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

#3 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 1971 NBA Finals

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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