The Top 75 Players in NBA Finals History
- Joe Friezo
- Jun 6, 2022
- 82 min read
Updated: Jun 19, 2022
The 2022 NBA Finals are underway, and, with the NBA celebrating their 75th Anniversary throughout the season, it inspired me to take on the long and tedious project of ranking the Top 75 performers in NBA Finals history. So, below is my personal, unscientific ranking of the Top 75 performers throughout the first 75 NBA Finals series (this year is actually the 76th season in NBA history - the celebration was supposed to be in 2021, but was pushed back a year due to COVID - so we have 75 players for 75 years).
Quick things to note before we start:
1. This list is a ranking of players strictly based upon how they performed in the Finals. It is not the top 75 players who played in the NBA Finals, it is the 75 greatest performers in the NBA Finals.
2. I was trying to get this article done and posted in time before these Finals started, but was off by a few days. Therefore, for the four Warriors on this list playing in the ongoing series, all of their stats are as of before the 2022 Finals.
3. All stats are via Basketball-Reference, StatMuse, and NBA.com
4. Once again, these rankings are solely based on my opinion. There was no scientific formula, although I tried to personally weigh team success, individual success, stats, era, strength of opponent, etc. Also, keep in mind that I was born in 1999 and my first firsthand memories of the Finals were in 2006, so apologies in advance for any generational oversight. I tried my best to remove my inherent recency bias.
Finals Appearances Key:
Bold = Won the Series
* = Finals MVP
Non-Bold = Lost the Series
75) Don Nelson
Finals Appearances:
1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976
Finals Stats:
8.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 45% FG, 74% FT, 19.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1969 Game 7:
16 PTS, 6 REB, 6-12 FG
Nelson put up a more-than-respectable 16-6 line in Game 7, but most notably hit the dagger which clinched one of the greatest NBA Finals series of all-time for the Celtics.
Before he became one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, Don Nelson was pulling off the rare feat of playing in the Finals with both the Lakers and the Celtics. Nelson and the Lakers lost the 1965 Finals to the Celtics. He averaged 7 Points and 5 Rebounds in the series. After the Finals, Nelson signed with the Celtics in free agency. From there, he won five titles, with three of the Finals victories coming against the Lakers. His best series was in 1968, when he averaged 14 Points and 8 Rebounds per Game while shooting 59% from the field. He hit the dagger, as previously mentioned, to clinch the 1969 Finals. In that series, he averaged 12 Points and 6 Rebounds per Game. Nelson was also a key contributor in the Finals that the Celtics won in 1966, 1974, and 1976. He ranks 16th all-time in Finals Games played and 33rd in Rebounds.
74) Chris Bosh
Finals Appearances:
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Finals Stats:
14.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 46% FG, 28% 3PT, 80% FT, 36.6 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2013 Game 6:
10 PTS, 11 REB, 3 STL, 2 BLK, 5-12 FG
Facing elimination in the 2013 Finals, the Heat needed Bosh to do all of the dirty work. He did exactly that in Game 6 with a double-double, three steals and a pair of blocks, with one of the blocks being the most important of his career; stuffing a potential game-tying Danny Green three in overtime to force a Game 7. Of course, he also grabbed the offensive rebound which set up Ray Allen’s overtime-forcing shot.
Playing in the Finals for four-straight years from 2011 to 2014, Chris Bosh had plenty of opportunity to get much higher on this list. He did average 19 Points and 7 Rebounds in the 2011 Finals, but the Heat lost in stunning fashion. In 2012, Bosh was fantastic, averaging 15 Points and 9 Rebounds with 45-40-88 shooting splits, as the Heat defeated the Thunder in five games. In Game 6 of the 2013 Finals, Bosh made some of the biggest plays of his career (see above). However, with a chance to add to his Finals legend, Bosh went 0-5 with 0 Points in Game 7. Lucky for him, the Heat won and nobody remembers his O-fer. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t slip my mind, so it hurt him when it came to climbing up this list. In the 2014 Finals, Bosh did average 14 Points on 55% shooting, but the Heat were mostly non-competitive in the 4-1 series loss to San Antonio. Bosh’s biggest contribution (aside from the block and offensive rebound in 2013 Game 6) in his Finals career was his ability to stretch the floor and allow the Heat to play small-ball, something that completely changed the way basketball is played in the NBA to this day.
73) Elvin Hayes
Finals Appearances:
1975, 1978, 1979
Finals Stats:
20.5 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 44% FG, 65% FT, 40.5 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1978 Game 7:
12 PTS, 8 REB, 5-10 FG
Most of Hayes’ biggest Finals performances came in losses, but he did come through in the biggest game of his career. His 12 Points and 8 Rebounds helped the Bullets win Game 7 on the road in Seattle, as Hayes won the title which had been eluding him.
Elvin Hayes basically averaged 21 Points and 12 Rebounds per Game in his Finals career, which, in 16 games, should’ve been enough to at least crack the top-60 on this list. However, his team’s record in those 16 games was just 5-11. The stats from Hayes were great, but, unless I am missing something, he didn’t really have any clutch moments or big games. However, I will commend the consistency as, per game, he averaged 21 Points in 1975 and 1978, and 20 Points in 1979, 12 Rebounds in 1978 and 1979, and 11 Rebounds in 1975, and then 2 Blocks in 1978 and 1979, with 2.8 Blocks in 1975. In Finals history, he ranks 6th all-time in Blocks per Game (13th in total Blocks), and 15th in Rebounds per Game.
72) Dave DeBusschere
Finals Appearances:
1970, 1972, 1973
Finals Stats:
15.5 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 43% FG, 69% FT, 35.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1973 Game 4:
33 PTS, 14 REB, 13-21 FG
Leading the 1973 Finals 2-1, the Knicks got a huge boost from DeBusschere, who led the team with 33 points and 14 rebounds.
Dave DeBusschere was an unsung hero on the great Knicks teams of the early 1970s. In the Knicks’ 1970 NBA Finals victory, DeBusschere averaged 19 Points and 13 Rebounds per Game, providing great support for stars Willis Reed and Walt Frazier. DeBusschere struggled in the Knicks 1972 Finals loss, averaging just 10 Points and 13 Rebounds per Game on 38% shooting, but returned to form with 16 Points and 12 Rebounds per Game in 1973, as the Knicks reclaimed their title. His 12.4 Rebounds per Game in the Finals were good enough for 12th most all-time.
71) Maurice Cheeks
Finals Appearances:
1980, 1982, 1983
Finals Stats:
14.8 PPG, 7.3 APG, 2.7 RPG, 51% FG, 69% FT, 36.7 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1980 Game 2:
23 PTS, 10 AST, 6 STL, 11-13 FG
While Philadelphia famously lost the 1980 Finals, Cheeks had a huge Game 2. The 76ers’ Point Guard made 11 of his 13 shots, dished out 10 assists and tied what was then the Finals record of 6 steals in one game. His efforts helped lead the Sixers to a tight road victory in Los Angeles.
Maurice Cheeks was pretty consistent in his three Finals appearances. He averaged 14-7-3 with 2.5 Steals per Game in 1980, 15-9-3 with 2.0 Steals per Game in 1982, and 15-6-2 with 2.8 Steals per Game in 1983. The 76ers lost in 1980 and 1982, but, led by Cheeks running the offense, swept the Lakers (the team that beat them in 1980 and 1982) in the 1983 Finals. Cheeks’ 2.4 Steals per Game in the Finals rank 1st among players with 10 or more games played. His 7.3 Assists per Game rank 10th.
70) Byron Scott
Finals Appearances:
1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991
Finals Stats:
11.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 45% FG, 25% 3PT, 75% FT, 30.5 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1988 Game 7:
21 PTS, 3 REB, 7-12 FG
While James Worthy’s Game 7 heroics are what everybody remembers most from the 1988 Finals, Byron Scott also stepped up in the winner-take-all game. He was second on the Lakers with 21 Points, and made 7 of 12 shots while dealing with Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas (still dangerous despite his ankle injury) on defense.
Byron Scott was a great role player in the Finals for the Showtime Lakers, but he probably only sneaks onto this list due to what he did in 1988. In the 1988 Finals, Scott averaged 19-5-2 on 48-46-77 shooting splits in 40.1 Minutes per Game. He was especially huge, as noted, in the Game 7. That series was a bit of an outlier, as he averaged 11 Points per Game in the Lakers’ 1985 and 1987 Finals victories. In 1984, his first Finals, Scott played just 15 Minutes per Game, and in 1991, his last Finals, he averaged just 4.5 Points per Game, got hurt, and missed Game 5. Both series resulted in losses for the Lakers. It is also worth noting that the Lakers were swept in the 1989 Finals, a series that Scott missed due to injury. Scott ranks 19th all-time in Finals Steals, and 34th in Games played.
69) Jason Terry
Finals Appearances:
2006, 2011
Finals Stats:
20.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.1 RPG, 48% FG, 35% 3PT, 74% FT, 36.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2011 Game 6:
27 PTS, 3 REB, 11-16 FG, 3-7 3PT
In a series featuring Dirk Nowitzki and the first year of the Miami Heat Big 3, Jason Terry stole the show in the closeout game. On the road in Miami, Terry came off the bench red-hot with 19 Points on 8-10 shooting in the first half. He finished with 27 Points on 11-16 shooting, and the Mavericks won their first title in franchise history.
If we’re discussing strictly role players, I’d put Terry’s two Finals appearances up against a lot of guys. The Mavericks lost the 2006 Finals to the Heat in disappointing fashion, but Terry was a bright spot averaging 22-4-2 on 48% shooting. However, he did fall flat in Game 6, shooting 7-25 from the field (and 2-11 from three) as the Mavericks were eliminated. Terry was able to get his revenge on Miami in 2011, as he averaged 18 Points per Game off-the-bench in the Mavericks’ six-game series win. His big 2011 series was highlighted by the closeout Game 6 (see above).
68) Jason Kidd
Finals Appearances:
2002, 2003, 2011
Finals Stats:
15.4 PPG, 7.8 APG, 5.8 RPG, 39% FG, 33% 3PT, 77% FT, 41.1 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2011 Game 5:
13 PTS, 6 AST, 3 STL, 3-5 3PT
Kidd’s best statistical games in the Finals came in 2002 and 2003 with the Nets, but the 2011 Mavericks don’t win the title without his veteran leadership and experience. The 38-year-old played 40 minutes of high-IQ basketball on both sides of the floor as the Mavericks won a pivotal Game 5 over the Heat.
Jason Kidd’s Nets teams were completely overmatched in the 2002 (swept by the Lakers) and 2003 (lost in six to San Antonio) Finals, but he still put up 21-10-7 and 20-8-6, respectively, in those series. Nearly a decade later, in the 2011 Finals, at the age of 38, Kidd averaged 8-6-5 on 43% shooting from three as his Mavericks upset the Heat. Kidd’s impact in that series, especially on defense, and obviously from a leadership perspective, cannot be overstated. Without Kidd, there is no way the Mavericks recover from being down 2-1. In Finals history, he ranks 8th all-time in Assists per Game, and 26th in total Assists.
67) Andrew Toney
Finals Appearances:
1982, 1983
Finals Stats:
24.4 PPG, 7.0 APG, 2.5 RPG, 49% FG, 86% FT, 37.4 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1982 Game 5:
31 PTS, 8 AST, 13-18 FG
The 76ers ended up losing the 1982 Finals in 6 to the Lakers, but Toney helped them fight off elimination in Game 5. He led the team with 31 points and had an incredibly efficient 13-18 shooting night.
Andrew Toney, also known as “The Boston Strangler,” did a lot of his Postseason damage against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but he was pretty good in the Finals against the Lakers too. Toney averaged 26-8-3 on 53% shooting in the 76ers six-game series loss to Los Angeles in 1982. Toney, who averaged 22-6-2 in the series, avenged their loss from the year prior with a sweep of the Lakers in the 1983 Finals. Toney ranks 11th in Finals Assists per Game, and 17th in Points per Game.
66) Danny Green
Finals Appearances:
2013, 2014, 2019, 2020
Finals Stats:
9.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 42% FG, 42% 3PT, 86% FT, 27.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2013 Game 5:
24 PTS, 6 REB, 3 BLK, 6-10 3PT
A few years before Stephen Curry and the Warriors completely changed the way that NBA teams and fans alike look at three-point shooting, we had Danny Green’s record-breaking 2013 Finals. I can remember being in awe of the fact that Green, on the sport’s biggest stage, was actually taking and making a ton of threes. The best example of this came in Game 5 as Green made 6 of his 10 attempts from three (two games after he went 7 of 9) and the Spurs took a 3-2 series lead with the sharpshooter looking like the Finals MVP favorite.
Danny Green is one of four players (LeBron James, Robert Horry, John Salley) who has won an NBA Championship with three different teams. He broke onto the Finals scene in 2013 when he got red-hot from three as the Spurs went up 3-2 on the Heat. As I mentioned above, he legitimately looked like the Finals MVP. Then, in Games 6 and 7, his shooting completely fell apart as the series slipped away from the Spurs. Green went 1 for 7 from the field (1 of 5 from three) in Game 6, and 1 for 12 from the field (1 of 6 from three) in Game 7. So much happened in the epic series that everybody kind of forgot how cold he got. Also, he was so hot in the first five games that he still finished the series averaging 14 Points per Game on 55% shooting from three. Green never reached those 2013 heights again, but he did win a title with the Spurs in 2014 (shooting 45% from three in the Finals), with the Raptors in 2019 (he made 6 of 10 threes in the Raptors’ big Game 3 road victory), and with the Lakers in 2020. He ranks 4th all-time in Three-Pointers made in the Finals, and is 23rd in 3PT%.
65) Danny Ainge
Finals Appearances:
1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993
Finals Stats:
10.4 PPG, 4.1 APG, 2.6 RPG, 47% FG, 42% 3PT, 76% FT, 28.3 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1986 Game 6:
19 PTS, 4 AST, 2 STL, 7-9 FG
Ainge had a handful of big Finals moments, I went with his 19-point performance to close out the Rockets in Game 6 of the 1986 Finals. Ainge stepped up as the third-option behind Larry Bird and Kevin McHale and even had as many points as Hakeem Olajuwon, the Rockets’ leading scorer in the game.
Danny Ainge was a fantastic role player for the Celtics in their 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987 Finals appearances. He won two titles (1984 and 1986), and had multiple big Finals games in support of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. His best Finals came in 1986 when he averaged 15-6-4 with 2.5 Steals per Game and shot 56% from the field in the Celtics’ victory over the Rockets. Ainge is best remembered as a Celtic, and rightfully so, but he made two more Finals appearances in the early 1990s. With the Trail Blazers in 1992, Ainge averaged 10 Points per Game and shot just 4 of 17 from three in their six-game loss to the Bulls. The following year, Ainge squared off with the Bulls again, this time with the Phoenix Suns. He made 8 of his 12 threes this time, in 27 Minutes per Game, but his hopes for a third championship were dashed by Chicago once again. Ainge is sneakily high on multiple Finals leaderboards, including; Steals (12th), Assists (18th), Games (18th), Three-Pointers (22nd), and Points (41st).
