The list of things that LeBron James has accomplished in the NBA is over a mile long. He is a four-time MVP and a four-time NBA champion who has been named Finals MVP in all four of his championship wins. He owns a host of individual records, including the NBA’s all-time scoring record and just about every NBA playoff record you can come up with. James is even known for holding ownership over a few franchises and players on the court throughout his 20 years in the NBA, but nobody, not even someone with a GOAT case such as LeBron’s, is perfect.
A few months ago, you saw us discuss the NBA players whom LeBron James holds the best undefeated records against. Today, our mission is to uncover the individual players that hold the best winning percentages against LeBron, adding as much context as possible to those matchups. Let’s be clear, we understand that basketball is a team sport and has never once been played one vs. five. However, there are certain matchups and instances that are worth diving further into, as well as how the records in those matchups came to be. That is what will be explained in detail below
These are the 20 NBA players with the best overall winning percentages vs. LeBron James in their careers.
Rule: Players must have played in at least 15 games against LeBron James to qualify for this list.
T20. Festus Ezeli – 56.2%
Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 9-7
Festus Ezeli isn’t exactly an overly exciting way to get this list kicked off, but his record against LeBron over the course of 16 games is above the .500 mark. Ezeli lasted just three seasons in the NBA before a knee injury would force him into early retirement. Ezeli was a member of the Golden State Warriors from 2013 thru 2016, playing 170 games over those four seasons. His best season came in 2016 when he received 13 starts and 46 appearances overall, averaging 7.0 PPG and 5.6 RPG during that stretch.
Ezeli and James only met four times during the regular season in their careers, with the Warriors claiming a 3-1 advantage over James and the Cavaliers. The difference in impact is abundantly clear during those matchups as Ezeli averaged just 1.8 PPG and 1.8 RPG while James was, well, LeBron James. The two would face off 12 times in the NBA Finals between 2015 and 2016, with Ezeli playing a limited role in those contests receiving under 10 minutes of playing time on average. James, on the other hand, led the Cavaliers to a 6-6 record in these games averaging 33.6 PPG, 12.3 RPG, and 8.9 APG.
T20. Mikal Bridges – 56.2%
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 9-7
Mikal Bridges has been in the NBA just a few short seasons but is already making a name for himself as one of the game’s best young small forwards. He is an agile two-way player who has no problem taking on an opponent’s best offensive player while being a legit scoring and playmaking threat on the other side. Despite this limited time in the NBA, Bridges has managed to help his teams to a winning record over James in their 16 meetings.
Of course, six of these games came against LeBron and the Lakers in the first round of the 2021 playoffs when Bridges was still with the Suns. The Suns won the series in six games, and Bridges averaged just 9.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 1.5 SPG. James averaged just over 23.0 PPG while dealing with an ankle injury that had lingered all season. In the regular season, Bridges and James split their 10 matchups at five games apiece. All of these games came when Bridges was still with Phoenix, as they have not met since Bridges was traded earlier this season to Brooklyn.
T20. Chris Webber – 56.2%
Credit: Fadeaway World
Record Against LeBron James: 9-7
Chris Webber was known as one of the greatest power forwards of the 2000s. He was fast, ran the floor to perfection, could shoot, create his own shot, and saw the floor very well for a man his size. Webber was an accomplished power forward for a time with the Kings and earned five All-Star appearances as well as five All-NBA Team selections during his 15-year NBA career.
Unfortunately for us fans, we never got to see a prime Chris Webber and LeBron James match-up. By the time these two met on the court, Webber was past his prime with the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons. However, Webber was still productive, winning seven out of 10 matchups in the regular season and averaging 20.8 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 3.8 APG. James would have the last laugh in the 2007 playoffs when Webber was with the Pistons. James led Cleveland to a six-game series win, averaging 25.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 8.5 APG, while Webber was limited in action and averaged just 11.5 PPG and 5.7 RPG.
