By John Hollinger
ESPN.com | June 12, 2008
The NBA Finals have produced a ton of incredible performances in the three decades since the NBA-ABA merger, starting with Bill Walton's supreme effort against the Sixers in 1977 and going all the way through to the troika from San Antonio in last year's sweep of Cleveland.
But inevitably, some of them made more of an impact than others, both on the stat sheet and in other, more subjective terms. And for that reason, some resonate much more than others when we talk about the great moments in Finals history.
That's where this project comes in. Using both numbers and a healthy dose of opinion, my task today is to rank the top 50 individual NBA Finals performances since the merger. I've included the player efficiency rating (PER) of every player in the top 50 as a guide, but this wasn't my only measuring stick. Basically, everything counts: competition, defense, clutch play, winning, durability ... it all matters.
From that, we can whittle down a list of top performances (including the 31 MVPs since the merger). Subjectively, you may agree or disagree with where a given effort ranks -- this isn't the type of exercise where there are right and wrong answers. But in at least one man's view, here's how the 50 best performances since the merger go, from 1 to 50:
| Top 10 Finals PERs since merger | |||||||
| Name | Team | Year | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | PER |
| Dwyane Wade | Mia | 2006 | 34.7 | 7.8 | 3.8 | 46.8 | 33.8 |
| Tim Duncan | SA | 2003 | 24.2 | 17.0 | 5.3 | 49.5 | 32.0 |
| Michael Jordan | Chi | 1991 | 31.2 | 6.6 | 11.4 | 55.8 | 31.5 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | LAL | 2002 | 36.3 | 12.3 | 3.8 | 59.5 | 31.4 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | LAL | 2000 | 38.0 | 16.7 | 2.3 | 61.1 | 31.1 |
| Michael Jordan | Chi | 1998 | 33.5 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 42.7 | 30.8 |
| Tim Duncan | SA | 1999 | 27.4 | 14.0 | 2.4 | 53.7 | 30.7 |
| Michael Jordan | Chi | 1997 | 32.3 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 45.6 | 29.5 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | LAL | 2001 | 33.0 | 15.8 | 4.8 | 57.3 | 29.4 |
| Michael Jordan | Chi | 1992 | 35.8 | 4.8 | 6.5 | 52.6 | 29.2 |
Miami 4 Dallas 2 | |
WADE'S STATS Points per game: 34.7 Boards per game: 7.8 Steals per game: 2.7 PER: 33.8 | |
1. Dwyane Wade, Miami, 2006
It's hard to overstate how awesome Wade was in leading the Heat to their lone championship, particularly in the final four games when Miami rallied from a 2-0 deficit to stun the Mavs.
Wade started the comeback by leading the Heat back from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit in Game 3, scoring 12 points in the final 6½ minutes to send the game to OT. He also made the biggest play of the series with his crazy dribbling foray to the rim at the end of overtime in Game 5 that -- controversially -- earned a whistle from referee Bennett Salvatore and a trip to the line for the winning free throws.
For the series, Wade averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals -- and this in a slow-paced series (neither team cleared the century mark in regulation in any of the six games). His basket attacks were so deadly because the Mavs couldn't stop fouling him. Wade shot a whopping 97 free throws in the six games -- the most of any player since the merger -- including 25 in Game 5.
Overall, Wade's 33.8 PER is easily the best of any Finals performer since the merger. While it seems strange to have somebody besides Michael Jordan in the top spot, the truth is Jordan never dominated a Finals to this extent. At the time, many called Wade's performance Jordanesque. It turns out they might have been selling him short.
Chicago 4 Utah 2 | |
JORDAN'S STATS Points per game: 33.5 Boards per game: 4.0 Assists per game: 2.3 PER: 30.8 | |
2. Michael Jordan, Chicago, 1998
If any Finals performance can be defined by a single image, it's this one: Jordan at the free-throw line in Salt Lake City, simultaneously holding his form on the game-winning basket in the clinching Game 6 and waving goodbye to the game of basketball … at least for a while.
This would be his final effort in a Bulls uniform as well as his last championship. Jordan was huge in both of Chicago's road wins -- victories the Bulls needed, since Utah had home-court advantage -- with 37 points in a 93-88 Game 2 win and 45 in the clincher. That included the final two baskets, bracketing a strip of the ball from Karl Malone and helping Chicago overcome a debilitating back injury to Scottie Pippen.
Jordan's numbers in the other games weren't too shabby, either, as he averaged 33.5 points and nearly 12 free-throw attempts per game overall. His 30.8 PER for the series is superhuman by anyone else's standards, especially in the Finals. And because of how good he was in the most important moments, his performance earns the No. 2 spot on the list.
San Antonio 4 New Jersey 2 | |
DUNCAN'S STATS Points per game: 24.2 Boards per game: 17.0 Assists per game: 5.3 PER: 32.0 | |
3. Tim Duncan, San Antonio, 2003
The single most underrated Finals performance of all time, hands down, belongs to Duncan in 2003.
Relatively few viewers saw it because of the Spurs-Nets pairing, and because of the general consensus that the East was something of a minor league. But Duncan was unbelievable.
