Category: LeBron James

Who Has the Most Triple-Doubles in NBA Finals History?
7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Who Has the Most Triple-Doubles in NBA Finals History?

When Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic walks on to a basketball court, he immediately becomes a threat to put up a triple-double.

In six years in the NBA, Doncic has been nothing short of a triple-double machine. He is already tied for eighth all-time in that category with 77—18 more than Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird, and 49 more than Hall of Fame guard Michael Jordan.

As he makes his NBA Finals debut, it's worth looking back at the history of players reaching double figures in three of basketball's five major counting statistics (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) on the sport's biggest stage.

A triple-double, in basketball, is when a player hits three of the following statistical benchmarks in a single game: 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks or 10 steals. Hitting two is a more common double-double, while hitting four is an extraordinarily rare quadruple-double.

The NBA record for most career triple-doubles is held by Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook with 199.

Since the advent of the NBA Finals, 23 players are known to have accomplished the feat, per StatMuse.

PLAYER

NUMBER OF TRIPLE-DOUBLES

LeBron James, Heat/Cavaliers/Lakers

11

Magic Johnson, Lakers

8

Draymond Green, Warriors

3

Larry Bird, Celtics

2

Jimmy Butler, Heat

2

Wilt Chamberlain, 76ers

2

Bob Cousy, Celtics

2

Walt Frazier, Knicks

2

NIkola Jokić, Nuggets

2

Bill Russell, Celtics

2

Charles Barkley, Suns

1

Elgin Baylor, Lakers

1

Dave Cowens, Celtics

1

Stephen Curry, Warriors

1

Tim Duncan, Spurs

1

Kevin Durant, Warriors

1

Jason Kidd, Nets

1

Jamal Murray, Nuggets

1

Scottie Pippen, Bulls

1

Rajon Rondo, Celtics

1

Wes Unseld, Bullets

1

Jerry West, Lakers

1

James Worthy, Lakers

1

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, with 11. James is the only player to accomplish the feat with three different teams, having registered triple-doubles with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers. He is also one of three players, along with ex-Los Angeles guard Jerry West and forward James Worthy, to record a triple-double in Game 7 of the Finals.

James spread his triple-doubles out, too: he recorded one in his much-maligned 2011 Finals, one in the 2012 Finals, two in the 2013 Finals, two in the 2015 Finals, one in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, two in the 2017 Finals, one in the 2018 Finals, and one in the 2020 Finals.

Boston Celtics, btnseo, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, NBA
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LeBron James Shares Heartfelt Message for Doris Burke Ahead of Her NBA Finals Debut
7 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

LeBron James Shares Heartfelt Message for Doris Burke Ahead of Her NBA Finals Debut

Doris Burke will make history on Thursday night as she becomes the first woman to serve as a game analyst on television during a major men's professional championship event when she's on the call for the 2024 NBA Finals.

Ahead of her Finals debut, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James shared some heartwarming words of encouragement and appreciation for the renowned analyst.

"Important moment for our sport tonight. Love and respect to DB and everything she does to elevate all of us! You’re a [goat emoji]!" wrote James on X, formerly Twitter, ahead of tipoff of Game 1 on Thursday evening.

Burke will be on ABC/ESPN's lead broadcast team for each game of the NBA Finals series between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, joining the likes of Mike Breen and JJ Redick in one of the most coveted seats in the business.

James was overjoyed to see Burke get an opportunity and continue to pave the way for women in sports, and he congratulated her on social media.

During a recent appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," Burke spoke on the importance of the opportunity for herself and all women in sports.

"I’ll be honest with you, it’s meaningful," she said. "There’s no doubt that that sentiment hasn’t dawned on me. Obviously, what could be better for me if in some way this assignment helps women in some way? There could be nothing more meaningful."

Burke has been a full-time NBA analyst since 2017, having previously been ESPN's top sideline reporter. She called the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio in 2020, becoming the first woman to do so, and continues to blaze trails with her latest achievement during this year's championship.

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Doris Burke, LeBron James, NBA Finals
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Kendrick Perkins Bashes LeBron James's Recent Quote About Kyrie Irving
6 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Kendrick Perkins Bashes LeBron James’s Recent Quote About Kyrie Irving

Kendrick Perkins wasn't thrilled with LeBron James's recent statement about former teammate Kyrie Irving ahead of the 2024 NBA Finals.

On his Mind the Game podcast with JJ Redick earlier this week, James said he is "so f------ mad" that he's not Irving's running mate anymore in the NBA.

While James's Los Angeles Lakers were bounced from the playoffs in the first round, Irving's Dallas Mavericks are preparing to face the Boston Celtics on basketball's biggest stage.

“Here we go again,” Perkins said Thursday on ESPN. “Bron weaseling his way into somebody else’s moment … This is not about you! Your team is at home. This is about the Mavs and the Celtics, but yet you’re so mad and disappointed that you’re not Kyrie Irving’s running mate anymore. Here we go again.”

Irving and James played three seasons together on the Cavaliers from 2014 to '17 and brought an NBA championship to Cleveland in 2016.

