Subscribe
Follow Us
LeBron James is regarded as the best basketball player in the world by many. In fact, he recently became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 points in his career. But as stellar as his legacy is, it isn't perfect by any means. Here are the 10 biggest stains on LeBron James' legacy, ranked.
Check out the gallery.
1. LeBron James losing NBA Finals record
The biggest stain on James' legacy has been his NBA Finals record. Although it was impressive for James to go eight-straight NBA Finals, The King failed to capitalize on his 10 appearances. Currently, James holds a Finals series record of 4-6. It's quite inferior compared to his counterparts in the GOAT conversation, especially with Michael Jordan's 6-0 clean slate and Bryant's 5-2 card at the grandest stage in professional basketball.
2. LeBron James' 2011 NBA Finals collapse
Speaking of NBA Finals, it's safe to say that James' worst playoff series of his career came at the worst time possible. At the 2011 NBA Finals, James made his second trip to the championship stage. However, he withered under the bright lights. The King struggled against the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game.
His worst performance came in Game 4 when he finished with only eight points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field overall. It was a huge stain on his legacy, given that James finally had his team and promised to deliver some gold to Miami.
3. LeBron James has been swept three times in the playoffs
Although James has won four NBA titles in his career, the playoffs weren't always so kind to him. In fact, he has been swept three times in the postseason. He received his first sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs while leading a surprise Cleveland Cavaliers squad at the 2007 NBA Finals.
James received his second at the 2018 NBA Finals against a stacked Golden State Warriors squad led by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Five years later, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets took care of business against James' Lakers in four games in the Western Conference Finals.
4. LeBron James is the NBA's all-time leader in turnovers
James has always been credited for his longevity. However, by playing more games with the ball in his hands a lot more, it also caused him to turn the ball over more times than anyone in league history. As it stands, James has tallied a total of 5,435 turnovers. Coming in second is Russell Westbrook's 4,757 and Karl Malone's 4,521 in third. With a large gap, it's safe to say that The King will hold on to the record for quite some time.
5. Lost the most number of playoff games by any NBA player
As mentioned previously, James has been a consistent figure in the postseason, but the playoffs haven't always been kind to him. In fact, while The King has won the most playoff games by any player at 183, he has also lost the most. In his career, James has accumulated a total of 104 playoff defeats. Players who trail behind him include Derek Fisher and Karl Malone at 98 and 95, respectively.
6. LeBron James has 0 Defensive Player of the Year Award wins
There's no doubt that James is one of the best all-around players in the game. And by proclaiming himself as the Goat, he carried expectations to dominate across the board, including the defensive department. But unlike Michael Jordan, The King never won the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Although he has six All-Defensive Team selections to his name, the DPOY Award surprisingly continues to elude James throughout his career. The closest he got was in 2013, when he finished as the runner-up to Marc Gasol.
7. LeBron James has most missed shots in NBA history
In terms of scoring, James cemented himself as arguably the best after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the sole record holder for most points by a player in NBA history. To this day, The King continues to add to his tally. However, he's also stocking up on bricks, as he's already accumulated a total of 14,970 of career missed shots, surpassing Kobe Bryant's 14,481.
8. LeBron James settles for bronze medal in Olympic debut
Although it's not in the NBA, it actually hurts James' case as the best player in the world to have a stingy Olympic black eye at the start of his international basketball career. Fresh from his NBA Rookie of the Year campaign, James was part of the 2004 Team USA squad that brought home only a bronze medal from Athens.
Team USA lost to Argentina in the Semifinals, 89-81. The blame shouldn't be heavily shouldered on James, however, given that he was still a developing player at that time. Unfortunately, with this forgettable tournament, James racked up three losses at the Olympic stage.
9. LeBron James has never won FIBA World Championship
Aside from the Olympics, James has surprisingly never won FIBA World Championship gold. His lone appearance at the FIBA World stage was in 2006, hosted by Japan. But unlike at the 2004 Olympics, James was already one of the stars of the squad for this Team USA edition. He averaged 14.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. However, a 101-95 upset at the hands of Greece forced James and crew to settle for a bronze. Since then, James never has returned to the FIBA World Stage.
10. LeBron James has most losses in All-Star Game history
James sat out the 2025 All-Star Game, which would have been his 21st appearance. However, while he is the record holder for the most All-Star Game appearances by a player, he also owns the record for most losses in the event. Currently, James is 10-10 at the annual festivities. Last year, he collected his 10th loss to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's nine.