Despite going up against two top-notch defensive players in Kenyon Martin and Dikembe Mutombo, and despite lacking a superstar teammate to deflect attention (Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were just getting their feet wet, while David Robinson was on his way out), Duncan completely dominated. His averages of 24.2 points, 17.0 boards and 5.3 assists were impressive enough, but what really sealed the deal was his defense.
Duncan averaged 5.3 blocks per game for the series, the most of any player since the merger, and was at his best in the clinching Game 6 as San Antonio rallied from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit. He fell two blocks shy of a quadruple-double and forced the Nets' Martin into a 3-for-23 disaster from the floor. Overall, his 32.0 PER for the series is the second-best since the merger.
Chicago 4 Utah 2 | |
JORDAN'S STATS Points per game: 32.3 Boards per game: 7.0 Assists per game: 6.0 PER: 29.5 | |
4. Michael Jordan, Chicago, 1997
Yes, Jordan produced another strong series overall, but the reason this one resonates is because of the Flu Game.
With the series tied at 2 and Utah looking to steal the momentum, Jordan was weak and nauseated and in no shape to play Game 5. Somehow, he still did.
And man, did he play well. I would argue it is still the most amazing performance I've ever seen, a night when the Jordan legend went to yet another ridiculous level. Fighting exhaustion and dehydration and practically needing to be carried to the bench during timeouts in the fourth quarter, Jordan led the Bulls back from an early 16-point deficit by scoring 38 points in a 90-88 victory that gave them the upper hand.
He surrounded that heroic Game 5 effort with two game-winning plays. In the opener, he hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer over Bryon Russell and finished with 31. And in the clincher, during a 39-point, 11-rebound effort, he waited for a double-team and found a wide-open Steve Kerr for the series-winning jumper.
For the series, Jordan had another amazing line -- 32.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and a 29.5 PER. But it was the clutch plays and the Flu Game that put this one so high in the stratosphere.
Houston 4 New York 3 | |
OLAJUWON'S STATS Points per game: 26.9 Boards per game: 9.1 Blocks per game: 3.9 PER: 27.1 | |
5. Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston, 1994
This series didn't strike a chord with casual fans, except when the O.J. Simpson car chase interrupted Game 5. But Olajuwon's performance was unquestionably historic.
The 1993-94 Knicks were one of the best defensive teams of all time; you could argue, in fact, that no team has ever defended better than those Riley-era Knicks. Furthermore, Olajuwon was going up against not only a great D, but also its linchpin in fellow 2008 Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing. Their matchup was one of the few times in recent history that two all-timers went head-to-head in a Finals and guarded each other nearly the entire time.
And Olajuwon absolutely crushed Ewing. The Dream hardly came off the floor, averaging 43.1 minutes per game for the series, and his freakish stat line included 26.9 points, 9.1 boards, 3.9 blocks and 3.6 assists.
Included in those numbers were a game-saving block of a John Starks jumper in Game 6, and an assist on the series-clinching 3-pointer by Vernon Maxwell in Game 7. Given the level of the competition and the defensive nature of the series, Olajuwon produced an amazing effort that transcended his 27.1 PER.
As for Ewing? He shot 36.9 percent with a 15.5 PER, and Olajuwon outscored him in all seven games. If not for such total domination in the battle of Hall of Fame centers, Houston wouldn't have come close to the title.
Los Angeles 4 Boston 2 | |
JOHNSON'S STATS Points per game: 26.2 Boards per game: 8.0 Assists per game: 13.0 PER: 28.2 | |
6. Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers, 1987
Quick: Name another point guard whose most famous shot is a sky hook in the lane over a 6-11 Hall of Famer.
That's the shot Magic Johnson made to win Game 4 in Boston Garden, nailing a 10-foot flip over Kevin McHale to cap a rally from 16 points down that crushed Boston's hopes of repeating as champion.
He wasn't too shabby the rest of the series, either. Johnson had 29 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and no turnovers in the opener and, in the clincher, again fell just two rebounds shy of a triple-double. For the series, he averaged 26.2 points, 13 assists, eight boards and 2.3 steals, with a Game 4 shot spiked by journeyman backup center Greg Kite the only indignity in an otherwise masterful performance. Johnson also was remarkably mistake-proof, with only 13 turnovers in the six games, a 24-for-25 effort from the free-throw line and a 54.1 percent shooting mark.
Plus, he has to get bonus points for the quality of the competition. Given the high level of play of both the Lakers and the Celtics in the late 1980s, dominating a series to this extent was an impressive accomplishment.
Chicago 4 Los Angeles 1 | |
JORDAN'S STATS Points per game: 31.2 Boards per game: 6.6 Assists per game: 11.4 PER: 31.5 | |
7. Michael Jordan, Chicago, 1991
We remember Jordan's first championship as much for the crying jag that followed as for what he did on the court, but he was at the peak of his powers and produced an impressive effort.
He pumped in 31.2 points per game for the series, but he was a more active passer than usual: He averaged 11.4 assists, including several dishes to John Paxson down the stretch of Game 5, when Jordan took a rare backseat to a hot teammate.
Nonetheless, His Airness dominated throughout. His 31.5 PER for the series was the third-best since the merger, and he practically won Game 3 by himself -- he played all but one minute, hit the game-tying shot at the end of regulation and scored six points in the overtime.