64) Kyrie Irving
Finals Appearances:
2015, 2016, 2017
Finals Stats:
27.7 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.2 RPG, 47% FG, 40% 3PT, 93% FT, 39.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2016 Game 7:
26 PTS, 6 REB, 10-23 FG
It was tough to not pick Irving’s 2016 Game 5 where he scored 41 points on 17-24 shooting to start the Cavaliers’ 3-1 series comeback, but when you make a game-winner in Game 7 of the Finals, that has to be the case. It is especially the case when the shot caps a historic 3-1 comeback and comes in a game where Irving scored 17 of his 26 points in the second half.
The 2016 Finals is obviously what stands out for Kyrie Irving. He averaged 27-4-4 with 2.1 Steals per Game on 47-41-94 shooting splits. He also had 41 Points in an elimination game and hit one of the biggest shots in league history with the Game 7 game-winner. He was truly special in that series. He was almost as special in the 2017 Finals, averaging 29-4-4 with 47-42-90 splits, but his Cavaliers were defeated in five by the Warriors. The big what if for Irving is if he doesn’t get hurt in overtime of Game 1 in the 2015 Finals. Irving missed the rest of the series, and the Cavaliers lost in six. If Irving doesn’t get hurt, the Cavaliers may have won the series, and then he would have been much higher on this list.
63) Wes Unseld
Finals Appearances:
1971, 1975, 1978*, 1979
Finals Stats:
11.3 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 47% FG, 59% FT, 41.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1978 Game 7:
15 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 4-8 FG
Having to play Game 7 on the road in Seattle, it looked like Wes Unseld was going to lose in the Finals for the third time. However, that wasn’t the case as Unseld’s 15-9-6 performance in 45 minutes helped the Bullets win the title on the road.
Wes Unseld is the lowest ranked Finals MVP on this list. The 11-14-4 average is great, and the Finals MVP (even though it came as he averaged just 9-12-4) is too, but Unseld’s overall record in Finals games was just 5-15. His team was swept twice (1971 and 1975), he lost in five in 1979, and it took a road Game 7 victory in 1978 to avoid a 0-4 series record. On a positive note, Unseld ranks 6th all-time in Finals Rebounds per Game and 16th in total Rebounds.
62) Dennis Rodman
Finals Appearances:
1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998
Finals Stats:
4.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 48% FG, 56% FT, 27.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1996 Game 6:
9 PTS, 19 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL
As someone who was born the year after Rodman played in his sixth and final NBA Finals series, it was tough for me to pick a standout Rodman game because so much of his success came in areas that don’t show up in the box score. I settled on 1996 Game 6 because the Bulls clinched the title, he had 11 offensive rebounds, and he held Shawn Kemp to just 18 points.
As I mentioned before, so much of Dennis Rodman’s greatness can only be appreciated by actually watching him play. Therefore, he may be way too low on this list (and if that is the case, I apologize). What I do know is that he definitely isn’t too high. With six Finals appearances and five championships, and the fact that teams were willing to ignore all of the headaches that he caused, it is clear that he made a major impact on winning. In the Finals, he ranks 14th all-time in Rebounds, 28th in Games, and 33rd in Steals.
61) Michael Cooper
Finals Appearances:
1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989
Finals Stats:
10.3 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.9 RPG, 45% FG, 38% 3PT, 81% FT, 30.6 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1987 Game 2:
21 PTS, 9 AST, 3 STL, 6-7 3PT
Cooper, one of the best role players in NBA history, had a lot of big Finals games. The one that stood out most to me was his 21-Point, 9-Assist, 6-three-point performance off the bench in the Lakers’ Game 2 141-122 drubbing of the Celtics in 1987.
One of the best assets on Cooper’s Finals resume is his laundry list of clutch performances. He never blew anybody away with a 30-plus point game, but all of his solid, efficient games made it very hard for me to pick a “signature moment.” Other than 1988 (when he shot 9-44 from the field and 3-20 from three), Cooper was great in every Finals that he played in during the 1980s. In the Finals, he ranks 7th all-time in Steals, 10th in Games, 14th in Assists, 15th in Three-Pointers, 16th in Minutes, and 32nd in Points.
60) Klay Thompson
Finals Appearances:
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Finals Stats:
18.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 45% FG, 41% 3PT, 82% FT, 36.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2019 Game 6:
30 PTS, 5 REB, 2 STL, 8-12 FG
Down 3-2 against the Toronto Raptors, the Warriors needed “Game 6 Klay” to show up and keep their season alive. That looked like exactly what was going to happen as Thompson had 30 points on 8 of 12 shooting in just 32 minutes. However, late in the 3rd quarter, Thompson landed awkwardly after getting fouled on a dunk attempt and tore his ACL. After being helped off the court, he somehow returned from the locker room to shoot the two free throws (which he made, of course). The craziest part is that he even wanted to stay in on defense. Unfortunately, he came out of the game after the free throws and the Warriors fell in the 4th quarter without him.
I came into this project thinking Klay Thompson was going to be right on the bubble to even get on the list. For whatever reason, I feel like I remember far more “bad” Klay Finals games than good ones. That is clearly not the case as, across five series, Thompson has averaged 18.8 Points per Game on 41% shooting from three. His 14-point game (6-17 from the field, 2-10 from three) in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals is a big blemish, but aside from that, he’s been pretty consistent. He averaged 16 Points per Game in the 2015, 2017, and 2018 Finals, all Warriors wins. His best Finals were in 2019, where he averaged 26 Points per Game on 54-59-88 splits. However, he missed Game 3 of that series due to injury, and tore his ACL in the third quarter of Game 6. Like his three teammates that we’ll get to later in the article, Klay will soon be able to shoot up this list.
59) Paul Pierce
Finals Appearances:
2008*, 2010
Finals Stats:
19.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.5 APG, 44% FG, 40% 3PT, 84% FT, 39.3 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2008 Game 2:
28 PTS, 8 AST, 9-16 FG, 4-4 3PT
The right answer here is probably Game 1 of the 2008 series where Pierce went from injured, to a wheelchair, to back on court in a span of just a few minutes, but since then Pierce has admitted he just needed a bathroom break, so I’m not rewarding the fake theatrics. However, he was amazing in the following game hitting all four of his threes and scoring 28 points as the Celtics took a 2-0 series lead over the rival Lakers.
I’ll get to it more later on, but I don’t think Paul Pierce deserved the 2008 Finals MVP. He would still be on this list without it, because he did average 20-5-5 on 44-40-84 splits in 13 Finals games, but it would be towards the bottom. Pierce was very good in the Celtics’ 2008 victory (22-5-6, 43-39-83 Splits), just not the Finals MVP, in my opinion. In 2010, he was solid, but shot just 5-15 in the Celtics’ Game 7 loss to the Lakers. Overall, Pierce’s two Finals trips were good, but not great, so the Finals MVP helps his ranking a lot. Then again, you either hate Paul Pierce, or you’re a Celtics fan… and I’m a Knicks fan. So, maybe my bias seeped in too much here.
58) Satch Sanders
Finals Appearances:
1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
Finals Stats:
10.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 46% FG, 73% FT, 26.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1961 Game 4:
22 PTS, 9 REB, 10-14 FG
Sanders was a crucial role player for the Celtics’ 1960s dynasty. Arguably his brightest moment came as a rookie in 1961 as he scored 22 points (tied for the team-high) in the Celtics’ Game 4 road victory.
Tom “Satch” Sanders was never a star in the NBA, but he won eight championships and had multiple big Finals series. In his first six Finals appearances (all Celtics victories), Sanders averaged 12.5 Points per Game and 7.7 Rebounds per Game. He added two more rings in 1968 and 1969, but played a very small role in those series. Overall, Sanders makes the list due to his 8-0 Finals record and because he is 13th all-time in Finals Games, 17th in Rebounds, 24th in Minutes, and 35th in Points.
57) Jamaal Wilkes
Finals Appearances:
1975, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984
Finals Stats:
14.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 44% FG, 77% FT, 31.4 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1980 Game 6:
37 PTS, 10 REB, 16-30 FG
A common theme in this article will be great performances being overshadowed by iconic performances. Everybody remembers Magic Johnson’s 42-15-7 as he started in place of Kareem Adbul-Jabbar to close out the 76ers in the 1980 Finals, but Wilkes was also incredible as he picked up some of the scoring load and poured in 37 points on 16-30 shooting.
Jamaal Wilkes is incredibly underrated (a label I’ll probably use at least 20 more times in this article), and I’m probably contributing to that by putting him at just number 57. In 1975, as a Rookie, Wilkes averaged a near double-double as his Warriors swept the Washington Bullets. He was back in the Finals in 1980 with the Lakers, and averaged 21-8-3. As I mentioned above, his Game 6 is one of the best, but forgotten, performances in NBA history. He averaged 20-6-3 in the Lakers’ 1982 Finals win, and led the team with 27 Points in their Game 6 closeout victory. The Lakers were swept in the 1983 Finals, but Wilkes did average 19 Points per Game. In 1984, his last NBA Finals series, Wilkes played just 14.1 Minutes per Game. Overall, Wilkes ranks 25th all-time in Finals Steals and 38th in Points. For somebody with three rings and multiple big-time performances, this ranking may be too low.
56) Jo Jo White
Finals Appearances:
1974, 1976*
Finals Stats:
18.9 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.1 RPG, 45% FG, 81% FT, 45.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1976 Game 5:
33 PTS, 9 AST, 6 REB, 15-29 FG, 60 Minutes
The 1976 Finals MVP played 60 minutes as the Celtics defeated the Suns 128-126 after three overtimes in arguably the greatest game in NBA history. White’s game high 33 points along with 9 assists and 6 rebounds helped the Celtics take a 3-2 series lead.
Jo Jo White is up there when it comes to the most “random” Finals MVPs. Honestly, if he just averaged 19-7-4 in two Finals appearances without the individual award, he probably doesn’t make this list. But if doesn’t exist, so Finals MVP Jo Jo White shoots all the way up to number 56. He was great, averaging 17-7-4 in the Celtics’ 1974 Finals victory, and then stepped it up to win Finals MVP with 22-6-4 in the 1976 series. Statistically, White’s biggest Finals achievement is that his 45.9 Minutes per Game ranks second among players with ten or more games played.
55) Cliff Hagan
Finals Appearances:
1957, 1958, 1960, 1961
Finals Stats:
23.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 45% FG, 83% FT, 37.0 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1960 Game 6:
36 PTS, 13 REB, 4 AST, 13-24 FG
Most of Hagan’s biggest Finals games came in losses, even when the Hawks won the title in 1958, so I’ll go with Game 6 in 1960 when he scored a game-high 36 points. He helped the Hawks stave off elimination in that one, but they would ultimately lose to the Celtics in Game 7.
Cliff Hagan was Bob Pettit’s underrated sidekick on the St. Louis Hawks in the 1950s and 1960s. In the Finals, he is best known for a handful of things. He averaged 25-10-4 in the Hawks lone NBA Finals win, he made a rare Finals buzzer-beater in Game 6 of the 1957 series (to force a Game 7), and he had a 40-point game (a Game 2 loss in 1961). Hagan, who is 19th all-time in Finals Rebounds, 23rd in Points per Game and 25th in total Points, would be much higher on this list if he had more than one title.
54) Draymond Green
Finals Appearances:
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Finals Stats:
12.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 6.7 APG, 43% FG, 30% 3PT, 77% FT, 39.0 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2016 Game 7:
32 PTS, 15 REB, 9 AST, 11-15 FG, 6-8 3PT
Blowing a 3-1 lead and Green’s Game 5 suspension are what we remember most when it comes to the Warriors in the 2016 Finals. From Game 7, we best remember Kyrie Irving’s game-winner and LeBron James’ chasedown block. What has been forgotten is the fact that Green was the best player on the court in Game 7. He was his typical all-time great self on the defensive end, but he also carried the Warriors with an out-of-character 32 Points and 6 threes. If the Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, had held up their end of the deal in the winner-take-all-game, Green would have been the 2016 Finals MVP, and his Game 7 would have been remembered as one of the best performances ever.
Only LeBron James and Magic Johnson have more triple-doubles in the NBA Finals than Draymond Green. Usually I feel like triple-doubles can be overrated, but in this case, on the biggest stage, they highlight how Green impacts the game in every possible way. He was the engine of the 2015 Warriors’ championship team (16-11-10 in the closeout Game 6 on the road, and 13-8-5 averages in the series), and played that same role in their 2017 (averaging 11-10-5) and 2018 (averaging 9-6-9) Finals wins. In 2019, Green stepped up and nearly averaged a triple-double (13-11-9), but the Warriors lost in six games. The series that I haven’t mentioned, aside from in the previous section, is 2016. Green famously was suspended for Game 5 after accumulating too many flagrant points. This lapse in judgment helped spark the Cavaliers historic 3-1 comeback (but also may have led to the Warriors getting Kevin Durant… it’s truly one of the biggest what-ifs ever), but then he was the only player to truly show up for Golden State in Game 7. Yes, the suspension was costly, but he was also a few minutes away from winning Finals MVP. In Finals history, Green is in the top-20 in Steals (9th), Assists (12th), and Three-Pointers (17th). He is also 21st in Rebounds and 22nd in Blocks. Of course, he will move up those leaderboards in this year’s series.
53) Chauncey Billups
Finals Appearances:
2004*, 2005
Finals Stats:
20.7 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.2 RPG, 46% FG, 35% 3PT, 92% FT, 39.7 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2004 Game 1:
22 PTS, 4 AST, 3 STL, 8-14 FG
The mid-2000s Pistons were so well-rounded that it was hard for Billups to have a true signature performance. He did have 34-7-5 in Game 5 of the 2005 series, but they lost the game at home. Therefore, I’ll go with his 22 Points on 8 of 14 shooting in Game 1 as the Pistons began their beatdown of the Lakers in 2004.
Spoiler alert, Chauncey Billups is the only member of the mid-2000s Pistons on this list. The Pistons crushed the Lakers in five to win the 2004 title, and fell just short in Game 7 against the Spurs in 2005. Billups makes the list by virtue of winning the 2004 Finals MVP. He averaged 21-5-3 on 51-47-93 splits in the series. He backed up the 2004 performance, and earned a higher spot on this list, by putting up 20-6-5 in the 2005 Finals. His shooting numbers did dip, and he shot just 3 of 8 in the Game 7, but he was by far the Pistons’ best player in the series. On a per game basis, Billups is 24th all-time in Finals Assists, and 30th in Points.
52) Dave Cowens
Finals Appearances:
1974, 1976
Finals Stats:
21.7 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 47% FG, 73% FT, 43.0 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1974 Game 7:
28 PTS, 14 REB, 4 AST, 13-25 FG
He may not have won Finals MVP, but the Celtics don’t win the 1974 title without Cowens. Cowens led the team with 28 points and 14 rebounds (as Finals MVP winning teammate John Havlicek shot 6-20 from the field) and Boston won Game 7 on the road in Milwaukee.
