2018 playoff stats: 34.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 9.0 APG, 53.9 FG%
2018 Finals stats: 34.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 10.0 APG, 52.7 FG%

LeBron James could have been on this list at least three times, but we decided to limit him to just one appearance, which led to a tough call between 2007, 2015 and 2018.

The fact that James received four of the 11 Finals MVP votes in 2015 was heavily considered, but 2018 won out for a few reasons.

First, James had Kyrie Irving for 13 of the 20 games Cleveland played in the 2015 playoffs. With all due respect to Kevin Love, James didn't have a true co-star in the 2018 playoffs.

Second and most importantly, James' efficiency was significantly better in 2018. James shot just 41.7 percent in the 2015 playoffs, which is completely understandable considering how much offense he had to create. But that makes his 2018 run even more amazing.

How he maintained his efficiency (53.9 percent for the 2018 playoffs) despite playing in two grueling seven-game series is beyond me.

Four of his signature games were:

- Game 7 W vs. Indiana: 45 points (16-of-25 FG), 8 rebounds, 7 assists
- Game 6 W vs. Boston: 46 points (17-of-33 FG), 11 rebounds, 9 assists
- Game 7 W @ Boston: 35 points (12-of-24 FG), 15 rebounds, 9 assists
- Game 1 L @ Golden State: 51 points (19-of-32 FG), 8 rebounds, 8 assists

The first three were clutch performances in win-or-go-home situations. The last was one the best individual games I've ever seen, infamously ruined by George Hill missing a free throw and JR Smith not knowing the score.

James broke his hand by punching a whiteboard after Cleveland's Game 1 loss. He still averaged 28.3 points, 10.7 assists and 8.7 rebounds over the series' final three games, but it wasn't enough to prevent a Warriors sweep.