T20. Bruce Bowen – 56.2%
Credit: Fadeaway World
Record Against LeBron James: 9-7
Bruce Bowen was a defensive specialist for 13 seasons in the NBA, most notably with the San Antonio Spurs from 2001-02 thru 2008-09. Bowen would help the Spurs capture three of their five NBA championships and was named to eight All-Defensive Teams during his career as well. Bowen may have averaged just 6.4 PPG during his time with the Spurs, but there is no doubt about how impactful his defensive abilities were to their overall success.
LeBron would actually have a winning record against Bowen and the Spurs during the regular season. He won seven of the 12 matchups they had in the regular season and averaged 28.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.6 APG, and 1.3 SPG. The difference in their records has to come from the 2007 NBA Finals. Bowen and the Spurs dominated James and the Cavaliers during that series and swept them in four games to win their third NBA title. Bowen averaged only 6.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG but played immaculate defense to help them capture the championship.
T20. Dale Davis – 56.2%
Credit: Fadeaway World
Record Against LeBron James: 9-7
Dale Davis was the 13th overall pick of the Indiana Pacers way back in the 1991 NBA draft. Indiana would be where Davis would make a name for himself as a big man and double-double machine who was also a talented shot blocker at his peak. Davis would make one All-Star Game with Indiana in 1999-00. Davis averaged 9.3 PPG and 9.0 RPG in 10 seasons with the Pacers and helped them reach the NBA Finals in 2000 against the Lakers.
Now, by the time Davis and James actually met in the regular season, Davis was nearing the end of his career and was 36 to 37 years old. Detroit held a 7-5 record against James during those years in the regular season, with Davis only coming off the bench for 12.4 minutes per game. Davis and James would split their playoff meetings at two games each. Davis received multiple DNPs as his role diminished with age, and James led the Cavaliers to a big playoff win over Detroit in 2007.
17. Chauncey Billups – 56.4%
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 22-17
Chauncey Billups is perhaps one of the most underrated point guards ever. When LeBron James was a rookie, Billups led the Detroit Pistons to an NBA championship and won a Finals MVP award. This is where the story began for Billups and James’ head-to-head matchups and ended with James getting the best of Billups in the playoffs.
In the regular season, Billups’ Pistons and Nuggets teams got the best of James’ teams 16 out of 26 times. Billups averaged a solid 14.3 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 1.2 SPG, while James averaged 25.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 6.5 APG. In the playoffs, it was Billups who would earn the upper hand first in 2006 when the Pistons defeated the Cavaliers in seven games in the second round. In 2007, James would have his revenge as he led Cleveland to a six-game series win over the Pistons and to an NBA Finals appearance.
16. Rashard Lewis – 56.5%
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 13-10
Rashard Lewis is one of the more underrated stretch forwards of the 2000s. Lewis was a solid shooter and overall scorer for the SuperSonics during the early to mid-2000s as well as the Orlando Magic later in the decade. Lewis was a two-time All-Star that helped the Magic reach the NBA Finals in 2009 and peaked as a 22.0 PPG scorer. Lewis would actually go on to win a championship with LeBron in Miami during the 2013 season, but the two had some battles before they got to that point.
In the regular season, Lewis’ teams got the best of James nine times in 17 tries. Lewis averaged 14.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG in those contests and shot 35.0% from three-point range. James got the clear best of the head-to-head with 28.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 7.5 APG. Lewis put on a much better performance when the Magic and Cavaliers collided in the 2009 playoffs. He averaged 18.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.3 SPG, but James was on another planet. In the loss, LeBron averaged 38.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 8.0 APG, as well as over 1.0 BPG and SPG.
15. Kevon Looney – 57.9%
Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 11-8
Kevon Looney has enjoyed the benefits of being drafted into the best situation possible for the last several seasons in the NBA. Looney made his debut in 2015 with the Warriors but played just five games of the historic 73-9 2016 season. Looney would begin to make more and more appearances on the court, mainly making an impact as a rebounder and big body in the paint. He has helped the Warriors win three NBA championships, including in 2022, when he had a decent run averaging 5.8 PPG and 7.6 RPG.
