FOR all the scoring accomplishments of recently-retired Kobe Bryant, Cleveland’s LeBron James or even Golden State’s Stephen Curry in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals in the recent past, no one player has come close to the offensive wizardry of the legendary Michael Jordan at his prime and in the biggest stage.
Until now, His Airness still owns the all-time NBA record for the highest scoring average in a single NBA Finals.
Jordan gained the distinction when he hit at a 41-point clip for the Chicago Bulls in their 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Suns during the 1993 title playoffs.
It was the year that Jordan lost the NBA regular-season Most Valuable Player race to close friend Charles Barkley, who at the time was the Suns’ meal ticket.
The humbling experience served as the 6-foot-6 guard’s motivation.
In addition to Jordan, who’s now the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets (formerly Bobcats), two other Hall of Famers averaged at least 40 points during an NBA Finals.
They are Rick Barry and Elgin Baylor.
A prolific scorer for the San Francisco (now Golden State) Warriors whose trademark was his unorthodox underhanded free throw stance, Barry netted 40.8 ppg during the 1967 Finals. The 6-foot-7 forward’s efforts, however, went for naught as Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers crushed the Warriors in six games.
Los Angeles Lakers frontliner Elgin Baylor’s 40.6-point norm during the seven-game 1962 NBA Finals likewise was put to waste when Bill Russell, the winningest player in league history with 11 title rings, and the Boston Celtics came through with a 4-3 win.
During the epic series, Baylor also registered the highest individual score for a championship-series contest when he chalked up 61 points during the Lakers’ 126-121 Game Five triumph at the now-demolished Boston Garden on April 14, 1962 that temporarily gave LA a 3-2 lead.
In contrast, when he was virtually a one-man team for the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals against Golden State year ago with injuries to All-Star teammates Kevin Love (out for the entire series) and Kyrie Irving (out after Game One), James “only” averaged 35.8 points along with 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.33 steals in 45.8 minutes a game. Cleveland fell to Golden State, 4-2, in the title duel after leading 2-1.
LeBron’s 123 points after three games in the series set an NBA Finals record. This surpassed Barry’s 122 with the San Francisco Warriors in the first three games of the 1967 NBA Finals vs. the 76ers. Barry did not benefit from the three-point shot rule as the latter was only introduced during the 1979-80 wars.
James’ totals of 215 points, 80 rebounds and 53 assists topped all players from both Cleveland and Golden State. He became the first and only player ever to lead a Finals in points, rebounds and assists.