Greatest Players in NBA Finals History

1. Michael Jordan:

PPG: 33.6
RPG: 6.0
APG: 6.0
SPG: 1.8
BPG: 0.7
FG%: 48%
3PT%: 36.8%
FT%: 81%
NBA Finals Appearances: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) (Undefeated 6-0)
NBA Championships: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Finals MVP Awards: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Greatest Finals Series:
1993 (41.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.7 bpg, 51% FG, 40% 3PT, 69.4%)
1991 (31.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 11.4 apg, 2.8 spg, 1.4 bpg, 55% FG, 50% 3PT, 85% FT)
1992 (35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.3 bpg, 52.6% FG, 43% 3PT, 89.1% FT)

Jordan making his statement in 1991:

Jordan in 1992:

Jordan lighting up the Suns in 1993:

2. Shaquille O'Neal:

PPG: 28.8 (33.5 as a Laker)
RPG: 13.1 (14.0 as a Laker)
APG: 3.3 (3.1 as a Laker)
BPG: 2.1 (2.4 as a Laker)
FG%: 60.2% (60.2 as a Laker)
FT%: 52.3%  (51.3 as a Laker)
NBA Finals Appearances: 6 (1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006)
Championships: 4 (2000-2002, 2006)
Finals MVP Awards: 3 (2000, 2001, 2002)
Greatest Finals Series:
2000 (38.0 ppg, 16.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 spg, 2.7 bpg, 61.1% FG, 38.7% FT)
2002 (36.3 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 3.8 apg, 0.5 spg, 2.8 bpg, 59.5% FG, 66.2% FT)
2001 (33.0 ppg, 15.8 rpg, 4.8 apg, 0.4 spg, 3.4 bpg, 57.3% FG, 51.3% FT)




                                                      Shaq setting his pace of dominance in 2000:

                                                 Diesel bulldozing the Sixers in 2001:

Shaq buries the Nets in a sweep (2002):

3. Jerry West

PPG: 30.5

RPG: 5.0

APG: 5.6

FG%: 46%

NBA Finals Appearances: 9 (1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973)

NBA Championships: 1 (1972)

Finals MVP Awards: 1 (1969)

Greatest Finals Series:

1969 (37.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 7.4 apg, 49% FG)

1966 (33.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 5.1 apg, 51.5% FG)

1963 (29.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.5 apg, 49% FG)
1968 (31.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.7 apg, 48.6% FG)

Jerry West displays his drive in the 1969 NBA Finals:

4. Earvin Magic Johnson:

PPG: 19.4
RPG: 7.9
APG: 11.7
SPG: 1.8
BPG: 0.4
FG%: 51.0%
3PT%: 36.4%
FT%: 88.3%
NBA Finals Appearances: 9 (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991)
NBA Championships: 5 (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
Finals MVP Awards: 3 (1980, 1982, 1987)
Greatest Finals Series:
1987 (26.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 13.0 apg, 2.3 spg, 0.3 bpg, 54.1% FG, 50% 3PT, 96% FT)
1988 (21.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 13.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 0.1 bpg, 55% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 86.6% FT)
1980 (21.5 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 8.7 apg, 2.7 spg, 57.3% FG, 87.5% FT)
1985 (18.3 ppg, 6.8  rpg, 14.0 apg, 2.2 spg, 49.4% FG, 50% 3PT, 87.1% FT)
1982 (16.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 8.0 apg, 1.2 spg, 56.9% FG, 84.6% FT)

Magic Johnson saves Lakers as a Rookie (42/15/7):

Magic's Triple Double in Game 6 of 1982 Finals:

Magic shines again in 1987:

Magic's Lakers clinch 5th Title in Game 7 (1988):

5. Hakeem Olajuwon:

PPG: 27.4
RPG: 10.6
APG: 3.4
SPG: 2.0
BPG: 3.2
FG%: 48.7%
3PT%: 100%
FT%: 74%
NBA Finals Appearances: 3 (1986, 1994, 1995)
NBA Championships: 2 (1994, 1995)
NBA Finals MVP Awards: 2 (1994, 1995)
Greatest Finals Series:
1994 (27 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 spg, 3.9 bpg, 50% FG, 100% 3PT, 86% FT)
1995 (32.8 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.0 spg, 2.0 bpg, 48.3% FG, 100% 3PT, 69.2% FT)