It is safe to say that LeBron’s poor record against the Warriors since Looney arrived has very little to do with Looney himself. In their 14 regular season matchups, James has split them with Golden State seven games each. Looney only averaged 4.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG in those games while making seven starts. Looney also started just one of their four playoff games against each other with less than 10.0 minutes per game. James, on the other hand, averaged 34.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 10.0 APG in those four Finals games.
14. Stephen Curry – 58.1%
Credit: David Butler II/USA Today Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 25-18
As opposed to Looney, Stephen Curry has been a major thorn in the side of LeBron James and his quest for NBA championships during his career. Over the last 10 years, Curry has evolved into an elite offensive weapon and the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history. Curry has led the Warriors to dynastic levels as a franchise with his MVP seasons and four NBA championships in eight years from 2015 thru 2022.
Curry and LeBron have matched up just 20 times in the regular season in their careers, and each has walked away with 10 wins. Curry averages 22.3 PPG in those 20 games shooting 39.1% from three and 45.5% overall. James has averaged 28.8 PPG in those matchups as well as 9.0 RPG and 6.3 APG. In their 22 Finals games against each other, it is a different story as Curry has won 16 of 22 games. He averages 25.4 PPG in those contests, which have all come in the NBA Finals, and shoots 39.7% from three. James has averaged 33.0 PPG in his Finals career against Curry as well as 11.5 RPG and 9.3 APG.
T12. Michael Finley – 58.3%
Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 14-10
During the early 2000s, Michael Finley was an All-Star with the Dallas Mavericks and a consistent 20.0 PPG threat. He averaged 19.8 PPG over the course of nine seasons with Dallas from 1997 thru 2005. After his stint with Dallas, Finley became a member of the Spurs, where he came off the bench and won a championship with them in 2007. Finley and LeBron matched up mostly during this period as Finley was declining, and he was rising as a superstar.
That‘s the story that fits the numbers behind their matchups. James’ teams actually got the best of Finley’s in the regular season eight out of 14 times. James started all 14 of those games and averaged over 30.0 PPG. Finley, on the other hand, only made seven starts and averaged under 9.0 PPG. In their playoff careers, Finley’s teams got the better of James 80.0% of the time. Finley’s role was quite diminished in the times they met in the postseason, including the 2007 Finals with the Spurs and the 2010 playoffs with Boston against the Cavaliers.
T12. Tim Duncan – 58.3%
Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 21-15
The much bigger rival to LeBron James during his career in the 2000s and 2010s was Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs. Duncan is one of the greatest Finals performers, defenders, and overall players in NBA history who helped transform the Spurs into a dynasty during his 19 years in their uniform. Duncan won two of his five career NBA championships at the expense of James and surrendered one later in his career as well.
In the regular season, James performed extremely well against Duncan and the Spurs as they split 20 matchups with 10 wins each. James averaged over 26.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 6.6 APG, while Duncan recorded 18.3 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 1.8 BPG. The Matchups between Duncan and James in their NBA Finals matchups favored Duncan 11 wins to five. Duncan picked up wins in a sweep over the Cavaliers in 2007 and a win in five games in 2014. James grabbed an NBA championship and a Finals MVP over Duncan and the Spurs in 2013 with the Miami Heat.
11. Ian Clark – 58.8%
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 10-7
Coming in with a slightly better percentage than Duncan and Finley in his career vs. LeBron is Ian Clark. Much like a few of the other members of this list, Clark has enjoyed being in the perfect situation with minimal effort in their matchups. Clark played just six seasons in the NBA with the Jazz, Nuggets, Warriors, and Pelicans. He averaged just 5.6 PPG and 1.3 RPG in his career and never saw more than 20.0 minutes of action.
Clark was a member of teams that picked up five wins each in the playoffs and regular season. Clark was a member of both the 2016 and 2017 Golden State Warriors seeing action in eight games and five of Golden State’s victories. Clark was a non-factor in these games, seeing just 7.9 minutes of action and averaging 4.0 PPG, but hey, he’s an NBA champion. Clark would be out of the NBA following the 2019 season that he spent with the New Orleans Pelicans.
