The thrill of winning a championship at any level is indescribable, even more so, obviously, if that crown is obtained in Game 7. In the NBA there are many things that must converge for that achievement: preseason games, 82 regular season games and depending on the circumstances, up to 28 more playoff games.
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For this reason, defining a whole year of work in a single game, in Game 7, generates expectations, nerves, illusion and anxiety that not many players have been able to manage and use for the benefit of their teams. So, without further ado, let's take a look at the 10 best Game 7 performances in NBA Finals history.
10 Dave Cowens (1974)
Throughout the 1973-1974 season, the successful Boston Celtics relied on a very effective trio of players to win that year's crown. Point guard Jo Jo White, small forward John Havlicek and 6'9, 230-pound center Dave Cowens. Between the three of them, they took turns being the highlight reel in virtually every game of the season.
But luck smiled on Cowens in that year's defining game, against the home Milwaukee Bucks on May 12, when in 47 minutes of action he scored 28 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, assisted on four opportunities, stole two balls and blocked one to celebrate the 102-87 victory.
9 Hakeem Olajuwon (1994)
In front of his home crowd at The Summit, Houston, on June 22, Hakeem Olajuwon had perhaps, for what it meant, his best performance with his beloved Rockets.
That magical night he managed to score 25 points, grab 10 rebounds, with seven dimes, a steal and three important blocks against the New York Knicks of Pat Ewing. This achievement meant the first championship in the history of the team that the following year, would win the title again.
8 LeBron James (2016)
After having one of the least spectacular regular seasons in his career, LeBron James, as he has done for many years, became a true leader to give the Cleveland Cavaliers the first title in franchise history.
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Against the mighty Golden State Warriors of his great rival Stephen Curry, LeBron stepped up as he knows how to do and in the thrilling seventh game of the finals he put up the following numbers: 11 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, three blocks and 27 points in the close 93-89 victory at the Oracle Arena in Oakland.
7 LeBron James (2013)
The Miami Heat, founded in 1988, did not wait too long to win their first title, as they were the best in the 2005-2006 season. But it seems that their management planned to repeat the feat as soon as possible, so for the 2010-2011 season they hired top player LeBron James, who did not take long to deliver.
Four years for two titles is LBJ's legacy in Miami, and in Game 7 of the 2012-2013 Finals, against the San Antonio Spurs, he had an extraordinary night with 37 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals in the 95-88 victory.
6 Bill Russell (1966)
Bill Russell put on an excellent performance to the 13,909 people in attendance at the Boston Garden on the night of April 28, 1966, when his Celtics won the championship against their eternal rival the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the 95-93 victory that gave the Celtics their eighth straight title and the ninth in history, Russell scored 25 points and grabbed 32 rebounds, just ridiculous. It is worth mentioning that he played the entire game.
5 Bill Russell (1960)
"Whiskers", as the 6'10, 215-pound center Bill Russell was affectionately known, had a mind-blowing Game 7 performance to define the champions of the 1959-1960 season against the team that selected him in the draft, the St. Louis Hawks.
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In front of the packed Boston Garden, he scored 22 points and dished out four assists, and grabbed 35 rebounds, yes you read that right. Believe it or not, the entire opposing team took 39 rebounds.
4 Walt Frazier (1970)
The Atlanta native point guard with 13 seasons of service in his career, also deserves a mention on this list. Walt Frazier recorded 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds in the New York Knicks' 113-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers of the fantastic trio of Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.
These are more than enough arguments for this individual performance to be considered among the best in NBA Finals history.
3 Tom Heinsohn (1957)
Tom Heinsohn won eight championship rings with the Boston Celtics, including seven straight rings. He was always great, but in one specific game he stole the show.
In Game 7 of the 1957 Finals against the St. Louis Hawks when, in his first season and at only 22 years old, he scored 37 points, grabbed 23 rebounds, and dished out a couple of assists to lead the Celtics to a 125-123 win.
2 James Worthy (1988)
First pick of the 1982 NBA Draft, with a 12-year Hall of Fame worthy career, James Worthy always showed grit and talent.
In the last and decisive game of the 1988 Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the bad boys the Detroit Pistons, Worthy, faithful squire of the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, managed to eclipse them both with an extraordinary triple-double performance of 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 dimes, leading his team to maximum glory.
1 Bill Russell (1962)
Once again, Bill Russell was the hero in Game 7. As a final point to the extraordinary season that "Russ" had in 1961-1962, he had what, numerically speaking, is considered the best performance in a game seven in NBA Finals history.
In the Boston Celtics 110-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell recorded 30 points, 40 rebounds and four assists. Certainly the game went to overtime, but still, it was an insane performance.