Dave Cowens was an absolute star on the Celtics’ two 1970s championship teams, and he averaged 22-13-4 in the two Finals series. However, he is outside of the top 50 on this list because he didn’t win Finals MVP. Cowens averaged 23-10-5 in the Celtics’ 1974 victory over the Bucks (a series that included the huge Game 7 mentioned above), but it was teammate John Havlicek (26-8-5) who won the Finals MVP. Cowens averaged 21-16-3 in Boston's 1976 Finals victory over Phoenix, but Jo Jo White (22-6-4), took home the trophy. Cowens was fantastic in the Finals, but just two appearances and the missing Finals MVP hold him back from a higher spot on this list.
51) Andre Iguodala
Finals Appearances:
2015*, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Finals Stats:
9.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 49% FG, 35% 3PT, 37% FT, 29.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2015 Game 6:
25 PTS, 5 AST, 5 REB, 9-20 FG
Iguodala won the 2015 Finals MVP because his insertion into the starting lineup led to three straight Warriors wins and because of his defensive efforts on LeBron James. However, he came through offensively as well, putting up 25-5-5 on the road in Game 6 as the Warriors closed out the Cavaliers.
It’s high praise, but Andre Iguodala has become the Robert Horry (who we’ll get to soon) of this generation. The 2012 All-Star came to the Golden State Warriors in 2014 and reinvented himself as the ultimate role player. Unsurprisingly, that led to immediate success for Golden State. Iguodala played in his first Finals in 2015 (his second season with Golden State). After spending the first 95 games (Regular Season and Postseason) in 2015 coming off of the bench, Iguodala was put into the Warriors starting lineup after they went down two-games-to-one against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The rest is history, as the Warriors won the next three games and Iguodala won one of the most surprising Finals MVPs ever. In hindsight, it probably should’ve gone to Steph Curry, but Iguodala’s defense on LeBron and his 16-6-4 averages with 40% shooting from three made it understandable in the moment. Over the next five years, Iguodala kept playing in the Finals. In 2016, he was banged-up but still managed 9-6-4 in the series. However, his most memorable 2016 moment is being the victim of LeBron James’ iconic Game 7 chasedown block. In 2017, he averaged 9-3-3, made a big defensive play stripping James in Game 3, and won his second championship. He missed two games in the 2018 Finals, but returned in time to help the Warriors sweep the Cavaliers. In 2019, with the Warriors missing Kevin Durant due to injury, Iguodala had to step up once again. He made the game-clinching three to take Game 2 of the series in Toronto, and scored 22 Points in Game 6 (which was the game the Warriors were closed out by the Raptors). In the bubble in 2020, Iguodala played in his sixth-straight Finals, this time with the Heat. He played just 19.7 Minutes per Game and the Heat lost to the Lakers in six. In the Finals, Iguodala ranks 13th all-time in Three Pointers, 25th in Steals, 28th in Blocks, 29th in Games, and 31st in Assists.
50) Robert Parish
Finals Appearances:
1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
Finals Stats:
15.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, 48% FG, 63% FT, 32.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1984 Game 4:
25 PTS, 12 REB, 3 STL, 2 BLK
Trailing 2-1 in the series and on the road in Los Angeles for Game 4, Robert Parish came up huge on both sides of the floor with 25 points and 12 rebounds along with 3 steals and 2 blocks. The Celtics tied the series up, and ultimately prevailed in seven games.
Throughout his Finals career, Robert Parish was a model of consistency. In 1981, he averaged 15 Points and 8 Rebounds per Game. In 1984, 15 and 11. In 1985, 17 and 9. In 1986, 13 and 7. In 1987, 17 and 7. While he doesn’t have a specific moment that everybody remembers from his Finals career, something has to be said for that level of consistency as a top player on a Celtics team that played in five Finals in the 1980s (winning three). In the Finals, he ranks 4th all-time in Blocks, 20th in Rebounds, 24th in Steals, and 30th in Games. He even picked up a fourth championship, as a 43-year-old (!) with the 1997 Bulls, but he did not play in the Finals. I’ll admit that this is probably too low for Parish, whose consistency and impact on winning should be rewarded, regardless of if he has an iconic moment or not.
49) Derek Fisher
Finals Appearances:
2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012
Finals Stats:
8.7 PPG, 2.4 APG, 2.2 RPG, 43% FG, 42% 3PT, 81% FT, 28.1 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2009 Game 4:
12 PTS, 4 REB, 2-7 3PT
Fisher played in 43 Finals games throughout his 18-year career, but his biggest moment came in 2009 against the Magic. On the road in Orlando, Fisher made a three-pointer to force overtime at the end of regulation, and then hit what would end up being the game-winning three in the extra period. Fisher’s heroics helped give the Lakers a 3-1 series lead.
Derek Fisher is the epitome of a great role player. He showed this time and time again on the NBA’s biggest stage. Fisher was a major contributor for the Lakers during their 2000-2002 three-peat. He came off the bench (and went 7 of 12 from three) in their 2000 series victory, but started at Point Guard in both 2001 and 2002. His best moments came in 2002, when he averaged 13-4-4 and made 8 of 12 threes. He was back on the bench, backing up Gary Payton, in the 2004 Finals, and apparently less Fisher meant less success for the Lakers, who lost in five games. Fisher and the Lakers returned for three more Finals from 2008 to 2010. He struggled in their 2008 series loss, shooting just 3-16 from three, but bounced back with a big 2009 series (11 Points per Game and the clutch moments mentioned above) that the Lakers won. The 35-year-old Fisher was as-reliable-as-ever in 2010, averaging 9 Points in 30.6 Minutes per Game as the Lakers repeated. He even made an eighth Finals trip in 2012, as a 37-year-old, playing 25.6 Minutes per Game with the Oklahoma City Thunder in their loss to the Heat. Fisher won five championships and, in the Finals, ranks in the top-20 in Three-Pointers (8th), Games (13th), and Steals (13th).
48) Cedric Maxwell
Finals Appearances:
1981*, 1984, 1985
Finals Stats:
11.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 52% FG, 81% FT, 29.1 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1984 Game 7:
24 PTS, 8 AST, 8 REB, 14-17 FT
Maxwell was the surprise Finals MVP in 1981, but it was the 1984 series where he had his best performance. Facing the Lakers in Game 7, it was Maxwell, and not Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish or Dennis Johnson, who led the way for the Celtics with 24 Points. He also added 8 rebounds and 8 assists while making 14 of 17 free throws to help the Celtics defeat their great rival.
As soon as Chauncey Billups gets in, Cedric Maxwell will revert back to being the only Finals MVP not in the Basketball Hall of Fame. In the Celtics’ 1981 Finals victory over the Rockets, it was Maxwell who won the MVP after averaging 18-10-3 on 57% shooting. He probably clinched the award in Game 5, when, with the series tied at two, he scored 28 Points (on 10-13 shooting), and grabbed 15 Rebounds (7 offensive), as the Celtics took a 3-2 lead. He was clutch once again in 1984, especially Game 7 (see above), averaging 13-6-3. In the 1985 Finals, he played just 10.8 Minutes per Game as the Celtics lost to the Lakers. This may seem too high for Maxwell, but the Finals MVP combined with the 1984 Game 7 feels like enough to crack the top 50.
47) Pau Gasol
Finals Appearances:
2008, 2009, 2010
Finals Stats:
17.3 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 3.2 APG, 53% FG, 71% FT, 41.1 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2010 Game 7:
19 PTS, 18 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK
Game 7 of the 2010 Finals was an absolute rock fight. This allowed Gasol to come up huge on the glass with 18 rebounds, 9 of them being offensive, and he added 19 points with 4 assists and 2 blocks. Without Gasol’s Game 7 performance, the Lakers don’t repeat as champions.
Pau Gasol was the Lakers’ second best player in three-straight Finals series from 2008 to 2010. In 2008, he was solid, averaging 15-10-3 on 53% shooting, but the Lakers lost the series in six. He stepped his game up in 2009, helping the Lakers win the title with averages of 19 Points and 10 Rebounds per Game on 60% shooting from the field. Where Pau Gasol was most impressive in his Finals career was when the Lakers went down 3-2 in the 2010 series. Needing to win both Games 6 and 7 at home to go back-to-back, Gasol upped his level. In Game 6, he put up a near triple-double with 17-13-9 and added 3 Blocks. His Game 7 performance as the Lakers won the title is discussed above. He finished the series averaging 19-12-4 with 2.6 Blocks per Game, and had a legitimate case to win Finals MVP over teammate Kobe Bryant (Bryant won the award). In the Finals, Gasol ranks 18th all-time in Blocks per Game, and 19th all-time in both Field Goal Percentage and Rebounds per Game.
46) Moses Malone
Finals Appearances:
1981, 1983*
Finals Stats:
23.7 PPG, 16.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 44% FG, 68% FT, 42.6 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1983 Game 4:
24 PTS, 23 REB, 3 BLK, 9-22 FG
Malone’s iconic “Fo fo fo” prediction did not come true in 1983 (they lost a game to the Bucks in the Conference Finals), but that was irrelevant as they did come through with a sweep of the Lakers in the Finals. Malone closed the series out in style with a team-high 24 points and 23 rebounds.
He only played in two NBA Finals, but it’s impossible to not be in awe of Moses Malone’s average of 23.7 Points and 16.6 Rebounds per Game. He played his first Finals in 1981 with the Houston Rockets, who he brought there in surprise fashion. In the Finals, he averaged 22-16 with 2.2 Blocks per Game, but shot just 40% from the field and lost the series to the Celtics in six games. Malone was back in the Finals with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. He won Finals MVP as he averaged 26 and 18 in the Sixers’ sweep of the Lakers. The more I think about it, Malone probably deserves to be higher on this list. I’ll keep him here at 46 and justify it by saying he only played in two Finals, shot just 40% in 1981, and was playing on a loaded Philadelphia team in 1983, but I admittedly don’t feel great about it.
45) Bob Dandridge
Finals Appearances:
1971, 1974, 1978, 1979
Finals Stats:
19.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 45% FG, 73% FT, 41.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1978 Game 2:
34 PTS, 8 REB, 14-22 FG
The underrated Dandridge led the Bullets to victory with 34 points (on highly efficient 14-22 shooting) in Game 2 of the 1978 Finals, as they avoided falling down 2-0. He also scored 19 points, tied for the team high, on the road in Game 7 as the Bullets won the title.
Bob Dandridge is one of the more underrated players in NBA history. What stands out most on his Finals resume, other than his 19.6 Points per Game, is that fact that he had two separate runs during the 1970s. He made the 1971 and 1974 Finals with the Bucks, and the 1978 and 1979 Finals with the Bullets. In 1971, Dandridge, playing with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, averaged 20 Points and 10 Rebounds per Game as the Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets. In 1974, the Bucks lost in seven games to the Celtics, but Dandridge still put up a solid 17 Points per Game. In the final two years of the decade, Dandridge split two more Finals appearances. In 1978, he averaged 20-7-4 and, as mentioned above, was tied for the team high in points in their road Game 7 victory. The next year, despite the loss, Dandridge averaged 22-8-5 in the Finals. Bob Dandridge is on the relatively short list of players who can say that they were major contributors on two different championship teams, especially when the titles come seven years apart.
44) Ray Allen
Finals Appearances:
2008, 2010, 2013, 2014
Finals Stats:
13.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, 45% FG, 43% 3PT, 91% FT, 34.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2013 Game 6:
9 PTS, 1-3 3PT, 41 MIN
In 2010, Ray Allen made a then-Finals-record 8 threes in Game 2, and then followed it up going 0-13 from the field and 0-8 from three as the Celtics lost home-court in Game 3. However, neither of those games, representing a great high and a huge low, come anywhere near what he did in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. Allen hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history, tying the game with a corner three and keeping the Heat’s season alive. As the Heat then won in overtime, and then again in Game 7, Allen’s shot has been immortalized in NBA lore.
There isn’t much more that needs to be said about Ray Allen’s 2013 Finals than what I wrote above. Even at 37-years-old, he was great, he made 55% of his threes, and he hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history. His performance as a 38-year-old in the Heat’s 2014 Finals loss was impressive as well, averaging 10 Points on 41% from three in 31 Minutes per Game. In the 2010 Finals, he was bad. He somehow shot 29% from three and went 3-14 from the field in the Celtics’ Game 7 loss to the Lakers. Forget those three series though, let’s get to what I was hinting at before. How did Ray Allen not win Finals MVP over Paul Pierce in 2008? Allen put up essentially equal numbers on far better shooting percentages, spent more time guarding Kobe Bryant, and played better in the pivotal games. I’ve never understood that one, and definitely would have voted for Allen (Kevin Garnett, a tough omission from this list, also deserved consideration). Regardless, Allen would’ve made this list based just off of what he did in his two Celtics Finals, but his two Heat series (especially 2013) helped move him up about 20 spots.
43) Manu Ginóbili
Finals Appearances:
2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014
Finals Stats:
14.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, 44% FG, 35% 3PT, 83% FT, 30.4 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2005 Game 7:
23 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 8-13 FG
Facing a Game 7 after blowing a chance to wrap the series up at home in Game 6, the Spurs needed Manu Ginóbili to come up clutch. Ginóbili scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and helped lead the Spurs to their second title in his first three NBA seasons.
Whether it was starting or coming off the bench, Manu Ginóbili did whatever it took to help the Spurs win four championships during his 16-year career. He won his first title in his rookie season, 2003, averaging 9-5-2 with 2.2 Steals per Game in 28.5 Minutes per Game off the bench. His best Finals series came in the Spurs’ 2005 seven-game victory over the Pistons. Ginóbili started all seven games and averaged 19-6-4 on 49-39-85 shooting splits. He capped the series off with the great Game 7 mentioned above. In the 2007 Finals he was back on the bench, but was just as impactful as he averaged 18-6-3 and made 10 of his 23 attempts from three (44%). The biggest, and maybe only, blemish on Ginóbili Finals resume is Game 6 of the 2013 series vs. the Heat. Yes, his late missed free throw may have cost the Spurs the title, but Kawhi Leonard also missed a late free throw, Coach Gregg Popovich took Tim Duncan out for the final defensive possession, and Tony Parker shot 6 of 23, so there is plenty of blame to go around. However, the missed free throw just added to what was already a terrible game for Ginóbili. He attempted just five shots and turned the ball over eight times (including twice in overtime), as the Spurs saw their title chances slip away in Game 6, and then lost Game 7. However, in the 2014 rematch vs. the Heat, Ginóbili, even at 36-years-old, averaged 14 Points per Game and won his fourth championship. In his Finals career, he ranks in the top-20 in both Three-Pointers (11th) and Steals (18th).
42) Robert Horry
Finals Appearances:
1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007
Finals Stats:
9.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, 43% FG, 39% 3PT, 71% FT, 32.7 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2005 Game 5:
21 PTS, 7 REB, 5-6 3PT
Horry had plenty of amazing Finals moments, but none stand out more than what he did in 2005. The 34-year-old, already with a whole hand full of rings, scored all 21 of his points off the bench in the second half and overtime (including 5 of the Spurs’ 7 OT points). He hit five of his six attempts from three-point range including the game-winner with 5.8 seconds left in overtime. Big Shot Rob added to his postseason legend and helped the Spurs take a 3-2 series lead with the road victory.