T8. Lindsey Hunter – 60.0%
Credit: Fadeaway World
Record Against LeBron James: 15-10
Lindsey Hunter is another member of the 2000s Pistons that saw a whole lot of LeBron during his first stint in Cleveland. Hunter was nowhere near the player he was for Detroit in the 2000s as he was in the 90s, but he was there nonetheless. Hunter would spend the first seven seasons of his career with the Pistons from 1994 thru 2000 and spend a trio of one-year stints elsewhere, including 2002 with the NBA champion Lakers. Hunter returned to Detroit in 2003-04 and coincidentally won another NBA championship despite in just 33 games.
That would be the story of Hunter’s games against LeBron during the 2000s. He struggled with injury and a declining game during most of their playoff matchups in the 2000s. Hunter played just 11.9 minutes per game between the 2006 and 2007 playoffs that Detroit split with Cleveland. He averaged 2.9 PPG in those 12 games, while James dominated with 25.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 7.0 APG.
T8. Nene – 60.0%
Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 15-10
Now we move on to a player with an identical record to Hunter but zero correlation between their matchups with James during their careers. Nene met James during the regular season, all 25 games that they went up against one another. Nene spent 10 seasons of his career with the Nuggets, where he averaged 12.4 PPG and 7.0 RPG. Most of James’ matchups against Nene would come from his time in the East during the early 2010s when he joined the Wizards from 2012 thru 2016.
In their 25 regular season matchups, Nene averaged 11.1 PPG and 5.7 RPG in just 13 starts but over 25.0 minutes on the court. In these battles with the Nuggets, Wizards, and Rockets, James did his best but fell short more often than not. He averaged 26.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 7.2 APG in these 25 games against Nene’s teams but could only gain 10 wins in 25 games.
7. Manu Ginobili – 60.5%
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 23-15
Whether he had inserted himself into the starting lineup or was one of the best players in basketball coming off the bench, Manu Ginobili was the perfect third piece to the puzzle for the Spurs during the 2000s and 2010s. Ginobili would help the Spurs win four NBA championships in his career and made two All-Star teams as well as two All-NBA Teams, and earned Sixth Man of the Year in 2008.
Ginobili’s Spurs and LeBron met a total of 22 times in the regular season, with San Antonio holding a slight advantage of 12 wins to 10. Ginobili’s numbers were very pedestrian, but they do not tell the whole story. He averaged 13.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, and 1.0 SPG in those contests. Between the three NBA Finals in which they matched up, the Spurs hold an 11-5 advantage over LeBron winning the championship in both 2007 and 2014. Ginobili averaged 14.0 PPG and 3.9 APG in those 16 games compared to 25.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 6.0 APG, and 1.9 SPG for James.
6. Draymond Green – 61.0%
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 25-16
The friendship and relationship between LeBron James and Draymond Green have been up and down over the last decade. Green is a fierce competitor and leader for a Golden State Warriors team that met LeBron in the NBA Finals for four straight years from 2015 thru 2018. Green and James often went at it, and Draymond was even suspended for a game in 2016 after delivering a kick to LeBron’s groin area. You would never know that the two were once fierce rivals when you hear Green speak about him today, though.
Of their 41 matchups overall, 21 of them have come in the NBA Finals, with Draymond’s Warriors holding an advantage of 15 wins to six. Of course, James’ lone victory over Golden State came in 2016 when he led them on an epic comeback from down 3-1. Green was never a monster offensive threat, but his defense, playmaking, and rebounding proved key in the Warriors dynasty. Green averaged 12.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 6.0 APG, and 1.9 SPG in their 21 games against each other, which resulted in three NBA championships.
5. Patrick Beverley – 62.5%
Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 10-6
Patrick Beverley has never been one to run from any scrap or drama on the court. As a matter of fact, Beverley is usually the guy instigating the chaos with his physical brand of defense getting under most guys’ skin. Beverley spent the earlier part of 2022-23 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and teammates with James. In typical Beverley fashion, he stated it would be a pleasure to play a part in knocking them out of the playoffs after he was traded and joined the Chicago Bulls.
