Young players typically don’t get minutes in the playoffs, but sometimes, they earn them, even on a stage as grand as the NBA Finals. Other times, young players get minutes in garbage time.
That was the case this year with Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, as both young Golden State Warriors players got playing time in the series against the Boston Celtics, making them the third- and fourth-youngest players in NBA Finals history.
The ranking is led by Darko Milicic and is mostly full of guys with minor roles in the Finals like Milicic, Kuminga and Moody (so far), but you also have some guys who had major roles, like Tony Parker in 2003, Tyler Herro in 2020 and, memorably, Kobe Bryant in 2000.
There’s even a Finals MVP on the list.
The legendary Magic Johnson won that accolade in 1980 after averaging 21.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 2.7 steals in a six-game championship win for the Los Angeles Lakers, stats he put up… as a 20-year-old.
Sheesh.
Check out the full rankings below.
(The ages listed are for their first game in the NBA Finals).