The Dream vs. The Diesel

6. Tim Duncan:

PPG: 21.8
RPG: 13.7
APG: 3.0
SPG: 1.0
BPG: 3.1
FG%: 47.7%
FT%: 72%
NBA Finals Appearances: 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013)
NBA Championships: 4 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)
NBA Finals MVP Awards: 3 (1999, 2003, 2005)
Greatest Finals Series:
2003 (24.2 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.0 spg, 5.3 bpg, 49.5% FG, 68.5% FT)
1999 (27.4 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.0 spg, 2.2 bpg, 53.7% FG, 79.5% FT)

7. Bill Russell

PPG: 16.5

RPG: 24.6

APG: 4.5

FG%: 44.8%

FT%: 59.3%

NBA Finals Appearances: 12 (1957-66, 1968, 1969)

NBA Championships: 11 (1957, 1959-66, 1968, 1969)

Greatest Finals Series:

1962 (22.9 ppg, 27.0 rpg, 5.7 apg, 54.3% FG, 74.2% FT)

1963 (20.0 ppg, 26.0 rpg, 5.3 apg, 46.7% FG, 69.2% FT)

1960 (16.7 ppg, 24.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, 47.1% FG, 68.5% FT)

1961 (17.6 ppg, 28.8 rpg, 4.4 apg, 42.9% FG, 44.9% FT)

8. Larry Bird

PPG: 23.1

RPG: 11.7

APG: 6.0

SPG: 2.0

BPG: 0.8

FG%: 46.0%

3PT%: 42.0%

FT%: 87.0%

NBA Finals Appearances: 5 (1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987)

NBA Champions: 3 (1981, 1984, 1986)

NBA Finals MVP Awards: 2 (1984, 1986)

Greatest Finals Series:

1986 (24.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 9.5 apg, 2.7 spg, 0.3 bpg, 48.2% FG, 35% 3PT, 93.9% FT)

1984 (27.4 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.1 spg, 1.1 bpg, 48.4% FG, 66.7% 3PT, 84.2% FT)

1987 (24.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.2 bpg, 44.5% FG, 50.0% 3PT, 92.1% FT)

Bird in his Finals Debut in 1981:

Bird's Brilliance in 1984:

Larry Legend's Triple Double in 1986:

9. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:

PPG: 23.1
RPG: 8.8
APG: 3.2
BPG: 2.0
FG%: 52%
FT%: 72.5%
NBA Finals Appearances: 10 (1971, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989)
NBA Championships: 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
NBA Finals MVP Awards: 2 (1971, 1985)
Greatest Finals Series:
1974 (32.6 ppg, 12.1 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.1 spg, 2.1 bpg, 52.4% FG, 70.8% FT)
1980 (33.4 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 0.6 spg, 4.6 bpg, 54.9% FG, 80.8% FT)
1971 (27.0 ppg, 18.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 60.5% FG, 76.2% FT)

Kareem leading the Bucks to the Finals in 1971:

Kareem leads Bucks to OT win in 1974:

10. Wilt Chamberlain

PPG: 18.8
RPG: 24.5
APG: 3.8
FG%: 55.4%
FT%: 39.1%
NBA Finals Appearances: 6 (1964, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973)
NBA Championships: 2 (1967, 1972)
NBA Finals MVP Awards: 1 (1972)
Greatest Finals Series:
1964 (29.2 ppg, 27.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 51.7 (52%) FG, 41.5% FT)
1972 (19.4 ppg, 23.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 60% FG, 54% FT)
1967 (17.7 ppg, 28.5 rpg, 6.8 apg, 56% FG, 30.6% FT)
1970 (23.3 ppg, 24.1 rpg, 4.0 apg, 62.5% FG, 34.3% FT)