In 2017, Irving asked the Cavaliers for a trade, and he ended up in Boston for two years. When that didn't work out, Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 and later requested another trade in 2023, where he landed with the Mavericks.

Seven years after departing James in Cleveland, things have finally come together for Irving. He and backcourt mate Luka Doncic have proven to be the NBA's best scoring duo throughout the fifth-seeded Mavericks' run to the NBA Finals.

Irving and the Mavericks tip off the NBA Finals in Game 1 on Thursday night at TD Garden.

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, NBA, NBA Playoffs
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LeBron James Had Three-Word Message For A’ja Wilson After Aces Star Made WNBA History
6 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

LeBron James Had Three-Word Message For A’ja Wilson After Aces Star Made WNBA History

Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson put on a show in Wednesday’s 95-81 road win over the Dallas Wings that dazzled everyone from the average WNBA fan to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

Wilson finished with 36.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 6.0 steals in the win to become the first player in WNBA history to record at least 35.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 steals in a game. The 27-year-old center is also the first player to drop 35.0 points and 5.0 steals in multiple games.

A day after the Aces’ win, LeBron James posted a three-word message congratulating Wilson on her latest feat.

James wrote on X, “THE ABSOLUTE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!”

Wilson, a two-time league MVP in 2020 and '22, is averaging 27.9 points and a league-leading 12.4 rebounds per game in seven appearances this season, also a WNBA first. Wilson and the Aces (5-2) are chasing a third-straight WNBA championship to become the second franchise in history to win the league three seasons in a row.

A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces, LeBron James, WNBA
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LeBron James’ Old Tweet About Dan Hurley Resurfaces Amid Lakers’ Coaching News
6 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

LeBron James’ Old Tweet About Dan Hurley Resurfaces Amid Lakers’ Coaching News

The Los Angeles Lakers are going after UConn's Dan Hurley to be their next coach, per a report Thursday morning by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Hurley is coming off back-to-back national titles with the Huskies, who would hate to see their coach jump to the NBA.

What would LeBron James think about this move happening? We don't kow yet, but a few months ago James tweeted about Hurley and it seems like he loves what the coach and his staff have done at UConn.

Here is James replying to a video of JJ Redick, who has also been on the Lakers' radar, and Hurley talking about UConn's offense:

It's going to be wild to see how this plays out.

Dan Hurley, Lakers, LeBron James, UConn
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Charles Barkley Has Simple Reason for Wanting LeBron James to Retire Soon
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Charles Barkley Has Simple Reason for Wanting LeBron James to Retire Soon

As Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James mulls an uncertain future, there's one respected NBA voice who hopes he decides to call it quits soon.

TNT analyst, Inside the NBA personality and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, during an appearance on former NFL star and ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe's podcast Club Shay Shay this past Wednesday, explained why he hopes James, who left his future up in the air following the Lakers' elimination from the playoffs this past week, announces his retirement sooner rather than later.

"I hope he retires soon because I hated the way I retired," Barkley said.

Barkley, to the amusement of Sharpe, then recalled his own realization of when it was time to stop playing professional basketball.

"I remember telling myself my last two years, 'Ok, I'm going to get myself in great shape, I'm going to have a good year, then I'm going to retire.'" "Then I figured out, like, playing against air... Everybody is good against air. Everybody is great against air," Barkley said, going on to explain that he just couldn't compete against younger players anymore.

Barkley finally explained that he hopes James "retires while he can still play."

James, who will turn 40 in December, declined to answer when asked about his plans for the 2024-25 season following the Lakers' loss to the Denver Nuggets last week. The four-time NBA champion surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA's all-time scoring list during the 2022-23 season, then proceeded to average 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field in 71 games played this season.

In short, James is still playing at a very high level. But Barkley's comments are undoubtedly food for thought for the Akron, Ohio native.

Charles Barkley, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA
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Cavaliers Rally Past Magic to Win First Playoff Series Without LeBron James in Over Three Decades
5 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Cavaliers Rally Past Magic to Win First Playoff Series Without LeBron James in Over Three Decades

To tell the story of the Cleveland Cavaliers is—with a few exceptions—to tell the story of now-Los Angeles Lakers and former Cavaliers forward LeBron James. The NBA's longtime leading scorer was the architect of all five of the team's conference titles and every one of their playoff series wins since 1993...

...until Sunday. After going down by 18 during a nightmarish first half, Cleveland rallied past the Orlando Magic 106-94 to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.

Guard Donovan Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 39 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while forward Paolo Banchero tallied 38 points and 16 rebounds in defeat.

The last time Cleveland advanced in a playoffs without James, it defeated the New Jersey Nets three games to two in a best-of-five first round series—losing to guard Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the conference semifinals.

The Magic led the Cavaliers 49-31 with 4:17 left in the first half. Orlando's blown lead is the largest in a Game 7 since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1997.

Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Orlando Magic
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Magic's Paolo Banchero Quickly Breaks Scoring Record Held by LeBron James in Game 7 vs. Cavaliers
5 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Magic’s Paolo Banchero Quickly Breaks Scoring Record Held by LeBron James in Game 7 vs. Cavaliers

Though six games, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero's first playoff series has been a rousing success.

The numbers tell all: in three Magic wins and three Cleveland Cavaliers wins in the first round, Banchero has averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. His play has Orlando on the cusp of its first playoff series victory since 2010.

In the first half of Game 7 Sunday, however, Banchero went to another level. The Duke product exploded for 24 points against the Cavaliers—the most by a player 21 or younger in a Game 7 in the history of the NBA.

Whose record did he break? Cleveland fans may know this one.

That's right—Cavaliers forward LeBron James scored 21 points in Game 7 of the 2006 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Detroit Pistons, which the Pistons won by the very '06 score of 79-61.

Cleveland rallied from a big first-half deficit to take the lead against the Magic, but Orlando fans will have Banchero's heroics win or lose.

Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Orlando Magic, Paolo Banchero
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How Darvin Ham Stacks Up in Lakers' Coaching History
3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

How Darvin Ham Stacks Up in Lakers’ Coaching History

The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday. The decision comes three days after the franchise was eliminated in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs by the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

While it is no great shame to lose to Nikola Jokić and a very good Nuggets team, Ham was on the hot seat all season long due to some questionable coaching decisions, especially in regards to the starting lineup. Paired with the sky-high expectations that come with coaching a LeBron James-led outfit, the change is not entirely shocking.

The Lakers will now begin the search for the 29th head coach in franchise history. Before looking ahead, however, it is important to look back and contextualize Ham's tenure at the helm. How does he stack up to his counterparts throughout franchise history?

Lakers' Coaching History

With his dismissal on Friday, Ham will officially finish his Lakers career boasting a regular season record of 90–74. His 90 wins put him 14th all-time in franchise history, more than Mike D'Antoni but fewer than Joe Mullaney. The all-time leader in Lakers history is— you guessed it— Phil Jackson, who recorded 610 victories in his dominant years with the franchise.

Ham's 164 games coached from the bench puts him in a five-way tie for 10th in Lakers franchise history. The other coaches with 164 games exactly under their belt are the aforementioned Mullaney, Butch van Breda Kolff, Mike Dunleavy Sr., and Byron Scott. For fans of HBO's Winning Time, Paul Westhead is next on the list with 161 games coached. The all-time leader for the organization in this category is, once again, Jackson with 902 games coached.

In terms of winning percentage, Ham will finish his time in Los Angeles clocking in at .549. That ranks 19th all-time in Lakers history, ahead of Randy Pfund (.452) and behind Rudy Tomjanovich (.558). Technically speaking, the franchise leader in winning percentage is Bernie Bickerstaff, who went 4–1 back in 2013 and thus owns an even .800 winning percentage. However, among coaches with more than 10 games coached, Pat Riley leads with .733.

Ham's playoff record is not quite as flattering in the light of the giants who came before him, although he did avoid the ignominy of becoming the 11th coach in Lakers history to not coach a single playoff game. His 21 postseason appearances are good for 12th all-time, but his 9–12 record (a winning percentage of .429) slots him 13th. Jackson leads all Lakers coaches with 118 playoff wins but Riley won at a better clip, posting a winning percentage of .685 during his tenure.

As the numbers suggest, Ham had a fine run as head coach of the Lakers. It was not drenched in glory but it also wasn't drenched in failure. A decidedly average tenure, and one that came to an end on Friday.

Darvin Ham, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA
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JJ Redick, Ty Lue Candidates to Land Lakers Job If Darvin Ham Is Fired, per Report
3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

JJ Redick, Ty Lue Candidates to Land Lakers Job If Darvin Ham Is Fired, per Report

The Los Angeles Lakers could part ways with coach Darvin Ham this offseason after the team's first-round exit at the hands of the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, who have now bounced Los Angeles from the playoffs in two straight seasons.

Although it's not yet been made official, Ham's exit has been widely speculated upon, and some names have already been floated as possible replacements for the Lakers' potential vacancy.

Among those who are considered "real candidates" include both Tyronn Lue and JJ Redick, according to ESPN's Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin.

"JJ [Redick] certainly is a real candidate if they do open up this coaching search," McMenamin said Thursday during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. "There's, I'd say, half a dozen folks out there, including possibly the guy who just lost last night against the Mavericks, Tyronn Lue ... that there will be a process there that there are several viable candidates that will get an interview."

McMenamin noted that Ham had not yet met with the Los Angeles front office regarding his future, so there's still no guarantee that he won't be brought back for the 2024-25 season.

Redick, of course, recently started a podcast with Lakers superstar LeBron James dubbed Mind the Game, where the pair break down the X's and O's of basketball together.

It's clear that James holds him in high regard, so if a vacancy does open up, it stands to reason that Redick, who has reportedly interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets' vacancy, would be a realistic Lakers candidate.

Darvin Ham, JJ Redick, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Tyronn Lue
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