LeBron James Playoff History: How Many Times Has the King Missed the NBA Postseason?

Discover LeBron James' playoff journey insights into his postseason appearances and the occasions he missed. Read more

By Rakesh Mehra

Updated on Apr 17, 2024 | 07:56 PM IST | 438.6K

Image Courtesy: Twitter

Experiencing a remarkable season, LeBron James continues to impress in his performances with the Los Angeles Lakers.

His recent games highlight his consistency and prowess, scoring 23 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, and setting a new personal 3-point shot record with 40 points versus the Brooklyn Nets.

Remarkable in his career longevity, 39-year-old LeBron James is now playing in his 21st NBA season.

This longevity has seen him compete against 35% of all NBA players and consistently record impressive stats, averaging 24.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.

Have you ever wondered how often LeBron James has had to miss the NBA Playoffs? In this article, we will explore the answer to that question.

How Many Times Has Lebron James Missed the NBA Playoffs?

LeBron James has sat out the NBA postseason four times in his career. The seasons that found him on the sidelines include his rookie year in 2003-2004, the follow-up season 2004-2005, and the more recent 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 seasons.

2003-04 Cleveland Cavaliers

Even at 19, LeBron James almost catalyzed the Cleveland Cavaliers into the playoffs during his rookie year. He didn't just positively impact the scoreboard but transformed many other game arenas.

His season average stats were impressive: 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game This performance earned him the title of the youngest-ever

NBA Rookie of the Year. Despite not making the playoffs, LeBron instantly drew eyes to the Cavs as a dynamic and exciting team.

2004-05 Cleveland Cavaliers

As LeBron James improved, the Cavaliers followed suit. Yet, the Eastern Conference collectively scaled up as well.

Cleveland found themselves neck-and-neck with the then-New Jersey Nets for the last playoff spot by the regular season's final game.

LeBron teamed with Ilgauskas, Eric Snow, Drew Gooden, and Ira Newble.

He played every minute of the game, scoring a triple-double and leading the Cavs to a 104-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors. The Cavaliers concluded the season at 42-40.

2018-19 Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James's inaugural LA Lakers season fell short of a seamless Hollywood narrative. An injury-laden season meant he played only 55 games – a personal low – and ended his 13-year playoff streak.

The Lakers, with young talents like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma, were excluded from the playoffs with 10 remaining season games.

They ended the season at 37-45, leading to an extensive team restructure during the offseason.

2021-2022 Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James led the 2021-2022 LA Lakers to an unfortunate playoff miss. It stemmed from injuries to vital players such as LeBron himself and Anthony Davis, roster challenges, and inconsistent performance.

Despite a roster brimming with talent and lofty anticipations, new additions like Russell Westbrook didn't integrate well, and the team lacked unity.