That came to a head on Sunday as Beverley and the Bulls pulled out a win on the road against the Lakers 118-108. Beverley had only 10 points and five assists, but he made sure to let LeBron know he was present with a “too small” celebration late in the game after a bucket. Beverley’s numbers are nothing special in his head-to-head matchups with James. They have all come in the regular season, and Beverley averaged 11.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.4 SPG.
4. Shaquille O’Neal – 63.2%
Credit: Fadeaway World
Record Against LeBron James: 12-7
When LeBron James entered the NBA straight out of high school in 2003-04, Shaquille O’Neal was still at the top of his game as the most dominant player in the game. Although his championship days with the Lakers were over, he was still atop the NBA as one of the more physically imposing figures in the NBA. James played just one game against Lakers Shaq, in which O’Neal dominated with 37 points and 12 rebounds.
The rest of James’ and Shaq’s matchups came with O’Neal in Miami and LeBron still in Cleveland. As a matter of fact, Shaq never played a team other than the Cavaliers, which LeBron James was a part of. Shaq’s numbers in their totality don’t look great compared to what he did for the rest of his career, but it was still good enough to hold an 11-6 record over him in the regular season.
3. Klay Thompson – 64.1%
Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 25-14
The final member of the Golden State Warriors core that holds a significant record over LeBron James in their head-to-head matchups is Klay Thompson. Although he was never the number one option for Golden State through their four NBA championships, Thompson played a pivotal role in them alongside Curry and Durant. There were many times in which Thompson exploded for big performances in the regular season and playoffs that propelled the Warriors to victory.
Ten of Thompson’s victories came in the regular season, with Klay averaging 116.9 PPG on 39.7% shooting from three. Klay was a bit better when it came to their 22 Finals matchups. He averaged 17.2 PPG this time but on 36.9% shooting from three in those Finals series which went in favor of Golden State three times to LeBron’s one championship in 2016.
2. Kawhi Leonard – 64.3%
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 18-10
The rivalry between Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James dates back to their earlier days with the Spurs and Miami Heat. Leonard and James met twice in the NBA Finals in 2013 and 2014, with Kawhi getting the upper hand in 2014 and winning a Finals MVP based on his defense against James in the Finals and how much he frustrated James, and how he disrupted the entire flow of the game. This rivalry has only increased since they both joined Los Angeles teams in 2019 and 2020, which has gone heavily in favor of Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James have met 16 times in the regular season, with Leonard’s teams winning 11 of those contests. Kawhi played James the closest out of anyone on this list with 23.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 1.8 SPG to LeBron’s 24.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 1.1 SPG. As previously noted, Kawhi and James have met in the Finals twice, with James in his prime and winning a championship in 2013. James averaged 26.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 2.2 SPG in those two Finals series, while Leonard averaged 15.9 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 1.8 SPG.
1. Danny Green – 68.0%
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against LeBron James: 17-8
That’s right, the NBA player with the best winning percentage against LeBron James in his career in a minimum of 15 games is none other than Danny Green. As a member of three different championship teams, Green has always been on the court for one thing, to knock down as many three-pointers as possible. Green won championships with the Spurs and Raptors prior to becoming teammates with James in 2020 and winning a championship together in the NBA Bubble that season.
Green’s teams have won 10 of 13 matchups with LeBron’s teams during the regular season, with only three of those games coming when Green was with the Spurs. Green averaged just over 10.0 PPG, while James was leading his teams with nearly 26.0 PPG. Green was with the Spurs for both of their Finals matchups with the Heat in 2013 and 2014. Each team won a championship, with Green averaging 12.0 PPG and shooting 52.2% from three on 5.8 attempts. James led Miami to their title in 2013 and claimed Finals MVP honors. In those two Finals, James averaged 26.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 2.2 SPG.
Source:
