Since we already are in postseason mode this year, it is only right we revisited some of the best, unreal individual playoff performances in the history of the NBA, remembering how impressive each one was and continues to be. Here are five of them:
LeBron James – Game 6, 2016 NBA Finals.
41 PTS, 8 REB, 11 AST, 4 STL, 3 BLK, +26
With the championship on the line, LeBron James put up a 43-minute absolute basketball masterclass in this game 6, tying the series against one of the best teams of all time, the Golden State Warriors, allowing the greatest comeback in NBA HISTORY to become a reality that year, after a 3-1 deficit in game 4.
Michael Jordan – Game 2, 1986 First Round.
63 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK, 53% FG
Despite Michael Jordan having many more outstanding playoff performances throughout his career, this one, in particular, gave us a glimpse of what he would become in the future. As a 23-year-old, Jordan set the record for MOST POINTS SCORED in a playoff game, with 63, forcing the game to 2OT. Even though they went on to lose 3-0 against the Boston Celtics that series, MJ had an all-time performance.
The Phoenix Suns absolutely dominated the series against the Golden State Warriors that year, swiping them 3-0. The most crucial factor for this was the phenomenal performance of Charles Barkley on both sides of the court, being extremely efficient in every single aspect of his game while only playing 41 minutes.
Jimmy Butler – Game 4, 2023 First Round.
56 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 67.9% FG
We witnessed history a couple of days ago. The 8th-seeded Heat had a hard time clinching their seed, struggling in both play-in tournament games. However, once they advanced to the playoff 1st round, it seemed as though a completely new team had arrived, led by the best version of Jimmy Butler’s career. Not only did he perform impeccably on the offensive side, but he also managed to beat the 1st-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in only FIVE GAMES, becoming the first team to accomplish that since 2012.
Bill Russell – Game 7, 1962 NBA Finals.
30 PTS, 40 REB, 4 AST, 44% FG
The best player in the world at the time, Bill Russell, put up an UNREAL PERFORMANCE in the last 62’ NBA finals game against the Lakers, winning by a three-point margin in OT, helping his team take their FOURTH RING IN A ROW. His superiority on the court was out-of-this-world and will continue to be one of the finest performances after 61 years.
Many others deserve to be on this “Best Playoff Performances in NBA History” list, which is why we will continue revisiting this series pretty soon. However, each one of these five performances is here for a reason. They are hard to be overlooked due to their monumental nature and need to be appreciated while we can.
Text sources: nba.com / Image Sources: nba.com / Video Sources: nba.com, respective channels.
