In the history of the NBA, the road to winning the championship has been long and difficult, and every series victory is a solid ladder to the top of glory. Bill Russell, the basketball legend, despite having 11 championship trophies, struggled to break into the top 10 in the playoffs in an era of just eight teams.
Jordan, the synonym for basketball, tops many rankings, but his 13-year playoff career and just 40 series appearances in this list, which is measured by the number of series, puts him in tenth place. Still, Jordan's 81% win rate is remarkable, proving his dominance in every round of the series.
O'Neal, the interior giant, reached the Finals in 17 seasons of his 19-year career, and his 45-round series and 71 percent win rate showed his dominance in the playoffs.
Magic Johnson, who entered the NBA in the same year as Jordan, has nine Finals trips and 40 series, as well as a 67.37% win rate, putting him in a strong position on this list.
Pippen, Jordan's right-hand man, not only avoided Jordan's early troubles in his career, but also continued to shine in the league after Jordan's retirement, which allowed him to surpass Jordan in this list.
Kobe Bryant, the post-Jordan basketball superstar, led the team to the Finals on his own after the breakup of the OK group, but he had a slightly lower number of career series than O'Neal and a slightly higher win rate.
Duncan, the Stone Buddha, made the playoffs in all 19 years of his career, and his five Finals trips and strong playoff performances have made him a representative of the New Century League.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, made the playoffs for 18 seasons, and despite only three rounds of the playoffs in the '70s, he still earned a place on this list with his strong individual ability.
Horry, a playoff regular who won championships with the Rockets, Lakers and Spurs, has never stopped in the first round in his 16-year career, winning 39 of his 48-round series and winning 0.1 percent more than Jordan.
Fisher, Kobe's longtime partner, has had eight more series in his career than Bryant, thanks to his stellar performance during Bryant's low period and consistent performance after that.
James, the current NBA legend, has played 53 series in his career, with a win rate of 62.3%, ranking sixth among the top 10 superstars of all time. As a current player, he continues to write his legacy.
Finally, let's consider the question: Who in your opinion is the current player who is most likely to surpass the legends on this list in the playoffs in the future?