Game 2 was highlighted by "Oh, a spectacular move ... by Michael Jordan!" as he drove down the middle and went up with the right hand, then brought the ball down and finished with the left, all at his usual cruising altitude.
Los Angeles 4 Indiana 2 | |
O'NEAL'S STATS Points per game: 38.0 Boards per game: 16.7 Blocks per game: 2.7 PER: 31.1 | |
8. Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers, 2000
The Diesel was at the top of his powers in 2000, dominating the Pacers in the paint to help L.A. claim its first of three straight titles.
Shaq had 43 in the opener and 41 in the clincher, and he wasn't too shabby in between. Thanks to Indiana's Hack-a-Shaq strategy, O'Neal took an absurd 39 free throws in Game 2 -- even more absurd, he made only 18 -- on his way to a 40-point night in a Lakers win.
For the series, O'Neal shot 61.1 percent from the floor … but only 38.7 percent from the line. Despite the missed freebies, his averages were superhuman -- Shaq's 38.0 points were the second-most ever by a player on a winning team. He also netted 16.7 boards and 2.7 blocks -- and he played more than 45 minutes a game in the series, an insane total for a low-post player.
O'Neal did miss out on one key moment, as he fouled out with 2:33 left in overtime in the pivotal Game 4. But the Lakers prevailed behind Kobe Bryant to go up 3-1, and they clinched the series two games later.
Los Angeles 4 New Jersey 0 | |
O'NEAL'S STATS Points per game: 36.3 Boards per game: 12.3 Assists per game: 3.8 PER: 31.4 | |
9. Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers, 2002
These Finals didn't exactly set hearts racing, not with the Lakers entering as an overwhelming favorite for a third straight title before cruising to a four-game sweep.
Still, what O'Neal accomplished was noteworthy. Those Nets weren't much to look at offensively, but they made the Finals with an elite defensive squad. Yet O'Neal obliterated them in the four games, earning a whopping 17 free-throw attempts per contest while averaging 36.3 points and 12.3 rebounds and shooting 59.5 percent from the floor. He even made his foul shots this time, converting 66.2 percent.
Shaq had his opponents demoralized by Game 2, when he scored 36 points in the first three quarters in a 106-83 rout, and he set records for points and free throw attempts in a four-game series. Amazingly, he was whistled for only seven fouls in the four games.
Chicago 4 Portland 2 | |
JORDAN'S STATS Points per game: 35.8 Boards per game: 4.8 Assists per game: 6.5 PER: 29.2 | |
10. Michael Jordan, Chicago, 1992
We remember it now simply as The Shrug.
In the first half of Game 1, a scorching-hot Michael Jordan hit his sixth 3-pointer and then looked over to the broadcast table and gave a disbelieving, palms-up shrug. As good as he was, not even Jordan could believe how hot he'd become -- he had a Finals-record 35 points in the first half.
The rest of his series wasn't quite as good. In fact, a silly fourth-quarter tech on Jordan helped Portland rally from 10 down to steal Game 2 in overtime.
But in the end, Jordan still produced a Finals to remember. He pumped in 35.8 points per game, handed out 6.5 assists, shot 52.5 percent from the floor and posted an insane 61.7 True Shooting Percentage. Forget that it was Jordan for a second, and his PER of 29.2 for the series looks pretty amazing, too, given that the Blazers were an elite defensive team that year.
Jordan also came up biggest when needed most. He scored 46 points in Game 5 as Chicago's 119-106 win snapped a 2-2 series tie, and he picked Buck Williams clean under the basket to get a key dunk as the Bulls rallied from 14 down in the fourth to win Game 6 and claim the title.
With the NBA reeling from missing part of the season due to a lockout, and with two defensive-minded teams squaring off in the Finals, a lot of fans gave this one a pass.
Those who stuck around witnessed a dominating effort on both ends by Duncan, who averaged 27.4 points and 14.0 rebounds, shot 53 percent from the floor and even went 35-for-44 from the line. Included in Duncan's tally were 33 and 16 in the opener and a run in the second half of the clinching Game 5 when he scored 14 of San Antonio's 15 points.
Meanwhile, he keyed one of the best defensive efforts in Finals history -- New York didn't clear 90 points the entire series and mustered only 67 in a suffocating Game 2 Spurs win.
With Duncan leading the way, San Antonio set an NBA record by winning 12 straight playoff games, and his series PER of 30.7 is the seventh-best since the merger. He also is one of only three players -- Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal are the others -- to have two or more Finals series with a 30-plus PER.
| 12. Magic Johnson, Los Angeles, 1988 MVP | |||
 | Detroit 3 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 21.0 Boards per game: 5.7 Assists per game: 13.0 PER: 27.5 |  |
James Worthy won the '88 Finals MVP award because people were sick of voting for Magic and Worthy had a monstrous Game 7 … or maybe it was because they were so freaked out by Magic's pregame smooches with Isiah Thomas.
Nonetheless, Johnson was again at his best in L.A.'s seven-game white-knuckler against Detroit. In fact, I nominate his effort as the best non-MVP performance in a Finals.
