NBA Finals: The 10 Most Dominant Finals Performances

Jun 5, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; A view of the NBA Finals logo on the floor before game one of the 2014 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 5, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; A view of the NBA Finals logo on the floor before game one of the 2014 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michael Jordan hits the iconic shot to win the 1998 NBA Finals.
Michael Jordan hits the iconic shot to win the 1998 NBA Finals. /

1. Michael Jordan, 1998 vs. Utah Jazz

The last NBA Finals appearance for Michael Jordan was his most memorable. Utah went into the series with home-court advantage and was determined to avenge its loss to the Bulls in the Finals the previous year. Utah had the Bulls on the ropes in Game 6 when Michael Jordan reminded the Jazz and the rest of the world why he is the best player to ever play the game.

The Bulls had to have a stop on the defensive end with less than a minute remaining. Michael Jordan came from behind Karl Malone and stole the ball, much to Malone’s surprise. Jordan then ignored coach Phil Jackson‘s wish for a timeout and hit a memorable shot over Bryon Russell from outside the free-throw line to seal the victory.

Jordan finished the game with 45 points and secured his sixth NBA championship. For the series Jordan averaged 33.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. This would be Jordan’s last NBA championship and Finals appearance and he made it one to remember.

Determining where each players NBA Finals performance ranks is worthy of debate. Narrowing the list down to only 10 ensures that a number of deserving players are left off of this list. Tell us below who you feel should be included in this list and why.