While Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest NBA Finals performer of all time due to his flawless 6-0 record, he does not hold the highest winning percentage among players who have appeared in multiple championship series. Some lesser known role players have surprisingly topped His Airness in this statistical category. Check out the list below.
Top 5 NBA Superstars with the Best Finals Winning Percentages: No Michael Jordan
Coming in at number one are Mark Aguirre and David West, both of whom won 8 of 9 Finals games for an impressive 88.89% winning clip. Aguirre played for the Detroit Pistons’ championship teams in 1989 and 1990, serving as the team’s second scoring option behind Isiah Thomas. West was a key role player off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs’ championship clubs in 2005, 2007 and 2014, providing valuable scoring, rebounding and defense.
Next up is Willie Naulls, who won 10 of 13 Finals games for a stellar 76.92% winning percentage over his career with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics in the 1950s. Naulls played a supporting role alongside Hall of Famers like Bob Cousy, Bill Russell and Bill Sharman, providing consistent outside shooting and frontcourt depth.
David Robinson sits fourth on the list at 72.73%, winning 8 of 11 Finals games as the primary star of the San Antonio Spurs’ 1999 championship team and role player on their 2003 and 2005 clubs. The Admiral averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds in his Finals appearances.
Rounding out the top five is Willis Reed of the great New York Knicks teams in the early 1970s. Reed posted a record of 8 wins and 3 losses for a 72.73% mark, leading the Knicks to titles in 1970 and 1973 as their franchise player and captain. His legendary performance in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals despite injury will never be forgotten by Knicks fans.
While legends like Jordan, LeBron James and Magic Johnson will always be remembered for their mega-watt Finals performances, these mostly unknown role players have them beat statistically in terms of pure winning percentage on basketball’s grandest stage. They deserve credit for consistently contributing to championship level teams throughout their careers.