It's a testament to how good he was that 21.1 points and 13.0 assists could be taken for granted, especially when he battled through the flu to score 23 in the must-win Game 2 after Detroit won the opener at the Forum. Magic also shot 55 percent from the floor against the Pistons' vaunted D and had a whopping 67.6 true shooting percentage.
In doing so, he helped the Lakers become the first team in two decades to repeat as champions.
| 13. Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles, 2001 MVP | |||
 | Philadelphia 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 33.0 Boards per game: 15.8 Blocks per game: 3.4 PER: 29.4 |  |
The Lakers made one of the most dominating runs in playoff history in 2001, losing only once, and the Diesel again led the way. He averaged 33 points and 15.8 rebounds in a five-game dismantling of Philly, even though he was going against an all-time great defensive player, the Sixers' Dikembe Mutombo. In fact, the Sixers had acquired Mutombo specifically to play Shaq.
Lots of good that did. Even in the Lakers' one defeat, a Game 1 upset in L.A., Shaq rocked and rolled to 44 points and 20 rebounds. In Game 2, he expanded his repertoire by finishing two blocks and an assist short of a quadruple double.
For the series, he averaged 15.2 free-throw attempts per game and 6.2 offensive rebounds, highlighting the behemoth center's physical domination in the middle.
| 14. Michael Jordan, Chicago, 1993 MVP | |||
 | Phoenix 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 41.0 Boards per game: 8.5 Assists per game: 6.3 PER: 27.6 |  |
Everyone now forgets because of the ending, but before John Paxson's jumper went in to win the series, Jordan had all nine of Chicago's fourth-quarter points in Game 6. And of course, the only reason Paxson was so open was that the Suns doubled Jordan in the backcourt -- no way were they letting him shoot.
Jordan became the first player to score 40 or more points in four straight Finals games, and he exploded for 55 in Game 4 -- the only one won by the home team in the series. He averaged 41.0 for the series, along with 8.5 boards and 6.3 assists, and amazingly committed only 16 turnovers in the six games.
It's a testament to how good Jordan was that this effort ranks only fifth on his personal list.
| 15. Isiah Thomas, Detroit, 1990 MVP | |||
 | Portland 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 27.6 Boards per game: 5.2 Assists per game: 7.0 PER: 27.1 |  |
Isiah's performance in this series tends to get lost in the shuffle -- it was a repeat championship with little drama, and of course our primary Isiah memory from the Finals is his third-quarter performance in Game 6 in 1988.
But as far as an entire series goes, this was his greatest moment. He took charge in Game 1 when the Blazers threatened to upset Detroit, scoring 14 points in a 19-4 fourth-quarter run after Portland led by 10 with seven minutes left. He also exploded for a 22-point third quarter in Game 3.
For the series, Thomas averaged 27.6 points, seven assists and 5.2 rebounds, and shot 54.2 percent. Not known as a 3-point shooter, he also went 11-for-16 from downtown.
| 16. Chauncey Billups, Detroit, 2004 MVP | |||
 | Los Angeles 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 21.0 Boards per game: 3.2 Assists per game: 5.2 PER: 27.1 |  |
Billups led the way in one of the most shocking Finals ever, keying Detroit's surprise rout of the Lakers.
He was at his best in the opener, scoring 11 first-quarter points to put L.A. on its heels and finishing with 22 points and three steals in the 87-75 win. For the series, he averaged 21.0 points and 5.2 assists, and he played a big role in the Pistons' suffocating defensive effort that humiliated the vaunted Lakers attack in four of the five games.
The per-game averages aren't that eye popping, so to really appreciate Billups' effort, you have to check out the fine print. He scored 105 points with only 57 field goal attempts -- chew on that one for a second. Factoring in his 92.3 percent shooting from the line, his true shooting percentage was 69.5. Plus, in a series that was played at a snail's pace, his per-game stats don't nearly do justice to how well he played.
Not bad for a guy who'd been cast off by five teams before coming to Detroit.
| 17. Karl Malone, Utah, 1998 | |||
 | Utah 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 25.0 Boards per game: 10.5 Assists per game: 3.8 PER: 26.8 |  |
The Mailman doesn't have a great playoff rep, but he was outstanding in the '98 Finals.
Going up against one of the all-time great defenders, Dennis Rodman, Malone racked up 25.0 points, 10.5 boards and 3.8 assists, and went off for 39 points in Game 5 in Chicago -- mostly on high-difficulty baseline jumpers over Rodman -- to postpone the Bulls' title celebration.
No, the series didn't have a happy ending for Malone, but his effort is my choice as the best by a losing player in the post-merger era. Against almost any other opponent, it likely would have produced a trophy.
| 18. Moses Malone, Philadelphia, 1983 MVP | |||
 | Los Angeles 0 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 25.8 Boards per game: 18.0 Blocks per game: 1.5 PER: 26.0 |  |
Philly's attempt to go fo', fo' and fo' didn't make for riveting theater, but Malone's 1983 Finals was the high point in one of the league's most underrated careers.
Matched up against one of the all-time greats, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Malone utterly dominated. He averaged 25.8 points and 18.0 boards in the four-game sweep, out-rebounding Kareem 72-30 for the series. In fact, Moses had nearly as many offensive boards (27) as Kareem had total rebounds (30).
