Top NBA Playoff Performers of the 1980's

If you grew up watching basketball in the 1980's then you are well aware that two teams dominated the era.  In fact all ten NBA Finals during the decade saw either the Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics participate.  The Lakers came away with five rings while the Celtics won three.  

It comes as no surprise then that the dominant players in the the '80's were primarily from these two teams. The list below shows the greatest scorers of each NBA Playoffs during the decade.  You will notice three league wide changes reflected in the numbers:

1. In 1984 the NBA expanded the first round of the playoffs to a best of five as opposed to the best of three series which ran for the previous nine playoffs.  
2. Elimination of the first round bye for top seeds also began in '84. 
3. Introduction of the three-point line for the 1980 season.  The 3-pointer helped increase NBA average shooting efficiency by about 4% from the '79 playoffs.  

Since the best teams played more games and shooting percentages were higher across the league you see higher 'NET Points' totals than in the 1960's and 1970's.

Top NBA Playoff Performers of the 1980's 

ranked by NET Points   

  

	Playoffs	Team	Games	NET POINTS	Points/Game
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	1980	LAL	15	87	32
Magic Johnson	1980	LAL	16	47	18
Cedric Maxwell	1980	BOS	9	44	18
Julius Erving	1980	PHI	18	42	24
Cedric Maxwell	1981	BOS	17	61	16
Moses Malone	1981	HOU	21	38	27
Darryl Dawkins	1981	PHI	16	38	14
Bobby Jones	1981	PHI	16	36	15
Julius Erving	1982	PHI	21	64	22
Andrew Toney	1982	PHI	21	47	22
Bobby Jones	1982	PHI	21	46	12
Magic Johnson	1982	LAL	14	45	17
Kevin McHale	1982	BOS	12	37	16
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	1983	LAL	15	72	27
Moses Malone	1983	PHI	13	50	26
George Gervin	1983	SAS	11	39	25
Johnny Moore	1983	SAS	11	35	22

	Playoffs	Team	Games	NET POINTS	Points/Game
Larry Bird	1984	BOS	23	111	27
Bernard King	1984	NYK	12	81	35
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	1984	LAL	21	78	24
James Worthy	1984	LAL	21	67	18
Magic Johnson	1984	LAL	21	64	18
Kevin McHale	1985	BOS	21	96	22
James Worthy	1985	LAL	19	92	21
Alex English	1985	DEN	14	71	30
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	1985	LAL	19	71	22
Kevin McHale	1986	BOS	18	96	25
Larry Bird	1986	BOS	18	87	26
Hakeem Olajuwon	1986	HOU	20	62	27
Charles Barkley	1986	PHI	12	62	25
Danny Ainge	1986	BOS	18	61	16
	Playoffs	Team	Games	NET POINTS	Points/Game
Kevin McHale	1987	BOS	21	91	21
James Worthy	1987	LAL	18	84	24
Larry Bird	1987	BOS	23	83	27
Hakeem Olajuwon	1987	HOU	10	70	29
Magic Johnson	1987	LAL	18	69	22
Robert Parish	1987	BOS	21	69	18
Kevin McHale	1988	BOS	17	110	25
Magic Johnson	1988	LAL	24	80	20
Adrian Dantley	1988	DET	23	76	19
Byron Scott	1988	LAL	24	67	20
Michael Jordan	1989	CHI	17	100	35
James Worthy	1989	LAL	15	67	25
Kevin Johnson	1989	PHO	12	55	24
Magic Johnson	1989	LAL	14	46	18
Chris Mullin	1989	GSW	8	43	29

Italics indicates annual leader

Bold indicates decade record

*Thanks to the Basketball-Reference Play Index

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Top NBA Playoff Performers                                                 Top NBA Playoff Performers
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