How Many Consecutive NBA Finals Has LeBron James Made?
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has just reached his eighth straight finals appearance, a feat that only a handful of NBA players have ever accomplished, after an 87-79 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
James has reached every NBA Finals since 2010. He made four straight appearances with the Miami Heat from 2011-2014 and another four since returining to Cleveland after the 2014 season.
In that span, James has won three championships, in 2012, 2013 and 2016. Last season, James and the Cavaliers were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in five games.
This postseason, James and the Cavs defeated the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors before knocking off the Celtics in seven games.
Most of the players that have five or more consecutive Finals appearances are from the Boston Celtics dynasty from the 1950 and '60s.
Hall of Famer Bill Russell sets the standard, having appeared in 10 straight Finals. He also hold the record for most years in Finals with 12 and most games played in Finals with 70.
The Celtics won eight straight championships from 1959–66. Overall, the team has 21 NBA Finals appearances with 17 titles.
Players with the most consecutive NBA Finals appearances
Bill Russell, 10
Sam Jones, 9
Tom Heinsohn, 9
Frank Ramsey, 8
James Jones, 7
LeBron James, 7
K.C. Jones, 7
Bob Cousy, 7
Tom Sanders, 6
Bill Sharman, 5