This performance might rank higher had the Lakers been at full strength, but James Worthy, Bob McAdoo and Norm Nixon all were on the shelf for part or all of it. Nonetheless, Malone's effort capped one of the most dominating playoff runs in league history.
| 19. Shawn Kemp, Seattle, 1996 | |||
 | Seattle 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 23.3 Boards per game: 10.0 Blocks per game: 2.0 PER: 25.8 |  |
This might have been the only series in Michael Jordan's career in which he wasn't the best player on the floor. Although the Bulls still won in a relatively easy six games, Kemp was a force of nature throughout.
Reign Man averaged 23.3 points, 10.0 boards and two blocks, and shot 55.1 percent for the series. He did this, mind you, against the greatest team of all time, showcasing his freakish athleticism along with a surprisingly smooth midrange J and seemingly stamping himself as a superstar for the next decade.
As we all know, it didn't quite turn out that way for Kemp, but his was one of the best performances ever by a player on a losing team.
| 20. Bill Walton, Portland, 1977 MVP | |||
 | Philadelphia 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 18.5 Boards per game: 19.0 Blocks per game: 3.7 PER: 23.3 |  |
While the rest of Walton's career was wrecked by injuries, it all came together for him in 1976-77 -- good health, a perfect system and perfect teammates.
The result was one of the classic whole-greater-than-the-parts teams in league history, with Big Red leading the way. In the Finals, he stuffed the stat sheet with 19.0 boards, 5.2 assists and 3.7 blocks per game, and he wasn't too shabby as a scorer, either, with 18.5 points a game on 54.5 percent shooting.
He did his best after Portland fell behind 2-0, going for 20-18-9 in Game 3 and an unbelievable 20-23-8-7 in the clinching Game 6.
Walton's 114 total rebounds and 19.0 per game are the most by any player since the merger, and his final PER of 23.3 probably underestimates things a bit. We don't have individual turnover data for the 1977 Finals; since bad players make more turnovers than good ones, that tends to skew everyone's numbers toward the middle.
| 21. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers, 1980 | |||
 | Philadelphia 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 33.4 Boards per game: 13.6 Blocks per game: 4.6 PER: 27.3 | |
What about Magic? We'll get to him later down the page.
But through five games, Kareem was the dominating force in the 1980 Finals -- that's why everyone thought the Lakers were screwed in Game 6 with him out of the lineup.
Abdul-Jabbar averaged 33.4 points in the first five games and would have had more if he hadn't gone down with an ankle injury early in the second half of Game 5.
| 22. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers, 1985 MVP | |||
 | Boston 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 25.7 Boards per game: 9.0 Assists per game: 5.2 PER: 23.8 | |
It was Celtics versus Lakers in Boston Garden, which meant the leprechauns were supposed to lead Boston to victory. Kareem had other ideas. He dominated the clinching Game 6 with 29 points, and at one point the 38-year-old big man took a rebound and led a 2-on-1 break before dishing to Kurt Rambis for a layup.
It was quite a turnaround after he'd been held to 12 points and three boards in the 148-114 Memorial Day Massacre in Game 1. But he averaged 28.8 points over the final five games and shot 60.6 percent for the series, earning MVP honors for ending L.A.'s Gah-den curse.
| 23. Larry Bird, Boston, 1984 MVP | |||
 | Los Angeles 3 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 27.4 Boards per game: 14.0 Assists per game: 3.4 PER: 23.0 |  |
Bird was the best player in what was quite possibly the best series ever. That alone deserves respect. He also came up big in the two most crucial wins, shooting 15-for-20 in a 34-point effort in Game 5, and then coming back with 20 points and 12 boards in the clinching Game 7.
For the series he averaged 27.4 points and 14.0 rebounds. Though his PER was lower than that of several other players in this portion of the list, once you adjust for the high level of competition, it merits a top-25 position.
| 24. Clyde Drexler, Portland, 1990 | |||
 | Portland 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 26.4 Boards per game: 7.8 Assists per game: 6.2 PER: 26.0 |  |
The Blazers lost in five, but don't blame the Glide. He filled the stat sheet with 26.4 points, 7.8 boards and 6.2 assists, and shot 54.3 percent on the series. Unfortunately, the Blazers lost three games at the wire and ended up succumbing in five, but that shouldn't tarnish what was an outstanding Finals debut by Drexler.
He also was huge in the Blazers' only win, scoring 33 points and making the game-winning foul shots at the end of overtime in Game 2. He nearly pulled a similar feat in Game 4 before Detroit responded with a last-second bucket.
| 25. Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers, 2004 | |||
 | Los Angeles 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 26.6 Boards per game: 10.8 Blocks per game: 2.8 PER: 25.7 | |
The Lakers' implosion in 2004 was, in part, a byproduct of the Shaq-Kobe feud that simmered just below the surface, and occasionally above it, all season.
But in the Finals it appeared to affect Kobe much more than Shaq. Though he was going against one of the great defenses of all time, O'Neal shot 63.1 percent from the floor and averaged 26.6 points per game.
