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The Phoenix Suns' starting backcourt comprising Chris Paul and Devin Booker is proving to be a lethal combo for the side, helping them reach this year's NBA Finals.
Over the last 20 years, many guards have flourished as key players for their respective teams on the biggest stage. The likes of Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Dwayne Wade, and other backcourt stars have all had terrific success in the NBA Finals.
Most of them have been the driving force for their teams and have been lethal scorers as well. On that note, let's take a look at the five guards to have the most points in the NBA Finals in the last 20 years.
#5 Tony Parker (479 points in NBA Finals)
San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker was one of the most successful starting guards in the history of the franchise. The Frenchman made 29 appearances in the NBA Finals, all with the Spurs, and was their starting point guard since his debut in 2001.
Parker won four championships with the side and played a key role in each of those runs. He averaged 16.5 points per game on 45.6% shooting from the floor in the NBA Finals. His last Finals appearance was in 2014, which was also his fourth and final Championship run with the Spurs.
#4 Klay Thompson (508 points in NBA Finals)
Klay Thompson played a huge role in the formation of the Golden State Warriors dynasty during which they won three championships and made five consecutive NBA Finals appearances. Thompson formed a solid partnership with Stephen Curry, and the pair are now regarded as one of the best backcourt duos of this generation.
Thompson made 27 appearances in the NBA Finals, averaging 18.8 points per game on 45.4% field goal shooting and 41.1% from the three-point line. He achieved multiple records in that stretch, including making seven 3s in an NBA Finals game, the third-most by a player in the history of the playoffs. 10 other players have achieved the feat.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson set the record for the most points scored with a combined tally of 106 points in the first two games of an NBA Finals series. It was later broken by Chris Paul and Devin Booker, who scored 113 points in the opening two games against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals.
#3 Dwayne Wade (693 points in NBA Finals)
Dwyane Wade, a 3-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, is third on the list of starting guards with the most points in the NBA Finals. He won his first chip in his debut NBA Finals appearance in 2006 during which he was also named the series MVP.
Wade played in four more NBA Finals and won the next two straight in 2012 and 2013 when the Miami Heat formed a big three comprising Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. He averaged 23.9 points per game on 47.6% field goal shooting, and played a total of 29 games in the NBA Finals.
#2 Kobe Bryant (736 points in NBA Finals)
The late LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time in the NBA. He won five championships, making seven NBA Finals appearances in total. He played in 27 NBA Finals games, scoring 736 points, averaging 27.3 points per game on 41.8% field goal shooting (22 attempts per game). Kobe won two NBA Finals MVP awards when the LA Lakers won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
#1 Stephen Curry (741 points in NBA Finals)
It comes as no surprise to see Stephen Curry at the top of this list considering how successful he has been in the postseason with the Golden State Warriors. Surprisingly, the two-time league MVP hasn't won an NBA Finals MVP award yet, but all of his performances during the Warriors' three championship runs were sensational.
He scored 741 points in 29 NBA Finals games, averaging 26.5 points per contest on 42% field goal shooting. He holds the record for the most 3s in an NBA Finals game (9) as well. Curry has converted at least four 3s in each of his NBA Finals game appearances.
