Top 5 Greatest NBA Finals MVP performances of all time

Michael Jordan and LeBron James
Michael Jordan and LeBron James

The NBA Finals is where the men are separated from the boys. It's where superstars are born and legacies are crushed. It's not a surprise that many crumble at the biggest stage there is in Basketball, but there are a few who manage to take their games to the next level.

In this article, we celebrate the greatest of those performances. Players who simply elevated their games to beyond reach of anyone else in the game. Here are the top 5 greatest performances by NBA Finals MVPs.


#5 Hakeem Olajuwon, 1995

Hakeem Olajuwon (Image Courtesy: NBA.com)
Hakeem Olajuwon (Image Courtesy: NBA.com)

Series Averages: 32.8 Points, 11.5 Rebounds, 5.5 Assists, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks

After winning MVP, DPOY and Finals MVP in 1994, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets struggled the following season and finished 47-35 which meant, not many gave them much of a chance in the playoffs.

Despite being the underdogs in all three playoff series, the Rockets stunned the world to get back to the Finals. On his way, Olajuwon dominated some of the other great bigs of his generation, beating Karl Malone and the Jazz, Barkley and the Suns and finally David Robinson and the Spurs in an unforgettable Conference Finals.

The performance against Robinson who was the MVP that season was particularly impressive and in my opinion ranks as one of the greatest performances in a playoff series in NBA history.

Come the Finals, the Rockets were once again the underdogs, going up against Shaq's Orlando Magic. Olajuwon would surprisingly end up dominating O'Neal in the Finals, scoring at least 30 points in every game. He had two memorable moments in this series, tipping in the winner in Game 1 and capping off the sweep with a rare three-pointer late in Game 4, as the Rockets won back to back championships.

#4 Shaquille O'Neal, 2001

Shaquille O'Neal (Image Courtesy: NBA.com)
Shaquille O'Neal (Image Courtesy: NBA.com)

Series Averages: 33 Points, 15.8 Rebounds, 4.8 Assists, 3.4 Blocks

For a stretch from 1999-2002 Shaquille O'Neal was the most unstoppable force the league had seen, this side of Wilt Chamberlain. At the peak of his physical prowess, Shaq led the Lakers to the Finals in a dominant fashion, as the Lakers swept the Blazers, Kings, and Spurs to set up a matchup against the Sixers and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo.

O'Neal would dominate Mount Mutombo who had no answer for the physical onslaught. While crushing the Sixers by averaging 33 Points, he also shot 57.7% from the field despite being guarded by the NBA's premier defensive big.

After a shocking Game 1 loss, O'Neal would have a statement Game 2 with 28 Points, 20 Rebounds, 9 Assists, and 8 Blocks as the Lakers won Game 2. They would carry on the momentum and win the next three games to win the series and wrap up the postseason with a then-record of 15-1.

#3 LeBron James, 2016

Andre Iguodala and LeBron James
Andre Iguodala and LeBron James

Series Averages: 29.7 Points, 11.3 Rebounds, 8.9 Rebounds, 2.6 Steals, 2.3 Blocks

The most recent entry on this list, the 2016 NBA Finals will live long in the memory of every Basketball fan. The dominant 73-9 Warriors against the massive underdog Cavaliers in a rematch of the 2015 Finals. While they blew away everyone in the regular season, Golden State stumbled in the playoffs but managed to somehow get past the Thunder despite being down 3-1.

Once the Finals got underway, however, it seemed to be business as usual as Golden State jumped to a 3-1 lead and looked set to win back to back titles. Momentum swung at the end of Game 4, however, as Draymond Green got suspended for Game 5.

What followed the suspension was arguably the best 3 game stretch of LeBron's career, as he scored 41 Points in Game 5 and 6 before a Triple Double (and that epic block) in Game 7 capped off a remarkable turnaround as the Cavs won the series in 7 games.

LeBron would end up leading both teams in every statistical category, the first time it's ever happened in the Finals. While LeBron was amazing in this series, it wasn't exactly a one-man show, which is why it doesn't go higher up the list, as we cannot just dismiss the role Kyrie Irving played in the comeback and of course who can ever forget that dagger 3 over Steph Curry which basically clinched Game 7.

#2 Shaquille O'Neal, 2000

Shaquille O'Neal (Image Courtesy: Washington Post)
Shaquille O'Neal (Image Courtesy: Washington Post)

Series Averages: 38 Points, 16.7 Rebounds, 2.3 Assists, 2.7 Blocks

Utter and complete domination. Shaq's performance in the 2000 NBA Finals was quite simply otherworldly. Having failed to capture a title thus far in his career, the Big Aristotle was determined to finally get the monkey off his back. The Lakers entered the 2000 playoffs as the number 1 seed and reached the finals despite some hiccups along the way.

In the Finals, O'Neal was a human wrecking ball. He pummelled the Pacers in the post, scoring at least 30 points in every game, just like Olajuwon had against him, back in 1995.

While he wasn't going up against a defensive specialist like Mutombo, the Pacers had pretty good defensive big men like Dale and Antonio Davis, but they were no match for O'Neal's power. While plundering 38 points a game this series, which included three 40 point games, Shaq shot a remarkable 61% from the field as the Lakers won the series in 6 games.

#1 Michael Jordan, 1993

Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan (Image Courtesy: Sporting News)
Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan (Image Courtesy: Sporting News)

Series Averages: 41 Points, 8.5 Rebounds, 6.3 Assists, 1.7 Steals

His Airness bags top spot on this list, just like he seems to on every other basketball list. Coming off back to back titles NBA titles and MVP's in 1991 and 92, Jordan and the Bulls looked to become the first team since the 60s Celtics to complete a three-peat. Standing in their way would be the Phoenix Suns and the 1993 NBA MVP Charles Barkley.

The Bulls got off to a fantastic start, winning the first two games in Phoenix, but they'd lose two of the next three at home to squander the home court advantage they'd snatched from Phoenix.

The only home victory came in Game 4 when Jordan erupted for 55 points. With the series delicately poised at 3-2, Jordan scored 33 Points in Game 6, including all but 3 of the points that the Bulls scored in the 4th quarter. His 41 PPG in the Finals remains a record to this day and he did it while shooting over 50% from the field, which is remarkable.

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Edited by Abhinav Munshi