The best losing player in each NBA Finals since 2010

The best loser

With the 2025 NBA Finals in the wraps and Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton doing everything in their power to help deliver Indiana a championship, we are looking at the best player of each losing team in the NBA Finals since 2010—all stats per Basketball Reference.

Paul Pierce (2010)

Paul Pierce was the leading man in helping the Boston Celtics take the Los Angeles Lakers to a seven-game series in 2010, averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, and three assists. He scored 27 points in game five and produced 18 points and 10 rebounds in game seven.

Kevin Durant (2012)

Despite Kevin Durant averaging over 30 points in the 2012 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat would never be beaten in 2012. They dismantled the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games, despite KD dropping 36 in game one and 32 in games two and five.

Tim Duncan (2013)

The San Antonio Spurs always used to beat teams by committee, but the standout player in the 2013 NBA Finals was Tim Duncan, averaging a double-double (18.9 points and 12.1 rebounds) and taking the Miami Heat to seven games.

LeBron James (2014)

LeBron James led the scoring in four of the five games in the 2014 NBA Finals, scoring 35 points in the only game the Heat won that series. The San Antonio Spurs suffocated the Heat offense, and they got revenge for losing in the 2013 Finals.

LeBron James (2015)

James led the playoffs in scoring (601) and assists (169) during the 2015 NBA playoffs and should have been the second loser ever to win the Finals MVP. He averaged a staggering 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists, including three 40+ point games.

Draymond Green (2016)

The 73-9 Golden State Warriors were on their way to becoming the most incredible team in history, but they lost their final three games of the 2016 NBA Finals to miss out on a historic season. Draymond Green was the best player for the Warriors, dropping 32 points in game seven and averaging a double-double (16.5 points and 10.3 rebounds).

LeBron James (2017)

The Warriors acquired Kevin Durant in the 2016 offseason, making them impossible to defeat over a seven-game series, but LeBron James did his utmost again to stop them from winning. He averaged 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in the series and scored 40 points in game five.

Steph Curry (2019)

The Golden State Warriors were massively hindered when Kevin Durant went down in game one against the Toronto Raptors, and they were dismantled in six games. Steph Curry averaged over 30 points in the series, but they couldn't work out a new system for the team to flourish without Durant.

Jimmy Butler (2020)

The Bubble Championship was extremely tough for all the players, but the Lakers beat the Miami Heat in the Finals in Orlando. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were in cruise control, but Jimmy Butler put up some almighty numbers to stretch the series to six games. He scored 40 points in game three and averaged 26.2 PPG, 12 more than his next-best teammate.

Devin Booker (2021)

Despite Devin Booker scoring 42 points in game four and 40 points in game five, the Phoenix Suns lost four games in a row to lose the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Booker averaged 28.2 points in the series, but Giannis Antetokounmpo's domination overshadowed him.

Jayson Tatum (2022)

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were on an even keel in the 2022 Finals as the Celtics lost to Steph Curry and the Warriors. Tatum averaged 21.5 PPG, and Brown averaged 23.5 PPG, but we gave it to Tatum for his more elite team play and dishing out more assists (seven).

Bam Adebayo (2023)

Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler were instrumental in leading the Miami Heat from the eighth seed to the NBA Finals, but we believe Bam Adebayo was the best player in the Finals. He averaged 21.8 points and 12.4 rebounds, with his standout game being game three (22 points, 17 rebounds).

Luka Doncic (2024)

Luka Doncic led the 2024 NBA playoffs in scoring (635), rebounding (208), and assists (178), but he was still defeated in five games by the Boston Celtics despite leading the scoring in three of the five games. He averaged 29.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in the series.