Top 10 scorers of all-time in NBA Finals

Also read: Top 10 Regular Season Scorers in NBA History

The NBA Finals is the biggest stage in all of Basketball and it's where the greatest of the great separate themselves from the pack. When we try to rank the greatest players in the game, we usually look back at what they did in the moments which matter the most and the guys on this list stepped up more often than not.

With LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Finals scoring charts, we decided to list the top 10 scorers in NBA Finals history:

#10 Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson (Image Courtesy: Lakers Nation)

The Greatest Point Guard of all time, Magic was unlike any player the league had seen for a man his size. Standing at 6'9", he possessed incredible ball handling and playmaking abilities and showed that the NBA could be dominated from the guard position. The engine of the famed Showtime Offense, Magic lifted the NBA from the doldrums and led it to unprecedented popularity during the 1980s. While he is remembered for his amazing playmaking abilities, Magic was no slouch when it came to scoring, with a career average of 19.5 PPG and it was much of the same in the Finals.

In 9 Finals appearances over 12 years, Johnson tallied 971 points, putting him ahead of the likes of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Magic would win 5 of the 9 Finals he appeared in and win Finals MVP in 1980, 82 and 87. His greatest Finals performance came in Game 6 in 1980, when forced to play at Center, as he dropped 42 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 7 assists. His best overall Finals would be 1987 when he averaged a personal best 26.2 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds.

#9 John Havlicek

The all-time leading scorer in Celtics franchise history comes in at #9. Havlicek was a brilliant all-around player for the Celtics, capable of playing at either Guard or Forward. A terrific scorer near the basket, Havlicek could also shoot it from distance and was an excellent rebounder. He also developed into a more than capable passer as the years went by.

Despite playing the 6th man role for much of the 60s for the Celtics, Havlicek was a key contributor as they won 6 titles in his first 7 seasons. He really began taking over the reins in the 1968 and 69 Finals, averaging 27 and then 28 a game as the Celtics won their last championships of the Bill Russell Era. With a bulk of their old core having retired, Havlicek finally became the starter and in 1974 he led the Celtics to their 1st title without Russell, averaging 26 points and winning Finals MVP.

He would win another title in 1976 but this time in a more of a supporting role. It would be the 1st time since his very first Finals that Havlicek wasn't either 1st or 2nd in scoring in the Finals for the Celtics.

All in all, he played in 8 NBA Finals, won all of them and scored 1018 points.

#8 Tom Heinsohn

A somewhat lesser known name outside of Boston, Tom Heinsohn was another key component of the Celtics dynasty in the late 50s and 60s. A gifted scorer who possessed a golden shooting touch, he provided the scoring punch for the defensive juggernaut that was the Celtics. After winning ROTY in 1957, Heinsohn continued his stellar play into the postseason, where he led the Celtics in scoring in the Finals with 24 PPG as they won their first championship. He poured in 37 Points in the deciding Game 7 and would have probably won Finals MVP had the award existed back then.

After a disappointing Finals defeat in 1958, the Celtics roared back to win 8 titles in a row, with Heinsohn a part of 7 of them. He would again be the leading scorer in the Finals in 1959, 60 and 61. Heinsohn continued to perform at a solid level over the next couple of years, but by 1964, he was in decline and the scoring mantle had been taken over by the guy right above him on the list.

Heinsohn retired in 1965, having won 8 titles in 9 years, scoring 1037 points on the biggest stage.

#7 Sam Jones

Another Celtic from the 60s, (don't worry there's just one more) Sam Jones was one of the best guards of his time. Incredibly clutch, Jones perfected the bank shot, was deadly with the pull up in transition and was adept at dropping floaters over big men. He formed two of the best backcourt duos of the 60s, first with Bob Cousy and then with defensive stalwart K.C. Jones.

Sam played a reserve role for the Celtics in his early years, but with Bill Sharman retiring in 1961, he became the starter. Jones would be the leading Celtics scorer in the Finals from 1963 to 1965, with his best performances coming in 1965 when he averaged 27.8 a game. Jones continued to be a reliable scoring option right till his retirement in 1969 and he went out with a bang. In Game 4 of the 1969 Finals, with the Celtics down 2-1 and trailing 87-88 in the waning moments, Jones hit an off-balanced 17 footer at the buzzer to snatch victory from the Lakers, in a series which the Celtics would eventually win in 7 games.

Jones played in 10 NBA Finals in his career and won all of them. His 1143 points in the Finals for Boston are bettered by the only man who has won more championships than him.

#6 Bill Russell

While he is remembered as arguably the greatest Defensive player of all time, Bill Russell was a capable scorer. Despite never being the focal point of the offense, Russell managed to average a respectable 15.1 PPG over his career. His arrival in 1956 changed everything for a Celtics squad which had always come short in the playoffs. Russell provided terrific rim protection, rebounding and was a brilliant outlet passer, igniting the fast break which the Celtics introduced as a potent offensive scheme.

It's surprising to know that Russell actually led the Celtics in scoring in 2 of the Finals, in 1962 and in 1966 where he averaged 23.6 PPG. After the 1966 Finals, Russell took over as player-coach and it would mark the only season of his career where he didn't reach the Finals. The Celtics, however, would bounce back to win back to back titles in 1968 & 69 after which he retired and stepped down as coach. In total, Russell played 13 years in the NBA, reached 12 Finals and won 11 of them while scoring 1151 points.