Robert Horry has to be considered the greatest role player in NBA history. His seven championships are the most by any player outside of the 1960s Celtics dynasty. He won his seven titles with three different teams (two with the Rockets, three with the Lakers, and two with the Spurs), and never lost in the Finals. He hit big shot after big shot (hence the nickname “Big Shot Rob'') throughout the playoffs every season, and had a handful of big Finals moments. He started his Finals career with back-to-back titles with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995. 1995 stands out in particular, because he was much more than just a role player. He averaged 18-10-4 on 43-38-67 splits with 3 Steals and 2.3 Blocks in 46.8 Minutes per Game as the Rockets swept the Magic. During the Lakers’ three-peat, Horry didn’t start a single game in their 2000 or 2001 series victories (he still averaged 9-5-3 and 8-5-1, respectively, in big minutes off the bench), and then stepped up as a starter in their 2002 sweep of the Nets. From the Lakers he moved to the Spurs, where he had a huge 2005 Finals (11-5-2 on 44-48-73 splits), highlighted by the above-noted Game 5. In 2007, at 36-years-old, Horry still contributed 22 Minutes per Game in the Spurs sweep of the Cavaliers, winning his seventh title. In the Finals he ranks 6th all-time in Three-Pointers, 8th in Blocks, 9th in Steals, 18th in Games, and 21st in Minutes. With his undefeated record and perfect 3-and-D skillset that every championship team needs, you could make the case that Horry, who averaged just 9.7 Points per Game in his Finals career, is still too low on this list.
41) Clyde Drexler
Finals Appearances:
1990, 1992, 1995
Finals Stats:
24.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 6.0 APG, 46% FG, 82% FT, 40.3 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1995 Game 3:
25 PTS, 13 REB, 7 AST, 9-18 FG
Drexler played in two Finals as the star player, but his greatest moment came in 1995 as the Robin to Hakeem Olajuwon’s Batman. Drexler put up an impressive 25-13-7 as the Rockets took a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Magic.
In Clyde Drexler’s first Finals appearance, 1990 against the Pistons, he averaged a strong 26-8-6 on 54% shooting, but his Trail Blazers lost to Detroit in five games. Then in 1992, by no fault of his own, Drexler was set up for embarrassment. He finished as the Regular Season MVP runner-up behind Michael Jordan. So, naturally, with Jordan’s Bulls and Drexler’s Trail Blazers squaring off in the Finals, the narrative became that they were equals going head-to-head. Unsurprisingly, that proved to be far from the truth. Just look at Game 1, where Jordan scored a Finals record 35 first half points and gave his famous shrug, while Drexler scored 16 Points on 5 of 14 shooting. Drexler finished the series with a relatively respectable 24.8 Points per Game (on 41% from the field and 3 of 20 from three)... but Jordan averaged 35.8 Points per Game and the Bulls won in six. Then, in 1995, Drexler was able to redeem himself (to an extent, at least). In his first season with the Rockets, who were seeking a second-straight title, Drexler averaged 22-10-7 as Houston swept Orlando, and he won his first ring. Even with the disappointment of losing as the best player on Portland in 1990 and 1992, his strong 1995, and the fact that he’s top 20 in both Finals Points per Game (15th) and Assists per Game (19th) justify his spot at 41 on this list.
40) Joe Dumars
Finals Appearances:
1988, 1989*, 1990
Finals Stats:
19.1 PPG, 5.2 APG, 2.3 RPG, 50% FG, 89% FT, 36.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1990 Game 3:
33 PTS, 5 AST, 11-22 FG
Dumars was the Finals MVP in 1989, but what he did in Game 3 the following season stands out the most. Dumars’ father had passed away shortly before the game, something that he was not aware of when he took the court. In the game, Dumars scored 33 points, including a miracle high-arching floater as the shot clock expired, and helped the Pistons regain home-court on the road in Portland.
Dumars played in three-straight NBA Finals, but he grabs the last spot in the top-40 because of what he did in the second of the three. In 1989, Dumars averaged 27 Points per Game on 58% shooting and earned Finals MVP as the Pistons swept the Lakers. This followed up a disappointing 1988 Finals where he averaged just 13 Points per Game in the Pistons’ loss to the Lakers. In 1990, as the Pistons repeated as champions, Dumars put up 21-6-3 in a five-game victory over the Trail Blazers.
39) Bill Walton
Finals Appearances:
1977*, 1986, 1987
Finals Stats:
9.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 57% FG, 74% FT, 21.6 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1977 Game 6:
20 PTS, 23 REB, 8 BLK, 7 AST, 8-15 FG
Walton’s 1977 Finals performance is one of the best in NBA history. He made his biggest impact as the Trail Blazers won their first and, to this day, only championship in Game 6. He had a near quadruple-double, and his 8 blocks were a Finals record at the time (remember, blocks weren’t officially a stat until 1974).
Bill Walton makes the top-40 here strongly thanks to how he played in the 1977 Finals. Walton, who led the Trail Blazers to a title from 2-0 down in the series, won Finals MVP and had one of the best performances in league history. He averaged 19-19-5 on 55% shooting and with 3.7 Blocks per Game. Walton’s career was unfairly plagued by injuries, but in 1977 he showed why he had all-time great potential. He picked up a second championship as a bench player with the Celtics in 1986. He averaged 8 Points (on 62% shooting) and 7 Rebounds in 19.5 Minutes per Game in the Finals. He was a non-factor in the 1987 series, playing just 24 total Minutes in the Celtics’ six-game loss to the Lakers. He ranks 5th all-time in Finals Field Goal Percentage, 20th in Blocks per Game, and 23rd in total Blocks.
38) Frank Ramsey
Finals Appearances:
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
Finals Stats:
13.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 41% FG, 82% FT, 24.6 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1960 Game 7:
24 PTS, 13 REB, 11-20 FG
Ramsey, considered the NBA’s first true Sixth Man, came up huge for the Celtics in a pair of Finals Game 7s. He scored 23 points and made 15 of 16 free throws to clinch the 1962 series, but his biggest moment came in 1960 as he led the team with 24 points and added 13 boards.
Frank Ramsey’s biggest Finals moments came in the previously mentioned 1960 and 1962 Game 7s. However, Ramsey was a key contributor in all eight of the Finals (seven wins) that he played in with the Celtics. His contributions ranged from averaging 23-6-3 in the 1959 Finals to playing 16.4 Minutes per Game and averaging 8.2 Points in the 1964 Finals (his final NBA games). His versatility, strength as an all-time great role player, and the fact that these 1960s Celtics are tough to rank, help me justify Ramsey’s maybe-too-high ranking. Further justifying the ranking, Ramsey is 8th all-time in Finals Games played, 24th in Points and 25th in Rebounds.
37) Kevin McHale
Finals Appearances:
1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
Finals Stats:
17.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 54% FG, 77% FT, 32.5 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1986 Game 6:
29 PTS, 10 REB, 4 BLK, 10-22 FG
1986 was a dream season for the Celtics, and they closed it out with a 4-2 Finals victory over the Houston Rockets. McHale teamed up with Larry Bird (who had a triple-double) to bring the Celtics their third title of the decade.
The first time Kevin McHale played in the NBA Finals was his rookie season in 1981. He played just 13.8 Minutes per Game in the Celtics six-game series victory over the Rockets. In 1984, McHale’s role had grown, but he was still coming off the bench. He averaged 13 Points and 6 Rebounds per Game in the Celtics seven-game series victory over the Lakers. In 1985, 1986, and 1987, McHale was a full-fledged star in the Finals. The Celtics lost the 1985 series to the Lakers, but McHale, a starter now, averaged 26 Points and 11 Rebounds. In the Celtics’ 1986 victory over the Rockets, he once again averaged 26 Points, adding 9 Rebounds and 2.5 Blocks per Game. His numbers dropped to 21 Points per Game in 1987, and the Celtics lost to the Lakers in six. McHale’s evolution from bench player, to elite Sixth Man, to second star throughout his five 1980s Finals trips is the strongest part of his resume. If he could have wrestled the 1986 Finals MVP from Larry Bird, McHale would have been an easy top-30 choice.
36) Bill Sharman
Finals Appearances:
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961
Finals Stats:
19.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 43% FG, 93% FT, 32.1 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1957 Game 5:
32 PTS, 3 AST, 13-24 FG
Tied 2-2 and seeking their first NBA title, the Celtics were able to rely on Sharman for a team leading 32 points on 13-24 shooting and, of course, a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line, in the pivotal Game 5 victory.
As I’ve mentioned before, these Boston dynasty members are really hard to rank. Bill Sharman was mostly a role player on those early Bill Russell-led Celtics teams, so maybe this is too high. Then again, if a more modern player won four titles and averaged nearly 20 Points per Game in the Finals, I would feel fine with this ranking. In the Finals, Sharman ranks 4th in Free Throw Percentage, 26th in Points, and 36th in Points per Game, so maybe 36th on this list is about right.
35) Joe Fulks
Finals Appearances:
1947, 1948
Finals Stats:
24.7 PPG, 81% FT
Signature Game/Moment:
1947 Game 5:
34 PTS, 10-34 FG, 14-18 FT
Joe Fulks led the Philadelphia Warriors over the Chicago Stags to win the inaugural NBA (when it was still the BAA) championship. He closed out the first Finals series with a 34-point performance on 10-34 shooting (ignore the poor percentage, the Warriors went 26-102 in the game, and the Stags went 30-117!).
I’ll just come out and say right away, this is probably way too high. I really had no clue what to do with Joe Fulks, who played in just two Finals (the first two in NBA History). We barely have any stats on record for him, but we know he averaged 24.7 Points per Game (albeit most likely on sub-30% shooting), which is enough for 14th all-time in the Finals. I’m trying to reward the clear-best players on championship teams, and am really trying to be fair to the early Finals participants, but I even feel guilty about this one. Let’s just move on…
34) Dirk Nowitzki
Finals Appearances:
2006, 2011*
Finals Stats:
24.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 40% FG, 30% 3PT, 93% FT, 42.0 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2011 Game 2:
24 PTS, 11 REB, 4 AST, 10-22 FG
Down 1-0 in series and on the road in Miami, it looked like Nowitzki and the Mavericks were set to fall into a 0-2 hole. This was especially the case when they went down by 15 points. From there, Nowitzki led a furious comeback, scoring 15 second half points, including 5 in the final 30 seconds, and tied the series at one.
Dirk Nowitzki played in two NBA Finals during his 21-year career. The first one was a heartbreaker, and the second one was an all-time great triumph. In 2006, the Mavericks blew a 2-0 series lead to the Heat and lost in six games. Nowitzki averaged just 23 Points per Game on 39% from the field and 25% from three. Nowitzki flipped the script in 2011, as the Mavericks got revenge on the Heat with a 4-2 series victory. He won Finals MVP averaging 26 Points and 10 Rebounds per Game on 42-37-98 shooting splits. This may seem a little low, especially when you see who’s next on the list, but I can justify it. 2006 was really bad, and that’s obviously the biggest reason why he’s in the 30s and not the 20s. Regarding 2011, I feel like we conflate his Finals performance too much with his entire vintage playoff run. In my opinion, of the four series he played in the 2011 Playoffs, the Finals was his “worst” performance. Of course, he was still amazing, and the storyline of him taking on a superteam without another star holds up really well (and looks even better now). However, I don’t consider it an all-time great individual Finals, and that Mavericks team, despite not having a second star, was still really, really good.
33) Giannis Antetokounmpo
Finals Appearances:
2021*
Finals Stats:
35.2 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 62% FG, 66% FT, 39.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2021 Game 6:
50 PTS, 14 REB, 5 BLK, 16-25 FG, 17-19 FT
Antetokounmpo silenced all of his critics throughout the 2021 Finals, but no moment was bigger than Game 6. In the closeout game, Antetokounmpo had the seventh 50-point game in Finals history and made 17 out of 19 free throws after going 39-66 in the first five games of the series.
This might be the most controversial ranking on the list. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only player on this list who has not played in multiple Finals. However, I think this high ranking is justified because his 2021 performance was one of the best in Finals history. After a “bad” Game 1 (he had “just” 20-17-4), Antetokounmpo, who was under immense pressure legacy-wise, responded with one of the best five-game stretches we’ve ever seen. In Games 2 to 6, Antetokounmpo averaged 38-12-5 with 2.0 Blocks per Game. That stretch featured his incredible block of DeAndre Ayton to help the Bucks win Game 4, his dagger dunk to seal Game 5, and other-wordly Game 6 (see above). Antetokounmpo led the Bucks back from 2-0 down and won Finals MVP averaging 35-13-5 on 62% from the field. If I write this article again for the 100-year anniversary, don’t be shocked if he’s near the top ten.
32) Rick Barry
Finals Appearances:
1967, 1975*
Finals Stats:
36.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.0 APG, 41% FG, 84% FT, 43.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1967 Game 3:
55 PTS, 12 REB, 5 AAST, 22-48 FG
From a team perspective, Barry’s 1975 was much more successful than 1967. However, in Game 3 of the 1967 series, Barry scored 55 points, and added 12 rebounds and 5 assists, putting himself only behind Elgin Baylor’s 61 points in a Finals game.
With 36.3 Points per Game in 10 total games, Rick Barry is the NBA Finals’ leading scorer (on a per game basis, of course). In 1967, Barry’s Warriors lost to the 76ers in six games, but Barry went on a tear averaging 41 Points per Game. In 1975, the Warriors swept the Washington Bullets. Barry won Finals MVP after averaging 30 Points per Game, and 3.5 Steals per Game (a single-series Finals record). Despite playing in just ten games, Barry still ranks 45th all-time in total Finals points.
31) Julius Erving
Finals Appearances:
1977, 1980, 1982, 1983
Finals Stats:
25.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, 53% FG, 77% FT, 39.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1980 Game 4:
23 PTS, 5 REB, 9-17 FG
It wasn’t the best game of Erving’s Finals career, but Game 4 in 1980 featured one of the greatest moves in league history. To this day, Erving’s acrobatic, mind-boggling baseline scoop layup is one of the most impressive things ever done in an NBA game, let alone during the Finals.
Although he won just one of the four Finals series that he played in, Julius Erving always showed up on the big stage (he also won two ABA titles… maybe I’ll make that list next). In Erving’s first Finals, his 76ers blew a 2-0 series lead to the Trail Blazers, but he still averaged 30-7-5 with 2.7 Steals and 1.2 Blocks per Game. Erving scored 37 and 40, respectively, in the final two losses, but the 76ers came up just short. He brought the 76ers back to the Finals in 1980, averaged 26-7-5 with 2 Steals and 2.3 Blocks per Game, but fell short once again as the Lakers, behind some iconic performances, won in six. The 76ers lost to the Lakers once again in 1982, as Erving averaged 25-8-3. In 1983, on his fourth try, Erving finally won an NBA championship. Alongside new 76ers addition Moses Malone, Erving averaged 19-9-5 with 2.8 Blocks per Game in their sweep of the Lakers. Malone was named Finals MVP, but Erving finally won his title. In the Finals, on a per game basis, he ranks 5th in Steals, 12th in Points, and 12th in Blocks. He also ranks 10th in total Blocks, 15th in total Steals, and 27th in total Points.
