The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA History

With the 2020 NBA playoffs in Full Swing we take a look at the teams and players with the most appearances in NBA Playoff History

The Most Playoff games played in NBA history A Look at the Leaders

The National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually held after the NBA’s regular season to determine the league’s champion. The Playoff Bracket is made up of eight teams from each of the league’s two conferences, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference

In total, there have been 222 postseason series played in NBA history The team that has played the most playoff games is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have contested 302 postseason games since their inception in 1947. From 1947 to 2013, the Lakers qualified for the playoffs 54 times, winning 32 championships along the way. They have appeared in 31 Finals series, more than any other team in league history.

The Boston Celtics are second on the all-time list, having played in 290 playoff games since they were founded in 1946. The Celtics have qualified for the playoffs 57 times and have won 21 championships, appearing in 29 Finals series. The Philadelphia 76ers are third on the list with 251 playoff appearances, while the San Antonio Spurs are fourth with 244 appearances.

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The Top 10

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the NBA regular season The tournament winner receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

Since 1947, when the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League merged to form the NBA, there have been 71 different teams that have played in at least one playoff series. Over that time, there have been more than 1,300 different playoff series played.

Of those 1,300+ playoff series, only 10 teams have played in more than 100 of them. This list includes the teams that have played in the most playoff games in NBA history

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The Players Who Played the Most

In the NBA, the playoffs are a best-of-seven series between the top eight teams in each conference. The conference semifinals and Conference Finals are best-of-seven series. The NBA Finals is a best-of-seven series.

The player with the most playoff games played is Lebron James who has played in 208 playoff games. He is followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (157), Kobe Bryant (153), Derek Fisher (161) and Dirk Nowitzki (148).

The player with the most playoff games won is Lebron James who has won 134 of his 208 playoff games. He is followed by Michael Jordan (129), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (122), Magic Johnson (118) and Larry Bird (113).

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The Teams Who Played the Most

The NBA Playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the regular season to determine the league’s champion. The playoffs were first introduced in 1947, and since then, a total of 184 teams have played in at least one playoff series. Among these teams, the Los Angeles Lakers have played the most playoff games in NBA history

As of the end of the 2020 NBA Playoffs the Lakers have played a total of 234 playoff games. This is more than any other team in NBA history The Lakers are followed by the Boston Celtics (231), San Antonio Spurs (228), and Chicago Bulls (225). Of these four teams, only the Spurs have not won an NBA Championship

The Spurs are also notable for having made it to the playoffs in every single season since 1997, which is an active streak of 23 seasons. The next longest active streak belongs to the Atlanta Hawks who have made it to the playoffs in 20 consecutive seasons as of 2020.

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA History The Dynasties

Dynasties are defined as “a sequence of successes,” or in this case, a team that consistently makes the playoffs year after year.
In the history of the NBA, there have been 9 teams that can truly be called a dynasty. These teams have made the playoffs an astonishing 20+ times in a row.
The longest streak of playoff appearances belongs to the Boston Celtics who made 21 straight trips to the postseason from 1957-58 to 1977-78.

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The Rivalries

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament held each spring following the conclusion of the NBA regular season The playoffs began in 1947, nine years after the founding of the National Basketball Association The winning team of each series advances to the next round, until the final round, or Finals, which is a best-of-seven series to determine the league champion.

There have been some great rivalries throughtout NBA history that have made for some great playoff basketball. Here are some of the most memorable:

The Lakers/Celtics rivalry is one for the ages. These two teams have met a record 12 times in the Finals, with the Lakers winning 9 of those matchups. The two teams have also met an astounding 34 times in the playoffs overall, with the Celtics holding a slight 17-16 edge.

The Bulls and Pistons had one of the fiercest rivalries in NBA history during the late 80s and early 90s. These two teams met 7 times in the playoffs during that span, with the Bulls winning 6 of those series. But it was the Pistons who finally got over the hump and knocked off Michael Jordan and company in 1991 en route to their first ever NBA Championship

The Rockets and Knicks had a great rivalry in the 90s that featured some epic battles in both The Finals and Eastern Conference Finals In total, these two teams met 8 times in playoff series’, with New York holding a slim 5-3 advantage. But it was Houston who had the last laugh, as they vanquished the Knicks en route to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995.

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The Greatest Moments

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The greatest moments is a list of the 100 greatest moments in the history of the NBA Playoffs These moments include game-winning shots, clutch performances, and other memorable moments that have helped define the NBA playoffs

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The What-Ifs

In the history of the NBA, there have been a Number of players who have played in a great number of playoff games. Here are some of the most notable names, along with the number of playoff games they’ve played in.

Player Games

Shaquille O’Neal 209
Lebron James 205
Kobe Bryant 199
Derek Jeter 158
Michael Jordan 135
Larry Bird 134
Magic Johnson 127
Tim Duncan 151

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The Legacy

Many fans know that the Los Angeles Lakers have the most playoff appearances in NBA history What some may not know, however, is that the Lakers also hold the record for the most playoff games played in NBA history As of the end of the 2020 NBA Playoffs the Lakers have played in 262 playoff games – 8 more than the second place team, the San Antonio Spurs

The Lakers’ record is a testament to the team’s longevity and success. The Lakers have been one of the league’s most successful teams since they were founded in 1947, winning 16 championships and appearing in 31 Finals series. They’ve also made 53 playoff appearances, which is tied for second-most in NBA history

While the Lakers’ record is impressive, it’s also worth noting that they’ve had more opportunities to play in playoff games than any other team due to their frequent appearances in the Finals. In fact, over half of their playoff appearances have come in the Finals (28 out of 53). So while they may have played in more playoff games than any other team, they haven’t necessarily been more successful than other teams – they’ve just had more opportunities to play.

The Most Playoff Games Played in NBA history The Future

As the NBA season comes to a close, we take a look at the players who have played the most playoff games in NBA History These are the men who have given their all to their teams and have been rewarded with a chance to compete for the ultimate prize, an NBA Championship

There have been many Great players in NBA history but only a select few have had the privilege of playing in the most playoff games. These are the men who have spent their careers competing at the highest level and have been rewarded with a chance to compete for an NBA title

We take a look at the top 10 players who have played in the most playoff games in NBA history

10. Tim Duncan – 209 games
9. Shaquille O’Neal – 212 games
8. Kobe Bryant – 220 games
7. Karl Malone – 233 games
6. Jerry West – 237 games
5. Reggie Miller – 240 games
4. John Stockton – 243 games
3. Kareem Abdul Jabbar – 257 games
2. Magic Johnson – 274 games
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 316 games