List of NBA career playoff turnovers leaders

This article provides two lists:

A list of National Basketball Association (NBA) players by total career playoff turnovers recorded.
A progressive list of turnover leaders showing how the record has increased through the years.[1]

Career playoff turnover leaders

This is a list of National Basketball Association players by total career playoff turnovers recorded.[2]

Statistics accurate as of the 2023 NBA playoffs.
LeBron James has the most turnovers in NBA playoff history.
^ Active NBA player
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Rank Player Position(s) Playoff team(s) played for (years)[3] Total turnovers Games played Turnovers per game
average[4]
1 LeBron James^ SF Cleveland Cavaliers (20062010, 20152018)
Miami Heat (20112014)
Los Angeles Lakers (20202021, 2023)
1,015 282 3.60
2 Magic Johnson* PG Los Angeles Lakers (19801991, 1996) 696 190 3.66
3 Shaquille O'Neal* C Orlando Magic (19941996)
Los Angeles Lakers (19972004)
Miami Heat (20052007)
Phoenix Suns (2008)
Cleveland Cavaliers (2010)
Boston Celtics (2011)
649 216 3.00
4 Kobe Bryant* SG Los Angeles Lakers (19972004, 20062012) 647 220 2.94
5 Tim Duncan* PF/C San Antonio Spurs (19981999, 20012016) 633 251 2.52
6 Scottie Pippen* SF Chicago Bulls (19881998)
Houston Rockets (1999)
Portland Trail Blazers (20002003)
602 208 2.89
7 Tony Parker* PG San Antonio Spurs (20022018) 594 226 2.63
8 Dwyane Wade* SG Miami Heat (20042007, 20092014, 2016, 2018)
Chicago Bulls (2017)
583 177 3.29
9 James Harden^ SG/PG Oklahoma City Thunder (20102012),
Houston Rockets (20132020)
Brooklyn Nets (2021)
Philadelphia 76ers (20222023)
555 160 3.47
10 Karl Malone* PF Utah Jazz (19862003)
Los Angeles Lakers (2004)
550 193 2.85
11 Michael Jordan* SG Chicago Bulls (19851993, 19951998) 546 179 3.05
12 Kevin Durant^ SF Oklahoma City Thunder (20102014, 2016)
Golden State Warriors (20172019)
Brooklyn Nets (20212022)
Phoenix Suns (2023)
540 166 3.25
13 John Stockton* PG Utah Jazz (19852003) 517 182 2.84
14 Larry Bird* SF/PF Boston Celtics (19801988, 19901992) 506 164 3.09
15 Stephen Curry^ PG Golden State Warriors (20132019, 20222023) 489 147 3.33
16 Manu Ginóbili* SG San Antonio Spurs (20032008, 20102018) 481 218 2.21
17 Dennis Johnson* PG Seattle SuperSonics (19781980)
Phoenix Suns (19811983)
Boston Celtics (19841990)
480 180 2.67
18 Paul Pierce* SF Boston Celtics (20022005, 20082013)
Brooklyn Nets (2014)
Washington Wizards (2015)
Los Angeles Clippers (20162017)
476 170 2.80
19 Russell Westbrook^ PG Oklahoma City Thunder (20102014, 20162019)
Houston Rockets (2020)
Washington Wizards (2021)
Los Angeles Clippers (2023)
461 116 3.97
20 Jason Kidd* PG Phoenix Suns (19972001)
New Jersey Nets (20022007)
Dallas Mavericks (20082012)
New York Knicks (2013)
450 158 2.85
21 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*[5] C Milwaukee Bucks (1970–1974)[6]
Los Angeles Lakers (1977)[6]
Los Angeles Lakers (19781989)
447 169 2.64
22 Hakeem Olajuwon*[7] C Houston Rockets (19851991, 19931999)
Toronto Raptors (2002)
424 145 2.92
23 Draymond Green^ PF/C Golden State Warriors (20132019, 20222023) 411 157 2.62
24 Clyde Drexler* SG Portland Trail Blazers (19841994)
Houston Rockets (19951998)
397 145 2.74
25 Julius Erving* SF Philadelphia 76ers (1977)[6]
Philadelphia 76ers (19781987)
396 122 3.25
Rank Player Position(s) Playoff team(s) played for (years)[3] Total
turnovers
Games played Turnovers per game
average[4]

Progressive list of playoff turnover leaders

This is a progressive list of turnover leaders showing how the record increased through the years.[1]

