8 NBA Stars Who Carried Their Teams to Finals Victories

The NBA is a team-oriented game, and championship-winners usually have the most well-rounded rosters. However, in times of need, one player can just...take charge and lead a team to victory. This can prove most important during a high stakes game, such as the NBA Finals. These are eight stars who carried their teams to titles, nearly all by themselves.

8. Dwyane Wade, 2006

Dwyane Wade was incredible during the 2006 NBA Finals for the Miami Heat. /

During his third season in the NBA, Wade put up some of the most incredible numbers in NBA Finals history. Over the course of the '06 Finals, Wade averaged an incredible 34.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals to carry Miami to their first NBA title.

7. Larry Bird, 1986

Larry Bird was an absolute stud for the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. /

In the 1986 NBA Finals, Larry Bird had an excellent series, even for him. Over the course of the six-game series, Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 2.7 steals. Bird was otherworldly during this series, and carried the team on his back to the win.

6. Magic Johnson, 1980

Magic Johnson stepped up big time as an NBA rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers. /

As a rookie, Magic Johnson had an incredible Finals for the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson, in the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, put up an average of 2.1.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 2.7 steals a night to help his team win the series in six games.

5. Bill Walton, 1977

Bill Walton, in his third NBA season, was the star of the Portland Trail Blazers' title winning team. / Focus On Sport/Getty Images

Bill Walton, the NBA's MVP in the regular season and the Finals in 1977, put up incredible numbers in the championship round. In the six-game series, Walton averaged 18.5 points, 19 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.7 blocks as his team won 4-2.

4. Kobe Bryant, 2009

Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant in the 2009 NBA Finals was absolutely incredible. / Harry How/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant is one of the most talented individuals in NBA history, and all his skills were on full display against the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals. In the five-game series, Bryant put up 32.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and a combined 2.8 steals and blocks per game.

3. Bill Russell, 1962

In game 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals, Bill Russell played his best for the Celtics when it mattered most. /

Bill Russell has put up some crazy stat lines in his NBA career, but this one series tops the rest. In the 1962 NBA Finals, Russell put up 22.9 points, 27 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game during the seven-game series, helping his team come out on top.

2. LeBron James, 2016

James willed his team to victory against the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals / Jason Miller/Getty Images

LeBron James has been one of the most dominant postseason players ever, and the 2016 Finals were not an exception by any means. Over the seven-game series, James put up 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, securing Cleveland its first championship and James' third overall.

1. Michael Jordan, 1993

The Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan had one of the best Finals performances ever against the Phoenix Suns /

Michael Jordan is known to many as the greatest basketball player to grace the sport, so his spot here should surprise nobody. In the 1993 NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls' legend had an historic series, putting up 41 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals a night. Jordan was just incredible, carrying his team to their third championship in a row.