7 Most Dominant NBA Finals MVPs of All Time
By Michael Luciano
Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors dusted the Golden State Warriors in six games to bring Canada their first NBA championship. Leonard was named Finals MVP after having one of the great Finals performances in recent memory. With his legendary performance earning him his second Finals MVP, Kawhi joins these six individuals as the authors of the best finals performances in NBA history.
7. Kevin Durant, 2017
In his first season as a Warrior, Durant let the world know that he is as lethal as they come when the pressure is on. KD averaged 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists over the course of the Warriors five game sweep of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
6. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1971
Hall of Famer Wes Unseld and the Baltimore Bullets looked like a tough matchup coming into the 1971 Finals, but a Milwaukee Bucks team led by Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson swept them aside in four games. Kareem himself was unstoppable, averaging 27.0 points and 18.5 rebounds over the course of the four-game sweep.
5. Kawhi Leonard, 2019
Let's call it what it is. Kawhi Leonard was all-time great in that series, KD or no KD. With 28.5 points, 9.8 boards, and 4.2 assists while playing his usual stellar one-on-one defense, Leonard led a team without a second superstar past the Warriors dynasty. Board man got another ring.
4. Hakeem Olajuwan, 1995
Hakeem was just on another level in this series. In the two years the Rockets ruled the league following Michael Jordan's retirement, Olajuwan and Houston looked like they were playing at a different speed than everyone else. 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in a four game series would have bee dominant enough, but Olajuwan's two steals and two blocks per game vaults him to No. 4 on the list.
3. LeBron James, 2016
Not only did LeBron bring a championship to his hometown, but he did so with one of the most dominant performances in basketball history. Hear nearly averaged a triple double, putting up 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game to go along with over 2 steals and blocks per game.
2. Shaquille O'Neal, 2000
Anytime some 14-year-old tries to convince you that Draymond Green or anyone today could have limited Shaquille O'Neal, just show them his Finals performance against the Indiana Pacers in 2000. 38 points per game, 16.7 rebounds per game, and 2.7 blocks per game. No player his size had Shaq's power inside, and no one has come close to matching him since.
1. Michael Jordan, 1993
Jordan against the Suns before he retired the first time is the greatest Finals performance in history, and there isn't really a close second. Jordan AVERAGED 41 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game, with his best coming in a 55-point barrage in Game 4. Simply put, it's the single most dominant postseason performance in the history of the sport.