Far more often than not, NBA players are celebrated and put on a pedestal due to the great things they have accomplished in their NBA careers. It is rare to see a full piece of work dedicated to these players and their shortcomings or losses on the court. Today, all of that changes as we dive into the players who have lost the most playoff games in NBA history.
Now, to be clear, in order to be on this list, a player will have had to have made an extraordinary amount of playoff appearances, and find some success at that level as well. If a player were to lose every game they ever participated in during the NBA playoffs, they wouldn’t even scratch the surface of this list. That being said, it’s important to remember the great things each of the 10 players below accomplished in their careers as well.
Today will be less about those wins, however, and much more about the times these players failed to lead their team to victory. Of course, context is needed and provided in every one of these situations but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the players below have lost more than any others when it comes to the NBA playoffs.
These are the NBA players with the most playoff losses of all time.
5. John Stockton – 93 Playoff Losses
Only five players in the history of the NBA have suffered 90 or more playoff losses in their careers. The first of these players is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, John Stockton. As a part of the Utah Jazz, Stockton formed an elite offensive duo with forward Karl Malone. Together the duo made history as one of the most prolific pick-and-roll duos in NBA history who advanced to two different NBA Finals in their careers.
No matter what, Stockton and the Jazz always fell apart before they were able to capture that elusive NBA championship. Overall, Stockton was 89-93 in the playoffs, making him one of two players on this list with a playoff record that falls below .500. Even as one of the greatest point guards ever, Stockton could not navigate a difficult path in the Western Conference or overcome the Michael Jordan-led Bulls in the NBA Finals.
In his 93 playoff losses, Stockton averaged 13.4 points, 10.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game shooting 47.3% from the field. As accomplished of a player as he is, Stockton’s legacy always will be tarnished by his and his teams’ performance in the NBA playoffs.
4. Tim Duncan – 94 Playoff Losses
Tim Duncan may rank fourth all-time with 94 playoff losses in his career, but do you really think that means much to the greatest power forward in NBA history? Duncan was directly responsible for the Spurs becoming one of the winningest franchises in NBA history with five titles while winning three Finals MVP awards as well. In his playoff career, Duncan was as dominant as any other player has been on the game’s biggest stage, going 5-1 in the NBA Finals in his career
In the playoffs overall, Duncan would register a record of 157-94 giving him a career winning percentage of 59.8%. Duncan overcame some of the most difficult opponents during this time including the Lakers led by Kobe and Shaq, the Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki, the Miami Heat with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and so many more legendary teams.
Duncan’s 94 losses in the playoffs are a small pothole in the road that was his NBA career. He finished as one of the most accomplished NBA players in history and is widely regarded as one of the 10 greatest players ever. When adding context to his losses, the bigger picture completely outweighs any and all of his shortcomings in the NBA playoffs.
3. Karl Malone – 95 Playoff Losses
Now, this is where it gets tricky when judging a player’s career. Karl Malone is the other half of the Utah Jazz duo that set numerous records and lit up scoreboards during the 1980s and 90s. Malone scored the third-most points in NBA history as well and is a two-time MVP of the league. Unfortunately, none of that would ever lead to an NBA championship even though he had three different opportunities in the NBA Finals and failed.
Malone is often criticized for never being able to get over the proverbial championship hump as most players do that fail to win an NBA championship. His overall playoff record would be 98-95 in his career with his final four losses coming in the 2004 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons. In those losses, Malone averaged 24.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Are those numbers enough to excuse the final outcome? Many do not believe so.
2. Derek Fisher – 98 Playoff Losses
When it comes to the NBA playoffs, no one player stepped up and played bigger than their role more often than Derek Fisher. During his 18-year career, Fisher would become a five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers both as a starter and off the bench in a smaller role. Fisher had a knack for knocking down improbable and timely shots late in games that extended or ended games.
As an unlikely hero, Fisher became one of the greatest Lakers ever with an overall playoff record of 161-98, giving him a career playoff winning percentage of 60.8%. Although he was no Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal, Fisher’s role in his team’s success is something that Laker fans or anyone who watched him play will never forget. The fact that he suffered 98 playoff losses will not be what he is remembered for as the years go on and we look back at what he meant to five different NBA championships.
1. LeBron James – 100 Playoff Losses
There is no player in NBA history who is more ridiculed or scrutinized for his playoff failures than LeBron James. We cannot even call them failures considering more than half of his losses have come in the NBA Finals and getting there is amazing in itself. Despite being a four-time NBA champion and Finals MVP with three different franchises, there is still a large group of people who wish to discredit his accomplishments.
James has been known to take a less-than-average lineup and turn them into title contenders just from his presence on numerous occasions in his career. He has gone up against some of the most unstoppable teams in NBA history and stood ten toes down until the final whistle blew. James’ overall record in playoff competition is 182-100, giving him a 54.9% winning percentage in playoff games.
So you mean to tell me that a player who has 10 Finals appearances and an above .500 record in the playoffs deserves more criticism than anyone else on this list? I don’t think so. Furthermore, let’s take a look at his numbers during those 100 playoff losses. He has put up better numbers than anyone else on this list with 28.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in those losses. The fact remains that James’ incredible playoff resume along with the efforts he has put forth is something to be honored and celebrated rather than used to try and tarnish his legacy.