The NBA finals records which still stand today
The NBA Finals records that stand to this day
The NBA is one of the largest sports leagues in the world and the main attraction for basketball fans. Hosting some of the greatest athletes of all time like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Magic Johnson, there really is never a dull moment. However, the most exciting time of year for basketball fans is April when the playoffs begin. After 82 regular-season games, the seedings are in and the journey to the NBA Finals to determine the champion begins. The series has been the setting for some of the most iconic moments not only in sport but in sporting history. NBA Championship Odds Currently, Nikola Jokic has the Denver Nuggets as favourites to win the championship this season.
In the more than 75-year history, there have been a number of records and successes that have stood the test of time. Some of them have existed for decades and seem increasingly unlikely to be beaten, while others may be within reach for many. Let’s take a look at the NBA Finals records that still stand today.
Finals Total Points – Jerry West (1,679) 1973
Jerry West played his entire career with the LA Lakers and took part with them in a total of nine NBA Finals. A prolific guard, West averaged 27.0 ppg late in his career, despite appearing in nine finals and earning that many points, winning only once. That record has now stood 50 years since West appeared in his last Finals, though LeBron James is breathing down his neck with 1,562 and a single seven-game streak could be enough for LeBron to clinch the record. What’s most impressive about that record, however, is that West played his entire career in a period when there was no three-point line quiet has held this record for around 40 years since its introduction. Whether it’s Lebron or someone else who breaks that record, there’s no doubt that the style in which West beat him will never be surpassed.
Most points in a single Finals game – Elgin Baylor (61) 1962
For that record, we have to go back to the pre-merger NBA. Elgin Baylor has one of the most intriguing stories of any player in history. Although he found great success as a high school player, segregation prevented college scouts from recruiting black high schools. Fortunately, a friend of Baylor’s who attended College of Idaho helped arrange a football scholarship for him in 1954. He never played football but basketball and was selected in 1958 for the first time in the standings. Back then he was even a wild record Baylor could only play ball intermittently because he was stationed as a US Army reservist at Fort Lewis. A prolific goalscorer, Baylor broke numerous personal records before setting it on April 14, 1962, when he led the Lakers to a finals record 61 points over the Celtics. Like West, Baylor did this in a time before the 3-point line. Michael Jordan came closest to that record when he scored 55 points against the Suns in 1993, but that record remains high more than 60 years later.
All Bill Russell records
Bill Russell has broken so many records that it would be impossible to talk about them all individually. So let’s list them:
• Most years in finals (12)
• Most games played in finals (70)
• Most career rebounds in Finals (1,718)
• Most rebounds in a finals series (189)
• Most rebounds in a finals game (40)
• Most wins in Finals series (11)
Any single NBA fan will tell you with some degree of confidence that those records will never be touched. Bill Russell’s run as a Celtics player in the ’50s and ’60s was so dominant that many stats have an asterisk “without Bill Russell” next to them. To put it in perspective we can look at Wilt Chamberlain who is considered by some to be the GOAT is 2nd to Russell in many of these areas. he is 2nd in career rebounds in the Finals with 862, almost half of Russell’s total. He is also 2nd for most rebounds in a streak at 175, 14 behind Russell. He had 38 rebounds twice in finals games, Bill Russell had 40 twice. When it comes to active players, the only record in danger of being broken is the games LeBron played at 55, but would be even for still a lot needed. That being said, there is no one who can even come close to beating any of those records. They have been active for over 50 years and will probably be active for another 50 years and then another 50 years.
We hope you enjoyed the NBA Finals Records That Still Stand Today article. Which of these records do you think will be broken next? Let us know!
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