#5 Elgin Baylor

Arguably the greatest player to never win a ring, Elgin Baylor was way ahead of his time. An explosive athlete, Baylor terrorized defenses with his ability to score at the basket and with his trademark hanging jump shots. He holds the unfortunate distinction of the most Finals defeats without ever winning a championship, having been on the losing end in 8 Finals.

Baylor entered the league in 1958 and led the previously slumping Lakers all the way to the Finals in his first season, but they got swept by the Celtics. He continued to post monstrous numbers and peaked in 1962 when he averaged over 38 points and 18 rebounds, but the best was yet to come. Against the best defensive team of his time, Baylor exploded for a then Finals Record 40.6 PPG for the series.

His 61 points in Game 5 remains the most points scored in a Finals game. Baylor led the team in scoring in the 1963 Finals as well but things were about to take a downturn, as he tore his Knee Cap in 1965. While Baylor put up good numbers in the coming years, he was never the same. Despite all the injuries, he managed to score 1161 points in the Finals.

#4 Michael Jordan

Also read: LeBron James vs Michael Jordan - A Statistical Comparison

Well, it's no surprise to see Michael Jordan near the top of any scoring list. Arguably the greatest scorer we've ever seen, MJ was a spectacular finisher at the rim and over the years, became a force in the low post. It took Jordan a while to get to the big stage, but once he got there, he was damn near unstoppable, winning six championships from 1991-93 and from 1996-98.

Jordan led both teams in scoring the six times he reached the Finals and he was at his devastating best against the Suns in 1993. Going up against reigning MVP Charles Barkley, Jordan erupted for a Finals record 41 PPG in that series while shooting above 50% from the field, a remarkable achievement. The high point of the series was Game 4, where he dropped 55 points, tying Rick Barry for the 2nd most points scored in a Finals game. He averaged 30 PPG in all but one of those 6 Finals appearances and finished with 1176 points.

#3 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

One of the greatest big men to ever play the game, Abdul-Jabbar used his patented sky hook to rise all the way to the top of the all-time scoring charts. The skyhook was the go-to move for Jabbar throughout his career and he had perfected it to such an extent that it became unquestionably the single most unstoppable shot in NBA history. While he is remembered for his scoring abilities, Kareem was also an excellent rebounder and shot blocker.

Drafted in 1969 by the expansion team that was the Bucks, Jabbar led the franchise to 2 NBA Finals in their first 5 years in the league. He'd lead both teams in scoring on both occasions, beating the Bullets in 1971 on the way to winning Finals MVP and losing to the Celtics in 1974. A trade to the Lakers followed in 1975 and Magic Johnson's arrival in 1979 led Jabbar back to the Finals. With Magic in tow, Jabbar would reach 8 Finals over the next 10 years, leading the Lakers in scoring 4 times in the Finals and winning 5 championships. He would also become the 1st player to win Finals MVP with two different teams in 1985. Jabbar scored 1317 points in 10 NBA Finals.

#2 LeBron James

Cleveland Cavaliers v Charlotte Hornets — LeBron James

Also read: 5 Achievements LeBron James was the Youngest to reach

The King comes in at #2 on the list. The greatest player of this generation continues to shatter statistical records but he does have some way to go to catch #1. Probably the most complete player the game has ever seen, LeBron continues to put up ridiculous numbers on the biggest stage. He has led his team in scoring in 8 of the 9 NBA Finals he's appeared in and the one time he didn't is a great example of how much he's improved over the years.

After toiling for years in Cleveland, making just one Finals appearance in 7 years (in which he got swept) LeBron took his talents to Miami in 2010, in hopes of finally winning a title, but things started off in the worst way possible. He imploded in the 2011 Finals, one of the worst superstar meltdowns we've ever seen, with the low point being 8 Points in Game 4. Many wondered if he'd ever get it done on the big stage, so it's remarkable to see how far he's come.

James would win the title and Finals MVP for the next two years and then return to Cleveland in 2014, where he has been sensational in the Finals these past 4 years. The obvious highlight being 2016, where he won his 3rd title, coming back from a 3-1 deficit while leading both teams in every major statistical criterion. He has scored 1383 Points in 9 NBA Finals.

#1 Jerry West

When it comes to scoring in the Finals, Jerry West was the best, and it's not even close. Despite some of the mythical performances that we've seen from LeBron over the years, West is almost 300 points clear despite having played in the same number of Finals. An offensive force back in the 60s, West was a sharpshooter and a gifted passer.

Over his 1st two Finals appearances in 1962 & 63, West averaged over 30 PPG despite playing second fiddle to Elgin Baylor. A torn Knee Cap for Baylor in 1965 signaled a change of the guard and West would lead the Finals in scoring in 1965, 66, 68, 69 and 70, with 1969 being perhaps the most memorable. He averaged almost 38 PPG, scored 53 in Game 1 and had a 43 point triple-double in Game 7, but they still lost to the Celtics. His heroics might not have won them the title, but West was named Finals MVP, the only time a player from the losing team would win it. He would finally win a title in 1972, on his 8th try, but another Finals defeat followed in 1973 and West retired a year later. He scored a whopping 1679 points in the Finals and averaged at least 30 PPG 6 times, the most ever.

Edited by Arvind Sriram