30) Tony Parker
Finals Appearances:
2003, 2005, 2007*, 2013, 2014
Finals Stats:
16.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.4 RPG, 46% FG, 35% 3PT, 63% FT, 36.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2013 Game 5:
26 PTS, 5 AST, 10-14 FG
2013 was the only Finals series that Parker lost during his career, but Game 5 is memorable as he, in a game that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, and Kawhi Leonard, was the best player on the floor. Parker made 10 of his 14 shots and scored 15 second half points to bring the Spurs within a win of another title (and then we know what happened next, unfortunately for him).
Tony Parker was the NBA’s first European-born Finals MVP. He was also the perfect complement to Tim Duncan throughout the Spurs dynasty. Parker won his first two championships in 2003 and 2005 at the ages of 21 and 23, respectively. The young version of Parker was still fantastic. The Point Guard averaged 14 Points per Game in both series. Two years later, in 2007, Parker broke out in a huge way. He averaged 25 Points on 57% shooting, and was named Finals MVP in the Spurs’ sweep of the Cavaliers. In the 2013 Finals, Parker had some amazing moments (his Game 1 game-winner, the aforementioned Game 5), but he did go 6 of 23 shooting in Game 6 (and missed what would’ve been the series-winning shot), and 3 of 12 in the Spurs’ Game 7 loss. He bounced back nicely in 2014, averaging 18 Points and 5 Assists as the Spurs beat the Heat in five. Parker ranks 22nd in Finals Assists and 30th in Finals Points. Speaking of 30, this spot may be a tiny bit high for Parker. However, four rings and a Finals MVP are hard to come by, so I’m comfortable with it.
29) Dennis Johnson
Finals Appearances:
1978, 1979*, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
Finals Stats:
18.3 PPG, 6.2 APG, 4.7 RPG, 42% FG, 81% FT, 40.1 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1985 Game 4:
27 PTS, 12 AST, 7 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK
The Celtics lost the 1985 Finals, but Johnson’s 27-12-7-2-2 in Game 4 was arguably his finest moment, in a Finals career filled with fine moments. He put up those big numbers and won the game for the Celtics with a buzzer-beating jump shot on the road in Los Angeles.
Dennis Johnson is one of the most underrated players in NBA history, he is one of the most underrated players in postseason history, and, most importantly (at least for the sake of this article), he is maybe the most underrated player in NBA Finals history. With that being said, Johnson’s Finals career started off pretty rough. Playing with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978, Johnson went 0-14 (!) in a home Game 7 loss to the Washington Bullets. However, Johnson bounced back the following year, as the SuperSonics got revenge over the Bullets, defeating them 4-1 in the 1979 Finals. Johnson was named Finals MVP averaging 23-6-6, 2.2 Blocks and 1.8 Steals per Game. Johnson returned to the Finals in 1984, playing Point Guard for the Larry Bird-led Celtics. In that series, Johnson averaged 18 Points and 5 Assists, and came up huge in Game 4 going for 22 and 14 in 50 minutes as the Celtics tied the series on the road. The Celtics won in seven games, and Johnson got his second title. He continued to play well in a supporting role as the Celtics made the Finals three more times in the 1980s. Johnson won his third ring in 1986, and averaged 21-9-4 in the Celtics’ 1987 Finals loss. Johnson ranks 6th in Finals Assists, 11th in Steals and Blocks, 14th in Minutes, 18th in Games, and 21st in Points. It’s safe to say that he came a long way from the 0-14 Game 7 in 1978.
28) Kawhi Leonard
Finals Appearances:
2013, 2014*, 2019*
Finals Stats:
20.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 50% FG, 41% 3PT, 85% FT, 36.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2019 Game 4:
36 PTS, 12 REB, 4 STL, 11-22 FG, 5-9 3PT
Kawhi Leonard was already an NBA Champion and Finals MVP when he arrived in Toronto, but his legendary 2019 playoff run catapulted him into all-time great status. Leonard’s finest Finals performance that year came on the road at Oracle Arena as his 36 points, 12 rebounds and 5 threes helped give the Raptors a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Kawhi Leonard played his first NBA Finals in his second NBA season. In 2013, at the age of 21, Leonard averaged 15 Points, 11 Rebounds, and 2 Steals per Game and was the Spurs’ primary defender on LeBron James. Kawhi’s 2013 Finals may be best remembered for the key free throw he missed, leaving the door open for the Heat to come back in Game 6, but the series still marked his big-stage-breakout. Leonard was even better the following year, as the Spurs got revenge over the Heat, defeating them in five games. He averaged 18 Points and 6 Rebounds on 61% shooting (including 11-19 from three), and won his first Finals MVP. After playing his role perfectly with the Spurs in 2013 and 2014, Leonard went to the Finals as the star of his own team with the Raptors in 2019. He led Toronto to their first NBA title, stuffing the stat sheet with averages of 29-10-4, 2.0 Steals, and 1.2 Blocks per Game. He joined LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players ever to win Finals MVP with multiple franchises. Leonard is the lowest ranked of the twelve multi-time Finals MVPs, and that is mainly because those Spurs teams were loaded, and because I believe the Warriors, if healthy, beat Toronto in 2019. Regardless, number 28 on this list is nothing to sneeze at.
27) Isiah Thomas
Finals Appearances:
1988, 1989, 1990*
Finals Stats:
22.6 PPG, 7.9 APG, 4.2 RPG, 48% FG, 46% 3PT, 79% FT, 37.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1988 Game 6:
43 PTS, 8 AST, 6 STL, 3 REB, 18-32 FG
The Pistons lost Game 6 of the 1988 Finals, and lost the series in Game 7, but Isiah Thomas still had one of the greatest performances in NBA history. Despite a severe ankle injury suffered mid-game, Thomas was able to battle through the pain and scored 25 of his 43 points in the 3rd quarter (an NBA Finals record for points in a quarter).
Isiah Thomas made a memorable impact in all three Finals series that he played in. Although the Pistons lost the 1988 Finals, the performance he had on his severely injured ankle in Game 6 is considered one of the best single-games in NBA history. Also, if Thomas doesn’t get hurt, or if the refs didn’t call a phantom foul on Bill Laimbeer in Game 6, Detroit may have three-peated. They had to settle for back-to-back titles in 1988 and 1989, and Thomas was an integral piece in both Finals. While Joe Dumars won Finals MVP, Thomas’ leadership was essential to the Pistons team that swept the Lakers in 1989. Then, in 1990, Thomas took home the Finals MVP honors averaging 28-7-5 on 54% shooting. Overall, Thomas is 2nd all-time in Finals Steals per Game, 6th in Assists per Game, 11th in 3PT%, 20th in Steals, and 23rd in Assists.
26) Bob Pettit
Finals Appearances:
1957, 1958, 1960, 1961
Finals Stats:
28.4 PPG, 16.6 RPG, 42% FG, 75% FT, 41.5 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1958 Game 6:
50 PTS, 19 REB, 19-34 FG
Pettit’s career played out largely in the shadows of the Celtics dynasty, but he was able to get the better of Boston in 1958. Pettit scored 50 points in Game 6 to clinch his first and only NBA title and hand Bill Russell (who, worth noting, was hobbled by injury in the series) his only finals loss in 12 appearances.
Bob Pettit is one of the more underrated stars from the pre-merger NBA. The reason for this is the fact that he won just a single championship in an era where the Celtics won 11. Naturally, the Celtics are the reason why Pettit won just one championship. Pettit’s St. Louis Hawks lost to the Celtics in the 1957, 1960, and 1961 Finals, but they did flip the script in 1958. Pettit was consistent across all four series, averaging 30-18 (1957), 29-17 (1958), 26-15 (1960), and 28-16 (1961). The footnote on his one title is that Bill Russell missed two games in the series and was not 100% as Pettit scored 50 points in the closeout game. Regardless, I can’t punish Pettit for going 1-3 in the Finals against a far deeper and more talented team. He ranks 4th in Finals Rebounds per Game, 7th in Points per Game, 8th in total Rebounds, 10th in Free Throws, and 18th in total Points.
25) Willis Reed
Finals Appearances:
1970*, 1973*
Finals Stats:
20.0 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 49% FG, 65% FT, 34.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1970 Game 7:
4 PTS, 3 REB, 2-5 FG, 27 MIN
Reed had some massive moments throughout the 1970 Finals (37-16-5 in Game 1, 38-17 on 17-30 shooting to go up 2-1 on the road), but nothing came close to his four-point Game 7. Reed, who missed Game 6 with a torn thigh muscle, shocked the Knicks’ home crowd as he emerged from the tunnel for the pregame warmups. He scored the Knicks first four points and, despite not making another shot in just 27 minutes of play, the rest was history as the Knicks won their first championship.
Reed “only” played in two Finals, but it is hard to keep someone with two Finals MVPs and one of the league’s most iconic moments out of the top 25. That being said, and I’ll get to it with the next player on this list, Reed may be lucky to have two Finals MVPs. His stats don’t blow you away, as he averaged 23-11-3 in the six games he played during the 1970 series (obviously those numbers dipped with him playing through injury in Game 7), and then 16-9-3 in just 30 Minutes per Game in 1973. Regardless, being one of just twelve players with multiple Finals MVPs plus his inspiring 1970 Game 7 gets him into the top-third of the list. Also, he missed a chance to add to his Finals legacy in 1972 as he missed the series with an injury (his Knicks lost in five to the Lakers).
24) Walt Frazier
Finals Appearances:
1970, 1972, 1973
Finals Stats:
18.9 PPG, 8.2 APG, 7.5 RPG, 54% FG, 72% FT, 44.6 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1970 Game 7:
36 PTS, 19 AST, 7 REB, 12-17 FG
Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals will always be remembered for Willis Reed’s dramatic entrance and inspiring first four points. However, this is completely dismissive of Walt Frazier’s extraordinary 36-19-7 performance to close out a star-studded Lakers squad. While the Reed moment is rightly celebrated, don’t forget that Frazier had one of the best performances in NBA history that same night.
Honestly, Walt Frazier’s 1970 Game 7 performance alone is enough to justify this spot on this list. I truly believe that it is the most underrated performance in NBA history. Yes, I understand why the Reed moment has overshadowed it, but I’ll repeat; Walt Frazier put up 36-19-7 and missed just five shots in a winner-take-all Game 7 against Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain (three players coming up on this list), with his star teammate Reed limited by injury. Frazier, who averaged 18-10-8 on 54% shooting for the series, arguably should’ve won Finals MVP over Reed. The same is true for 1973, when Frazier averaged 17-7-5, but Reed won another Finals MVP. In the one Finals that Frazier lost, he averaged 23-8-8 on 59% shooting. He ranks 5th all-time in both Assists per Game and Minutes per Game in the Finals.
23) Wilt Chamberlain
Finals Appearances:
1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972*, 1973
Finals Stats:
18.6 PPG, 24.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 56% FG, 38% FT, 47.3 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1967 Game 6:
24 PTS, 23 REB, 4 AST, 8-13 FG
Chamberlain’s iconic career surprisingly lacks an iconic Finals moment (he did have 45-27 in a 1970 elimination game, but he then lost the series in Game 7). That makes the choice here simple as his 24-23 double-double helped clinch the title for the 76ers. In his eighth season, Chamberlain “finally” got his championship.
It feels like Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 30.1 Points per Game in his NBA career, should be at least above 20 Points per Game in his Finals career. Instead, he sits at a surprising 18.6. To be fair, Chamberlain averaged 33 or more points every year in the regular season from 1960 to 1966 and only made the Finals once in that span. Five of his six Finals appearances came after he turned 30-years-old and was not as dominant scoring wise. In the one Finals during his true “prime,” Chamberlain averaged 29 Points and 28 Rebounds, but his San Francisco Warriors fell in five games to the Celtics, led by his rival Bill Russell. Chamberlain secured his first ring in 1967, averaging 18-29-7 on 56% shooting as his 76ers defeated his former team, the Warriors. With the Lakers, Chamberlain played in four Finals. The team went 1-3, and Chamberlain averaged just 12 Points per Game in both the 1969 and 1973 losses. In 1970, Chamberlain was great, averaging 23-34-4 on 63% shooting, but the Lakers lost to the Knicks in seven. In the Lakers’ 1972 rematch with the Knicks, Chamberlain averaged 19-23-3 and won his only Finals MVP. On the plus-side, Chamberlain played in six series, is the all-time leader in Finals Minutes per Game and Rebounds per Game, and is 2nd in total Rebounds. The negatives are his 2-4 Finals record and major dip in scoring production from his sky-high regular season standards. 23rd feels about right for Chamberlain, but if you play his career over again, say 100 times, I would imagine probably 90 out of 100 would’ve gotten him even higher on this list.
22) Bob Cousy
Finals Appearances:
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963
Finals Stats:
17.0 PPG, 9.5 APG, 5.0 RPG, 34% FG, 77% FT, 39.0 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1957 Game 5:
21 PTS, 19 AST, 8 REB, 8-21 FG
In a series tied at two games a piece, the veteran Cousy, playing alongside rookies Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn, stepped up with a then Finals record 19 assists to go along with 21 points and 8 rebounds, as the Celtics took a 3-2 lead over the St. Louis Hawks.
In 2022, Bob Cousy has become a bit of a punchline. Of course, it’s just unserious to make the argument that Cousy would be an elite player in today’s NBA. He played most of his career in the 1950s, shot 38% from the field in his career, and just didn’t have the body type or game that would translate into today’s NBA like some other older legends (such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, etc). However, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the “Houdini of the Hardwood.” The league’s first great Point Guard was fantastic on the NBA Finals stage. Surrounded by plenty of great talent, the floor general helped lead the Celtics to six titles in a seven year span. In the Finals, his 9.5 Assists per Game are the 2nd most all-time. He is also 5th in total Assists, 10th in Minutes, 15th in Games, and 17th in Points. Also, his 13 Finals games with 10 or more Assists has only been surpassed by Magic Johnson and LeBron James. The pendulum of public opinion has swung too far anti-Cousy in recent years, so let’s celebrate him at number 22 here.
21) Dwyane Wade
Finals Appearances:
2006*, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Finals Stats:
23.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 48% FG, 31% 3PT, 75% FT, 38.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2006 Game 6:
36 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST, 4 STL, 3 BLK, 16-21 FT
In just his third NBA season, Wade (with a little bit of help from the refs) led the Heat from 2-0 down to win their first title in franchise history. Wade capped the four-game run with a stat-sheet-stuffing 36-10-5-4-3 to close out the Mavericks on the road in Game 6.
Dwyane Wade’s Finals career was pretty tough for me to evaluate. I’ll come out right off the bat and admit that 21 might not be high enough. After all, Wade averaged 35 (!) Points per Game as a 24-year-old as he dug the Heat out of a 0-2 hole to win their first NBA title in 2006. In the four victories, he averaged 39-8-4 (also, notoriously, shooting 18.3 Free Throws per Game). That fact alone should probably have him higher on this list. He returned to the Finals in 2011, once again against the Mavericks, but this time with LeBron James and Chris Bosh on his team, and he was Miami’s best player after 27-7-5 on 55% shooting. However, he struggled with just 17 Points (6-16 shooting) as the Heat were closed out at home in Game 6. In 2012 and 2013, the Heat went back-to-back, and Wade was great again in the Finals (23-6-5 in 2012, and 20-4-5 in 2013). However, fair or not, I just remember those Finals being so much more about LeBron James that Wade felt like an afterthought. To his credit, he did have a massive 32-6-4 (with 6 Steals, tied for the second most in a Finals game) on 14-25 shooting Game 4 against the Spurs in 2013 with the Heat trailing the series 2-1. Aside from that game, I struggle to recall many other moments where Wade was more than just a glorified sidekick. Then, in Miami’s 2014 loss to San Antonio, Wade was clearly injured. Overall, Wade definitely has a strong case for top-20 (or beyond), but I’m comfortable enough with him here considering everybody ranked ahead of him has either multiple Finals MVPs, or more than two truly phenomenal series.
