James Passes Bryant for 5th Place on All-Time Playoff Steals List
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James passed Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant to take sole possession of fifth place on the NBA's all-time playoff steals list during Sunday's series-clinching 100-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons, per the NBA on Twitter.
James entered the game tied with Bryant at 310 career playoff steals, having recorded five through the first three games of Cleveland's first-round series as his team jumped out to a 3-0 advantage.
He passed Bryant with 8:33 remaining in the second quarter when he stole the ball from Pistons guard Reggie Jackson and then drew a foul at the other end.
James later added the 312th playoff steal of his career, leaving him 26 behind John Stockton (338) for fourth place on the all-time list.
The Cavs superstar could break the record within the next few seasons, as first-place Scottie Pippen (395) sits just 83 steals away.
Michael Jordan (376) and Magic Johnson (358) unsurprisingly round out the top five, both having benefited from numerous deep playoff runs.
In any case, James seems to be set for yet another deep run of his own, as his Cavs made quick work of the Pistons in the opening round, setting up an Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup with either the Atlanta Hawks or Boston Celtics.
In order to pass Stockton, James will likely need to advance at least to the Eastern Conference Finals, if not all the way to the NBA Finals.