Alas, Kobe was off his game and the supporting cast was brutal, so the Pistons dismissed L.A. in five surprisingly easy games. Also, Shaq's record string of 21 straight Finals games with 25 or more points finally ended in the Lakers' Game 3 defeat at the Palace.
| 26. Michael Jordan, Chicago, 1996 MVP | |||
 | Seattle 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 27.3 Boards per game: 5.3 Assists per game: 4.2 PER: 23.1 | |
The '96 Bulls were the greatest team in history, but Jordan's Finals effort was the least impressive of his six.
Of course, this is a bit like being the least shiny of the crown jewels -- Jordan averaged 27.3 points per contest and took 11 free throws a game.
And though the series didn't give us any of the last-second Jordan heroics we saw in his other Finals games, that's partly because they weren't needed -- all but one of the games were well in hand by the final minute. Instead, our main memory of this one is Jordan running to the locker room and weeping after the clinching game in his first Finals since the death of his father.
| 27. Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston, 1995 MVP | |||
 | Orlando 0 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 32.8 Boards per game: 11.5 Assists per game: 5.5 PER: 22.2 |  |
The Dream went up against Shaq in the 1995 Finals, his second straight head-to-head Finals against an elite Hall of Famer, and once again Olajuwon got the better of it. This time his domination wasn't as thorough as it was against Patrick Ewing a year earlier, but it didn't need to be.
Once the Magic kicked away a 20-point lead at home in the opener, with Olajuwon's overtime tip-in with 0.3 left providing the winning margin, the Rockets were home free and cruised to a four-game sweep. Olajuwon averaged 32.8 points, 11.5 boards and 5.5 assists, and while Shaq got his (28 and 12), the Dream anchored a defense that held the rest of Orlando's vaunted attack in check.
| 28. Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers, 1980 MVP | |||
 | Philadelphia 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 21.5 Boards per game: 11.2 Assists per game: 8.7 PER: 22.0 | |
It was one of the most impressive one-game performances in NBA history: Magic Johnson, a 20-year-old rookie, moved from point guard to center, scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and led L.A. to a title-clinching Game 6 win on the road.
For his efforts, he won Finals MVP and instant adulation, but he's this low in these rankings because we're ranking the series as a whole, and his first five games weren't nearly as dominant. He did, however, make several big baskets in Game 5 while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was sidelined with a sprained ankle.
| 29. Larry Bird, Boston, 1986 MVP | |||
 | Houston 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 24.0 Boards per game: 9.7 Assists per game: 9.5 PER: 22.4 |  |
The '86 Celtics were one of the great all-time teams, and Bird topped off his MVP regular season with a strong Finals. What was impressive about this one was the completeness of it -- he averaged nearly a triple-double with 24 points, 9.7 boards and 9.5 assists, and he went 31-of-33 from the stripe as Boston topped the Rockets in six games.
Bird's effort included a Game 3 triple-double in a loss, and he hit the go-ahead 3-pointer late in Game 4 in Houston. In the Game 6 clincher, he had 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists -- by halftime. He finished with another triple-double as Boston won in a rout.
| 30. Julius Erving, Philadelphia, 1977 | |||
 | Philadelphia 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 30.3 Boards per game: 6.8 Assists per game: 5.0 PER: 24.4 | |
The Doctor had a big offensive series against the Blazers, and perhaps it would have turned out differently if his teammates had been able to get him the ball at the end of Game 6.
In his first Finals after coming over from the ABA, Erving got loose for 30.3 points per game and shot 54.3 percent on the series. Included in the effort was a 33-point outburst in Game 1 and a 37-point night as the Sixers fell just short in the pivotal Game 5.
| 31. Isiah Thomas, Detroit, 1988 | |||
 | Detroit 3 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 19.7 Assists per game: 9.0 Steals per game: 2.9 PER: 20.5 | |
Few can forget the sight of Thomas doggedly hopping up and down the court in the third quarter of Game 6, when he finished off a 25-point outburst with a driving lay-up despite a sprained ankle. And not enough people remember the crazy four-point play he banked in a moment earlier. The Pistons nearly upset L.A. for the crown.
Alas, a final-minute lead evaporated in Game 6, and a gimpy Thomas couldn't quite muster enough in the seventh game and had to check out in the third quarter. But his series as a whole was still a strong one -- 19.7 points, 9.0 assists, 2.9 steals -- and he would get his ring a year later.
| 32. David Robinson, San Antonio, 1999 | |||
 | New York 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 18.6 Boards per game: 11.8 Blocks per game: 3.0 PER: 26.3 |  |
What made this edition of the Spurs so dangerous is that both the Admiral and Tim Duncan were near the peak of their powers. Once Robinson's back loosened up, San Antonio shook off a 6-8 start to finish the season on a 46-7 tear.
He was a lethal second weapon against the Knicks in the Finals, too, with 18.6 points, 11.8 boards and 3.0 blocks, and he piled up 48 free-throw attempts in five games on his way to his first championship. In Game 4, Duncan (18) and Robinson (17) combined to outrebound the entire Knicks team.
| 33. Chauncey Billups, Detroit, 2005 | |||
 | Detroit 3 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 20.4 Boards per game: 5.0 Assists per game: 6.3 PER: 23.7 |  |
No losing player has won the Finals MVP since the merger, but Billups probably should have. Detroit narrowly lost in seven games, and Billups was the most effective player in the series, averaging 20.4 points and 6.3 assists per game, hitting 40-of-44 from the line and grossly outplaying San Antonio counterpart Tony Parker.