20) Kevin Durant
Finals Appearances:
2012, 2017*, 2018*, 2019
Finals Stats:
30.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 55% FG, 45% 3PT, 91% FT, 39.3 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2017 Game 5:
39 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 14-20 FG
It feels wrong to not pick either of Durant’s game-winners on the road in Cleveland in 2017 or 2018, but 2017 Game 5 was essentially a perfect game. Durant won his long-awaited first NBA title with 39-6-5 in the closeout game. What I most remember from the game was that every time the Cavaliers would make a run, Durant was there to answer with a difficult shot that he made look easy.
Just take another look above at the stats that Kevin Durant has put up in his Finals career. In 15 games, he’s averaged 30 Points on 55-45-91 splits. Honestly, I can’t think of a single bad Finals moment for Durant. In 2012, at the age of 23, Durant and the young Oklahoma City Thunder were defeated in five games by the “Big 3” Miami Heat, no shame in that. In that losing effort, Durant still averaged 31 Points per Game on 55-39-84 splits. Then, as everybody knows, after a handful of seasons not returning to the Finals, Durant made the move to the Warriors. Just ignore all of the debate over whether or not his move was “right” (it was), because this article is strictly ranking Finals performance. In 2017, Durant won his first title playing one of the best Finals series in recent memory. He averaged 35-8-5 on 56-47-93 splits and added 1.6 Blocks and 1.0 Steal per Game. He followed that up in 2018 winning a second-straight title and Finals MVP with 29-11-8 on 53-41-96 splits. He played basically nine perfect games in those two Finals (the Warriors went 8-1), and you have to keep in mind the fact that he was going up against LeBron James (yes, Durant obviously had the better team, but he still won the head-to-head matchup both times). Durant was even amazing in his 2019 Finals cameo. After missing a few weeks with a calf strain suffered earlier in the playoffs, Durant returned for Game 5 with the Warriors trailing the series three-games-to-one. He looked like his typical Finals self, scoring 11 Points in 12 Minutes before tragically tearing his Achilles. If the Achilles tear doesn’t happen, the Warriors probably ride Durant’s return to a 3-1 comeback and win a third-straight title. In the NBA Finals (among players with at least 10 games played), only Rick Barry, Michael Jordan and Jerry West averaged more Points per Game than Durant.
19) Hakeem Olajuwon
Finals Appearances:
1986, 1994*, 1995*
Finals Stats:
27.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, 48% FG, 74% FT, 42.5 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1994 Game 6:
30 PTS, 10 REB, 4 BLK, 11-21 FG
Trailing 3-2 in the series, Olajuwon pulled out his best performance when the Rockets needed it most. Game 6 is most known for Olajuwon’s block of John Starks’ potential series-winning shot, but he also added a 30-Point double-double and held Patrick Ewing to 6-20 shooting on the other side of the floor.
In a vacuum, Hakeem Olajuwon’s three Finals appearances are up there with anybody's best three Finals appearances. In just his second NBA season, Olajuwon averaged 25 Points, 12 Rebounds, 3.2 Blocks and 2.3 Steals per Game in the 1986 Finals. His Rockets lost to the Celtics, who were one of the greatest teams in NBA history, but Olajuwon teased the success that he would later have on the big stage. He didn’t return to the Finals until 1994, but that was when he averaged 27-9-4 with 3.9 Blocks and 1.6 Steals per Game in the Rockets’ seven-game series victory over the Knicks. Olajuwon was sensational in the Game 6 I mentioned above, and in the Game 7 he put up 25-10-7 with 3 Blocks, leading the Rockets to their first championship. After outplaying Patrick Ewing in 1994, Olajuwon spent the 1995 Finals going head-to-head with a young Shaquille O’Neal. Olajuwon dominated the series, averaging 33-12-6-2-2 as the Rockets defended their title with a sweep of the Magic. Once again, he was sensational when it came to closing out the series, going for 35-15-6 in the Game 4 victory. Despite playing in just three series (and not even cracking the top 100 in terms of games played), Olajuwon is tied for the 4th most Blocks in Finals history (keep in mind, however, blocks were not counted until 1974). He also ranks 1st, naturally, in Blocks per Game, 7th in Steals per Game, 9th in Points per Game, and 3rd in Steals. Justifying Olajuwon’s high place on this list is simple, sometimes quality is greater than quantity.
18) James Worthy
Finals Appearances:
1984, 1985, 1987, 1988*, 1989, 1991
Finals Stats:
22.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 53% FG, 68% FT, 39.6 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1988 Game 7:
36 PTS, 16 REB, 10 AST, 15-22 FG
“Big Game James” quite literally made his name as he secured the second Game 7 triple-double in NBA Finals history. Worthy led the way as the Lakers, who trailed 3-2 in the series, won their second straight title and fifth of the 1980s.
There are few nicknames in sports more fitting that James Worthy’s “Big Game James.” In the regular season, Worthy was a really good player. In the playoffs, he was a great player. In the Finals, he became an elite player. In his six Finals appearances, Worthy put up big game after big game. Of course, the aforementioned 1988 Game 7 is his most famous, but that is just a sample of his Finals success. In the 1985 Finals, with the series tied at 2-2, Worthy put up 33 points on 13 of 17 shooting to give the Lakers a 3-2 lead over the Celtics. In 1987, Worthy opened the series with 33-10-9 as the Lakers won Game 1 over Boston. The following Finals, in the Game 6 prior to his iconic Game 7, Worthy scored 28 Points to save the Lakers from elimination for the first time. He was the perfect complement to the Lakers’ 1980s dynasty led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At times he was an elite third option, at times he shouldered the brunt of the offensive workload. In the Finals, Worthy ranks 13th in Points, 17th in Minutes, 20th in Steals, and 25th in Games.
17) Tom Heinsohn
Finals Appearances:
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
Finals Stats:
19.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 40% FG, 74% FT, 30.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1957 Game 7:
37 PTS, 23 REB, 17-33 FG
The Celtics’ dynasty began, in large part, because of Heinsohn’s incredible Game 7 performance. Boston won their first title thanks to Heinsohn, in his rookie season, scoring a team-high 37 Points to go along with 23 Rebounds.
Entering the league in 1957 (in the same Celtics’ rookie class as Bill Russell), all Tom Heinsohn did was win in his nine-year career. Heinsohn won eight titles and made the finals every season. He started building his Finals resume in his rookie year, averaging 24 Points and 13 Rebounds as the Celtics beat the St. Louis Hawks in seven games (see his Game 7 masterpiece above). He continued stacking up double-doubles, clutch performances, and titles throughout his Finals career. In his nine finals appearances, Heinsohn averaged 20 or more Points five times and 9 or more Rebounds seven times. All-time in the Finals, Heinsohn ranks 6th in Games and Rebounds, 8th in Points, and 11th in Minutes.
16) Elgin Baylor
Finals Appearances:
1959, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970
Finals Stats:
26.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 43% FG, 76% FT, 42.0 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1962 Game 5:
61 PTS, 22 REB, 22-46 FG, 17-19 FT
Naturally, Baylor’s Finals career is mostly remembered by the fact that he was on the losing end of all seven series he played in. However, he carved out a great spot in Finals history by scoring 61 Points (a series record that has stood for 60 years) and gave the Lakers a 3-2 series lead in 1962. Unfortunately, the Lakers fell to the Celtics in seven games, but the 61-point game remains historic.
Elgin Baylor lost all seven NBA Finals series that he played in. That is obviously a record, and I doubt anybody will ever come close to matching it. Despite that dubious honor, it wasn’t like Baylor was the reason for all of the losses (however, he did shoot 13-40, 6-22 and 8-22 in three of the four Game 7s that he played in). Six of the losses came to Bill Russell’s Celtics, and the seventh came when Baylor was 35-years-old. Even without a title, Baylor is all over the Finals leaderboards. He is 3rd in Rebounds, 5th in Points, 7th in Rebounds per Game, 8th in Minutes, 11th in Games and 11th in Points per Game. In the Lakers’ seven-game 1962 loss to the Celtics, Baylor still played one of the best series in Finals history. He averaged 41-18-4 (the series featured his above-mentioned record-setting 61-point game) and even went for 41-22-4 (on 13-40 shooting) in the Game 7 loss. The sad thing for Baylor is that he retired nine games into the 1972 season, the year the Lakers finally won it all. Instead, Baylor gets to be the only player on this list without a ring.
15) Stephen Curry
Finals Appearances:
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Finals Stats:
26.5 PPG, 6.2 APG, 5.7 RPG, 42% FG, 39% 3PT, 93% FT, 39.4 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2015 Game 5:
37 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 13-23 FG, 7-13 3PT
Curry has already had plenty of big moments in his Finals career (with more to come this year), but the standout for me was his Game 5, with the series tied 2-2, in 2015. Curry, playing in his first NBA Finals, went toe-to-toe with LeBron James (albeit with a depleted Cavaliers team) made clutch-three after clutch-three, scoring 22 second half points and giving the Warriors control of the series.
As we’re about to hear about for the next two weeks, Stephen Curry’s Finals resume is missing one thing. He’s won three titles (in five appearances), averages 27-6-6 on 42-39-93 splits, and holds numerous records, but he hasn’t won a Finals MVP. In his 2015 Finals debut, Curry put up 26-6-5 on 44-39-89 splits as the Warriors beat a short-handed Cavaliers team in six games. Curry shot 5 of 23 in Game 2, and that one game somehow cost him the Finals MVP. Instead, the voters picked Andre Iguodala, whose insertion into the starting lineup swung the series and defense (somewhat) slowed down LeBron James. In hindsight, Curry should have been the obvious choice there. In 2016, Curry was on the wrong end of one of the worst moments in Finals history. Playing through an injury he sustained earlier in the playoffs, Curry came up small as the 73-9 Warriors blew a 3-1 series lead against the Cavaliers. In Game 7, Curry scored just 17 Points (6-19 from the field, 4-14 from three), turned the ball over four times, and had the game-winning three from Kyrie Irving sunk in his face. While he was obviously banged up, the injury excuse can’t explain away his Game 7 performance considering the fact that Steph had just put up 38-6-5 on 7-13 from three in Game 4 of the series. Also, even if the Warriors had won in Game 7, Curry would have lost Finals MVP to Draymond Green. In 2017 and 2018, the Warriors went back-to-back, but it was new addition Kevin Durant who won both Finals MVP. Curry was great (27-9-8 on 44-39-90 in 2017, and 28-7-6 on 40-42-100), but Durant was just better. In 2019, with Durant limited to just 12 minutes in the series, Curry had his best scoring Finals with 31 Points per Game (including a 47-Point performance in the Warriors’ Game 3 loss), but he once again came up small in the biggest moment. He was without Durant, and Klay Thompson after his injury in the third quarter, but Curry scored just 21 Points (6-17 from the field, 3-11 from three) as the Raptors closed out the Warriors on the road. Overall, Curry’s Finals resume is pretty great. He has the most Three-Pointers all-time (he also has the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th most threes in a single series), is 14th in Points (10th in Points per Game), 15th in Assists, and 16th in Steals, despite being “just” 43rd in Games. The lows for Curry were bad, but his Finals struggles have been completely overblown. He lands nicely at 15th on this list, with plenty of room to move up with a strong (Finals MVP-winning) performance this year.
14) George Mikan
Finals Appearances:
1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954
Finals Stats:
23.9 PPG, 80% FT
Signature Game/Moment:
1950 Game 6:
40 PTS, 13-20 FG, 14-17 FT
In the second-earliest entry on this list, Mikan scored 40 Points on an efficient 20 shots to help the Minneapolis Lakers close out the Syracuse Nationals. The title made the Lakers the first back-to-back champions in league history.
George Mikan was the NBA’s first superstar. In the first eight seasons in the league’s history, Mikan led the Lakers to five championships. This run included the first ever back-to-back titles, and first ever three-peat. Unfortunately for Mikan, playing in the 1950s really hurts him on this list. Realistically, the best player on five championship teams should be in the top ten. What hurts him is the fact that the stats from those series are so incomplete. We know he averaged 22 Points and 17 Rebounds per Game in 1952, but in the other four series we don’t have an exact rebound number. His 23.9 Points per Game, the only stat we have record of for all five series, is good enough for 18th best in Finals history (he ranks 14th in total Points). If we had confirmation that Mikan averaged 15+ rebounds in the Finals, he’d probably be even higher on this list. Regardless, he’ll have to settle for number 14, which should be fair enough considering the fact that the pre-Celtics Dynasty era of NBA history is largely ignored.
13) Scottie Pippen
Finals Appearances:
1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
Finals Stats:
19.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 43% FG, 75% FT, 42.0 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1991 Game 5:
32 PTS, 13 REB, 7 AST, 5 STL
Pippen’s best Finals game came in the first of six Bulls title runs. On the road in Los Angeles, Pippen partnered with Michael Jordan (he actually outscored him 32 to 30) to close out the Lakers with a vintage two-way effort and jumpstart one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties.
Of course it was done as Michael Jordan’s sidekick, but Scottie Pippen’s six rings and Finals performances cannot be overlooked. He was a two-way superstar throughout the entirety of the Bulls’ 1990s dynasty. In his six Finals, Pippen was tasked with guarding (or at least sharing duties with Jordan) players such as Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Clyde Drexler, and Dan Majerle. He was also a threat offensively, averaging over 20 Points per Game in four of his six Finals appearances. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but we can’t let time (or pro-Jordan propaganda, or crazy statements from Pippen himself) erase the impact that he had in the NBA Finals and minimize how he is viewed historically. He ranks 3rd all-time in Finals Steals, 8th in Assists, 11th in Blocks, 15th in Rebounds, and 22nd in Points.
12) Larry Bird
Finals Appearances:
1981, 1984*, 1985, 1986*, 1987
Finals Stats:
23.1 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 6.0 APG, 46% FG, 42% FT, 87% FT, 42.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1984 Game 5:
34 PTS, 17 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 15-20 FG
Bird’s Finals career doesn’t necessarily have a true signature game, which is surprising (or an age-induced oversight by 22-year-old me), so I’ll go with his 34-17 on 15 of 20 shooting to take a 3-2 series lead over the Lakers.
