Michael Jordan as the best in NBA history, many people think that because of his six Finals six championships and ten scoring champions and other great achievements and honors, in fact, everyone overlooks another point, that is, Michael Jordan has defeated many great superstars in the Finals. Many people believe that James has surpassed Michael Jordan and become the new all-time best. Therefore, Fadeaway World lists 10 great players Michael Jordan defeated in the Finals.
10. Dan Malley
Dan Malley is also one of the best defensive players in NBA history, he's incredibly fast, and he has all the ingredients of a top guard. Joining forces with Kevin Johnson at the Suns in 1993 allowed Michael Jordan to average 41.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals in six games. Dan Malley, as the third man on the team, also averaged 17.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. But that didn't stop Michael Jordan from winning his third career championship and Finals MVP.
9. Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson is also one of the NBA's most underrated stars, and he's also an excellent scorer. In 1993, Kevin Johnson missed 33 games due to injury, but the team made it to the Finals. In the Finals Kevin Johnson averaged 17.2 points and 6.5 assists per game, while Michael Jordan averaged 41.0 points per game.
8. Sean Camp
Sean Camp was one of the most athletic stars of the '90s, and along with Gary Payton, he led the Seattle SuperSonics to become one of the best teams in the NBA West in the '90s. Sean Camp and Gary Payton led the Seattle SuperSonics to a 64-win record in the 1996 regular season. After reaching the Finals, Sean Camp met Michael Jordan and personally averaged 23.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Michael Jordan, on the other hand, averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game to win his fourth career championship and Finals MVP.
7. Gary Payton
One of the greatest defensive point guards in NBA history, Gary Payton averaged 2.9 steals per game in 1996, was named Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Seattle SuperSonics make the playoffs with a 64-win regular-season record. In the 1996 NBA Finals, Gary Payton played very well in the first 3 games of the Finals series due to a calf injury, after all, he was the main defense of Michael Jordan at the time, and finally Michael Jordan also led the team to win the championship without any defensive pressure.
6. James Worthy
James Worthy was one of the core figures of the Chicago Bulls' success in the 80s, and he was also one of the most underrated superstars of the 80s, perhaps more because of the presence of two superstars, Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. In 1991, James Worthy partnered with Magic Johnson and others to meet the Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan in the Finals.
Michael Jordan averaged 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 11.4 assists and 2.8 steals per game to beat James Worthy, who averaged 19.3 points per game, but unfortunately James Worthy was injured in the fourth game of the Finals, causing the Lakers to be easily defeated by the Bulls in Game 5 of the Finals. Michael Jordan also won his first career championship and Finals MVP.
5. Drexler
Drexler was also one of the greatest superstars of the 90s. In 1992, Drexler led the Portland Trail Blazers to the Finals, where they met the Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan. Although Drexler shot just 40.6 percent from the field, he averaged 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. But Michael Jordan is even crazier, averaging 35.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists in six games.
4. John Stockton
John Stockton has spent his career playing more with Karl Malone, one of Michael Jordan's strongest enemies, while John Stockton is the second-highest point guard in NBA history behind Magic Johnson. You know, John Stockton is the NBA assist king and steal king. He partnered Karl Malone to lead the Jazz to the Finals in two consecutive seasons in 1997 and 1998.
In the NBA Finals from 1997 to 1998, John Stockton averaged 12.3 points, 8.8 assists and 2.0 steals in 12 games. But Michael Jordan led the team to defeat the Utah Jazz twice and won two championships, and in the 1997 Finals, Michael Jordan averaged 32.3 points per game, and in 1998, Michael Jordan averaged 33.5 points per game.
3. Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley is definitely a top-five power forward in NBA history, but he is one of the NBA's most underrated superstars, and in the 90s, Charles Barkley was also an all-around center. Charles Barkley led the Suns to a 62-20 record in 1993, averaging 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Charles Barkley also managed to steal the regular MVP from Michael Jordan with his outstanding individual performance.
Charles Barkley led the Phoenix Suns to the Finals and met the Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley averaged 27.3 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in the Finals, but Michael Jordan led the Bulls to easily beat the Suns in 6 games to win the championship, because Michael Jordan played a horrible performance of 41 points per game in the Finals.
2. Karl Malone
Karl Malone is the top five power forwards in NBA history, but before Tim Duncan became the all-time No. 1 power forward, Karl Malone was the all-time best benchmark for the power forward position, his size and strength allowed him to almost deserve it on the inside, and Karl Malone also had shocking mid-range shots. A two-time NBA MVP and scoring champion, Karl Malone holds the all-time third-scoring record and is definitely Michael Jordan's second-strongest opponent in the Finals of his career.
Karl Malone averaged 23.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in six games of the 1997 Finals series. Michael Jordan was taken away MVP by Karl Malone in the regular season, which also made Michael Jordan angry, so Michael Jordan averaged 32.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in the Finals series, defeated the Jazz led by Karl Malone, and won the championship and Finals MVP. In 1998, Karl Malone led the Utah Jazz to another encounter with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals, and Michael Jordan dominated the Finals again.
1. Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard in NBA history, and he was once regarded as the best favorite in history before Michael Jordan dominated the league. Magic Johnson has the size of a forward but plays point guard. The 1991 NBA Finals showdown between Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan is regarded as a legacy of the times.
Magic Johnson averaged 18.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 12.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game against Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan averaged 31.2 points, 11.4 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in five games in the Finals to hit back at Magic Johnson, shooting a whopping 55.8 percent from the field to the end.