All-Time 2 Finals MVP Superteam vs. All-Time 3+ Finals MVP Superteam

When looking back at the best players in the league, those players are on championship-winning teams. Typically, the best of the best are the players that stand out from the rest. Those players are rewarded with the Finals MVP Award. Looking back, the Finals MVP Award was handed out in 1969 for its first season. Only one player has been rewarded with the trophy on a losing team. For those winning players, winning the trophy once is something that the likes of Stephen Curry, Dirk Nowitzki, and Isiah Thomas have accomplished.

Winning multiple Finals MVP Awards is very difficult to accomplish. Some players have won as many as four championships and have never won a Finals MVP. Other players who have won as many as six rings or more, like Scottie Pippen and Bill Russell, have never won the award. That brings us to the hypothetical idea that a new brand of superteam was formed that featured the multiple Finals MVP Award winners. If we separated the all-time 2 Finals MVP superteam against the All-Time 3+ Finals MVP superteam, who would win?

Rosters for the All-Time Finals Superteams:

All-Time 2 Finals MVP Superteam: Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Kevin Durant, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

All-Time 3+ Finals MVP Superteam: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal

Let’s take a look at that matchup and determine which team is the best.

Kobe Bryant vs. Magic Johnson

Two of the greatest Los Angeles Lakers players have their dynasties to look back on. For Bryant, he was the master of the 2000s, as he won three championships between 2000 to 2002. During that time, Bryant was not the team’s Finals MVP Award winner, but he would eventually win two awards on his own in 2009 and 2010 when he led the Lakers to back-to-back championships. Bryant played in the NBA Finals in 2004 and 2008 as well, but both came up in defeats. Either way, having Bryant handle the ball means this team is loaded.

The better ball handler is Johnson, who owns the best career assists average in team history. During his run in the 80s, he led the Lakers to five championships. He won three Finals MVP Awards, while teammates James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won two of the other awards. This would be a tough defensive assignment for Johnson, but he would be capable of handling it. The idea of driving to the rim and shooting would make this an interesting matchup.

Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan

At one point, Bird said that he thought Michael Jordan was going to be the next-best player in the world. This was coming from a three-time MVP winner and leader of the Celtics. With that said, Bird was an Achilles heel during Jordan’s tenure with the Bulls at the start of his career. Bird went 17-11 against Jordan and was a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs. Bird averaged 26.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks during those matchups.

Jordan was still able to score against the Celtics, even with Bird on the other side. Jordan might have a combined 11-23 record against Bird, but he did average 33.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. Jordan was also not playing with a surrounding cast like this one during his Bulls days. The result might be different this time around.

Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James

Two of the best players in the modern era feature these two players. Durant and James met in the NBA Finals two times. Both times, Durant outlasted the Cavaliers and won the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals. With that said, Durant was playing alongside some great players in, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. It wouldn’t be too far off from this super team. Durant would need the help as he owns an overall record of 6-15 in the regular season. However, in the postseason, Durant is 9-5 and averaged 31.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game.

As for James, he owns Durant in the regular season. Both players have similar stat lines in both atmospheres. In the regular season, James averaged 28.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks in comparison to Durant’s 28.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. In the playoffs, James averaged 31.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks. According to the numbers, this would be a great matchup to watch. Then again, we know this already as we see it on live television.

Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Tim Duncan

Primetime Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the best two-way players in the league. He was someone that was going to beat you inside. He was also going to rebound heavily and had a long wingspan that could snag a steal. This would be a tough matchup for Olajuwon against one of the best defensive players in NBA history. Even though Duncan came into the league as a young pup in 1998, which was the later stages of Olajuwon’s career, the numbers show this was a difficult matchup for Olajuwon.

In 10 meetings, Duncan went a perfect 10-0 against Olajuwon teams. Olajuwon was limited to 13.8 points and 8.6 rebounds, but defensively he averaged 1.7 steals and 3.0 blocks per game. Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game. The two never met in the playoffs but based on this, Olajuwon would need to be more of a defensive player and a decoy on offense because Duncan has his number.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Shaquille O’Neal

This is always a fun matchup to think about. You have the quicker center in Abdul-Jabbar. His agileness and shot release would have made it hard for O’Neal to guard him. The sky hook shot would have been very dangerous, given how slow O’Neal moved defensively. In regards to standard post moves, Abdul-Jabbar would be beaten, but because he could run the floor, his use in transition would lead to some baskets.

As for O’Neal, if the team can play half-court defense and take care of the ball, O’Neal might be able to hold his own. It would be a one-shot scenario each time because O’Neal would have the advantage on the rebounding side. This is a player that won three consecutive Finals MVP Awards in an era where most players were traditionally bigger. Either way, these are two of the best Lakers ever, and it would be an exciting matchup to watch.