Larry Bird played in “only” five Finals, but he definitely made the most of them. In his sophomore season in the NBA, Bird averaged 15-15-7 as the Celtics defeated the Rockets in the 1981 Finals. He returned to the Finals in 1984, averaging 27-14-4 with 2.1 Steals and 1.1 Blocks per Game, winning Finals MVP in the Celtics’ seven-game series victory over the Lakers. He won his third title, and second Finals MVP, in 1986. He averaged a near triple-double 24.0 Points per Game, 9.7 Rebounds per Game, and 9.5 Assists per Game (also 2.7 Steals per Game), in the Celtics’ 4-2 victory over the Rockets. Bird was on the losing end of two Finals, 1985 and 1987, and he still averaged 24-9-5 and 24-10-6 respectively in those series. Bird’s two Finals MVPs and overall consistency throughout his five appearances put him right outside of the top-ten. He ranks 5th all-time in Finals Steals, 10th in Assists, 11th in Rebounds and 16th in Points.
11) John Havlicek
Finals Appearances:
1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974*, 1976
Finals Stats:
21.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 4.1 APG, 42% FG, 85% FT, 39.8 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1968 Game 6:
40 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST, 14-28 FG
On the road in Los Angeles, Havlicek’s monster 40-10-7 game helped the Celtics close out the Lakers to reclaim their spot as NBA Champions.
John Havlicek’s Finals career can be broken into three parts. In 1963, 1964, and 1965, the young Havlicek was more of a role player who joined the Celtics mid-dynasty. Still, he played a vital role in those three series, averaging 16-5-3. Then, in 1966, 1968, 1969, he helped form a star-studded “Big 3” with Bill Russell and Sam Jones. In those three series, all Celtics victories of course, Havlicek averaged 26-10-5 in 46.5 Minutes per Game. Russell and Jones retired after the 1969 Finals, and the keys to the franchise were handed to Havlicek. He got the Celtics back to the Finals in 1974, and led them to a thrilling seven-game series victory over the Bucks. He won Finals MVP averaging 26-8-5 and cemented his status as an all-time great. He played a key role on the Celtics 1976 title team, averaging 16-6-5 en route to winning his eighth title (in eight Finals appearances). In terms of Finals stats, Havlicek ranks in the top-ten in Minutes (6th), Games (8th), Free Throws (8th), Points (9th), and Assists (9th), while also ranking 12th in Rebounds.
10) Sam Jones
Finals Appearances:
1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
Finals Stats:
17.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 46% FG, 82% FT, 29.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1969 Game 7:
24 PTS, 7 REB, 10-16 FG
In a career filled with incredible clutch performances (it was tough to not pick his 35-Point game facing elimination in Game 6 of the 1962 Finals), Jones may have saved his best for last. In the final game of his NBA career, a 35-year-old Jones scored 24 Points to help the Celtics defeat the Lakers on the road in Game 7, and to win his 10th championship.
Sam Jones might just be the most underrated player in NBA history. I guarantee that less than 50% of even diehard basketball fans know that Sam Jones has the second most NBA Championships after Bill Russell, and that is a shame. Jones won 10 titles with the Boston dynasty (he entered the league in 1958, the year after the Russell led-Celtics won their first) in just a 12-season career. In his first four Finals appearances, Jones was a role player. It wasn’t until 1962 that Jones averaged over 30 Minutes per Game in a series. From that point onward, a total of seven series, Jones averaged 22.0 Points per Game and 5.1 Rebounds per Game and the Celtics never lost in the Finals again. Jones’ first big Finals moment came in 1962 when the Celtics were trailing the Lakers 3-2. In Game 6, facing elimination on the road, Jones led the Celtics with 35 Points on 17-27 shooting to force a Game 7. In the Game 7, he scored 27 Points and the Celtics won their fourth-straight title. His biggest individual series was the Celtics five game victory over the Lakers where Jones averaged 28-5-3 on 47% shooting. He ranks 2nd all-time in Finals Games, and 7th in both Points and Minutes. Jones may not be the most notable choice, but one of the NBA’s most underappreciated legends deserves this top-ten spot.
9) Tim Duncan
Finals Appearances:
1999*, 2003*, 2005*, 2007, 2013, 2014
Finals Stats:
20.8 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 49% FG, 72% FT, 39.6 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2003 Game 6:
21 PTS, 20 REB, 10 AST, 8 BLK, 9-19 FG
Duncan led the Spurs to their second title in franchise history, closing out the Nets in Game 6 with a triple-double that was two blocks away from a quadruple-double. In his 19-year Hall of Fame career, this game was Duncan’s magnum opus.
Tim Duncan is a Ray Allen three-pointer away from being in the top five of this list. If Ray Allen’s three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals doesn’t go in, Duncan is a perfect 6-0 in the Finals with four Finals MVPs (then again, you could also blame Duncan for his missed runner in Game 7 of that series, or you could say that the Spurs don’t win in 2014 if they had won in 2013). Regardless, Duncan is an easy choice for the top ten, and he still may not be high enough. Through his four pre-2013 trips to the Finals, Duncan was perfect. He led the Spurs to their first NBA Championship in 1999 averaging 27 Points and 14 Rebounds along with 2.2 Blocks per game. In 2003, Duncan dominated the Nets with averages of 24-17-5 and 5.3 Blocks (including the above near quadruple-double). The Spurs needed seven games to defeat the Pistons in the 2005 Finals, and Duncan averaged 21 Points and 14 Rebounds in a “down” series. In the Game 7, he scored a game high 25 Points (in a game with a final score of 81-74). Tony Parker won the Finals MVP in the Spurs’ 2007 sweep of the Cavaliers, but Duncan was still his usual self, averaging 18-12-4 with 2.3 Blocks and 1.3 Steals per game. As mentioned before, Duncan would have won Finals MVP at the age of 37 if the Spurs didn’t choke in 2013 vs. the Heat. The Spurs redeemed themselves by winning the 2014 Finals, and the 38-year-old Duncan averaged another double-double with 15 and 10 on 57% shooting. Duncan put up at least a double-double in all six Finals series that he played in, cumulatively averaging 21 and 13. Only Michael Jordan and LeBron James have more Finals MVPs than Duncan’s three, and he ranks 2nd in Finals Blocks and Blocks per Game, and 7th in Rebounds. The key piece of his resume is the fact that his Finals career spanned from 1999 to 2014, and his elite level remained consistent.
8) Shaquille O’Neal
Finals Appearances:
1995, 2000*, 2001*, 2002*, 2004, 2006
Finals Stats:
28.5 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 3.4 APG, 60% FG, 48% FT, 42.3 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2001 Game 2:
28 PTS, 20 REB, 9 AST, 8 BLK, 12-19 FG
After the Lakers were upset in Game 1 by the 76ers, O’Neal responded with a near quadruple-double to even the series. He clearly had multiple Finals performances that were more dominant offensively (including 44-20-5 in the Game 1 loss), but the 9 assists (a Finals career-high) and 8 Blocks (tied for the second most in a Finals game), give this one the nod.
Outside of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal probably has the best three-year run in NBA Finals history. From 2000 to 2002, as the Lakers three-peated, O’Neal averaged 35.9 Points, 15.2 Rebounds, 3.5 Assists, and 2.9 Blocks per game. What he did both before, and after that three-year run wasn’t bad either. In 1995, O’Neal played in his first Finals (in just his third NBA season). His Magic were swept by the Rockets, but O’Neal still averaged 28-13-6 with 2.5 Blocks per game on 60% shooting. After the three-peat, O’Neal, like the rest of his Lakers teammates, struggled in their 2004 Finals loss to Detroit. “Struggled” is used very loosely here for O’Neal, as he still averaged 27 Points per Game against the Pistons’ frontline of Ben and Rasheed Wallace. In 2006, now with the Heat, O’Neal played a vital supporting role to Dwyane Wade as he averaged 14-10-3 on 61% shooting in Miami’s 4-2 series victory over the Mavericks. 1995, 2004, and 2006 all help strengthen O’Neal resume, but, honestly, 2000, 2001, and 2002 alone would still have him in the top ten. His five Finals games with 40 or more points ranks fourth all-time, he ranks 2nd all-time in Finals Field Goal Percentage, 3rd in Blocks, 5th in Points per Game, 8th in Blocks per Game, 9th in Rebounds per Game, and 10th in Rebounds. Just imagine if he made more than 48% of his Free Throws!
7) Kobe Bryant
Finals Appearances:
2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009*, 2010*
Finals Stats:
25.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.1 APG, 41% FG, 31% 3PT, 85% FT, 42.7 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2009 Game 1:
40 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 16-34 FG
After a disappointing loss in the 2008 Finals, Bryant opened up the 2009 series stuffing the stat sheet in a resounding Game 1 victory over the Magic. Surprisingly, this was Bryant’s only 40-Point performance in the Finals.
If you split Kobe Bryant’s Finals career in half (2000-2004 and 2008-2010), both versions would be in, at least, the top 15 of this list. Bryant spent the “first half” of his Finals career as the most overqualified Robin in NBA history to Shaquille O’Neal’s Batman. In his 2000 Finals debut, Bryant missed the last three quarters of Game 2, and all of Game 3 due to an ankle injury (via an intentional dirty play from Jalen Rose). Bryant returned in Game 4 and, in spite of his injured ankle, led the Lakers to a massive victory on the road in Indiana to get a 3-1 series lead. Bryant scored 22 of his 28 Points in the second half and overtime, and took over the game when O’Neal fouled out. The Lakers won the series in six, and Bryant got both his first title and his first signature moment. He continued to dominate the Finals alongside O’Neal, as the Lakers three-peated with a 2001 victory over the 76ers (Bryant averaged 25-8-6) and a 2002 sweep of the Nets (Bryant averaged 27-6-5). Everybody loves to note that O’Neal won all three Finals MVPs, but Kobe put up some of the best Finals performances ever by a “second best” player. In 2004, with the Lakers’ dynasty falling apart on and off the court, Bryant did struggle as he averaged just 23 Points on 38% shooting as Los Angeles was dismantled by the Pistons in five games (Kobe did hit the biggest shot in the Lakers' lone win). With O’Neal gone, Kobe finally got to be Batman, and he was back in the Finals 2008. He averaged 26-5-5 in the series, but went just 7-22 (22 Points) in Game 6 as his Lakers were closed out by the Celtics, who won the game by 39 points. Bryant returned with a vengeance in the 2009 Finals, averaging 32-7-6 as the Lakers beat the Magic in five games, as he picked up his first Finals MVP. Bryant repeated as Finals MVP in 2010, and he saved the Lakers from another loss to the Celtics. Down 3-2 and needing to win the final two games in Los Angeles, Bryant scored 26 points and 11 rebounds in the Game 6 blowout. In Game 7, Bryant struggled from the field, shooting 6-24. However, he still contributed with 11 Rebounds, and he got to the free throw line 15 times. The Lakers held on to win the title, and Bryant won his fifth championship. Bryant, who is 18th all-time in Finals games played, ranks 4th in Finals Steals, 8th in Three-Pointers, 10th in Assists, 11th in Points, and 12th in Minutes.
6) Jerry West
Finals Appearances:
1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969*, 1970, 1972, 1973
Finals Stats:
30.5 PPG, 5.6 APG, 5.0 RPG, 46% FG, 83% FT
Signature Game/Moment:
1969 Game 1:
53 PTS, 10 AST, 3 REB, 21-41 FG
In West’s nine NBA Finals appearances, his signature moment/play is probably the 60-foot heave to force overtime in Game 3 of the 1970 series. However, the Lakers ended up losing that game in OT, so I’ll go with West’s 53-Point (the 4th most in Finals history) performance to beat the Celtics in Game 1 of the 1969 series (a series the Lakers would end up losing in seven games).
Jerry West lost 8 of the 9 Finals that he played in. Let’s just get that out of the way now, because it has unfortunately become the lasting memory from his career. While, of course, that 1-8 record isn’t great, let’s remember that six of the eight losses came to the Celtics’ dynasty. That is at least somewhat forgivable considering the fact that players from those Boston teams made up seemingly half of this list. It also wasn’t like West was struggling in the losing efforts. He averaged 30.5 Points per Game in his Finals career (3rd most all-time) and, when the stakes were highest, he averaged 35-9-5 in his four Game 7 losses. He scored 40 or more Points in a Finals game 10 times, more than any player ever, and averaged 30 or more Points per Game in 7 of the 9 series. His best performance came in 1969 when he averaged 38-7-5 in the Lakers’ seven-game loss to the Celtics. He was so good in 1969 that, even though the Lakers lost the series, he won the first-ever Finals MVP award. He is the only player so far to win Finals MVP from the losing team, something I doubt will ever happen again. Ironically, when West finally won a championship, it came in his personal worst Finals series. He averaged just 20-9-4 on 33% shooting in the 1972 Finals (a 4-1 Lakers triumph over the Knicks), and it was Gail Goodrich (a very tough omission from this list) who led the team with 25.6 Points per Game. Overall, despite the abysmal record, West belongs this high on the list. He has the most total points in NBA Finals history (as well as both the most Field Goals and Free Throws), he is 2nd in Minutes, 3rd in Assists, and 4th in Games. While his teams almost never won, West always showed up.
5) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Finals Appearances:
1971*, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985*, 1987, 1988, 1989
Finals Stats:
23.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 52% FG, 70% FT, 37.2 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1980 Game 5:
40 PTS, 15 REB, 4 BLK, 16-24 FG
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 1980 Game 5 has been somewhat lost in NBA lore due to what Magic Johnson did in Game 6 (which you’ll read about in a second). Abdul-Jabbar put the Lakers up 3-2 in the series with 40-15, including 14 Points in the 4th quarter on the injured ankle that would keep him out of the following game.
Everybody seems to forget, or just ignore/not care, that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, like Michael Jordan, has six rings. I guess it’s due to the combination of him losing in the Finals four times and being the 1-B to Magic Johnson’s 1-A for the last three titles.
Regardless, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is a very worthy recipient of this number five slot.
In the early stages of his career, Abdul-Jabbar reached two Finals with the Milwaukee Bucks. In his second season in the league, the man who was at the time known as Lew Alcindor led the Bucks to their first championship with a 4-0 Finals sweep of the Baltimore Bullets. He won Finals MVP averaging 27 Points and 19 Rebounds on 61% shooting. Back in the Finals in 1974, Alcindor’s Bucks fell in a home Game 7 (a game in which he was double and triple-teamed), but he averaged 33-12-5 with 2.1 Blocks per Game.
Moving out West to the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar had even more success throughout the 1980s. His 1980 series, in which he averaged 33-14-3 and 4.6 Blocks, has become underrated for the reason noted above and because Magic Johnson won the Finals MVP. He continued putting up big numbers in the Finals, 18-8-4 and 3.2 Blocks per Game in the Lakers’ 1982 victory, and 24-8-3 and 2.3 and 27-8-4 and 2.1, respectively, in their 1983 and 1984 Finals losses. Arguably his best Finals performance came in 1985. In 1985, the 38-year-old Abdul-Jabbar averaged 26-9-5 as the Lakers defeated the Celtics in six games. With the series tied at two, the veteran came through with 36-7-7 and 3 blocks on 16 of 28 shooting in the Lakers’ Game 5 victory. He was named Finals MVP (still the oldest ever) 14 years after winning the award for the first time in 1971. In the 1987 Finals, now 40-years-old, Abdul-Jabbar turned back the clock one more time scoring 32 Points (on 13-18 shooting) and blocking 4 shots in 29 minutes of the Lakers’ Game 6 closeout victory. Even at 41 and 42-years-old, Abdul-Jabbar continued to contribute in the Finals. In the Lakers’ 1988 Finals win, he still averaged 13 Points en route to winning his sixth title. He repeated the 13 Point per Game effort in 1989, his last Finals series, but his Lakers were swept by the Pistons.
