NBA Playoffs: 7 NBA Playoff Records That May Never Be Broken

• There are some unbreakable records in the NBA playoffs
• LeBron James and Michael Jordan hold a few of those records
• Sports Brief has looked at a few of those records, some of which have stood for decades

Jayson Tatum broke the record for most points in a Game 7 in the NBA playoffs after scoring 51 points to lead the Boston Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers in the eastern conference semifinal.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry held the record for about two weeks. He dropped 50 points against the Sacramento Kings in the first round. Tatum's record could be broken in the playoffs this season, but which records have stood the test of time?

Several playoff records have stood for decades, and no NBA player has come close to breaking it. Sports Brief looks at some of them.

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Unbreakable playoff records

7. Most minutes played in a single game - 67

Syracuse's Red Rocha and Paul Seymour played 67 minutes against the Boston Celtics in 1953. Nikola Jokic is the only player that came close to matching that record. He logged 65 minutes in Denver Nuggets' playoff game against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019, per AP.

The Nuggets and Syracuse games remain the longest in NBA postseason history. Given how the games are played nowadays, we may never see a player play over 60 mins in the near future.

6. Most rebounds in a single game - Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain holds a few NBA records. His 41 rebounds are an NBA playoff record that will probably never be broken. He set that record in game 3 of the 1967 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics. To put it into context, only four players have grabbed 25 or more rebounds since 2000.

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Tim Duncan and Jonas Valanciunas have each pulled down 25 rebounds, while Dwight Howard and Bismack Biyombo each have playoff games with 26 rebounds, per Ringer.

Chamberlain's record will probably never be broken.

5. Most points in a single game - Michael Jordan

On April 20th, 1986, Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan erupted for an all-time NBA playoff record of 63 points against the Boston Celtics in the first round. The Bulls legend played 53 minutes of a possible 58. He shot 22-of-41 (53.7%) from the field and 19-of-21 (90.5%) from the free throw line while also recording six assists, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.

Larry Bird and the Celtics won the game 135-131 in double overtime and went on to sweep the Bulls, but Jordan’s playoff record still stands.

4. Total career playoff minutes - LeBron James

LeBron James is in his 20th NBA season and looks like he could play for the next few years. He recently became NBA's all-time leading scorer. He has played the most minutes in the NBA playoffs, a record that will likely never be broken. He has logged 11 483 minutes in the playoffs. The closest player is Tim Duncan, who retired in 2016.

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The closest active player is Kevin Durant, who has played 6725 minutes in the NBA playoffs.

3. Most NBA Finals MVP - Michael Jordan

Six NBA Finals MVPs is one thing that sets Michael Jordan apart from any NBA player. He led the Bulls to six NBA finals and won six times, per Bleacher Report. Icons like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar never won six finals MVPs. He's now been retired for nearly 20 years, and no one has come close to matching that incredible record.

Going 6-0 in the NBA finals makes him arguably the greatest player of all time.

2. Most rings - Bill Russell

Bill Russell's 11 NBA titles are the most by a player in NBA history, and it's more than every franchise aside from his Celtics and the Lakers, per Sporting News. The only active players close to that are LeBron James and the Warriors core, who have four rings each.

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Most of them are nearing the end of their careers, meaning they won't match Russell's record. It is a record that will be impossible to break.

1. Most points in the NBA playoffs - LeBron James

James holds a few unbreakable records in the NBA. He is the all-time leader in points both in the playoffs and regular season. The 38-year-old has scored 7912 points in 278 playoff games.

The closest player is Michael Jordan with 5987 points. The closest active player is Kevin Durant, who has 4878. His record will stand for decades to come unless the NBA sees another generational player like him.

MVPs with no NBA rings

Sports Brief earlier reported on players who the MVP award but never won an NBA title.

Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, and Steve Nash are some MVPs who retired without winning an NBA title.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook have won MVP awards and are still playing in the league. Therefore, they could lift it before they retire.