Greatest playoff performances by a single player, over the course of the entire playoffs and won the championship that year. What is you're pick?
Shaq; 2001 Playoffs he killed every team in every game....and posted up 40-20 numbers consistently ....plus the Lake-show onli lost one game that entire playoff run....
I've got to say any of Magic, Bird or Jordan's in their prime. They always proved clutch, much like Reggie Miller, the game was never over till it was over whenever they stepped onto or were present on the court and dancefloor. Jordan mostly since he was the sole cause for so many shattered dreams....Blazers, Jazz, so many more.
Excluding Jordan, Bird in the 1984 playoffs. He owned everybody except in the finals, where he thought they were going to sweep Tragic Johnson and the Lakers. But it turned out to go to the 7th game. The Lakers could of beat the Celtics for the series earlier if Tragic didn't make stupid errors on the offensive end, and the Lakers could of won game 5 if James Worthy didn't make a stupid pass that was interfered by a Celtic and layed up for the win, when he could of held the ball for the time to run out for a win. Bird was cussing and he was pissed at all his teammates in the locker rooms right before game 7. That fired them up and Bird had the greatest performance of his life, as tons of fans collapsed on the court when 48 minutes expired.
Michael Jordan in any of his championship years always seemed to step his game up above everyone and anyone who stood in his way above mvp charles barkely, above malone and the jazz, above even magic johnson he is the definition of a clutch basketball player and his last minute shots will be something he is always gona be remembered for.
yes you could definetly sit here and say all the teams superstars that have won the championship in the last 15 years or so...Bird, Magic, Isiah, Jordan, Hakeem, Shaq even Tim Duncan....thats all in the past...how about the now...Richard Hamilton played a pretty complete game of basketball during this entire 2004 NBA playoffs...AND the Pistons won the championship....nobody thought that they would win it all and even before Detroit got to the finals people were saying that Rip was playin the best basketball out of everyone in the playoffs...scoring 20 or more in every game....im not saying that his was the best performance of all time...but he ruled the playoffs and won the championship THIS YEAR
I would say anything involving Jordan. No matter what year, he seemed to post unbelieable numbers on a consistent basis and he always hit the big shot. Just look at the most recent one, '98 Finals, game 6 vs. the Jazz. Always came through in the clutch.
Hakeem schooling David Robinson right after Robinson won the MVP award. It was so classic and Houston sweeping Orlando in the 95 finals as a 6th seeded team.
Nick Van Exel against Sacramento in '03... Van Exel averaged some ridiculous amount off the bench in limited moments, the most prolific of which being a... triple overtime (?) win in which he hit every big shot, and made a steal in the backcourt as time was winding down.