Statistics accurate as of the 2023 NBA playoffs.[8]
^ Active NBA player
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[9]
Team Abbreviations Team listed is the one player was on when he established the record.
BOS Boston Celtics HOU Houston Rockets NJN New Jersey Nets PHO Phoenix Suns
CHI Chicago Bulls IND Indiana Pacers NYK New York Knicks TOR Toronto Raptors
CLE Cleveland Cavaliers LAL Los Angeles Lakers OKC Oklahoma City Thunder UTA Utah Jazz
DET Detroit Pistons MIA Miami Heat ORL Orlando Magic SEA Seattle SuperSonics
GSW Golden State Warriors MIN Minnesota Timberwolves PHI Philadelphia 76ers WAS Washington Wizards
NBA Progressive Leaders and Records for Turnovers for Every Season
Season Year-by-year leader TOV Active player leader TOV Career record TOV Single-season record TOV Season
1977–78 Marvin Webster000SEA 74 Marvin Webster000SEA 74 Marvin Webster000SEA 74 Marvin Webster000SEA 74 1977–78
1978–79 Walter Davis000PHO 66 John Johnson000SEA 117 John Johnson000SEA 117 1978–79
1979–80 Magic Johnson*000LAL 65 173 173 1979–80
1980–81 Larry Bird*000BOS 62 Julius Erving*000PHI 184 Julius Erving*000PHI 184 1980–81
1981–82 Andrew Toney000PHI 67 251 251 1981–82
1982–83 Magic Johnson*000LAL 64 290 290 1982–83
1983–84 Larry Bird*000BOS 87 311 311 Larry Bird*000BOS 87 1983–84
1984–85 Magic Johnson*000LAL 76 348 348 1984–85
1985–86 Ralph Sampson*000HOU 71 387 387 1985–86
1986–87 Larry Bird*000BOS 71 Magic Johnson*000LAL 435 Magic Johnson*000LAL 435 1986–87
1987–88 Isiah Thomas*000DET 85 518 518 1987–88
1988–89 Michael Jordan*000CHI 68 571 571 1988–89
1989–90 Isiah Thomas*000DET 72 607 607 1989–90
1990–91 Magic Johnson*000LAL 77 684 684 1990–91
1991–92 Michael Jordan*000CHI 81 Larry Bird*000BOS 506 1991–92
1992–93 Kevin Johnson000PHO 84 Michael Jordan*000 CHI
Isiah Thomas*000DET
369 1992–93
1993–94 Hakeem Olajuwon*000HOU
Patrick Ewing*000NYK
83 Isiah Thomas*000DET 369 1993–94
1994–95 Penny Hardaway000ORL 73 Michael Jordan*000CHI 410 1994–95
1995–96 Shawn Kemp000SEA 80 Magic Johnson*000LAL 696 696 1995–96
1996–97 Alonzo Mourning*000MIA 70 Michael Jordan*000CHI 501 1996–97
1997–98 Karl Malone*000UTA 60 546 1997–98
1998–99 Latrell Sprewell000NYK 58 Scottie Pippen*000CHI 536 1998–99
1999–00 Shaquille O'Neal*000LAL 56 573 1999–00
2000–01 Allen Iverson*000PHI 63 585 2000–01
2001–02 Jason Kidd*000NJN 67 595 2001–02
2002–03 79 602 2002–03
2003–04 Kevin Garnett*000MIN 75 2003–04
2004–05 Richard Hamilton000DET 78 Shaquille O'Neal*
000MIA 2005–07
000PHO 2008–09
000CLE 2009–10
000BOS 2010–11
517 2004–05
2005–06 Dwyane Wade*000MIA 90 602 Dwyane Wade*000MIA 90 2005–06
2006–07 Deron Williams000UTA 68 616 2006–07
2007–08 Paul Pierce*000BOS 82 625 2007–08
2008–09 Dwight Howard000ORL 67 2008–09
2009–10 Kobe Bryant*000LAL 79 649 2009–10
2010–11 Russell Westbrook^000OKC 78 2010–11
2011–12 LeBron James^000MIA 81 Kobe Bryant*000LAL 647 2011–12
2012–13 Paul George^000IND 75 2012–13
2013–14 Russell Westbrook^000OKC 83 2013–14
2014–15 Stephen Curry^000GSW
LeBron James^000CLE
82 2014–15
2015–16 Russell Westbrook^000OKC 78 LeBron James^
000CLE 2016–18
000LAL 2018–23
700 LeBron James^
000CLE 2016–18
000LAL 2018–23
700 2015–16
2016–17 LeBron James^000CLE 72 772 772 2016–17
2017–18 94 866 866 LeBron James^000CLE 94 2017–18
2018–19 Draymond Green^000GSW 83 2018–19
2019–20 LeBron James^000LAL 84 950 950 2019–20
2020–21 Devin Booker^000PHO 81 975 975 2020–21
2021–22 Jayson Tatum^000BOS 100 Jayson Tatum^000BOS 100 2021–22
2022–23 Nikola Jokić^000DEN 70 1,015 1,015 2022–23
Season Year-by-year leader TOV Active player leader TOV Career record TOV Single-season record TOV Season

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "NBA Progressive Playoff Leaders and Records for Turnovers". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports-Reference LLC. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  2. ^ The National Basketball Association did not record turnover statistics until the 1977–78 season.
  3. ^ a b American Basketball Association (ABA) teams other than those admitted into the NBA in 1976 are not included; each year is linked to an article about that particular NBA season. The years listed are only ones in which the player played in a playoff game.
  4. ^ a b Average is rounded to the nearest tenth and its calculation does not include games played in seasons before turnovers were officially recorded.
  5. ^ Known as Lew Alcindor prior to May 1, 1971.
  6. ^ a b c Turnovers were not yet recorded during the player's tenure with this team and season(s).
  7. ^ Previously written as Akeem Olajuwon prior to official spelling change March 9, 1991.
  8. ^ "2020 NBA Playoffs Leaders". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  9. ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years.

External links

  • Basketball-Reference.com enumeration of NBA career playoff leaders in turnovers
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