All-Time 2 Finals MVP Superteam Advantages

As mentioned, the team can likely take advantage of the one-on-one matchup between Abdul-Jabbar and O’Neal. Because he can run up and down the court, plus move inside, there are a lot of points that could be scored in this matchup. That would help create some inside-outside opportunities on offense that could free up shots for Bryant, Bird, and Durant on the outside.

The defensive ability that Olajuwon brings to the table is huge, especially with his ability to help Abdul-Jabbar on covering O’Neal. The 3+ Finals MVP team would not be able to just throw the ball into O’Neal and let him work. Olajuwon could come over and help, and his shot-blocking stats against Duncan proves that he can still handle the post.

All-Time 3+ Finals MVP Superteam Advantages

The advantage at point guard is obvious. Johnson is a natural point guard in comparison to Bryant, who is a shooting guard. If Bryant doesn’t handle the ball, it would force Bird or Durant to bring up the ball. By making Byrant lead the offense, it would likely take away some shots because he is someone that needs to work with space. Bryant is not a great three-point shooter either, so matching up with Johnson one-on-one is a difficult way to create some shots.

The rebounding is also a clear advantage. Duncan has concrete data that support he can out-rebound Olajuwon, while O’Neal has the size advantage. There is also the fact that both Johnson and James can rebound at least 10 boards themselves. Jordan is a successful rebounder as a guard. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the 2 Finals MVP Super Team outrebounded their opponent.

Who Wins This Matchup In A 7-Game Series?

The first matchup featured the dominant experience of the 3+ Finals MVP Superteam. The clear rebounding advantage took full effect, with O’Neal and Duncan combining for 37 rebounds together. With the offensive putbacks, the team ran away with the first game 102-81. LeBron James nearly had a triple-double but came up one rebound short, while Johnson added eight points and 12 assists on an unusually quiet night.

The second game featured another dominant performance from the 3+ Finals MVP team. With Johnson working his magic by driving to the lane, it created multiple opportunities at the free throw line. Bryant was exhausted trying to slow down Johnson that his offensive night was limited to 2 of 15 shooting. The lack of production from one of their key offensive players, it forced Durant to press on his shooting. Durant finished with 21 points on 8 of 23 shooting. With the night limited to points, the 2-Time Finals MVP Superteam came up short in a 106-93 loss.

Needing a win to avoid a serious hole, it was Bird that took liftoff with a magical night. Bird put the team on his back by recording a triple-double of 32 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. It seemed like one of those nights where everything fell. His normal adversary turned teammate Abdul-Jabbar posted 20 points and 19 rebounds to go with seven blocks. Olajuwon went full defensive mode and had 10 rebounds and five blocks despite zero points in the 110-95 win.

The fourth game featured just as much magic, but not from Magic Johnson. Michael Jordan, who has kept unusually quiet the first three games of the series, took over the offensive production by scoring 35 points. The pick-and-roll opportunities with Johnson and Jordan with Duncan and O’Neal kept the defense off track and helped the team cruise to an easy win 107-89.

To avoid elimination, the 2-Time Finals MVP team needed to get down to brass tasks. Bryant stepped up in a big way. With the two teams playing their most competitive basketball in the series, the score was deadlocked at 90-90 with 32 seconds to play. After Jordan went down the lane and missed a driving layup attempt, Olajuwon scooped up the ball and outlet to Bryant. Bryant took two dribbles and hit a big three-point shot. In response, Jordan could not hit the first shot, but O’Neal grabbed an offensive rebound, but James could not get the shot off in time to fall 93-90.

The men in the post did everything they could do in the sixth game, but the 3+ Finals MVP Superteam remained pesky and hard to take out. O’Neal recorded 34 points and 10 rebounds, while Duncan was efficient from the floor as well, but James had a tough time getting into a rhythm. While his shot was going out of the rim, Durant’s was falling as his 45-point eruption helped the team win the sixth matchup 108-101.

It all came down to the final game, and the 3+ Finals MVP Superteam was not going to lose three in a row. Every player on the team had a standout game. Johnson recorded 10 points and 10 assists. He went back to playing defense and held Bryant in check. Jordan locked down Bird defensively and led the team in scoring with 42 points and six steals. James had a triple-single of eight points, eight rebounds, and eight assists to play a huge facilitator role. Duncan and O’Neal once again led the boards but often deferred to Johnson and James in transition, helping Jordan score all of his points. After the 105-93 victory, the experience in the Finals made a difference as the team once again won another championship.

Final Result: All-Time 2 Finals MVP Superteam vs. All-Time 3+ Finals MVP SuperTeam 3-4

Finals MVP: Michael Jordan

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