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LeBron James ties NBA record for most wins in the playoffs

Chris Cwik
Staff writer
·2 min read

Michael Jordan may have won six rings, but he never did this. After the Los Angeles Lakers’ 117-109 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, LeBron James tied the NBA record for most wins in the playoffs.

James, 35, has won 161 postseason games. That figures ties the record, which was set by Derek Fisher, who also spent a lot of time with the Lakers.

Comparing stats between Fisher and James is silly. James is one of the best players in the history of the league. He’s averaged 27.1 points, 7.4 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game over his career. He’s made 15 All-NBA teams and won four MVP awards. Fisher averaged 8.3 points over his career and never made the All-Star Game. Fisher, however, won five rings as a player. James has won three.

How did Derek Fisher win so many playoff games?

Over his 20-year career, Fisher only missed the playoffs four times. His teams consistently went pretty deep in the postseason, playing double-digit games in 14 of 16 of those appearances. While Fisher’s career numbers don’t stand up to James’ stats, Fisher was far from a pushover. He started 158 of his teams’ 259 playoff games.

By comparison, James has made the postseason in 14 of his 17 seasons. He’s also gone pretty deep in those appearances. James’ teams have never played fewer than 11 games in a single postseason. The Lakers have currently played seven playoff games in 2020 and will play at least three more against the Rockets.

LeBron James looking to win more rings

While tying the playoff record for wins is nice, James is more concerned with picking up more championship rings. James is already a Hall of Fame player, but winning rings would add to his legacy. Comparisons to Jordan are inevitable, and everyone who believes Jordan is the GOAT will point out Jordan won six rings as a player. James needs reach that total — or at least close the gap — to convince people he’s the best player ever.

James will look to continue his quest to move closer to Jordan when the Lakers take on the Rockets in Game 3 on Tuesday. The series is currently tied 1-1.

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