LeBron James narrowly misses averaging a triple-double for an entire playoff series
For as much damage as LeBron James did to the Atlanta Hawks over the last week, he nearly did as much to Jason Kidd.
James spent the Cleveland Cavaliers' four-game sweep of the Hawks inadvertently infringing up against Kidd in the playoff record books. Now the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, Kidd has little in the way of recourse, just like the Hawks.
The dominance of the four-time MVP was a story throughout the series, but it came to a head in Game 3 on Sunday. Playing through injury and fatigue, James recorded the 12th postseason triple-double of his career, passing Kidd for second on the all-time leaderboard. His obscene 37-point, 18-rebound, 13-assist performance also pushed his series totals to remarkable levels.
On Tuesday, all James had to do was grab five rebounds and dish 10 assists in order to become the first player since Kidd to average a triple-double over an entire playoff series.
He came up short, thanks in large part to the blowout nature of the Cavs' 118-88 victory. After a torrid start, James checked out for good with 13 minute to play, finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
Kidd managed the feat in 2001-02 and 2006-07 and stands as the lone player to do so this century. James would have slid in as the most recent, with the 11th ever series triple-double, had his own dominance not prevented him from playing longer on Tuesday:
| Player | Season | PPG | RPG | APG | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 2014-15 | 30.3 | 11.0 | 9.3 | Conf. Finals |
| Jason Kidd | 2006-07 | 14.0 | 10.0 | 13.2 | 1st Round |
| Jason Kidd | 2001-02 | 17.5 | 11.2 | 10.2 | Conf. Finals |
| Magic Johnson | 1990-91 | 25.8 | 10.0 | 12.8 | Conf. Semis |
| Fat Lever | 1984-85 | 17.0 | 11.0 | 10.3 | Conf. Semis |
| Magic Johnson | 1982-83 | 17.5 | 10.5 | 14.0 | Conf. Finals |
| Magic Johnson | 1981-82 | 20.0 | 11.8 | 10.8 | Conf. Semis |
| Magic Johnson | 1979-80 | 15.4 | 10.8 | 11.0 | Conf. Semis |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 1966-67 | 21.6 | 32.0 | 10.0 | Conf. Finals |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 1966-67 | 28.0 | 26.5 | 11.0 | Conf. Semis |
| Oscar Robertson | 1961-62 | 28.8 | 11.0 | 11.0 | Conf. Semis |
James averaged 30.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 9.3 assists for the series, shooting 43.8 percent percent from the floor and kicking in 1.5 steals for good measure. It was an otherworldly performance considering how banged-up the Cavs were, how worn-down James has appeared to be at times, and how formidable the Hawks' team defense once appeared.
| Game | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | 8 | 6 |
| 2 | 30 | 9 | 11 |
| 3 | 37 | 18 | 13 |
| 4 | 23 | 9 | 7 |
For as impressive as all of this has been - not just this week, but James making five consecutive NBA Finals - the Golden State Warriors will likely be standing opposite him on June 4. There may be no team in recent history better suited to minimize the substantial gifts of the league's best player.