The 7 most unbreakable playoff records in NBA history

Guard Earvin (Magic) Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers moves the ball during an NBA game.
Guard Earvin (Magic) Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers moves the ball during an NBA game. /
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Most steals in an NBA playoff game: Allen Iverson-10

As far as numbers are concerned, having 10 steals in a playoff game probably doesn’t seem all that impressive. Despite that, there have been just 22 10+ steal games in the 49 seasons since steals have started being recorded by the NBA. Moreover, Allen Iverson is the only player to ever do that in a postseason game, back in 1999.

Racking up 10 steals is definitely harder than many realize and often requires incredible timing, effort, and luck. Iverson wasn’t necessarily a good defender but he did lead the NBA in steals from  2000-2003, mainly because he had a tendency to jump passing lanes.

That wasn’t always a good thing, since it probably resulted in plenty of easy shots when he missed a steal. Then again, when he didn’t, opponents simply weren’t catching Iverson as he sprinted down the court after swiping the ball. In the playoffs, gambling on steals is far more uncommon, given that teams play slower and have their best ballhandlers log big minutes.

That usually means fewer opportunities to force turnovers. Based on that, surpassing Iverson’s record would require a lot of things to go right for a defensive player, and considering the rarity of having at least 10 steals in a game, it probably won’t happen again.