[ad_1]
LeBron James and Anthony Davis dominated Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a comfortable 116-98 victory and a 1-0 series lead.
While it was the 10th appearance at the King’s Finals, for Brow it was the first. And what a debut it had.
In 38 minutes, he finished with 34 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks and 23 points, the most of the game. He shot 11 of 21 (52.4%) from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 10 of 10 from the free throw line.
MORE: By the Numbers: AD’s Historic Finals Debut
Its 34 points are the third most scored by an NBA player in a Finals debut since the NBA-ABA merger.
That got us thinking, how did notable NBA legends perform in their first game of the NBA Finals? Here’s a look:
Bill Russell – 1957
Statistical line – 11 points, 25 rebounds against St. Louis Hawks (W, 119-99)
Russell made an immediate difference for the Boston Celtics as a rookie, playing an important role as the franchise won its first NBA title with a 4-3 series over the St. Louis Hawks led by Bob Pettit.
He then became the most successful player in NBA history, leading the Celtics to 11 championships in a 13-year span from 1956 to 1969.
Wilt Chamberlain – 1964
Status line – 22 points, 25 rebounds, one assist against Boston Celtics (L, 108-96)
As he did in most games throughout his career, Chamberlain filled out the stat sheet on his debut in the Finals. But like many other non-Celtics experienced in the 1960s, he fell short to Russell and Boston, losing 4-1.
Lew Alcindor – 1971
Status line – 31 points, 17 rebounds on 13-16 shooting from the field against Baltimore Bullets (G, 98-88)
Like Russell, Lew Alcindor made an instant impact for the Milwaukee Bucks, a franchise born in 1968, just a year before selecting him. In Game 1 of the 1971 NBA Finals, in which the Bucks swept for their franchise title, Alcindor was the game’s top scorer and rebounder. He was later named Finals MVP, the first.
A few months after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the championship, he converted to Islam and changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Magic Johnson – 1980
Status line – 16 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds, three steals against Philadelphia 76ers (W, 109-102)
Magic Johnson culminated his rookie Finals series in historic fashion with arguably the best game of a rookie Finals ever: Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, where he started in center, instead of Abdul-Jabbar, and led to Los Angeles Lakers to the title with 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.
His first game of the Finals missed those giant numbers by a considerable margin, but it was by no means a poor performance. He was one rebound from posting a triple-double against a star-studded 76ers squad.
Larry Bird – 1981
Status line – 18 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists against Houston Rockets (W, 98-95)
Like Magic, Larry Bird came terribly close to posting a triple-double in his Finals debut. It was during this game that Bird made a play that Celtics legendary coach Red Auerbach later said was the best he had ever seen.
Larry Bird, rated the best play he has ever seen by Red Auerbach, follows his loose jump shot in 1981. #NBAFinals! #NBABreakdown pic.twitter.com/jxta0S6SRx
– NBA (@NBA) June 4, 2017
Boston would go on to win the championship, defeating the Rockets in six games. It was the first of three the franchise would win in the 1980s.
Hakeem Olajuwon – 1986
Status line – 33 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and two assists against Boston Celtics (L, 112-100)
Olajuwon, in just his second season, was by far the best player on the floor for the Rockets in his Finals debut. But against a stacked Celtics squad, considered one of the best teams in history, their performance was to no avail.
Michael Jordan – 1991
Status line – 36 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and three steals against the Los Angeles Lakers (L, 93-91)
Michael Jordan played his first finals against a legend at Magic Johnson and the iconic Los Angeles Lakers. The Chicago Bulls were outscored by three from Sam Perkins, but Jordan rose to the occasion, finishing two rebounds from a triple-double.
Chicago won the next four games, securing their first title in franchise history, one of six they would win in eight years.
Shaquille O’Neal – 1995
Status line – 26 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists and three blocks against Houston Rockets (L, 120-118)
Like the names mentioned above, Shaquille O’Neal, just 23 years old, had one of the biggest Finals debuts in NBA history. He also came very close to becoming the first player to record a triple-double in his first Finals game.
However, the opponent had the last word as the Houston Rockets, then the defending champions, came back from a 20-point deficit thanks to decisive shots in regulation time and in overtime to steal Game 1.
Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals, 25 years ago today.
Hakeem Olajuwon’s tip-in with 0.3 seconds remaining in overtime gave the #Rocket a comeback win to take a 1-0 lead in the 1995 NBA Finals. Houston would go to sweep Orlando. pic.twitter.com/wEkwZbdNJ9
– Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) June 7, 2020
Houston would win the next three games to sweep O’Neal and the Orlando Magic.
Tim Duncan-1999
Status line – 33 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks against New York Knicks (L, 89-77)
In just the second season, Tim Duncan led from the front and starred in the San Antonio Spurs’ first victory in the NBA Finals. Against a squad of Knicks with few players, the Spurs would win their first title in franchise history in just five games.
Duncan was named Finals MVP, the first of three in his career.
Kobe Bryant – 2000
Status line – 14 points, five assists, three rebounds and two blocks against Indiana Pacers (W, 104-87)
With Shaquille O’Neal (43p / 19r / 4a) dominating Game 1 of the 2000 NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant did a bit of everything else.
He was the Lakers’ second-leading scorer and would play a huge role later in the series, especially in Game 4, when he came out big at the deciding moment.
Mamba mentality 💜💛
With @SHAQ a foul, Kobe Bryant (28 PTS) appears huge, scoring 8 PTS in overtime to lift the @Lakers over IND in Game 4 of 2000 #NBAFinals! #NBATogetherLive # 20HoopClass pic.twitter.com/RtluHguqDQ
– NBA (@NBA) April 6, 2020
Allen Iverson – 2001
Stats: 48 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals (W, 107-101)
Allen Iverson’s performance in Game 1 is arguably the best Finals debut in NBA history.
Facing the complete defending champion Lakers, who came into this game with an unbeaten 11-0 record in the playoffs and a 19-game winning streak overall, Iverson dropped an NBA record for the most points in a debut in the Finals and led the 76ers to an overtime victory that could be considered one of the biggest upsets in a single game in Finals history.
LeBron James – 2007
Status line – 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists against San Antonio Spurs (L, 85-76)
Facing a stacked and experienced Spurs squad, LeBron James contributed across the board, but had a sub-par game by their standards. San Antonio would go on to sweep the Cavaliers en route to a title.
13 years since that Finals series, James has arguably the best Finals resume in NBA history.
Kevin Durant – 2012
Status line – 36 points, eight rebounds and four assists against Miami Heat (W, 105-94)
KD’s 36 points are tied (with Jordan since 1991) for the second-most on record in a Finals debut since the NBA-ABA merger.
Oklahoma City Thunder won Game 1 thanks to Durant, the only contest in the 2012 Finals they won against the Miami Heat big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Stephen Curry – 2015
Status line – 26 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals (W, 108-100)
Facing LeBron James, in his fifth Finals appearance, Curry led the Warriors in points and assists. The Warriors would win their first title in 40 years by defeating the shortstop Cleveland Cavaliers in six games.
Views on this page do not necessarily represent the views of the NBA or its clubs.
[ad_2]