Billups was so effective that San Antonio switched defensive ace Bruce Bowen onto him at the end of Game 7, resulting in one of his few cold stretches -- a badly timed one that allowed the Spurs to claim the series.
| 34. Tony Parker, San Antonio, 2007 MVP | |||
 | Cleveland 0 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 24.5 Boards per game: 5.0 Assists per game: 3.3 PER: 26.0 |  |
This was an absolute dog of a series, with Cleveland overmatched against the mighty Spurs, but let's give Parker credit for shooting better than ever. He scored 24.5 points per game and shot 56.8 percent from the floor by continually punishing the Cavs for conceding long jumpers to him in order to stop his drives.
That's been the game plan against Parker his whole career, but for four games last June his shooting stroke gave him the perfect antidote.
| 35. Joe Dumars, Detroit, 1989 MVP | |||
 | Los Angeles 0 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 27.3 Boards per game: 1.8 Assists per game: 6.0 PER: 26.0 | |
As with Parker in 2007, Dumars' outstanding play is diminished a bit by the mismatch that took place on the court. Had he posted his 27.2 points and 6.0 assists per game against Magic Johnson and Byron Scott, we could put him much further up the list.
As it was, he did most of it against the likes of Tony Campbell and Jeff Lamp. Dumars did, however, score 22 points as the Pistons smoked the Lakers in Game 1 with Magic still in the lineup, and he made a game-saving block at the end of Game 3.
| 36. Tim Duncan, San Antonio, 2007 | |||
 | Cleveland 0 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 18.3 Boards per game: 11.5 Blocks per game: 2.25 PER: 25.2 | |
Some felt Duncan should have been the series MVP instead of Parker, and those folks had a case.
While Duncan struggled offensively in the Game 4 clincher, it was his rock-solid defense that provided the backbone of a scheme to suffocate Cavs star LeBron James. Additionally, he posted his usual solid numbers -- 18.3 points, 11.5 boards, 2.3 blocks -- and nearly matched Parker in terms of PER.
| 37. Moses Malone, Houston, 1981 | |||
 | Houston 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 22.2 Boards per game: 16.3 Blocks per game: 2.17 PER: 22.5 |  |
Malone famously boasted that he could get four guys from his hometown of Parkersburg, Va., and beat the Celtics after the upstart Rockets, who were only 40-42 in the regular season, evened the series at 2-2.
Houston ultimately fell short, but not before Malone averaged 22.2 points, 16.3 boards and 2.2 blocks. Although Malone only shot 40.3 percent, he was clearly the best player on the floor in this series and was another Finals loser who nonetheless had a strong case for MVP.
| 38. Charles Barkley, Phoenix, 1993 | |||
 | Phoenix 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 27.3 Boards per game: 13.0 Assists per game: 5.5 PER: 22.5 |  |
Sir Charles wasn't quite the equal of the Bulls, but his 27.3 points, 13.0 boards and 5.5 assists kept Phoenix in the series right up until John Paxson's jumper at the end of Game 6.
Barkley had a crucial steal and basket that clinched an epic triple-OT victory in Game 3, a turning point in the series after the Suns had dropped the first two games at home. Then he led Phoenix to another win in his "save the city" Game 5, after some in Chicago had warned that championship celebrations might get out of hand.
| 39. Scottie Pippen, Chicago, 1992 | |||
 | Portland 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 20.8 Boards per game: 8.3 Assists per game: 7.7 PER: 21.5 |  |
Pippen was always the second banana to Michael Jordan, but he had his best Finals performance in the '92 series against Portland.
Scottie was effectively the Bulls' point guard, finishing with 20.8 points and 7.7 assists on the series, and he saved his best for the end. In the crucial Game 5 win at Portland, Pippen was an assist shy of a triple-double, and a major component of a defense that forced 28 Blazer turnovers. And in the clincher, he came up big again, with 26 points.
| 40. Tim Duncan, San Antonio, 2005 MVP | |||
 | Detroit 3 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 20.6 Boards per game: 14.1 Blocks per game: 2.14 PER: 21.8 | |
Duncan averaged 20.6 points and 14.1 boards for the series, though he didn't dominate against the Pistons' imposing front line of Ben and Rasheed Wallace. But he took over when needed.
That was especially true in Game 7, when he put the Spurs on his back in the second half to lead them to the title. Duncan finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and three assists, including a cross-court find of Manu Ginobili for a game-icing 3-pointer.
| 41. Latrell Sprewell, New York, 1999 | |||
 | New York 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 26.0 Boards per game: 6.6 Assists per game: 2.6 PER: 23.3 |  |
The Knicks lost in five games and set records for offensive ineptitude, but Sprewell was one of the few bright spots.
He averaged 26.0 points and 6.6 rebounds a game for the series, including 24 in the Knicks' lone win, and scored 14 straight Knicks points in the second half of Game 5 before New York ultimately fell short.
| 42. Julius Erving, Philadelphia, 1980 | |||
 | Philadelphia 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 25.5 Boards per game: 7.0 Assists per game: 5.0 PER: 21.4 |  |
This one was all about The Swoop -- Erving's unbelievable reverse layup where he seemed to stay in midair for about 15 seconds while navigating around Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Mark Landsberger to the far side of the backboard.
