L.A. Lakers: 10 Greatest NBA Finals Performances of the Past 30 Years
The NBA Finals. It separates the men from the boys—the superstars from the legends. You will either gain recognition or be forgotten for your inability to perform.
Five L.A. Lakers have exemplified this ability to rise above the competition and prove victorious. Their respective performances have enshrined and memorialized their careers in the prestigious upper-echelon of the basketball realm that only a few players have ever had the distinct privilege of experiencing.
10. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1985
1 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 25.7 | 9.0 | 5.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 60.4 | 76.9 |
After the Lakers suffered a disappointing 34-point loss at the hands of the Celtics in Game 1, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a ridiculous 30-point, 17-rebound, eight-assist, three-block outburst in Game 2 at the Boston Garden to turn the tides.
In Game 3, Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA playoffs' all-time leading scorer, although Michael Jordan later surpassed that mark.
Abdul-Jabbar went on to lead the Lakers in scoring in the last three games of the series and helped capture an NBA Championship. This was the Lakers' first championship in nine attempts against the Celtics.
9. James Worthy, 1988
2 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 22.0 | 7.4 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 49.2 | 73.5 |
James Worthy's Game 7 performance was one of the single greatest and most clutch individual performances in the history of the league. He put up a staggering 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists on 68 percent shooting.
Believe it or not, this was Worthy's only triple-double in his long and lavished NBA career, and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time.
The Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons by a mere three points, and Worthy's Game 7 exploits were largely responsible. He was rewarded for his impressive on-court performance by being awarded the Finals MVP award.
8. Magic Johnson, 1988
3 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 21.0 | 5.7 | 13.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 55.0 | 86.6 |
Despite fighting the flu and the "Bad Boy" Pistons, Magic still managed to lead the Lakers' to their 11th NBA championship.
Magic led the Lakers, despite his illness, in both Game 2 and Game 3 with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and 18 points, 14 assists and six rebounds, respectively.
James Worthy may have won the Finals MVP award, but it was solely due to his Game 7 triple-double. Johnson fueled the Lakers through the first six games and played a big role in Game 7.
7. Magic Johnson, 1980
4 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 21.5 | 8.7 | 11.2 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 57.3 | 87.5 |
Magic Johnson's Game 6 performance against the Philadelphia 76ers was one of the most memorable and outstanding individual Finals efforts in NBA history. He posted 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals on 61 percent shooting from the field and a perfect 100 percent from the charity stripe while filling in for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Magic played all five positions that night at varying points in the game and played them to a tee.
Despite being a rookie, Magic won the NBA Finals MVP award and helped close out the 76ers in six.
6. Kobe Bryant, 2009
5 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 32.4 | 5.6 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 43.0 | 84.0 |
Kobe Bryant played phenomenally in the Game 5 closer, putting up 30 points, six rebounds, five assists and four blocks.
His exploits weren't just limited to Game 5 though; Bryant had 40 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the Game 1 opener. He went on to lead the team in scoring and assists in every single game.
Bryant's performance was most notable because it was his first championship without the aid of superstar center Shaquille O'Neal. Bryant didn't miss a beat without Superman though, and went on to win the series MVP award.
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1980
6 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 33.4 | 13.6 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 0.6 | 54.9 | 80.8 |
Magic Johnson's 1980 Game 6 efforts may have closed out the series, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's consistency fueled the Lakers to a 3-2 series lead before going down with an ankle injury.
Abdul-Jabbar had 33 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and five blocks in the series opener to push the Lakers to a seven-point victory. In Game 5 he had 40 points and 15 rebounds; 14 of his points came on a bad ankle in the fourth quarter.
I think it's safe to say Abdul-Jabbar would have been the 1980 MVP if not for his injury.
4. Shaquille O'Neal, 2001
7 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 33.0 | 15.8 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 57.3 | 51.3 |
In Shaq's second Finals appearance as a Laker, he led L.A. to a nearly perfect 16-1 playoff record.
The Diesel posted 44 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in the Game 1 Finals loss, He followed up his Game 1 performance with a ridiculous, near triple-double consisting of 28 points, 20 rebounds and eight blocks.
The Lakers finished the Sixers in five.
3. Shaquille O'Neal, 2002
8 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 36.0 | 12.3 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 59.5 | 66.2 |
Superman led the Lakers' onslaught of the New Jersey Nets to win his last championship with the team. He had 36 points and 16 rebounds in the opener, was two assists away from a triple-double in Game 2 (40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists) and finished the series with 34 points and 10 rebounds.
The most dominant player in the game lived up to his reputation with this impressive and consistent Finals performance.
2. Shaquille O'Neal, 2000
9 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 38.0 | 16.7 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 61.1 | 38.7 |
The Diesel was absolutely unstoppable in this series; the only blemish on his otherwise immaculate 2002 Finals resume was his free-throw percentage.
Shaquille went off for 43 points and 19 rebounds in Game 1, and 41 points and 12 rebounds in the Game 6 closer.
His Game 2 performance was the most remarkable, though. Despite making only 18 of 39 free throws—an NBA Finals record for attempts—the Big Fella still managed 40 points and 24 rebounds.
Indiana Pacers coach Larry Bird resorted to the "Hack-a-Shaq" method in hopes of getting back into the game. Although the method worked, the Pacers couldn't close the gap and dropped to 2-0 before losing in six games.
1. Magic Johnson, 1987
10 of 10| PTS | REBS | ASSTS | BLKS | STLS | FG% | FT% |
| 26.2 | 8.0 | 13.0 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 54.1 | 96.0 |
I can't stress enough how truly "Magical" this man's performance was. Johnson was the epitome of super-human; he was consistently effective and nearly flawless.
Even Oscar Robertson would have been jealous of Magic's near triple-double series stat-line. He was two rebounds away from triple-doubles in Game 1, Game 5 and Game 6, and was one assist away from a trip-dub in Game 3.
Oh yeah—he also had a 22-point, 22-assist Game 2 and was named the Finals MVP.
To top it all off, Magic's infamous, game-winning, Kareem-esque sky-hook came out of this series. It's probably one of the top five greatest and most recognizable moments in NBA history.
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