Top 5 debut performances of all time by a player in an NBA Finals series

Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Both Chris Paul and Giannis Antetokounmpo are playing in the NBA Finals for the first time in their careers, and they've performed extraordinarily so far. Whenever NBA superstars make it to their first NBA Finals, it is interesting to see how they respond to such a high-pressure situation.

Legendary players have performed at a high level right from their first action on the league's biggest stage, though not every star player is able to maintain their composure and deliver. The 2021 NBA Finals are interesting in that regard, as Paul, Antetokounmpo and Devin Booker are all making their debuts on the biggest stage of basketball.

Greatest debut performances of all time from a player in an NBA Finals series

Legends of the past have had extraordinary outings in their first appearance in the NBA Finals, though some have struggled at the same stage.

In this article, we rank the five-best debut performances in an NBA Finals series in league history. Naturally, the efforts that led to an NBA title will mean more than anything else.


#5 Rick Barry - 1967 NBA Finals

Barry was not only an unorthodox free-throw shooter. NBA.com
Barry was not only an unorthodox free-throw shooter. NBA.com

Rick Barry was playing in his second NBA season back in 1966-67 when the San Francisco Warriors made it to the NBA Finals, mainly due to his scoring prowess. Fresh off winning the Rookie of the Year award after the 1965-66 season, Barry put up 35.6 points per game as a sophomore to win the scoring title.

In the postseason, Barry averaged 34.7 points per game and put the Warriors in the NBA Finals against Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers.

Although the Warriors fell in six games, Barry had a historic series averaging a then-record 40.8 points per game and 8.8 rebounds.

Barry had three 40-point games in the series, including his career-high in the NBA Playoffs with 55 in Game 3.


#4 Dwyane Wade - 2006 NBA Finals

Miami Heat's legend, Dwyane Wade.
Miami Heat's legend, Dwyane Wade.

In his third NBA season, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat had already played deep in the postseason in 2005, with Shaquille O'Neal guiding the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the team and Wade were ready to go a step further and reached the NBA Finals against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.

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Wade averaged 34.7 points in the six-game series and led the Heat to win the championship after falling 0-2 early in the series. Wade earned the Finals MVP award after also averaging 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game in the series.


#3 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 1971 NBA Finals

Kareem and Oscar Robertson.
Kareem and Oscar Robertson.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made it to his first NBA Finals as a sophomore in the 1970-71 NBA season. Then known as Lew Alcindor, he led the Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the league in the regular season and won the first of his record-setting six regular-season MVPs.

In the NBA Playoffs, Kareem and Oscar Robertson led Milwaukee to its first-ever NBA Finals against the Baltimore Bullets. The Bucks swept the Bullets behind Abdul-Jabbar's impressive display, as he averaged 27 points and 18.5 rebounds per game with a 60.5% shooting efficiency from the field and 76% from the free-throw line.

Kareem earned the first of his two NBA Finals MVP awards and the first of his six NBA Championship rings.


#2 Magic Johnson - 1980 NBA Finals

Magic Jonson with the Larry O'Brien trophy. Photo Credit: Focus on Sport via Getty Images.
Magic Jonson with the Larry O'Brien trophy. Photo Credit: Focus on Sport via Getty Images.

Magic Johnson was the first pick of the 1979 NBA Draft and pairing him alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the LA Lakers' roster was a tremendous idea. Right in his first season with the team and as a rookie, Magic showed his capabilities to guide an offense as Abdul-Jabbar won his sixth NBA MVP award and the LA Lakers grabbed the top seed in the West.

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The Lakers made it to the 1980 NBA Finals after winning the West with a couple of 4-1 wins over the Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics. In the NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Abdul-Jabbar dominated through five games, but an ankle injury left him out of Game 6 at Philly.

With a chance to end the series, Magic went out and played center for the LA Lakers. He scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out seven assists to win the title and earn Finals MVP honors at 20 years of age.


#1 Michael Jordan - 1991 NBA Finals

Michael Jordan performed brilliantly in the NBA Playoffs throughout his career.
Michael Jordan performed brilliantly in the NBA Playoffs throughout his career.

In his first NBA Finals, Michael Jordan made the most out of it in a series that paired the Chicago Bulls against Magic Johnson's LA Lakers. The series was fitting, as the team that would dominate the 1990s had to take down the team that won the most championships during the 1980s.

Jordan led the Bulls to the first NBA championship in franchise history by averaging 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 11.4 assists in the Bulls' 4-1 win over the LA Lakers in the deciding series.

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Jordan was extremely efficient in the series, making 55.8% of his field goals and 85% of his free throws. He had four double-doubles in the series and his 11.4 assists per game were his highest average in an NBA Finals series by far.


Also read: Why is Jerry West the NBA logo?

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Edited by Parimal