Legends Of the NBA Finals

With a career Finals average of 33.6 points per game, Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles and was named the Finals MVP each time. His most famous moment was a buzzer-beating shot to seal a six-game series win over the Utah Jazz in 1998. It was the final title of his career.

Russell is the king of rings -- his 11 championships with the Celtics are the most of any player. The 6' 9" center was a master defender and shot blocker, and he controlled the glass. Russell's 1,718 career Finals rebounds are 856 more than the next-best player.

How many rings did Jordan, Bryant, and O'Neal win before they were coached by Jackson? Zero. The Zen Master was able to get his superstars to reach their massive potential, steering the Bulls to six titles in the 1990s and then winning five more with the Lakers in the next decade.

A flashy playmaker who used his size (6' 9") to dominate opponents, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships during his career. A three-time Finals MVP, Johnson's 584 career assists in the title round are nearly 200 more than the next-best player.

In 1970, the Knicks' big man he averaged 23 points and 10.5 rebounds in a seven-game victory against the Lakers. He is best known for his dramatic return to the court in Game 7 after tearing his thigh muscle earlier in the series. Three years later, the Knicks took down the Lakers again, this time by a 4-1 count. Reed averaged 16.4 points and 9.2 rebounds.

No big man dominated the Finals like Shaq. He led the Lakers to three straight titles from 1999--2000 through '01--02, and was named Finals MVP each time. The 7' 1", 325-pound O'Neal ruled the paint, averaging 35.9 points and 15.2 rebounds per game in those three series.

In the 1980s, Riley coached the high-flying "Showtime Lakers," which were lead by the electric Magic Johnson. What makes him such a remarkable coach was that when he went to the New York Knicks in the 1990s, he looked at his roster and instituted a tough-nosed, rough-and-tumble style to play the Jordan Bulls. Though his Knicks didn't win a title, he did get them to an NBA Finals. Then, in the 2000s he came out of retirement to lead the Miami Heat to the franchise's first ever Championship.

Duncan doesn't enjoy being in the spotlight, but that hasn't prevented him from playing his best in pressure situations. With his midrange bank shots, smooth inside moves, and dominant defense, the three-time Finals MVP has led the San Antonio Spurs to four championships.

A pure shooter, Bird led the Boston Celtics to four straight NBA Finals from 1983--84 through '86--87. The three-time NBA champion's signature performance came in the '86 Finals against the Houston Rockets: He averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game.

Auerbach's nine NBA Championships as a coach is only second to Phil Jackson. He was architect of the early Celtics teams that established them as the class of the NBA, and long after her left the sidelines, he still shaped the franchise from the front office.

Using his trademark skyhook, the 7' 2" Abdul-Jabbar was the dominant center of the 1970s and early '80s. He won six NBA championships -- one with the Milwaukee Bucks and five with the Los Angeles Lakers -- and ranks second in career points scored in the Finals (1,317).

Olajuwon outplayed Patrick Ewing in the seven-game 1994 Finals, averaging 26.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.9 blocks. He became the only player in NBA history to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in the same season. In the '95 Finals, Olajuwon bested Shaquille O'Neal and the Magic. Olajuwon outscored Shaq in every game in the sweep, averaging 33 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks.

The grumpy leader of the San Antonio Spurs may give brief interviews, but his reign has been long. Teaming with David Robinson and Tim Duncan, and then Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, he's brought four championship rings to the home of the Alamo.

Bryant was a sidekick to Shaquille O'Neal when the Lakers won three championships in the early 2000s. After Shaq left, Bryant led L.A. to two more titles, in 2008--09 and '09--10, winning the Finals MVP both times. In '09 against the Orlando Magic, he averaged 32.4 points and 7.4 assists per game.