Magic Johnson

Cross-checked NBA Finals histories, league and Lakers retrospectives, record summaries, major-media rankings, and fan watch-list consensus. Finals stakes, iconic plays, and Johnson's unique playmaking are weighted together; the list is not a ranking of his highest scoring totals.

1. #1. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar injured, the 20-year-old rookie started at center, played every position, and delivered 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists to clinch the 1980 title. NBA Archive 75: Magic Johnson · Basketball Reference: Greatest 1980s Finals performances
2. #2. Johnson scored 29 and completed a 16-point Boston Garden comeback with the most famous shot of his career, the junior skyhook that gave Los Angeles a 3–1 Finals lead. NBA: Magic Johnson's junior skyhook · Lakers: Magic's hook shot sinks Boston
3. #3. Facing elimination in the 1988 Finals, Johnson produced 22 points and 19 assists with only two turnovers to force Game 7 and keep the Lakers' fifth-title run alive. NBA: Most assists in a Finals game · NBA: Pistons–Lakers 1988 Game 6 box score
4. #4. Johnson paired 14 points and 11 rebounds with an NBA Finals-record 21 assists as the Lakers routed Boston to take a 2–1 lead in the 1984 rivalry series. NBA: Most assists in a Finals game · NBA history: This date in June
5. #5. His 13-point, 13-rebound, 13-assist triple-double—plus four steals and two blocks—closed the 1982 Finals and completed his second Finals MVP run in three seasons. NBA history: This date in June · NBA: Players with multiple Finals MVP awards

Reviewed through 2026-07-17