NBA legends: Their stats in Finals losses
For some, it's all about the rings when ranking players.
But if you look at the numbers of NBA stars in Finals they lost, it shows how flawed that logic can be. Sometimes, opponents are just too tough to overcome despite heroic performances.
Jerry West, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, for example, all posted stat lines in defeats that would have gotten them Finals MVP without a doubt had they won their series. West actually did win Finals MVP in 1969 despite his Los Angeles Lakers falling to the Boston Celtics in Game 7, making him the only player in league history to earn Finals MVP despite losing in the championship series.
And looking at some of the numbers below, maybe that's something that should happen more often.
Besides West, James and Durant, there are a few other players who have a reputation for struggling to win the big one below who actually posted great numbers in defeat.
For more on how NBA legends fared in Finals losses, just peruse the gallery we put together below.
Jerry West: Nine Finals played, eight lost
Elgin Baylor: Seven Finals played, seven lost
LeBron James: Ten Finals played, six lost
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Ten Finals played, four lost
Wilt Chamberlain: Six Finals played, four lost
Magic Johnson: Nine Finals played, four lost
Bob Pettit: Four Finals played, three lost
Julius Erving: Four Finals played, three lost
James Worthy: Six Finals played, three lost
Karl Malone: Three Finals played, three lost
Wes Unseld: Four Finals played, three lost
Kevin Durant: Four Finals played, two lost
Shaquille O'Neal: Six Finals played, two lost
Stephen Curry: Six Finals played, two lost
Clyde Drexler: Three Finals played, two lost
Larry Bird: Five Finals played, two lost
Kobe Bryant: Seven Finals played, two lost
Kevin McHale: Five Finals played, two lost
Dwyane Wade: Five Finals played, two lost
Elvin Hayes: Three Finals played, two lost
Jason Kidd: Three Finals played, two lost
Ray Allen: Four Finals played, two lost
John Stockton: Two Finals played, two lost
Bob McAdoo: Four Finals played, two lost
Gary Payton: Three Finals played, two lost
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBA legends: Their stats in Finals losses