LeBron James has had an impressive performance during the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
“The King” was instrumental during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first-round swept against the Indiana Pacers. And even though the Toronto Raptors are a tougher opponent, LeBron continues to dominate the competition. He had another stellar performance during Game 2, and he’s been an integral part on Cleveland’s 2-0 lead so far. What makes things even better is that he broke several records doing it.
First, James passed Kobe Bryant for the second most playoff games with 30+ points in NBA history. LeBron now has 89 games topping the 30-point plateau, and we are sure he is going to increase that mark in the coming years. For what is worth, Michael Jordan leads that list with 109. Scoring over 30 points is not easy, but if anyone can do it, that’s LeBron. He has at least a few more years at the competitive level, so topping Jordan is not out of the question.
That’s not the only milestone he achieved, though. James also moved to second place all-time when it comes to scoring during the NBA Playoffs. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and now he only trails – you guessed it – Jordan. He only needs 210 points, so barring an injury we could see him top that list before the end of the postseason.
James also showed opposing defenses need to guard him better behind the arc. LBJ joined Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, and Manu Ginobili as the only players 300 career 3PM in NBA Playoffs history. Yet he says “he’s not a three-point shooter”. Having those numbers without being a specialist – like Allen and Miller were through most of their careers – is simply spectacular.
LeBron might not win the MVP Award this season, and honestly he might never win it again. But there is no question he has secured a place in the Hall Of Fame once he retires. Considering everything he has accomplished throughout his career, and the numbers of records he has during the playoffs, he remains on track to retire as one of the best players to ever step on an NBA court.