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When looking back at the best players in the league, those players are on championship teams. Often, the best are the players who stand out from the rest. These players will receive the Finals MVP award. Looking back, the Finals MVP award was awarded in 1969 for the first season. Only one player gets the trophy on the losing team. For those players who win, winning a trophy is something the likes of Stephen Curry, Dirk Nowitzki and Isiah Thomas have accomplished.
Winning multiple Finals MVP awards is very difficult. There are players who have won as many as four championships without ever winning a Finals MVP. Other players with as many as six or more rings, like Scottie Pippen and Bill Russell, never won the award. Which leads us to the hypothetical idea that a new brand of superteams has taken shape that includes multiple Finals MVP award winners. If we split the all-time 2-time Finals MVP superteam from the all-time 3+ Finals MVP superteam, who would win?
The list of superteams in the historical finals:
Finals 2-time Finals MVP Superteam: Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Finals 3+ Finals MVP superteam: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal
Let’s take a look at that game and determine which team is the best.
Kobe Bryant vs. Magic Johnson
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Two of the greatest Los Angeles Lakers have had dynasties to look back on. For Bryant, he was the master of the 2000s, winning three championships between 2000 and 2002. During that time, Kobe was not the team’s finals MVP award winner, but he eventually won two awards in 2009 and 2010 with his own ability. He led the Lakers to back-to-back championships. Bryant also participated in the 2004 and 2008 NBA Finals, but both ended in failure. Either way, letting Bryant handle the ball meant the pressure was on this team.
The better ball handler is Johnson, who has the best career assists average in franchise history. During his run in the ’80s, he led the Lakers to five championships. He won three Finals MVP awards, while teammates James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the other two. It’s a tough defensive task for Johnson, but one he’s capable of handling. The idea of ​​driving to the rim and shooting will make this game interesting.
Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan
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At one point, Bird said he thought Michael Jordan was going to be the second-best player in the world. That’s coming from the three-time MVP and leader of the Celtics. That being said, Bird was an Achilles’ heel during Jordan’s tenure with the Bulls early in his career. Bird beat Jordan 17-11 and went a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs. In those contests, Bird averaged 26.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks.
Even with Bird on the other side, Jordan was still able to score with the Celtics. Jordan may have gone 11-23 overall against Bird, but he averaged 33.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. During his Bulls days, Jordan also didn’t have a cast around like this to play with. This time the results may be different.
Kevin Durant and LeBron James
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Two of the best players of the modern era have both. Durant and James have met twice in the Finals. Both times, Durant overcame the Cavaliers to win the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals. That being said, Durant has played alongside greats like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Not too far from this superteam. Durant needs help because he has a 6-15 record in the regular season. However, in the playoffs, Durant has 9 wins and 5 losses, averaging 31.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
As for James, he has Durant in the regular season. Both players have similar stats in both atmospheres. In the regular season, James averaged 28.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Durant averaged 28.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. In the playoffs, James averaged 31.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. Based on the numbers, this will be an exciting matchup to watch. Again, we’ve seen this on live TV.
Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Tim Duncan
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Primetime Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the best two-way players in the league. He’s a guy who will beat you inside. He’s also strong on the boards and has a long wingspan for steals. It will be a tough game for Olajuwon against one of the best defenders in NBA history. Even though Duncan entered the league as a young puppy in 1998, late in Olajuwon’s career, the numbers show it was a tough game for Olajuwon.
In 10 games, Duncan went a perfect 10-0 against Olajuwon’s team. Olajuwon averaged 13.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, but he averaged 1.7 steals and 3.0 blocks per game on the defensive end. Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.2 blocks per game. The two never met in the playoffs, but based on that, Olajuwon needs to be more of a defensive player and an offense bait because Duncan has his numbers.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Shaquille O’Neal
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It’s always an interesting matchup to ponder. You have Abdul-Jabbar faster center. His quickness and shooting ability made it difficult for O’Neal to guard him. Given how slow O’Neal moves on the defensive end, skyhooks are dangerous. As far as standard post moves go, Abdul-Jabbar will get beat, but because he can run, his use in transition can lead to some baskets.
As for O’Neal, if the team can play half-court defense and do a good job with the ball, O’Neal might still be able to defend himself. It was a single play every time because O’Neal had the advantage in rebounding. This is a player who won three straight Finals MVP awards in an era when most players were traditionally bigger. Either way, these are two of the best Lakers of all time, and it will be an exciting game.
