23 Reasons To Watch The NBA Finals
With the possibility of a Celtics/Lakers finals, one recalls finals wars of the past. From the early dominance of the Celtics to the crazy seventies and Laker/Celtics battles of the 1980's to the greatest one-man gang ever Michael Jordan in the 90's to the Spurs/Lakers 2000's, the Finals is where the greatest are measured.
I took the 23 greatest players from my x-factor 180 greatest players ever list and these are your 23 reasons to love the Finals.
#23 - Isiah Thomas - The diminutive point man was the first player to ever have over 1,000 assist in a single season, but the little guy scored too. Remember when he scored 24 in the fourth while injured? That was so cool. Isiah is probably the most underrated player ever. Won titles in 1989 and 1990.
#22 - LeBron James - Though they lost again in 2010, LeBron was sick, with a triple double. He is the best player in the NBA, but his team isn't the best. I actually feel sorry for him.
#21 - John Havlicek - Probably no one player has ever played with so much energy and constant movement. If he was playing today he would average over 30 so easily, and he'd be the best defensive player, easily. He won six championships in Boston with Bill Russell and then two more in 1974 and 1976, without big Bill!
#20 - Julius Erving - Dr.J has compiled some of the nastiest finals playoff moments ever, though his team mostly lost in the finals. In 1977 they lost to Walton and Portland and in 1980 the lost to Magic and the Lakers, but in 1983 they finally did it. Erving and Moses Malone teamed up to win it all for Philly.
#19 - David Robinson - Some said he was too soft to win it all. He was 7'1" and 250 pounds of pure muscle. In 1999, along with second year man Duncan, the Admiral played sweet defense, and scored when needed to win it all. Then in 2003, when he was really old, the Duncan/Robsinson twin towers did it again. Then, perfectly, he retired.
#18 - Bob Pettit - In 1957 the Celtics started winning all those fabled titles.They would have won ten straight titles, instead of eight if it weren't for one man: Bob Pettit. In 1958, the scoring machine schooled the Celtics and won the (St. Louis) Hawks' only ever title. It was all Pettit's fault, know that! Study - you history haters.
#17 - Tim Duncan - In 1999 and 2003, Duncan had his teacher in tow to win titles against the Knicks and then the Nets. In 2005, the Admiral was gone and Duncan didn't let it stop him from getting another title, along with his little buddies, Ginobili and Parker. In 2007 they won it again against LeBron.
#16 - John Stockton - Man, oh man. Johnny boy did everything he ever could to give the Jazz a chance. They made the playoffs every freakin year and in 1997 and 1998 they even made it to the NBA Finals....but they had to play MJ. Sorry Johnny boy, you were the greatest pure point guard ever, if it's any consolation.
#15 - Oscar Robertson won one title in 1971 when he teamed up with Kareem in Milwaukee. The reason he is so high up on this list is that he is the only player to ever average a triple double for an entire season, even though others like Jordan, LeBron and Magic got close.
#14 - Charles Barkley - The Round Mound of Rebound was a truly fantastic player. I was there to see. He could do anything, but he didn't do it at exactly the right times. Proof is, the one year he takes his team to a finals and it has to be in 1993, when Barkley was named NBA MVP. Jordan didn't like that, did he? Jordan was the real MVP in 1993.
#13 - Jerry West earned the name Mr. Clutch, but kinda like Barkley, he didn't really push his team to win titles until he teamed up with Wilt the Stilt in 1972 and won the NBA title. He was more amazing than people know; and remember the cross-court three to send it into overtime?
#12 - Moses Malone is the kind of guy that every team that wants to win a title needs to have. That is precisely why the Philadelphia 76ers picked him up for the 1983 season. Dr. J lost twice in the Finals before without a great big man to help. In 1983 they won the NBA title. Moses Malone is the reason why.
#11 - Kobe Bryant - After three years of learning how to play alongside Shaq; Kobe and the Lakers get Phil Jackson. Jordan's former coach, who won six titles under Jordan, with no losses, won it all for the Lakers in 2000 and 2001 and 2002. Jackson must have been pissed when Shaq and Malone and GP and Kobe couldn't win it in the finals in 2004. He must have wished he had Jordan back instead of Kobe. Could you actually see Jordan letting a team with those three guys lose in the finals? NO WAY. Same in 2008, when Kobe didn't will his team to a title. But in 2009, Kobe finally had a refined big man, Gasol, to lean on and they won it all again. Will they make it to the finals in 2010?
#10 - Elgin Baylor - His finals story is crazy, and kind of sad. The unstoppable force that was Baylor made it to the finals plenty of times never winning. In 1971-72 the Lakers had West, Wilt and Goodrich, and Baylor, at first. After a few games Baylor retired in the early part of the season. So the Lakers go 69-13 that year and win a title, but Baylor wasn't there. After having one of the greatest individual careers ever..he retired a few games too early.
#09 - Karl Malone - The biggest loser ever. I write that not as an insult but as a compliment. He was so good for so long that it was amazing. He was one of the greatest scorers ever and you would think that a guy this powerful and strong would have what it takes to win it all. He also had the greatest pure PG ever alongside him all the way: Stockton. In 1997 and 1998 he had his chance, but I guess that's how great Jordan was, with no center, ever, he still never let his team lose. Karl, it's just amazing that you lost in 2004 with Shaq, Kobe and Gary Payton as teammates. After that finals loss in 2004, I never felt sorry for you again.
#08 - Larry Bird - The legend earned his status. In 1981, the second year player led the Celtics to a title, and then he did it again in 1984 and 1986. He shot so good that it was amazingly startling. Bird, was well, the greatest shooter ever.
#07 - Hakeem Olajuwon was the reason that the Rockets won it all in 1994 and 1995, you know, the two seasons Jordan was retired. he was so much greater than any player playing in 2010, by far.
#06 - Magic won five titles and lost in four finals. he went to the finals nine times, finally losing to Jordan and the Bulls in 1991. If Magic was playing today we would absolutely see how awesome he was...eat your heart out Kobe.
#05 - Bill Russell won 11 titles. He was not an amazing scorer but he was a defensive mastermind who could score if needed. He played the game perfectly. His team mindset proves he wasn't the greatest individual player ever, but he was the greatest team player ever.
#04 - Shaquille O'Neal at his peak would smash any player of any era ever. How soon people forget how unstoppable Shaq has been. He was Finals MVP in 2000,2001 and 2002, with Kobe on his team. In 2006 he used Wade's superb talent to win another title. He did lose bad in 1995 vs the Rockets and in 2004 vs the Pistons.
#03 - Kareem Abdul Jabbar - at 7'2" he was unstoppable with the skyhook and great defense. In 1971 he won a tile with the big O and then he won five more with the Lakers from 1980 to 1988. In 1971 he became the only player ever to lead the NBA regular season in scoring and still win a championship. Jordan later did that six times!
#02 - Wilt Chamberlain - Wilt scored 100 points in a single game and averaged 50.4 points per game one season and he averaged 27 rebound per game one season, but he never won a title until he wasn't the league's leading scorer. In 1967 he won a title and in 1972 he did too. Both times he wasn't the main scorer but he was an awesome defender. He lost in the finals four times.
#01 - Michael Jordan - 6-0 finals record - highest scoring average of any player ever for regular season AND playoffs. Six-time Finals MVP. What? This guy was a defensive player of the year too! Man, don't EVER COMPARE ANYONE TO JORDAN, ok? It just makes you seem so dumb.
