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LeBron James easily makes a case as the GOAT of basketball. Aside from being the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, James is also a four-time NBA champion and Finals MVP with three different franchises to go along with four NBA MVPs. In 2023, he even added the NBA In-Season Tournament title and In-Season Tournament MVP to his already stacked resume.
While James is one of the best basketball players in the world, he has also suffered numerous defeats throughout his career. Here is a look at the 10 NBA players with the most wins against LeBron James.
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1. Paul Pierce: 21
It's easy to see why Paul Pierce still feels salty about LeBron James' legacy. Besides, The King did give The Truth some rough moments in the playoffs on several occasions. Nonetheless, the 2008 NBA Finals MVP does own the most wins by any player when pitted against James in the regular season.
While it's a great consolation, Pierce would prefer that record to be in the postseason, which is an entirely different story with James succeeding at 17-13.
2. Luol Deng: 19
Luol Deng is currently doing wonders for the South Sudan basketball team. But prior to that, Deng carved out a decorated NBA career, highlighted by two All-Star game appearances. In addition to this, he has also accumulated the second-most wins by any player against The King.
Unfortunately, despite having 19 wins, James still holds a winning record in the regular season. Furthermore, the gap is even greater in favor of James during the playoffs.
3. Jimmy Butler: 19
Only one of two active players on this list, Jimmy Butler improved his record over James just a few days ago when the Heat blasted the Lakers with a 134-93 masterclass. The win allowed Butler to tie Deng for second on this list. Another victory over the Lakers star will put him in solo second.
James and Butler have engaged in an entertaining rivalry in the past few seasons. In the regular season, Butler has dominated the matchup with a 19-9 record. However, the King still remains supreme in the postseason with a 12-5 record over the Heat star. Of course, their current teams could only meet in the postseason in the NBA Finals.
4. Dwight Howard: 18
Ranking fourth in this list is three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight Howard. Howard managed to snag 18 wins in his duels against The King. However, it still wasn't enough for a winning record with James garnering 23 wins.
Howard did get the last laugh in the playoffs when his Magic eliminated the Cavs for a Finals spot in the 2009 NBA Finals. In the end, both Howard and James eventually teamed up for the Lakers to capture the 2020 NBA championship inside the Bubble.
5. Kyle Korver: 18
Talk about another opponent that turned into James' teammate. Kyle Korver was a deadly marksman from the perimeter. While he also collected 18 wins over The King, James still overpowered the elite shooter with 20 victories in the regular season and 10 in the postseason out of their 30 meetings overall.
Like Howard, Korver eventually teamed up with James but in Cleveland as part of James' dominant takeover in the East, however, Korver and James twice lost in the NBA Finals.
6. Taj Gibson: 17
Taj Gibson isn't a star by any means. However, he was a part of the Chicago Bulls squad that tormented several of James' teams. In fact, Gibson actually possesses a winning record over The King, 17-16. It's not exactly easy to get wins over James-led teams. As a result, it's certainly one of the bright spots of Gibson's career as a role player.
7. Paul Millsap: 17
Although Paul Millsap got 17 wins from his matchups against James, there's no question that James still has his number both in the regular season and in the playoffs. The recently retired Millsap remained ringless as James' teams continued to haunt him throughout his career. Nonetheless, Millsap gave his best effort to slow down The King, which isn't the easiest task to do.
8. Chris Paul: 17
Another player who totaled 17 wins against the King was the Point God himself, Chris Paul. He is also the second active NBA player on this list. CP3 currently holds a 17-17 record against James in the regular season. Just three years ago, CP3 actually drew first blood in their lone meeting at the postseason, as the Suns were responsible for ending the Lakers' title defense.
9. Rasheed Wallace: 17
Rasheed Wallace was known for his tenacious defense and modern skillset for a stretch big ahead of his time. James definitely had a tough time with Wallace as his matchup. In fact, James could only muster 11 wins against Wallace. Overall, the onetime NBA champion actually notched 27 overall wins, including the playoffs, over the league's all-time leading scorer.
10. Joe Johnson: 17
The final player to reach 17 wins over James is no other than Joe Johnson. The seven-time NBA All-Star was a menace in one-on-one situations. But while 17 wins is aplenty for any player, The King simply had Johnson's number.
In the matchup between the two, James reigned supreme with a 24-17 record in the regular season. LeBron James' dominance over Johnson extended in the postseason with a commanding 8-1 lead.
