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.