Top 5 dominant players in NBA Finals ever ft. Michael Jordan
The new champions will be crowned in the 2024 NBA Finals which are scheduled to start from Thursday, June 6. But more than crowning the champions, the Finals also help define the legacy of the legends of basketball.
Rising to the occasion on the biggest stage of NBA basketball is not easy. When the stakes are highest, while most players falter, there are players who rise highest on such occasions. The league has seen so many great performers in the NBA Finals, however, only a few have been able to rise to a level of dominance.
Here is the list of the top five NBA players who have shown their dominance in the NBA Finals.
Top 5 dominant players in NBA Finals ever
#5 Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor played only 14 seasons in the NBA and was named an All-Star 11 times and was named All-NBA First Team 10 times. Baylor played for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his career and established himself as one of the greatest to step on the court.
Baylor led his team the LA Lakers to the NBA Finals eight times in his career. However, he was never able to win a title in his career and retired with 0-8 in the Finals. He played 44 games in the Finals and averaged 26.4 points and 13.5 rebounds.
He is third in the list of highest record averages in a Finals series with 40.6 points per game in 1961-62. However, Baylor and the Lakers were still defeated by the Boston Celtics in seven games. In the next season's Finals, Baylor again averaged 33.8 points per game.
#4 Jerry West
Jerry West reached the NBA Finals nine times in his career. However, just like his teammate Baylor, West's trips to the Finals didn’t see much success and retired with just one title. Jerry West won his only title in 1972.
Nevertheless, West was still incredibly dominant. He is the only player in NBA history who has been declared the Finals MVP [1969] despite being on the losing team.
West played 55 total games in the Finals and averaged 30.5 points, 5.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds. In the 1968-69 Finals, West averaged 37.9 points, and also averaged close to 34 points in back-to-back Finals in 1965 and 1966.
#3 LeBron James
LeBron James has established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history, if not the greatest. A lot of James’ legacy is tied to his dominance in the postseason. He is tied with Kareen Abdul-Jabbar at the third spot for most Finals appearances by a player in league history (10).
In 10 Finals appearances, James has won four titles and four Finals MVP trophies. James has appeared in 55 Finals games and averaged 28.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists. He averaged 35.8 points in the 2014-15 Finals, 34.0 points in the 2017-18 and 33.6 points in the 2016-17 Finals.
#2 Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal’s name is synonymous with dominance in the NBA. He was ruthless against the opponent teams and took the same attitude to the Finals. Shaq reached the Finals six times in his career and won four titles.
Shaq played a total of 30 games in the Finals and averaged 28.8 points, 13.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists. In his first title run with Kobe Bryant in the 1999-00 season, Shaq averaged 38.0 points in the Finals.
He averaged 33.0 points in the 2000-01 NBA Finals and in the 2001-02 Finals, he again averaged 36.3 points. Shaq and the Lakers completed the three-peat during this dominant run.
#1 Michael Jordan
For many, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player in the NBA history. As good as Jordan was in the regular season, he built his legacy just through the NBA Finals. He played six NBA finals in his career, won all of them and was awarded the Finals MVP in all six Finals series.
Jordan played 35 games in the NBA Finals and averaged 33.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Jordan holds the record for the most points averaged in the Finals. In 1992-93 Finals, MJ averaged 41.0 points per game against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns.