Image via Complex Original
The 2012 NBA Finals is in full swing and we couldn't have asked for a better match-up. The Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder have their fair share of superstars, and some of them have had their "clutch gene" questioned, most notably, LeBron James. Since Chris Bosh and LeBron joined the Heat, Dwyane Wade's late-game heroics have come into question as well. How quickly we forget that Wade put on one of the most spectacular performances in NBA Finals history in 2006 when he took home the Finals MVP. He made the list and so did cats like Robert Horry, Cedric Maxwell and of course Michael Jordan. So, check out who else made it on our list of The 25 Most Clutch Players in NBA Finals History.
25. Derek Fisher
Career Playoff Stats: 8.7 PPG 2.3 RPG 2.5 APG
Finals Stats: 9.1 PPG 2.7 RPG 2.8 APG
Finals Appearances: 8
Championships: 5
Finals MVPs Won: 0
Derek Fisher does this. During the 2009 Finals vs. the Orlando Magic, Fisher single-handedly saved Game 4 for the Lake Show, sending the game to OT with a three-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation and then a game-clinching shot in overtime. He did it again during the 2010 Finals against Boston. The series was tied at 1 game a piece and the Celtics going back home for three straight games. Paul Pierce had stated after Game 2 that the series would not be going to L.A. When asked about what he thought about this, Fish gave the reporter a blank stare because actions speak louder than words.
In Game 3, Derek Fisher scored 11 of his 16 in the fourth quarter with a barrage of clutch plays and buckets. He scored four straight shots until Ray Allen stopped the bleeding with a foul with a minute and a half to go. The Lakers won the game 91-84 on their way to number 16.
24. Cedric Maxwell
Career Playoff Stats: 10.9 PPG 5.4 RPG 1.9 APG
Finals Stats: 11.7 PPG 2.8 RPG 2.3 APG
Finals Appearances: 3
Championships: 2
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (1981)
Cedric Maxwell quietly won Finals MVP for the '81 Celtics. In the 1984 Finals, he scored 24 points in a decisive Game 7 victory over the Lakers. Although he was overshadowed by teammates Larry Bird and Robert Parish, it wasn't for lack of trying. The outspoken big man once mocked the Lakers' James Worthy by walking across the lane gripping his throat between free throws to suggest Worthy would crack under the pressure.
23. Chauncey Billups
Career Playoff Stats: 17.8 PTS 3.4 RPG 5.9 APG
Finals Stats: 20.7 PPG 4.3 RPG 5.8 APG 92.9 FT%
Finals Appearances: 2
Championships: 1
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (2004)
In 2004, Rick Carlisle was let go and Larry Brown was hired to get them over the hump (swept by the Nets in the ECF the year before). He and Chauncey immediately clicked. After trading for Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons instantly became a viable threat to the three-time reigning champion Lakers because of their toughness and leadership. Mr. Big Shot led the Pistons to a stunning 4-1 romp of the Lakers in the 2004 Finals taking home the Finals MVP. He dropped 23, three, and five to go along with his tenacious defense against a Laker team featuring five Hall of Famers in Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Shaq, Kobe, and Phil Jackson. He and the Pistons found themselves in the Finals the very next year, but lost to Tim Duncan's Spurs in seven games.
22. Rick Barry
Career Playoff Stats: 24.8 PPG 5.6 RPG 4.6 APG
Finals Stats: 29.5 PPG 4 RPG 5 APG 3.5 SPG
Finals Appearances: 2
Championships: 1
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (1975)
Going into the 1975 Finals, Rick Barry and the Warriors took on the heavily favored Washington Bullets. Washington had a league high 60 wins and their star Wes Unseld was on a tear, averaging 16 rebounds per game. Four games later, the Warriors had swept the Bullets behind Barry's MVP performance. In Game 2, the Warriors erased a 13-point deficit behind Barry's 36 and eventually took a one-point lead with seconds left. He went off for 38 in Game 3 and in Game 4 after his coach, Al Attles, got himself ejected after trying to protect him, Barry went on a run amidst a chorus of boos in Washington with the help of Butch Beard, scoring the last 7 points and led Golden State to a surprise sweep.
21. Dirk Nowitzki
Career Playoff Stats: 25.9 PTS 10.3 RPG 2.6 APG
Finals Stats: 24.4 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.3 APG
Finals Appearances: 2
Championships: 1
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (2011)
Dirk has caught a lot of shit throughout his career and sometimes rightfully so. But no one can deny the performance he put on last year in the 2011 Finals vs. the newly formed Miami Heat. In Game 2, Nowitzki dogged Chris Bosh all night. He brought the Mavs back from 15 down with a couple mid-range jumpers, a layup over Bosh, a three and the game-winning nifty layup that left Bosh suspended in time. In Game 4, he played with a sinus infection that James and Wade mocked in the moments leading up to the Game 5; Dirk delivered. He, Jason Terry and Tyson Chandler led the Mavs back from a 2-1 deficit to win three straight and the series.
20. Jerry West
Career Playoff Stats: 29.1 PPG 5.6 RPG 6.3 APG
Finals Stats: 30.5 PPG* (only finals stats available)
Finals Appearances: 9
Championships: 1
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (1969)
Yes, nine appearances and only one win, but "Mr. Clutch" can't take all the blame. He had Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain for most of those losses, not to mention the dynasty in Boston. West made multiple clutch shots in the 1962 Finals vs. the Celtics, but was one-upped by Bill Russell and Sam Jones after each basket and the Lakers lost in 7. During the 1969 Finals, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke ordered balloons to be hung from the rafters before Game 7, giving Russell's old Celtics some much-needed motivation. The Lakers lost despite West's triple-double (42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists). The Logo became the only player to win Finals MVP in a losing effort.
In the 1970 Finals vs. New York, Jerry hit a 60-foot jumper that tied the game at 102-102 to send Game 3 in OT after Dave DeBusschere hit a J with three seconds left. The Lakers lost in 7. During the 1972 season, L.A. had a magical run, winning 33 games in a row and finished the year with a (then) record 69 wins. They faced off with the Knicks again in the 1972 Finals and won in five games with West playing his worst basketball.
19. Dwyane Wade
Career Playoff Stats: 25.4 PPG 5.6 RPG 5.3 APG
Finals Stats: 29.7 PPG 7.0 RPG 4.6 APG
Finals Appearances: 3
Championships: 1
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (2006)
In 2006, Dwyane Wade put on a performance that will never be forgotten. With the Heat trailing Dallas 0-2 in the series, Wade went off in the next four games, averaging 39 points, 8 boards, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals, and a block to propel Miami to their first championship. In Game 3, he scored 42 points (12 in the fourth) and in Game 5 he hit the game-winning free-throws. He averaged 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.7 SPG and a block for the series. He had a great Finals last year in a rematch with Dirk's Mavs, but it wasn't enough. Let's see if he could pull off another Herculean effort against the Thunder this year.
18. Dennis Johnson
Career Playoff Stats: 17.3 PPG 4.3 RPG 5.6 APG
Finals Stats: 18.3 PPG 4.7 RPG 6.2 APG
Finals Appearances: 6
Championships: 3
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (1979)
In the '79 NBA Finals, Johnson averaged 23 PPG and 6 rebounds to lead the Sonics over the Bullets. Johnson would go on to win Finals MVP. With the Celtics, Dennis Johnson was tasked with covering Magic. Behind DJ's smothering defense, the Celtics won the1984 Finals.
17. James Worthy
Career Playoff Stats: 21.1 PPG 5.2 RPG 3.2 APG
Finals Stats: 22.2 PPG 5.1 RPG 3.2 APG
Finals Appearances: 7
Championships: 3
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (1988)
You don't get the nickname "Big Game James" unless you're wired for the moment. During the Lakers '85 championship season, Worthy averaged 24 PPG in the Finals. Three years later, in Game 7 of the 1988 Finals, Worthy led the Lakers over the Pistons with an unbelievable 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists.
16. Walt Frazier
Career Playoff Stats: 20.7 PPG 7.2 RPG 6.4 APG
Finals Stats: 18.9 PPG 7.5 RPG 8.1 APG
Finals Appearances: 3
Championships: 2
Finals MVPs Won: 0
Walt "Clyde" Frazier was a poet on the basketball court. His style was impeccable, running Red Holzman's system like an artist. He always hit the open man, took over when he needed to, and played a unique style of defense. Clyde often made it seem like he was backing off an opponent and as soon as his man let his guard down, Frazier went in for the steal.
He used this tactic in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals vs. Jerry West's Lakers and had five steals to go along with 36 points and 19 assists. This particular performance was inspired by Willis Reed famously hobbling onto the court and hitting the Knicks first two buckets. In the 1973 Finals, Clyde's consistent play at the point helped the Knicks reel off four straight wins to beat the Lakers in 5 games.
15. Bill Walton
Career Playoff Stats: 10.8 PPG 9.1 RPG 3 APG
Finals Stats: 13.3 PPG 12.8 RPG 3.4 APG 2.2 BPG
Finals Appearances: 2
Championships: 2
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (1977)
Don't let those postseason career stats fool you. When healthy, Bill Walton was a monster. During the 1977 Finals vs. Dr. J's 76ers, Big Red averaged a workmanlike 18.5 PPG, 19 RPG and 3.7 BPG. With the Blazers in an 0-2 hole, Walton dropped 20 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists in Game 3 and 20 points, 23 boards, 8 dimes and 7 blocks in the series-clinching Game 6 to bring Portland their first and only title. In 1986, he won the Sixth Man of the Year for the Boston Celtics and played key role in winning the chip against the Houston Rockets averaging 8 and 7 for the series.
14. Isiah Thomas
Career Playoff Stats: 20.4 PPG 4.7 RPG 8.9 APG
Finals Stats: 22.6 PPG 4.2 RPG 7.9 APG
Finals Appearances: 3
Championships: 2
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (1990)
In the '84 NBA Playoffs, Isiah Thomas scored 16 points in a minute-and-a-half to send an opening round game into overtime. That's clutch. But Thomas' defining moment came in Game 6 of the 1988 Finals against the Lakers. With a severely sprained ankle, Thomas hobbled his way to 25 points in a single quarter (an NBA Finals record). The Pistons would go on to lose the game and series, but the Pistons won a pair of championships during the next two seasons.
During the 1990 Finals vs. the Blazers, Isiah scored seven straight down the stretch in Game 1 with a couple free-trows, a J, and a three to give the Bad Boys their first lead with about two minutes left. Thomas then hit a three to make it official. In Game 4, he scored 22 in the third and Detroit withstood a late Portland run. He had some help from "The Microwave" Vinnie Johnson, but still poured in 29 in Game 5 and was named Finals MVP.
13. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Career Playoff Stats: 24.3 PPG 10.5 RPG 3.2 APG
Finals Stats: 23.1 PPG 8.8 RPG 3.2 APG 2.0 BPG
Finals Appearances: 10
Championships: 6
Finals MVPs Won: 2 (1971, 1985)
Had he not gone down with an ankle injury in Game 5 of the 1980 Finals, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would have had one of the greatest championship performances of all-time. He averaged over 33 PPG, snagged 14 boards per contest, and swatted an incredible five shots per game for the series. But Jabbar saved his best performance for the 1985 Finals. In the series-clinching Game 6 he scored 29 points and won the MVP.
12. John Havlicek
Career Playoff Stats: 22.0 PPG 6.9 RPG 4.8 APG
Finals Stats: 21.6 PPG
Finals Appearances: 8
Championships: 8
Finals MVPs Won: 1 (1974)
Hondo was as important to the Celtics dynasty as Bill Russell and Red Auerbach were. Havlicek was a part of eight Boston titles in his 16-year career. In his third year, Hondo made a legendary steal against Wilt's 76ers in Game 7 of the ECF to seal the win. Before Bill Laimbeer and Danny Ainge came along, John was the only person to score nine points in an OT period of a Finals game; a series in which he was named Finals MVP. He was an all-around player that hung his hat on outlasting his opponents. His legendary stamina allowed him to lead the Celtics to a victory in a triple-OT thriller dubbed "The Greatest Game Ever Played" against the Suns in Game 5 during the 1976 Finals.
11. George Mikan
Career Playoff Stats: 23.0 PPG 13.9 RPG 2.2 APG
Finals Stats: N/A
Finals Appearances: 5
Championships: 5
Finals MVPs Won: The first NBA Finals MVP award was not awarded until 1969.
Back when the bounce pass was king and sporting a belt with your shorts was customary, George Mikan was basketball's most dominant force. Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers won the NBA's first ever championship. During their playoff run, Mikan averaged over 30 PPG. Mikan would go on to win five rings before injuries ended his career when he was just 29 years old.
10. Robert Horry
Career Playoff Stats: 7.9 PPG 5.6 RPG 2.4 APG
Finals Stats: 9.7 PPG 5.9 RPG 2.9 APG
Finals Appearances: 7
Championships: 7
Finals MVPs Won: 0
It didn't matter how many shots Robert Horry made in his career, it mattered when he made them. Horry has more rings than Jordan, Magic, and Larry. While winning a pair of rings with the Rockets, he set NBA Finals records for steals in Game 2 of the 1995 Finals vs. Orlando. In Game 3, Horry hit a corner three with 14 ticks left to give Houston a 104-100 lead and eventually the win.
With the Lakers he hit game-clinching shots in four consecutive playoff series. During Game 3 in the 2001 Finals vs. Philly, Horry hit another daggar three with 47 seconds left to give them a four-point lead. He was also a 44% FT shooter in those same playoffs and went 4-4 in the last minute to cap the win. Then, with the Spurs, Horry hit a game-clinching three-pointer in Game 5 of the 2005 Finals vs. Detroit, he scored 19 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and OT. Big Shot Bob is a bad man.
9. Hakeem Olajuwon
Career Playoff Stats: 25.9 PPG 11.2 RPG 3.2 APG
Finals Stats: 27.4 PPG 10.6 RPG 3.4 APG 3.2 BPG
Finals Appearances: 3
Championships: 2
Finals MVPs Won: 2 (1994, 1995)
The Dream owned the L during Jordan's absence, carrying the Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. He also played a part in Houston's 1986 Finals trip vs. Boston as a second year player. Against the Knicks in the 1994 Finals, he blocked a potentially Finals-clinching three by John Starks as time expired in Game 6 and held Patrick Ewing to 36% shooting from the field, overcoming a 3-2 series deficit. He won Finals MVP and became the first player to win that award, the MVP, and DPOY in the same season.
During the 1995 Finals vs. an up-and-coming Orlando squad, Olajuwon embarrassed Shaquille O'Neal by putting up 32.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2 SPG and 2 BPG which led to another Finals MVP. Hakeem became the greatest center of his era with those two championships.
8. Tim Duncan
Career Playoff Stats: 22.3 PPG 12.1 RPG 3.4 APG
Finals Stats: 22.7 PPG 14.4 RPG 2.4 APG 3.0 BPG
Finals Appearances: 4
Championships: 4
Finals MVPs Won: 3 (1999, 2003, 2005)
Duncan kicked in the door in his first Finals in '99. The Spurs forward was stellar defensively and the Knicks never scored more than 90 points in the five-game series. Nobody watched the Net-Spurs Finals in '03 and it's a shame. Tim Duncan averaged 24 PPG, 17 boards, and over five blocks per game. You read that right, Duncan averaged five blocks per game in the series, the most of any player since the merger. Duncan would go on to lead the Spurs to a pair of championships in '05 and '07.
7. Shaquille O'Neal
Career Playoff Stats: 24.3 PPG 11.6 RPG 2.7 APG
Finals Stats: 28.8 PPG 13.1 RPG 3.3 APG 2.1 BPG
Finals Appearances: 6
Championships: 4
Finals MVPs Won: 3 (2000, 2001, 2002)
In the first of three consecutive Laker championships he bookended a sweep of the Pacers in 2000 with 43 points in the series opener and 41 in the clincher. That performance was amazing but it was nothing compared to what he did in '02. Shaq obliterated the Nets, averaging 36 points and 12 rebounds per game. He set a record for points and free throw attempts in a four-game series and was whistled for a mere seven fouls in those four games.
6. Larry Bird
Career Playoff Stats: 23.8 PPG 10.3 RPG 6.5 APG
Finals Stats: 23.1 PPG 11.6 RPG 6.2 APG
Finals Appearances: 5
Championships: 3
Finals MVPs Won: 2 (1984, 1986)
He was slow, couldn't jump, but those things didn't matter. Larry Legend wanted to win more than anybody else. Bird never met a challenge he didn't like, whether it was against Magic's Showtime Lakers or against a young Rockets team that featured Ralph Sampson and Hakeem, the original Twin Towers.
In just his second year in the league, Bird helped in getting the franchise's 14th title in 1981, grabbing 20+ rebounds in Games 1 and 2. During the 1984 Finals vs. Magic's Lakers, a series that changed the game, Bird outplayed his frenemy by averaging 27 points and 14 boards in 7 games, giving him Finals MVP honors. Two years later the Legend went up against two 7-footers in Sampson and Olajuwon. He averaged damn near a triple-double for the series—24 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists—and took home another Finals MVP.
5. Kobe Bryant
Career Playoff Stats: 25.6 PPG 5.1 RPG 4.7 APG
Finals Stats: 26.1 PPG 5.7 RPG 5.0 APG
Finals Appearances: 7
Championships: 5
Finals MVPs Won: 2 (2009, 2010)
In terms of playing both sides of the court at a Hall of Fame level and wanting to win by any means, he's just like Jordan. Bryant hurt his ankle in Game 2 of the 2000 Finals vs. the Pacers and missed Game 3 but came back for Game 4 with 22 points in the second half and hit the game-winning shot in OT with Shaq fouled out of the game.
In the 2009 Finals vs. Orlando, Bryant averaged 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in the series, making him the first to average 30 points and 7 assists since Jerry West did it in the 1969 Finals and the first to put up 30 points, 5 boards, and 5 dimes since His Airness. During the 2010 Finals vs. Boston, Kobe had a horrible Game 7 offensively, but snatched 15 boards and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to win his fifth championship.
4. Sam Jones
Career Playoff Stats: 18.9 PPG 4.7 RPG 2.3 APG
Finals Stats: *N/A
Finals Appearances: 11
Championships: 10
Finals Mvps Won: N/A
There aren't many guys who can put a championship ring on all ten fingers. In fact, there are only two, Sam Jones and some guy named Bill Russell. Nicknamed "The Shooter," Jones is known for being one of the most clutch shooters in the history of basketball. Before the 1962 Finals, Jones hit a jumper with the score tied at 107 over Wilt in Game 7 of the Eastern Division Finals to secure the win with two seconds left.
During the '62 Finals vs. the Lakers, Jones scored five of Boston's 10 points in OT of Game 7 to help Boston get the win. His most famous clutch shot came during Game 4 of the 1969 Finals vs. the Lakers. Jones came off a curl at the top of the key and shot a fade-away off of the wrong foot to win the game at the buzzer.
3. Magic Johnson
Career Playoff Stats: 19.5 PPG 7.7 RPG 12.3 APG
Finals Stats: 19.4 PPG 7.9 RPG 11.7 APG
Finals Appearances: 9
Championships: 5
Finals MVPs Won: 3 (1980, 1982, 1987)
Magic showed us he wasn't scared early in his career, leading the Lakers past the Sixers in the 1980 Finals as a rookie. In Game 6, Magic started at center, played every other position on the floor and dropped 42 points and grabbed 15 boards in a performance for the books. During the 1987 Finals vs. Boston, Johnson averaged 26 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists and 2 steals. And don't forget the baby skyhook he hit in Game 4 after erasing a 16-point deficit. He led the Lakers to nine Finals appearances and five titles in 11 years.
2. Bill Russell
Career Playoff Stats: 16.2 PPG 24.9 RPG 4.7 APG
Finals Stats: 16.5 PPG* (only Finals stats available)
Finals Appearances: 11
Championships: 11
Finals MVPs Won: N/A
10-0 in Game 7s (1-0 in Game 5s), 11 for 11 in Finals appearances including 9 straight. In those eleven "win or go home" games, Russell averaged 18 points and 29 rebounds per game. That's really all that should be said. Bill Russell turned defense and rebounding into an art form. He was 6'9", 220 pounds and played center against giants like Wilt Chamberlain and Walt Bellamy, but he was always the smartest player on the floor.
Bill used his cerebral powers to lead the Celtics to back-to-back titles in '68 and '69 as a player/coach. He holds the record for most rebounds in the Finals with 40 and he did it twice. He also grabbed 30 rebounds in 3 straight games during the 1959 Finals vs. the Lakers, 30 rebounds in 15 straight Finals games between 1960-1963 and holds the highest rebounding average for a Finals with 29.5 vs. Lakers in 1959. He most likely would've held all the blocks records, but they didn't count them back then. On top of all that, the NBA Finals MVP award was renamed the "Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award" in his honor.
1. Michael Jordan
Career Playoff Stats: 33.4 PPG 6.4 RPG 5.7 APG
Finals Stats: 33.6 PPG 6.0 RPG 4.0 RPG
Finals Appearances: 6
Championships: 6
Finals MVPs Won: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Where do we start? Switching hands in mid-air against the Lakers in '91? Six straight threes against the Blazers in '92? The pass to Paxson against the Suns in '93? Beating the Sonics on Father's Day in '96? The "Flu Game" against the Jazz in '97? Or "The Shot" against the Jazz in '98? How about never facing a Game 7 in six Finals appearances?
Michael Jordan lived in the clutch. He got better when shit was real. MJ has the highest ppg average in the playoffs in history. After leading the Bulls to their first 3-peat, he retired and came back to add another 3-peat. If he would've never left the first time and the band didn't break up after the second string of chips, the Bulls had potential to bring in at least a couple more. MJ, His Airness, The GOAT, whatever you want to call him, he is the most clutch player in NBA Finals history.