In the NBA, the downside of playing at an elite level for a long time is that although you are going to amass a lot of records, they’re not all going to be the glamorous kind.
As an example below, you’re going to see four-time league MVP LeBron James, who we consider to be the NBA’s GOAT, at the top of the list as far as players with the most Finals losses in their careers. And it’s not just James, but the Los Angeles Lakers as a franchise also fill up the Top 5 of this ranking, which is the cost of playing in so many championship series.
Below, check out the players with the most NBA Finals losses in league history.
David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images
Finals record: 4-6
Finals games record: 22-33 (40.00%)
Average point differential: -3.51
Finals stats: 28.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 7.8 apg, 48.4 FG%, 35.2 3P%
George Long/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Finals record: 1-8
Finals games record: 22-33 (40.00%)
Average point differential: -2.09
Finals stats: 24.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.6 apg, 45.9 FG%
Wen Roberts/NBAE via Getty Images
Finals record: 0-7
Finals games record: 16-28 (36.40%)
Average point differential: -2.18
Finals stats: 26.4 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 42.7 FG%
Andy Hayt /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Finals record: 6-4
Finals games record: 29-27 (51.80%)
Average point differential: 0.05
Finals stats: 23.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 52.3 FG%
MPS-USA TODAY Sports
Finals record: 5-4
Finals games record: 24-26 (48.00%)
Average point differential: -0.76
Finals stats: 19.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 11.7 apg, 51.6 FG%, 23.7 3P%
Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Finals record: 11-1
Finals games record: 45-25 (64.30%)
Average point differential: 4.91
Finals stats: 16.4 ppg, 24.5 rpg, 45.6 FG%
Rick Stewart/Getty Images
Finals record: 5-3
Finals games record: 23-23 (50.00%)
Average point differential: 0.07
Finals stats: 10.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.9 apg, 44.7 FG%, 38.0 3P%
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Finals record: 10-1
Finals games record: 42-22 (65.60%)
Average point differential: 4.98
Finals stats: 17.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 46.1 FG%
Finals record: 2-4
Finals games record: 16-21 (43.20%)
Average point differential: -1.73
Finals stats: 10.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.1 apg, 47.0 FG%, 41.5 3P%
George Long/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Finals record: 2-4
Finals games record: 16-19 (45.70%)
Average point differential: 0.57
Finals stats: 18.6 ppg, 24.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 55.9 FG%
Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
Finals record: 5-3
Finals games record: 24-19 (55.80%)
Average point differential: 0.37
Finals stats: 8.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 42.9 FG%, 41.7 3P%
Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Finals record: 1-5
Finals games record: 11-18 (37.90%)
Average point differential: 0.38
Finals stats: 6.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.8 apg, 44.6 FG%
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Finals record: 3-3
Finals games record: 16-18 (47.10%)
Average point differential: -0.88
Finals stats: 22.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, 53.3 FG%, 20.0 3P%
Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images
Finals record: 3-3
Finals games record: 19-18 (51.40%)
Average point differential: -1.08
Finals stats: 18.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 6.2 apg, 42.0 FG%
Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports
Finals record: 8-1
Finals games record: 34-18 (65.40%)
Average point differential: 6.19
Finals stats: 19.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 40.1 FG%
Finals record: 0-5
Finals games record: 6-17 (26.10%)
Average point differential: -6.04
Finals stats: 12.4 ppg
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Finals record: 4-3
Finals games record: 19-17 (52.80%)
Average point differential: 0.89
Finals stats: 8.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 49.0 FG%, 36.0 3P%
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Finals record: 5-1
Finals games record: 21-17 (55.30%)
Average point differential: 0.71
Finals stats: 8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 45.0 FG%
NBA Photo Library/ NBAE via Getty Images
Finals record: 7-1
Finals games record: 30-17 (63.80%)
Average point differential: 5.51
Finals stats: 13.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 41.3 FG%
NBA.com
Finals record: 0-4
Finals games record: 9-16 (36.00%)
Average point differential: -1.92
Finals stats: 7.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 40.5 FG%
NBA Photo Library/ NBAE/ Getty Images
Finals record: 0-4
Finals games record: 9-16 (36.00%)
Average point differential: -4.24
Finals stats: 13.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 40.5 FG%
Finals record: 0-4
Finals games record: 10-16 (38.50%)
Average point differential: -3.23
Finals stats: 11.3 ppg
Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Finals record: 4-2
Finals games record: 18-16 (52.90%)
Average point differential: -0.09
Finals stats: 5.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.6 apg, 53.1 FG%
Telegram Gazette-USA TODAY NETWORK
Finals record: 6-1
Finals games record: 26-16 (61.90%)
Average point differential: 5.69
Finals stats: 17.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 9.5 apg, 33.7 FG%
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Finals record: 8-0
Finals games record: 31-16 (66.00%)
Average point differential: 3.72
Finals stats: 21.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.1 apg, 42.1 FG%
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Finals record: 1-4
Finals games record: 9-16 (36.00%)
Average point differential: -4.64
Finals stats: 9.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 37.7 FG%, 38.1 3P%
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