Even though he played 17 games in his 40s, Abdul-Jabbar still averaged 23.5 Points and 9.1 Rebounds per Game in his Finals career. All-time in the Finals, Abdul-Jabbar ranks in the top-ten in multiple categories, such as; Blocks (1st), Points (3rd), Games (3rd), Field Goals (3rd), Minutes (4th), Rebounds (5th), and Blocks per Game (5th). He is also 13th in both steals and assists. Despite spanning ten series from 1971 to 1989, it is tough to poke any holes in Abdul-Jabbar’s Finals resume.
4) Magic Johnson
Finals Appearances:
1980*, 1982*, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987*, 1988, 1989, 1991
Finals Stats:
19.4 PPG, 11.7 APG, 7.9 RPG, 52% FG, 87% FT, 40.9 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1980 Game 6:
42 PTS, 15 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 14-23 FG
With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar forced to miss Game 6 with an ankle injury, rookie Point Guard Magic Johnson made the start at Center for the Lakers, played all five positions, and put up an incredible line of 42-15-7. Johnson’s series clinching performance in Game 6 on the road in Philadelphia is easily one of the most iconic in Finals history.
From 1980 to 1991, Magic Johnson made the Finals nine times. In those nine Finals, Johnson won five titles, three Finals MVPs, and had countless big-time games and moments.
As mentioned above, his most iconic Finals performance came as a rookie in 1980. His Game 6 is one of the greatest games in NBA history, but throughout the entire series he averaged a near triple-double (22 Points, 9 Assists and 11 Rebounds), 2.7 Steals per Game, and beat out the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for Finals MVP. Magic won his second title and Finals MVP in 1982, once again defeating the 76ers. The Sixers paid the Lakers back with a sweep in 1983, and then Magic Johnson earned the nickname “Tragic” Johnson as the Lakers fell to the Celtics in the 1984 Finals. In Game 7 of that series, “Tragic,” scored just 16 Points on 5-14 shooting with 7 Turnovers. After that embarrassment, Magic returned and responded in a big way. Johnson and the Lakers beat the Celtics in the 1985 series, clinching the title on the road in Boston (Johnson had 14-14-10 in the game). He then completely dominated the 1987 series vs. Boston, averaging 26-13-8 in the 4-2 series victory. In Game 4, on the road with a 2-1 series lead, Johnson hit his famous “Junior Sky Hook” to win the game and give Los Angeles a commanding 3-1 lead. The Lakers repeated as champions in 1988, winning in seven games over the Pistons after trailing three-games-to-two. Johnson, and multiple other Lakers, were banged up with injuries as the Lakers were swept by the Pistons in 1989. Then, in 1991, the aging Lakers were played off the floor by the young and hungry Michael Jordan-led Bulls, who won the series in five despite the Lakers stealing game one.
Johnson’s career finals record is 5-4, and it definitely could have been better without the 1984 collapse, but he is still one of just five players with three or more Finals MVPs. He also owns the top five single-game assist totals in Finals history (21, 20 twice, and 19 twice), and the most Assists, Assists per Game and Steals. He is 3rd all-time in Finals Steals per Game, 4th in Free Throws, 5th in Minutes, 7th in Games, 9th in Rebounds, and 10th in Points. Johnson falls at number four on this list, one spot ahead of his Showtime Lakers running mate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, due to his three Finals MVPs and multiple signature moments.
3) LeBron James
Finals Appearances:
2007, 2011, 2012*, 2013*, 2014, 2015, 2016*, 2017, 2018, 2020*
Finals Stats:
28.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 7.8 APG, 48% FG, 35% 3PT, 73% FT, 42.5 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
2013 Game 7:
37 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST, 5-10 3PT
This may be a controversial pick here, but James’ Game 7 performance has been somewhat overshadowed due to the drama of Game 6. His second half box score of 22 Points, 9 Rebounds, 3 Assists and 2 Steals helped lead the Heat to their second straight title. It was fitting that James sunk the Spurs with a dagger jumpshot six years after San Antonio’s entire Finals strategy (leading to a sweep) revolved around making him a jump shooter. LeBron’s 2016 run may be most people’s choice here, but I’m going with a masterpiece of a game that capped off one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history.
Only Bill Russell and Sam Jones have appeared in more NBA Finals series than LeBron James. Unlike Russell and Jones, however, things in the Finals were not always pretty.
He began his Finals career as a 22-year-old, in his fourth NBA season, on a Cavaliers team that, quite simply, had nobody capable of helping him win a title. That was especially the case against a dynastic Spurs team, as LeBron and his “supporting” cast were swept. With that being said, LeBron himself was not great in the series. He averaged a paltry, by his high standards, 22-7-7, and had shooting splits of 36-20-69 against a San Antonio defense keen on making him beat them from the outside. He returned to the Finals stage in 2011, this time as a member of the Miami Heat in the first season of the “Big 3” era. James was terrible in the series. The league’s best player completely shrunk in the biggest moments, most famously scoring just 8 points on 3-11 shooting in Game 4, averaged just 18 Points per Game and saw the Heat’s 2-1 lead slip away as they were stunned by the Mavericks in six games. From that moment on, his Finals career has been near-perfect. He won his long-awaited first championship in 2012, winning Finals MVP as he averaged 29-10-7, a nice jump up from his previous two appearances. In 2013, facing the Spurs once again, LeBron finally thrived under the Finals pressure. Down 3-2 in the series, LeBron put the team on his back in the 4th Quarter. He scored 16 of the team’s 30 Points in the final period. While, admittedly, he did have a few key turnovers and missed threes down the stretch in Game 6, the Spurs’ missed free throws and Ray Allen’s shot became the story as both LeBron’s heroics (32-11-10) and miscues became an afterthought. James and the Heat secured a second-straight title thanks to his epic performance (see above), in Game 7. The 2014 Finals ended with the Spurs convincingly getting their revenge in five games, but LeBron, once again lacking help, still finished averaging 28 Points per Game on 57% shooting in the series. In 2015, missing the other two-thirds of the Big 3 he formed back in Cleveland (Kyrie Irving was injured in Game 1, while Kevin Love missed the entire series), James had one of his most dominant Finals ever. Although it came in a losing effort, James averaged 36-13-9. It is impossible to hold the 4-2 series loss against him when the Cavaliers’ next six players, in terms of minutes played in the series, were Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova, Timofey Mozgov, and James Jones. While I highlighted 2013 Game 7 as James’ signature performance, the real answer is probably what he did in 2016. The only reason I went the other way is because you cannot explain the 2016 Finals performance by James with just one game. Trailing the 73-win Golden State Warriors three-games-to-one, it looked like James’ Finals record was going to drop to 2-5. That changed in Game 5 when LeBron, against a Warriors team missing Draymond Green (whose suspension was largely due to James baiting him into another flagrant foul, so more credit to him), went on the road an put up 41 Points, 16 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 3 Steals, and 3 Blocks in a 112-97 victory (the game was tied at halftime). Next, back in Cleveland, James scored 41 more Points, along with 11 Assists, 8 Rebounds, 4 Steals and 3 Blocks, forcing a decisive seventh game. In that Game 7, James went for 27-11-11 and made the greatest play of his career, chasing down Andre Iguodala’s layup attempt that would have given the Warriors a late lead. James brought Cleveland their first championship in decades, toppled the greatest regular season team in league history, won a third Finals MVP, made the greatest defensive play in Finals history, led the Cavaliers to the first 3-1 comeback in Finals history, and became the first player to lead any series in Points, Rebounds, Assists, Steals and Blocks. The next two years he lost 9 of his 10 Finals games, but he was up against that same Golden State team from 2016, just this time with Kevin Durant. The Cavaliers were outmatched and lost in five and four, respectively, but LeBron still averaged 34-12-10 in 2017 and 34-9-10 in the 2018 series which featured the infamous “J.R. Smith Game,” a game in which LeBron had 51-8-8. His streak of eight-straight Finals appearances was snapped in 2019, his first year with the Lakers, but he returned in the 2020 Bubble Finals, averaged 30-12-9, won his fourth title, and became the first player ever to win Finals MVP with three different teams.
James has come a long way since his 2007 and 2011 struggles, and, despite the 4-6 overall series record, feels like the right choice at number three. I have to take into account the fact that his teams were completely overmatched in 2007, 2015 and 2018, which balances out the losing record. James is towards the top of almost every Finals leaderboard, ranking 2nd in Points, Assists, Steals, Field Goals, and Three-Pointers, 3rd in Minutes and Free Throws, 4th in Games and Rebounds, 6th in Points per Game and Blocks, and 7th in Assists per Game.
2) Bill Russell
Finals Appearances:
1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
Finals Stats:
16.4 PPG, 24.5 RPG, 46% FG, 61% FT, 45.4 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1962 Game 7:
30 PTS, 40 REB, 4 AST, 14-17 FT
The 11-time Champion played in 70 (!) NBA Finals games, but this one stands out as he tied his own Finals record with 40 rebounds, added 30 points (a number he reached just two other times in his Finals career), and closed out the Lakers to complete the NBA’s first-ever four-peat. The Celtics completed their comeback from 2-3 down in the series, in one of the greatest NBA Finals ever.
Simply put, Bill Russell is the greatest winner in the history of North American team sports. Russell played 13 seasons in the NBA. He made the Finals 12 times. He won 11 Championships.
In his rookie season, Russell led the Boston Celtics to their first title with a 4-3 series victory over the St. Louis Hawks. Russell had 19 Points and 32 Rebounds in Game 7. In his final two seasons, Russell led the Celtics to their 10th and 11th championships, and he did it as a player-coach. In the final game of his career, Game 7 of the 1969 Finals, Russell coached, played all 48 Minutes, grabbed 21 Rebounds, and led the Celtics to a road victory over the Lakers’ “superteam” of Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.
In between his rookie year and player-coaching years, Russell was just as special in the Finals. What stands out the most from his Finals resume is the fact that he was able to do whatever the team needed depending on the series. In 1959, he averaged just 9 Points per Game (the Celtics swept the Lakers). In 1966, he averaged 24 Points per Game (the Celtics beat the Lakers in 7). While his scoring may have fluctuated, the most consistent thing, maybe in basketball history, is his success on the glass. He owns the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th (and plenty more further down the list) highest single-game rebound totals in Finals history. In a single Finals series, he also has the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th and 10th most rebounds and the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th, 8th, and 10th most Rebounds per Game.
Throughout his 12 Finals trips, Russell came up clutch time and time again. He had a perfect 5-0 record in Finals Game 7s, averaging 20.4 Points per Game and 32.0 Rebounds per Game. The pushback that some may have to Russell’s legacy is that he played in the 1950s and 1960s where the quality of basketball/his competition just wasn’t as good. That just isn’t fair because we have to keep everything relative to the era in which it happened. Nobody has even come close to the dynasty that Russell and the Celtics had, so he has to be number two, or even number one, on this list. Also, in terms of his competition, he defeated at least two Hall of Famers in all 11 of his Finals victories. Those victims included Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond and Gail Goodrich.
Regarding the one blemish on Russell’s otherwise perfect Finals record, the Celtics fell to the Hawks in 1958 in a series that, unsurprisingly, he was dealing with an ankle injury. Russell missed two games and played just 20 injured minutes in the Hawks’ Game 6 series clincher.
In his Finals career, Russell ranks 1st in Games, Minutes, and Rebounds. He is all 2nd in Rebounds per Game, 2nd in Free Throws, 4th in Assists, 4th in Minutes per Game, and 6th in Points. He is also first in the all important stat of Championships, with 11. That is a number that I guarantee will never be surpassed.
1) Michael Jordan
Finals Appearances:
1991*, 1992*, 1993*, 1996*, 1997*, 1998*
Finals Stats:
33.6 PPG, 6.0 APG, 6.0 RPG, 48% FG, 37% 3PT, 81% FT, 43.0 MPG
Signature Game/Moment:
1998 Game 6:
45 PTS, 4 STL, 1 AST, 15-35 FG
In his final game as a Bull, Jordan, “running on fumes,” as Bob Costas said on the broadcast, willed Chicago to a sixth title in eight years scoring 16 points in the 4th quarter on the road in Utah. There are probably 10+ Jordan games that could fit this category, but the drama of this being the “last dance,” along with maybe the best 40 seconds in NBA History (driving layup to cut the Jazz lead to 1, stripping Karl Malone on the baseline and, of course, the iconic game winner over Bryon Russell, with a tiny push off), make this his defining Finals moment.
Michael Jordan’s Finals performances created expectations that are simply unachievable for every NBA player that comes after him, and I’m sure that is exactly what he wants. Jordan’s perfect 6-0 series record on the game’s biggest stage and laundry list of iconic moments and performances within those six series are the main catalyst for his case to be the GOAT. It is why, even as LeBron James continues to rewrite the record books and smash our previous beliefs about aging NBA players, I still think he needs two more rings to pass Jordan. And if LeBron can’t do it, then nobody will.
Jordan isn’t just number one on this list because he won all six of his Finals series, it’s also because he did it in style. In 1991, he and the Bulls broke through for the first time and toppled the last remains of the Showtime Lakers (and he also made his iconic, but admittedly slightly overrated, change-of-hands layup in Game 2). In 1992, he squashed any Clyde Drexler comparisons, scored 35 Points in the first half of Game 1 (and shrugged about it), and wrapped up the Trail Blazers in six games. In 1993, he averaged an NBA Finals record 41 Points per Game, including 55 in Game 4 (the second most in Finals history), and outplayed MVP Charles Barkley to three-peat. Then he retired. He returned in 1995 and fell to Orlando, but before the Finals, so that’s irrelevant to this article. He was back on the Finals stage with the 72-10 Bulls in 1996, and he led the Bulls over the SuperSonics in six games, with the series clincher fittingly falling on Father’s Day as it gave Jordan his fourth ring, and first since the death of his father. In 1997, he won his fifth title and added to his legend with the “Flu Game” in Game 5, scoring 38 Points in a road victory to give the Bulls a 3-2 series lead despite his flu/food poisoning/insert conspiracy theory, and sealed the championship in Game 6 with his pass to Steve Kerr for the game-winning jumper. In 1998, the “Last Dance” season, Jordan essentially single-handedly willed the Bulls to another title.
In the Finals, Jordan ranks in the top-10 all-time in Points per Game (2nd), Points (4th), Assists (7th), Field Goals (6th) and Free Throws (7th). He achieved the latter five despite being “just” 22nd in games played. While his six Finals appearances are obviously less than LeBron, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and some of the other previously mentioned all-time greats, the perfect record and otherworldly performances make him the easy number one pick. His 33.6 points per game and series lines of 31-11-7, 36-7-5, 41-6-9, 27-4-5, 32-6-7, 34-2-4 (points-rebounds-assists) will be tough for anybody to ever top. Fair or unfair, Jordan’s perfection in the NBA Finals is why we hold our current NBA superstars and legends to such a high-standard on the game’s biggest stage.
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