'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The NBA Finals is one of the most competitive sporting events in the world. Teams go through an 82 game regular-season and three grueling best-of-seven-game series in the postseason. It is only after winning those that two teams emerge to battle it out once again to earn the right to be called champions.
While consistency is necessary, there are some instances where players put in a performance that truly sets them apart.
The triple-double is the act of recording 10+ of any three statistics in a game. The combination of 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 10+ assists is the most common format for a triple-double.
Recording a triple-double is an accomplishment in itself, but doing it on the biggest stage, in the NBA Finals, makes it even greater.
Keeping that in mind, we're looking at six NBA players who recorded a 30 point triple-double in the NBA Finals.
#1 Jerry West: 1969 NBA Finals
Jerry West is widely recognized as the silhouette that is the logo of the NBA. West always came to perform in clutch situations, and the NBA Finals were no different.
After years of having lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, the LA Lakers were looking at facing their arch rivals one more time on the grand stage.
West was unstoppable in the 1969 NBA Finals. He scored 53 points in the first win against the Celtics and followed it up with another 41 point performance. For the entire series, Jerry West averaged 37.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
Although the Lakers led the series 2-0, things would take a turn for the worse and the Celtics would take the Lakers to Game Seven.
West rose to the occasion. In the crucial seventh game, West recorded a triple-double. Jerry West dominated the game by recording 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Unfortunately, his efforts were for naught as the Celtics won the game by two points and walked away as champions once again.
Jerry West was named the NBA Finals MVP for his stellar performance. It remains the only time a player on the losing team has won the accolade.
#2 James Worthy: 1988 NBA Finals
James Worthy is one of the greatest Lakers in franchise history. With his number hanging from the rafters, Worthy is a three-time champion with the LA Lakers.
Known as 'Big Game James', Worthy was known to show up when the Lakers needed him the most. Paired with Magic Johnson, Worthy was one of the great finishers in the NBA. In the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons, he would rise to the challenge in game seven.
The Detroit Pistons were one of the toughest teams in the NBA at the time. Playing a physical brand of basketball, the Lakers struggled in the first game, losing by 12 points.
But the Lakers turned it around, eventually tying the series at three games apiece. With the series tied, the seventh game would decide the champion.
James Worthy would come up big for the Lakers by recording a triple-double to secure the win and the NBA title. Worthy recorded 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for the game.
While also winning the NBA Finals, Worthy was also named NBA Finals MVP. He averaged 22 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the series.
#3 Charles Barkley: 1993 NBA Finals
Charles Barkley is regarded as one of the best forwards in the history of the NBA. Although undersized for his position, Barkley was known as, "The Round Mound of Rebound" because of his ability and hustle to secure boards.
Charles played for the Philadelphia 76ers for a large part of his career. But his most iconic finals performances came during his time with the Phoenix Suns. In the 1993 NBA Finals, the Suns were facing Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Charles Barkley won the NBA MVP award for the 1992-93 season, which reflected in the way he played. The NBA Finals saw the Bulls win their first two games, although Barkley scored 42 and had 13 assists in the second.
In Game Four of the 1993 NBA Finals, Barkley recorded a triple-double of 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Unfortunately this effort wasn't enough. Although the Suns won Game Five to follow, the Bulls won the NBA title in six games.
Charles Barkley averaged 28.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists for the Finals.
#4 Stephen Curry: 2017 NBA Finals
Stephen Curry is one of the most influential players in the modern era of basketball. Playing an integral role in all of the Golden State Warriors NBA titles in the last decade, Curry is a three-time NBA Champion and two-time NBA MVP.
In 2017, the Warriors had torn through the playoffs to get to the NBA Finals. Coming off of a disappointing performance in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors added scoring machine Kevin Durant to their lineup the following season.
The Warriors faced LeBron James and the Cavaliers again in the 2017 NBA Finals. Curry and the Warriors took control early in the series, winning the first two games by blowing the Cavs out.
In Game Two, Curry recorded a triple-double of 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as the Warriors beat the Cavs by 19.
The Golden State Warriors emerged as NBA Champions in five games. Stephen Curry averaged 26.8 points, eight rebounds and 9.4 assists for the 2017 NBA Finals.
#5 Jimmy Butler: 2020 (2x)- NBA Finals
Jimmy Butler made one of the greatest displays in NBA Finals history during the 2020 NBA Finals against the LA Lakers.
The Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics in a hard fought series to reach the NBA Finals. After a spectacular run through the Eastern Conference, Miami had their chance at a title.
The Heat started the series off poorly, losing the first two games to the Lakers. Butler recorded 25 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists in Game Two.
However, it was in Game Three where Butler put the Heat on his back. Winning their first game of the NBA Finals, Jimmy Butler recorded a triple-double of 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.
He had to repeat his heroics again in Game Five to save the Heat's title hopes. Recording a second triple-double in the NBA Finals, Butler scored 35 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists to get the Miami Heat the win.
However, the Lakers would win the NBA title in Game Six. Jimmy Butler averaged 26.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists for the 2020 NBA Finals.
#6 LeBron James: 2013, 2017, 2018, 2015 (2x)- NBA Finals
LeBron James truly sets himself apart from other players when it comes to individual accomplishments. Having been to the NBA Finals for eight consecutive years, LeBron has put up some ridiculous numbers. Recording five 30+ point triple-doubles in the NBA Finals over the course of his career is one of them.
His first was with the Miami Heat in the 2013 NBA Finals, against the San Antonio Spurs. In the crucial sixth game, James recorded a triple-double of 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, which helped the Heat take the Finals to game seven where they won the NBA title.
His second and third came in the 2015 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the second game, LeBron recorded 39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. He repeated his heroics in Game Five, where he recorded 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
The Cavs lost the series in six games. LeBron James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists for the series.
In the 2017 NBA Finals, he would match Stephen Curry in Game Two with a triple-double of his own. However, in Game 4, he would record his fourth 30+ triple-double of 31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers lost the series in five games.
His fifth time was in the 2018 NBA Finals. He recorded 33 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in Game Three against the Warriors. The Cavs were swept in this series as the Warriors repeated the NBA Championship.
Guess the Lakers players!
