Top NBA players who have faced most playoff losses in their career

Top NBA players who have faced most playoff losses in their career

Part of being a successful NBA player is challenging for a championship every season. Deep postseason runs are expected from the best players in the world, regardless of their supporting cast. However, the losses inevitably pile up when you’re playing in the playoffs, year-in-year-out.

Some of the most talented players in NBA history have suffered large amounts of losses in the postseason. Basketball is a team sport, after all, and sometimes, the supporting cast isn’t ready to be part of a championship run.

With that being said, here are the top five players with the most career playoff losses.

Top NBA players who have faced most playoff losses in their career

#1 LeBron James, 100 career playoff losses

He might be the greatest player in the history of the NBA, but LeBron James has also lost the most playoff games in league history. “The King” has participated in 282 postseason games in his career, so he still boasts a winning record and has four championship rings.

However, there have been multiple seasons where LeBron has fallen short in the playoffs -either due to a weak supporting cast or running into a dynasty such as the Golden State Warriors.

Given the LA Lakers’ roster revamp this summer, LeBron is likely to add to his career wins and losses in the playoffs in 2024.

#2 Derek Fisher, 98 career playoff losses

Derek Fisher won five NBA championships with the LA Lakers, but those big moments came at a cost. In 259 playoff appearances, Fisher tasted defeat on 98 occasions, ranking him second among all-time losses in the postseason.

Nevertheless, the former Laker had more good moments than bad, and even during the late 90s and early 2000s was a dead-eye shooter from deep, averaging 39.9% from 3-point range in career playoff appearances.

#3 Karl Malone, 95 career playoff losses

“The Mailman” earned himself 14 All-Star appearances in his career and went to the playoffs in every season he was part of an NBA roster. However, with 19 years of postseason basketball comes a significant amount of losses. Karl Malone played in a total of 193 playoff games. However, a championship ring eluded the veteran throughout his career.

As such, those losses will likely sting a little bit more than they do for LeBron or Fisher, who can both point to their high level of success when defending their career losses.

#4 Tim Duncan, 94 career playoff losses

Five NBA championships and 251 career playoff games – that’s the overview of Tim Duncan’s postseason career. However, peel another layer off, and you will find the dominant big man sits fourth in playoff losses, with 94 to his name. Still, “The Big Fundamental” was a big part of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty, and can look back at those losses as steps to success.

#5 John Stockton, 93 career playoff losses

Arguably one of the best point guards in NBA history, John Stockton finished his NBA career without a championship ring to his name, despite becoming a true legend at his position. Along the way, Stockon registered 182 postseason appearances over 19 seasons.

With so many trips to the playoffs and so many eliminations, it’s only logical that Stockton rounds out our list of career postseason losses. After all, if you stay that long in the NBA and make deep runs every year without a championship ring, those losses accumulate. Still, Stockton had a career he can be proud of and has earned his spot in NBA history because of it.