Ranking the Best Finals Performances in NBA History
| Rank | Player | Year | PTS/G | TRB/G | AST/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jordan | 1993 | 41 | 8.5 | 6.3 |
| 2 | Shaquille O'Neal | 2000 | 38 | 16.7 | 2.3 |
| 3 | LeBron James | 2016 | 41 | 8.5 | 6.3 |
| 4 | Dwayne Wade | 2006 | 34.7 | 7.8 | 3.8 |
| 5 | Tim Duncan | 2003 | 24.2 | 17 | 5.3 |
| 6 | Kobe Bryant | 2009 | 32.4 | 5.6 | 7.4 |
| 7 | Hakeem Olajuwon | 1995 | 32.8 | 11.5 | 5.5 |
| 8 | Michael Jordan | 1997 | 32.3 | 7 | 6 |
| 9 | Shaquille O'Neal | 2001 | 33 | 15.8 | 4.8 |
| 10 | LeBron James | 2015 | 35.8 | 13.3 | 8.9 |
| 11 | Shaquille O'Neal | 2002 | 36.3 | 12.3 | 3.8 |
| 12 | LeBron James | 2012 | 28.6 | 10.2 | 7.4 |
| 13 | Magic Johnson | 1987 | 26.2 | 8 | 13 |
| 14 | Michael Jordan | 1996 | 27.3 | 5.3 | 4.2 |
| 15 | Tim Duncan | 1999 | 27.4 | 14 | 2.4 |
1. Michael Jordan, 1993
The greatest basketball player of all time played his best when the lights were the brightest. He has four spots on my top ten list, and for good reason. Jordan’s performance in the 1993 NBA Finals completed Chicago’s first three-peat and was also Jordan’s third ring. Against Phoenix, Jordan averaged a ridiculous 41 points per game and led the finals in scoring. His 55-point performance in Game 4 ranks second highest of all-time in a Finals game. Game 4 may not have even been his greatest performance in the series, as Jordan scored 16 of the final 19 points in Game 6 to close out the series.
2. Shaquille O’Neal, 2000
O’Neal led the Lakers to a championship in the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. It was Shaq’s first championship in his career, and one of the best series by a big man in NBA history. Shaq dominated during the 6-game series, averaging 38 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. O’Neal’s dominance was highlighted by leading both teams in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. He opened the series by scoring 43 points, then followed it up with 40, 33, 36, 35, and 41 points.
3. LeBron James, 2016
LeBron delivered on his promise to Cleveland by winning the first championship in franchise history. He did so while facing arguably the greatest team in NBA history, the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. LeBron dominated all areas of the game and was the first player to lead both times in all five major statistical categories. What’s even more impressive is that LeBron led the Cavs over the Warriors after trailing 3-1 in the series, becoming the first team in Finals history to do so.
4. Dwayne Wade, 2006
In just his third NBA season, a 24-year-old Dwayne Wade dominated the 2006 Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. With Shaquille O’Neal past his prime at the age of 33, Wade received little help from his teammates. He took over the series and averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 steals while playing 43.5 minutes a night.
5. Tim Duncan, 2003
In Duncan’s five championships, I think this might be his most impressive performance. Against the New Jersey Nets, Duncan averaged 24.2 points, 17 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 5.3 blocks per game. His most remarkable performance of the series came during the series finale. Duncan recorded 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocks while winning Finals MVP honors.
6. Kobe Bryant, 2009
In Kobe’s first championship win without Shaq, he did not disappoint. Bryant’s Lakers matched up against Dwight Howard’s Orlando Magic and won the series in a convincing five games. Bryant took home Finals MVP honors while averaging 32.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. Bryant also scored a series-high 40 points in Game 4, while also tallying 8 rebounds and 8 assists apiece.
7. Hakeem Olajuwon, 1995
Olajuwon entered the 1995 playoffs as the 6th seed in the Western Conference. They made the Finals and were matched up against Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic. Olajuwon dominated the series, and the Rockets swept the Magic in convincing fashion. Olajuwon’s averages include 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2 blocks while playing 44.8 minutes per game.
8. Michael Jordan, 1997
Jordan again makes this list with the most famous historical moment in basketball thus far, The Fu Game. According to Jordan’s documentary series, The Last Dance, the Bulls star was dealing with implications from food poisoning, not the flu. Regardless of Jordan’s symptoms, he put on an absolute show of grit, skill, and determination. In Game 5, Jordan dropped 38 in Chicago’s 90-88 win over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. Jordan again won Finals MVP, recording averages of 32.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.
9. Shaquille O’Neal, 2001
Another series, another impressive performance by Shaq! The second championship in the Lakers’ 3-peat, O’Neal, once again dominated the interior and proved why many considered him as the most dominant player ever. Shaq was the second-leading scorer of the series (33)s, only Allen Iverson scored more (35.6), and led both squads in rebounding and blocks. While taking on one of the best defensive players of all-time in Dikembe Mutombo, Shaq also led the Lakers in field goal percentage (57.3) in addition to his rebounding, blocks, and scoring totals.
10. LeBron James, 2015
LeBron James gets a special shoutout here as the only player to receive a spot on this list in a losing performance. In James’ first matchup against the Warriors, the Cavaliers were extremely short-handed but impressively pushed Golden State to six games. Fellow Cavs stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were limited to one total game in the Finals, combined. Love suffered a season-ending earlier in the playoffs while Irving injured his knee late in Game 1.
11. Shaquille O’Neal, 2002
Despite a somewhat uncompetitive Finals series, the Lakers swept the Nets by a 10-point margin in every game, O’Neal dominated the Finals yet again. Shaq recorded 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. His best performance of the series came in a Game 2 blowout where O’Neal posted 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists.
12. LeBron James, 2012
In his third trip to the NBA Finals, The King finally finished on top for the first time in his career. James averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game while leading the Miami Heat over the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. James closed out the series in Game 5, recording a triple-double while leading the Heat in points, rebounds, and assists.
13. Magic Johnson, 1987
After a few late-game meltdowns in the Finals, Magic Johnson stepped up in a huge for the Lakers in 1987. The 1987 Finals were by far Magic’s best performance on the league’s brightest stage. The point guard nearly averaged a triple-double – scoring 26.2 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 13 assists per game. Johnson hit one of the game’s most iconic Finals shots, his “junior sky-hook,” late in Game 4 to give the Lakers a 107-106 lead with 12 seconds left in the game. In Game 6, Johnson was held to only four points in the first half but finished the game with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 19 assists. Magic won Finals MVP and gained his fourth championship ring.
14. Michael Jordan, 1996
Leading arguably the best team in NBA history, Jordan and the Bulls finished the season with a 72-10 record and faced the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA Finals. The 1996 season was Jordan’s first full season back in the NBA, as the Bulls star sat out the entire 1993-94 season and played only a chunk of the 1994-95 season. The Bulls easily defeated Gary Payton and the SuperSonics, and Jordan took home the Finals MVP award. With Scottie Pippen struggling all series (34.3 percent shooting from the field), Jordan averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
15. Tim Duncan, 1999
Following the Chicago Bulls second three-peat, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs won their first title in franchise history. In essence, this would be the start of the Spurs dynasty. Against the New York Knicks, Duncan averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 2,2 blocks per game while taking home Finals MVP honors. Duncan also accomplished the feat in just his second year in the NBA and played a team-high 45.8 minutes per game.
