points | 11 assists | 8 rebounds | 4 steals | 16/27 FG | 42 minutes
The 2016 NBA Finals was LeBron James' greatest series in his legendary NBA Playoffs career.
Not only did he deliver the Cleveland Cavaliers their first NBA title, LeBron James also helped the team recover from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors to secure his third NBA championship.
En route to winning his third NBA Finals MVP during the Cavs' incredible comeback, James had an amazing game six - scoring 41 points and 11 assists - at home that helped his team tie the series. He also had four steals and three blocks in that game.
It was undoubtedly the brilliance of LeBron James that helped the Cavaliers recover from a deficit to force a seventh game in a memorable NBA Finals series.
#1 LeBron James vs Golden State Warriors - Game 7 (2016 NBA Finals)
Stats: 29 points | 11 assists | 11 rebounds | 3 blocks | 9/24 FG | 47 minutes
In game seven of the extraordinary 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron James put up a performance for the ages.
He guided Cleveland to their first NBA championship with a game-seven Triple-Double (only the second ever in NBA Finals history) while also making key defensive plays that helped the franchise create history.
LeBron James' memorable chase-down block on Andre Iguodala with the game tied at 89 was huge in the context of the series. Moreover, James led all scorers in the fourth quarter with 11 points (GSW scored 13 in the deciding quarter).
Cleveland won the series; James earned Finals MVP recognition, leading the series in every major stat category..
This performance was easily the greatest individual performance in the NBA Finals in the 21st century.
Also read: NBA Free Agency 2020: Advantage Golden State Warriors as rivals cry foul over reduced luxury tax.