That play was a key one in Philadelphia's Game 4 victory that tied the series at two games apiece, though the Sixers ultimately faltered in six. But don't blame Doc -- he was solid throughout with 25.5 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting, and had a good argument for series MVP.
| 43. Ben Wallace, Detroit, 2004 | |||
 | Los Angeles 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 10.8 Boards per game: 13.6 Blocks per game: 1.0 PER: 16.5 |  |
The Pistons were arguably the single best defensive team of the past 30 years, and Wallace was the linchpin.
The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was at his apex with the "play the right way" Pistons of 2004, helping Detroit slam the door on the Lakers' offense in a shocking five-game rout. Wallace dominated the glass with 13.6 boards per game, and was feeling chipper enough to contribute 10.8 a game on the offensive end. Had he not shot 10-of-34 from the line for the series, his ranking would be even higher.
| 44. Cedric Maxwell, Boston, 1981 MVP | |||
 | Houston 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 17.7 Boards per game: 9.5 Assists per game: 2.8 PER: 20.4 | |
The Celtics had Bird, Parish and McHale, but in the big three's first Finals it was Maxwell who stole the show.
With Bird struggling to score against Houston's Robert Reid, Maxwell blew up for 17.7 points per game on 56.8 percent shooting. Cornbread led the team in points and free throws and yanked down 34 offensive boards in the six games to take MVP honors.
| 45. Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston, 1986 | |||
 | Houston 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 24.7 Boards per game: 11.8 Blocks per game: 3.17 PER: 21.2 | |
Although Houston fell short, Olajuwon was fabulous, becoming the only player since the merger to average better than two blocks and two steals in the Finals.
He had 33 and 12 in a losing effort in the opener, and went off for 32 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists to help Houston stave off elimination in Game 5 after frontcourt cohort Ralph Sampson was ejected. Even in the blowout loss in Game 6, his three straight steals for breakaway dunks in the first half left the Boston crowd in awe.
| 46. James Worthy, L.A. Lakers, 1988 MVP | |||
 | Detroit 3 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 22.0 Boards per game: 7.4 Blocks per game: 4.4 PER: 19.9 |  |
Big Game James won the Finals MVP by stealing a page from teammate Magic Johnson's book and exploding for a Game 7 triple-double: 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. His effort allowed the Lakers to overcome upstart Detroit and become the first repeat champion in nearly two decades.
While the rest of his series wasn't of the same caliber, he led the Lakers with 22.0 points per game and saved his best for the most important moments, notably his 26 points in the must-win Game 2 after L.A. lost the opener at home.
| 47. Adrian Dantley, Detroit, 1988 | |||
 | Detroit 3 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 21.3 Boards per game: 5.0 Assists per game: 2.1 PER: 20.7 |  |
We all remember Isiah limping around during these Finals, but everyone forgets how good Dantley was. He was the one who shot 14-of-16 in Game 1 to key the Pistons' upset in the Forum, and he was the one who led the team in scoring for the series at 21.3 per game.
No wonder he was so upset when Thomas had him traded to the Mavs in the middle of the next season, depriving him of a ring.
| 48. Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers, 1982 MVP | |||
 | Philadelphia 2 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 16.2 Boards per game: 10.8 Assists per game: 8.0 PER: 17.1 | |
Magic was his usual triple-doubling self in these Finals, averaging 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists, plus he snagged three steals a game and shot 33-of-39 at the stripe.
While he was still "early Magic" at this point -- less scoring, more turnovers, lower PER -- combining him with L.A.'s strong core was more than enough to offset the Sixers. Six of the seven Lakers regulars had PERs between 13.1 and 17.4 for the series.
| 49. Dennis Johnson, Seattle, 1979 MVP | |||
 | Washington 1 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 22.6 Boards per game: 6.0 Assists per game: 6.0 PER: 15.5 |  |
The worst Finals MVP votes happened in consecutive years, as DJ and Wes Unseld inexplicably took home the trophies from the back-to-back Bullets-Sonics series in 1978 and 1979.
You heard that correctly. In DJ's case, he was a defensive ace but not nearly the offenisve force that teammate Gus Wiliams (28.6 points per game) was. He also committed a key last-second foul that gave Washington its lone victory in the series.
| 50. Wes Unseld, Washington, 1978 MVP | |||
 | Seattle 3 | FINALS STATS Points per game: 9.0 Boards per game: 11.7 Assists per game: 3.9 PER: 14.4 |  |
Hey, somebody has to be last.
Unseld averaged 11.7 rebounds a game as Washington held off Seattle in seven games in 1978, and he was the centerpiece of the Bullets' tough defense. And admittedly, this Finals was a tough vote because Washington had such an ensemble cast: Elvin Hayes, Tom Henderson, Bob Dandridge and Unseld all could make a case for MVP.
Nonetheless, Unseld is easily the weakest winner since the merger, and in retrospect his selection over Hayes seems a little bizarre.
