The NBA is always a competitive league, but that competition grows considerably during the playoffs. The lights get brighter in the postseason, especially in tight series or critical games. It is in such times where players either rise to the occasion or crumble under the pressure.
Big-name stars earn their reputation from regular season play, but what separates the greats from everyone else is how well they do when the stakes are high. It’s not just about succeeding in the playoffs, it’s about succeeding on the biggest stage possible.
There have been many impressive postseason performances throughout basketball history, but even among those a few stand out. Almost all of the true greats left their mark on the game in the playoffs, breaking barriers and achieving feats nobody else managed to match.
A lot of players have had big playoff games, but nobody has had a bigger one than Michael Jordan on April 20th, 1986. During a tough matchup against the Boston Celtics, the Bulls legend started his legacy by putting up 63 points against five future hall of famers.
Only in his second year, and after missing 64 regular season games due to a broken foot, Jordan excelled in prime time. He was almost unguardable that night, shooting the ball all over the court with ease and finding ways to get his teammates involved in each play.
While the Celtics would win the game (and the series) the tough double overtime match that ended 135-131 is still considered one of the most impressive individual feats in NBA history. Not just for the stats, but because of how it kicked off Jordan’s amazing postseason career.
Every sports fan now knows the name Magic Johnson, but back in 1980 the future Lakers legend still had a lot to prove. If his exceptional rookie season wasn’t enough, he showed the world what he could do during game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals.
Not content with just being a point guard, the 6’9 athlete started at center and eventually played all five positions throughout the night. He also put up 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists on his way to giving Los Angeles the series victory over the 76ers.
It’s not just one of the most dominant Finals’ performances ever, it also cemented Johnson as one of the best players in the league, kicked off the Lakers’ dynasty, and could very well have been the best game of his storied career.
LeBron James has had many incredible postseason games. While it’s easy to focus on ones in the Finals, perhaps his most impressive playoff performance came against the Boston Celtics in 2012.
With the Heat’s season on the line, LeBron willed his team to victory against a deep and talented Boston roster. He put up 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists while also shutting down the Celtics’ top players on the defensive side of the ball.
Though Miami didn’t actually win the title until the next series, putting up such a dominant performance with his back against the wall is why so many remember that night as one of LeBron’s best.
Many of the best NBA playoff performances are remembered because of the score line. It’s hard to put up points in the league, so scoring a ton in clutch games is quite impressive. One of Tim’s Duncan’s best games, however, is remembered for a different reason.
When facing off against the New Jersey Nets in game 6 of the NBA Finals, Duncan did a little bit of everything. So much so, that his final stat line (21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocks) nearly earned him the coveted quadruple-double.
Though 21 points isn’t terribly exciting, backing it up with everything else put Duncan on a different level. He was truly unstoppable during that game, doing everything in his power to get the Spurs the win on both sides of the ball.
As with so many other NBA legends, Kobe Bryant made his mark by showing up when his team needed him the most. That happened often in his career, but one of the best examples occurred when he put up 48 points on almost immaculate shooting (15 of 29) to close out the Kings 4-0.
He also shot near-perfect from the free throw line and brought up other players on his team while taking over the game at the same time. The Kings had no answer for the shifty guard, and he wore them down as the game went on.
The sweep is not as remembered as some other playoff series, but Bryant’s performance is still one of the best individual efforts because of the context. Scoring 48 is tough in and of itself, but doing it to complete a sweep against a strong team is even tougher.
The above examples are incredible nights that put some of the best players of all time into the annals of history. However, not every superstar makes their name from one performance. Sometimes, they do it with sustained success over multiple years.
One large example of that is Hakeem Olajuwon. The Hawks’ center completely took over the 1994 and 1995 NBA seasons, putting his team on his back and taking home consecutive titles off of huge scoring and defensive bursts.
He was the best center in the league during those two years, and there wasn’t a close second. Olajuwon is still considered one of the greatest big men to ever play the game, and looking at those two titles makes it hard to argue.
Another hall of famer who ascended to new heights was Dirk Nowitzki during the 2011 season. His strong postseason play and stout leadership didn’t just lead to impressive stats, it also led to the first-ever Mavericks championship against insurmountable odds.
He took an unfavored Mavericks team and upended the Big Three of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James in one of the strongest Finals’ performances of all time.
The other playoff run that deserves special mention is Shaquille O’Neal’s dominance during the early 2000’s. Always an impressive force, the big man took over for three straight seasons on the way to the Lakers’ three-peat.
He was unstoppable during that time, averaging more than 20 or 30 points in every series while also pulling in rebounds, blocking shots, and taking over the middle of the court. To this day no center has sustained that level of play for so long.
Excelling in the NBA is one thing, but doing it in the playoffs is a different beast. There are many great regular season players who have a hard time making it in the postseason, which makes the above performances that much more impressive.
Playing well on basketball’s biggest stage is how superstars are made, and it’s where many legends kicked off their careers. A big night might seem huge in the moment, but what truly makes it special is how the lore of that night grows with time.
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