In his 17th season, at 35 years of age, LeBron James is making the extraordinary look standard.
Heading into his 10th NBA Finals appearance, LeBron became just the fourth player in NBA history to make 10 or more Finals appearances, tied with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Only Boston Celtics legends Sam Jones (11) and Bill Russell (12) have been to the Finals more.
To put it in context, LeBron has been to the Finals more than 27 current NBA franchises.
The Lakers win Game 5 against the Nuggets 117-107 to advance to their 32nd NBA Finals.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 27, 2020
LeBron James is the 4th player in NBA history to reach the Finals at least 10 times, joining Bill Russell, Sam Jones and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. pic.twitter.com/78EdmAE43f
While the Larry O'Brien trophy is the main goal awaiting him in the bubble, LeBron's amazing run of playoff success has him poised to set even more records.
If he leads the Lakers to their 17th title and is named Finals MVP — which has been the case in each of his three championships — he will become the first player in NBA history to win Finals MVP with three different teams.
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Currently, only two other players have won Finals MVP with two different teams — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Bucks & Lakers) and Kawhi Leonard (Spurs & Raptors).
He will also be just the third player in NBA history to win championships with three different franchises, joining John Salley (Pistons, Bulls, Lakers) and Robert Horry (Rockets, Spurs, Lakers).
Standing in his way are the Miami Heat, who have proven throughout this postseason that they fear no team, boasting a 12-3 record through three rounds, identical to the Lakers.
When it comes to Finals MVP, LeBron could well face competition from his running mate Anthony Davis, who has been nothing short of spectacular in 15 playoff games, averaging 28.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 blocks per game on 57.1% shooting from the field — not to mention his game-winner at the buzzer against the Denver Nuggets in Game 2.
In their closeout Game 6 win over the Nuggets in the Conference Finals, LeBron showed that he still has an extra gear, dropping a ridiculous 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists as he took over the fourth quarter to send the Nuggets home. While Davis is stuffing the stat sheet, history has shown us that if LeBron is to win a title, a Finals MVP is sure to follow.
HIGHLIGHTS: @KingJames erupts for 38 pts, 16 reb and 10 ast to lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/RAvcnqd2d0
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 27, 2020
Through three playoff rounds, LeBron is averaging 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists, showing no signs of slowing down.
With a fourth NBA championship within his reach, LeBron is poised to rewrite the history books once again.
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