How The Best Players Elevate Their Teams In The NBA Finals

With the 2025 NBA Finals upon us, the Oklahoma City Thunder face off against the Indiana Pacers for the title of best in basketball. Both teams are striving to win their first NBA championship in franchise history. Although star players significantly impact NBA rosters, the best overall team typically wins the championship. In other words, most of the memorable moments and performances in NBA history are associated with team success. These instances represent some of the most important leadership moments that have stood the test of time.

In team sports, effective leadership is defined by one’s ability to enhance not only one’s personal status but also the overall performance of the team. Since 1947, the NBA Finals has served as a platform to showcase some of the greatest basketball players and teams in history. In the NBA Finals, star players have often elevated their teams to championship status by making sacrifices and demonstrating a team-first mentality during crucial times on the court. The following highlights instances when NBA stars were willing to sacrifice individual greatness for the success of their teams, ultimately enhancing their own legacies.

In the Era of Big Men, the Team Comes First

Considered one of the first superstars of basketball, Hall of Fame center George Mikan led the Minneapolis Lakers to five championships in the late 1940s and early 1950s through sheer dominance and great touch around the basket. Besides his dominant size advantage, Mikan was known to have a welcoming personality that made him a great teammate. One of his defining moments was leading the Lakers to a championship in 1949, after playing through a broken hand to score 29 points in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Although societal views toward working through injuries have somewhat changed today, Mikan was determined to not let his team down on the big stage.

In the late-1950s, Bob Pettit willed his St. Louis Hawks to a championship, including an impressive 50 point 19 rebound performance in game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals. The Hawks victory was followed by an unprecedented run by the Boston Celtics, who won eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966. Two of their iconic figures, center Bill Russell and point guard Bob Cousy, consistently sacrificed individual glory for team success. This quote from a 1979 memoir best illustrates the Celtics’ attitude and Russell’s commitment to his team, “The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I’d made my teammates play.”

One of the most inspiring moments in NBA history occurred during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. League MVP Willis Reed, center for the Knicks, suffered a torn thigh muscle in Game 5 of the series, which sidelined him for Game 6. With the series tied at 3-3, Reed made a dramatic entrance before the start of Game 7, inspiring his teammates and ultimately leading the Knicks to their first championship. Although Reed was not at his best, he made significant contributions on defense by forcing Wilt Chamberlain to miss some shots. Reed’s career was cut short by injuries, much like that of fellow Hall of Famer Bill Walton, another unselfish team-oriented star center who led the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title. Before Nikola Jokić, Walton was often regarded as the greatest passing big man in NBA history.

Collective Power in the Age of Individual Brilliance

Point guard Magic Johnson and forward Larry Bird shared a unique rivalry in the 1980s that may have saved the NBA from bankruptcy. As a rookie, Johnson led the Lakers to an NBA championship in 1980, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers. In the absence of league MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was sidelined for Game 7 of the series due to injury, Magic Johnson stepped in to play the center position, showcasing his versatility and team-first approach. He ended the game with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, leading the Lakers to an NBA championship, their first of five in the 1980s. Larry Bird’s performance in Game 6 of the 1986 NBA Finals demonstrated how a basketball player can dominate a game even without the ball. His stat line of 29 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists, and 3 steals represented one of the most complete performances a player could have, capping off the Celtics’ third NBA title of the decade.

The Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s were a defensive-oriented team that prioritized collective identity over individual accolades. A pivotal moment in the Pistons becoming a champion occurred when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals. The Pistons were leading the series 3-2 and were ahead in Game 6 when the face of their franchise, point guard Isiah Thomas, severely sprained his ankle. Despite his injury, Thomas delivered a legendary performance, scoring 25 points in the third quarter. Although the Pistons’ title hopes fell short in 1988, Thomas’ continued determination and leadership helped the Pistons win back-to-back NBA titles in subsequent years.

Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest basketball player in NBA history, was initially recognized more for his individual accomplishments. However, two notable instances exemplified his willingness to trust his teammates in critical situations. In the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals, Jordan penetrated the defense, drawing attention to himself before passing the ball multiple times to his teammate John Paxson, who made several clutch shots to secure the first of six NBA championships for the Chicago Bulls. Six years later, in the 1997 Finals, Jordan passed to an open Steve Kerr, who made the winning shot during the Bulls’ fifth championship run. Both instances exemplified Jordan’s willingness to sacrifice individual glory for the success of the team.

Prioritizing the Team in the Modern Big Three Era

Nearly a decade later, the 2007-08 Boston Celtics represented the first modern version of ‘Big Three’, a team that acquired All-Star players Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen through trades to join Paul Pierce, thereby forming a trio of superstars. In the 2008 NBA Finals, the Celtics showed their team was not merely a collection of stars, but rather a cohesive unit in which each player’s skills complemented one another. Pierce was the more ball-dominant offensive player, while Allen effectively utilized screens to hit shots, and Garnett worked the post. All three players were willing to sacrifice points and accept reduced roles in pursuit of a title.

As a team, the San Antonio Spurs demonstrated remarkable resilience after suffering a heartbreaking defeat in the 2013 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. Holding a 3-2 series lead and maintaining a fourth-quarter advantage, the Spurs lost Game 6 in overtime and subsequently fell in the decisive seventh game. The following season, they battled their way back to the Finals and exacted revenge on the Heat, winning the series 4-1. Their display of resilience was a testament to their leadership core of veteran stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili, and serves as a prime example of collective leadership.

During the early years of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, former All-Star Andre Iguodala embraced his role coming off the bench, even though it meant scoring significantly fewer points. His contributions were instrumental in the Warriors’ victory in the 2015 NBA Finals, where he was awarded Finals MVP for his exceptional defense against LeBron James. This victory marked the Warriors’ first NBA title. Led by team-oriented stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, the team went on to win three more titles, with their most recent championship coming in 2022.

There are several additional examples of star players showing a willingness to make sacrifices to ensure team success. This year’s NBA Finals presents an opportunity for new leadership stories to be written. The Thunder and Pacers have each earned their chance to make history. Regardless of the outcome, the best ‘team’ will win its first franchise championship.