Former Kevin Johnson still carries the belief that the 1993 NBA Finals could have ended differently. Not because of strategy or luck, but because of one missing piece: Cedric Ceballos.
Speaking on Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, Johnson opened up:
“If Cedric Ceballos was not hurt, which he was, the Phoenix Suns beat Chicago in a seven-game series. Sorry, Mike. Yeah, I said it… Cedric was one of those dudes. You didn’t even have to run a play. He’d get you 20 and 10.”
Johnson has long maintained that if Cedric Ceballos had been healthy, the Phoenix Suns would have had a real shot at taking down Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Ceballos missed the entire Finals after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot during Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Seattle SuperSonics. That absence mattered more than his playoff numbers suggest.
On paper, Ceballos averaged just 6.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in the 1993 playoffs. But that does not reflect his role. During the regular season, he was a key part of Phoenix’s offense, averaging 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds while leading the entire NBA in field goal percentage at 57.6%. He was an elite finisher, a cutter, and a constant off-ball threat who thrived playing alongside Charles Barkley and Johnson.
That Suns team was loaded. They finished with 62 wins, the best record in the league, and had just added Barkley, who went on to win MVP. Johnson ran the offense. Dan Majerle spaced the floor. Ceballos brought efficiency and movement. Then came the Finals.
Jordan delivered one of the greatest performances in NBA history, averaging 41.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, shooting 50.8% from the field and 40.0% from three-point range across the six-game series. Chicago won in six, closing it out in Game 6 with John Paxson’s iconic three. The margin, though, was thinner than history often remembers. Several games came down to late possessions.
That is where Johnson’s argument holds weight. Ceballos was not a star, but he was a missing rotation piece on a team that needed depth. His ability to score efficiently without needing touches would have taken pressure off Barkley and Johnson. More importantly, it would have forced Chicago’s defense to adjust.
Ceballos’ career supports the idea that he was more than a role player. Over 11 NBA seasons, he averaged 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds, shooting over 55% from the field. His best season came in 1994-95 with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he averaged 21.7 points and 8.0 rebounds and earned an All-Star selection. At his peak, he was a high-efficiency scorer who could impact games without dominating the ball.
Johnson’s belief is not about rewriting history. Jordan still delivered at a level few ever have. But in a series decided by fine margins, one additional contributor can change matchups, rotations, and late-game decisions.