History 2 Finals MVP Superteam Advantage
As mentioned, the team will likely take advantage of the one-on-one matchup between Abdul-Jabbar and O’Neal. Because of his ability to run up and down the floor and move inside, there’s a lot to score in this game. This will help create some inside-out opportunities on the offensive end, freeing up shots for Bryant, Bird and Durant on the perimeter.
The defensive ability that Olajuwon brings is tremendous, especially his ability to help Abdul-Jabbar cover O’Neal. 3+ Finals MVP teams can’t just throw the ball at O’Neal and make him work. Olajuwon can come and help, and his block numbers against Duncan prove he can still handle the paint.
History 3+ Finals MVP Superteam Advantages
The advantage of the point guard is obvious. Compared with Kobe, who is a shooting guard, Johnson is a natural point guard. If Kobe doesn’t have the ball, he forces Bird or Durant to play. By having Byrant lead the offense, some shots might be taken away because he’s a guy who needs the floor. Bryant wasn’t a great 3-point shooter either, so a one-on-one matchup with Johnson would have been hard to create some shots.
Rebounding is also an obvious strength. Duncan has concrete data to support him rebounding Olajuwon, while O’Neal has a size advantage. Another is that both Johnson and James can grab at least 10 rebounds. As a guard, Jordan was a successful rebounder. It’s hard to imagine a 2-time Finals MVP superteam outrebounding its opponent.
Who won this game in a 7 game series?
The first matchup features the domination experience of the 3+ Finals MVP Superteam. The obvious rebounding advantage was brought into full play, and O’Neal and Duncan grabbed 37 rebounds together. With an offensive error, the team led the first game 102-81. LeBron James came close to a triple-double but came within one rebound, while Johnson had eight points and 12 assists on an uncharacteristically quiet night.
Another dominant performance from the 3+ Finals MVP team in Game 2. Johnson worked his magic by driving into the lane, creating multiple opportunities at the free throw line. Bryant was exhausted trying to slow Johnson down as his offense was limited to 2-for-15 on the night. The lack of production from one of their key offensive players forced Durant to step up his shooting. Durant scored 21 points on 8-of-23 shooting. With limited points on the night, the two-time Finals MVP Superteam lost 106-93.
Needing a win to avoid a serious hole, it was Bird who took off on a magical night. Bird’s triple-double of 32 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists put his load on the team’s shoulders. This seems to be one of those nights when everything comes crashing down. His average opponent turned out to be teammate Abdul-Jabbar with 20 points and 19 rebounds, plus seven blocks. Although Olajuwon scored zero points in the 110-95 game, he went into full defensive mode and had 10 rebounds and 5 blocks.
Game 4 was equally magical, but not from Magic Johnson. An uncharacteristically quiet Michael Jordan took over the offense with 35 points in the first three games of the series. Johnson and Jordan’s pick-and-roll chances with Duncan and O’Neal derailed the defense, giving the team an easy 107-89 win.
To avoid being eliminated, the two-time Finals MVP team needs to get serious about the brass quest. Kobe took a big step. The score was tied at 90-90 with 32 seconds left as both teams played some of the most competitive basketball in the series. After Jordan ran into the lane and missed a layup attempt, Olajuwon picked it up and passed it to Bryant. Bryant dribbles twice and hits a big 3-pointer. In this regard, Jordan missed the first shot, O’Neal grabbed the offensive rebound, but James failed to make a timely shot and fell behind 93-90.
The insiders did their best in Game 6, but the 3+ Finals MVP superteam was still annoying and hard to beat. O’Neal had 34 points and 10 rebounds, and Duncan was efficient, but James struggled to find a rhythm. When his shot hit the rim, Durant’s 45-point outburst helped win Game 6, 108-101.
It all comes down to the last game, the 3+ Finals MVP Superteam won’t lose three games in a row. Every player on the team played a great game. Johnson had 10 points and 10 assists. He resumed defense and contained Bryant. Jordan’s defense locked Bird, leading the team with 42 points and 6 steals. James’ triple single of 8 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists played a huge assist role. Duncan and O’Neal led the rebounds again, but often let Johnson and James help Jordan score in transition. After the 105-93 victory, the experience of the finals allowed the team to win the championship again.
Final result: History 2 Finals MVP Superteam vs. History 3+ Finals MVP SuperTeam 3-4
Finals MVP: Michael Jordan
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