The NBA Finals is when the final two teams compete for the coveted NBA championship. As a result, the lights are brighter than ever.

Although some players step up to the challenge, there have been a handful who've also folded in the games that mattered the most. Let's take a look at 10 star players who struggled in an NBA Finals series.

James Harden (2012)

Stats: 12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 38% FG, 32% 3PFG

James Harden had yet to be a star for the Thunder. However, he was their designated Sixth Man that gave the Thunder a good chance in the 2012 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat's Big Three.

Harden pretty much struggled in Game 1 by finishing with only five points, but the Thunder managed to escape with a victory. However, the Thunder would lose the next few games, including poor performances by Harden in Games 3 and 4, where he shot 2-for-10 in both contests.

Reggie Miller (2000)

Stats: 24.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 41% FG, 38% 3PFG

Although Reggie Miller had relatively good numbers in the Finals series against the Lakers and played pretty well for the rest of the series, he did have a miserable Game 1. In his Finals debut, Miller finished with only seven points, while shooting 1-for-16 from the field overall. Most of his points came from the free-throw line.

Ray Allen (2010)

Stats: 14.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 37% FG, 29% 3PFG

Ray Allen pretty much had a rollercoaster 2010 NBA Finals. In Game 2, he broke the NBA Finals record for most 3-point field goals in a Finals game. However, he went downhill from there.

After going 8-for-11 from deep in Game 2, he went 4-for-28 in the remaining games of the series, including a stretch that saw him miss 16-straight shots. Allen also had a paltry Game 3 where he finished with only two points.

John Stockton (1998)

Stats: 9.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 49% FG, 22% 3PFG

Facing Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls once again, the Utah Jazz needed all hands on deck to give themselves a chance against the Bulls' second three-peat hopes. However, Stockton struggled mightily in the 1998 NBA Finals.

After a respectable first two games, the NBA assists and steals leader struggled to contribute offensively in the remaining games of the series, including a measly 3-for-11 shooting performance in Game 4.

Harrison Barnes (2016)

Stats: 9.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 35% FG, 31% 3PFG

The 73-9 Warriors somehow failed to get the job done in the 2016 NBA Finals by allowing the Cavaliers to become the first team to come out of a 3-1 series hole in NBA Finals history. A part of the Warriors' failure was Harrison Barnes' measly shooting.

Although he shot well in the Warriors' first three victories, Barnes was horrendous in the final three games. He shot 5-for-32, including an 0-for-8 performance in a crucial Game 6, where he ended up scoreless.

Dennis Johnson (1978)

Stats: 16.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 39% FG

Dennis Johnson is a huge part of the Seattle Supersonics franchise. In fact, he was part of the franchise's championship team in 1979 and was NBA Finals MVP. But a year prior, his Finals debut was forgettable at best.

After solid outings from Games 1 to 5, Johnson ran out of gas in the final two games of the series. He had a 4-for-16 shooting performance in Game 6 before an even worse 0-for-14 performance in Game 7.

Kenyon Martin (2003)

Stats: 14.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 34% FG

There's no question that Kenyon Martin played a huge role in the New Jersey Nets' Finals appearance in 2003. However, the team's main power forward struggled big time in Games 5 and 6.

Although he held his own against the Spurs' frontcourt, Martin struggled in Game 5 by finishing with only four points on 25 percent shooting from the field. While he improved his numbers to six points and 10 rebounds in the deciding Game 6, Martin shot 3-for-23 from the field overall.

John Starks (1994)

Stats: 17.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 37% FG, 32% 3PFG

There's no question that the New York Knicks gave their absolute best in trying to outplay the Houston Rockets in the 1994 NBA Finals. Although Starks pretty much played well during the majority of the series, it couldn't be overlooked that he struggled in Game 1, where he finished with only 11 points on 3-for-18 shooting.

However, it was his poor Game 7 performance that took the life out of the Knicks. Starks finished with only eight points, while making only 2 out of 18 shots from the floor.

Kobe Bryant (2004)

Stats: 22.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 38% FG, 17% 3PFG

By forming a super team filled with future Hall of Famers, it looked like the Los Angeles Lakers were ready to be champions again. However, a defensive-oriented Detroit Pistons were an unexpected road block that blitzed their way through the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant, who later would win two NBA Finals MVP awards, hardly got going in this Finals. While he posted decent numbers, the Black Mamba was inefficient at best while struggling to make his shots.

LeBron James (2011)

Stats: 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 48% FG, 32% 3PFG

LeBron James and the Miami Heat were expected to waltz their way to a championship after a dominant first run together. However, no one expected a hungry Dallas Mavericks squad to be their kryptonite.

With Dirk Nowitzki's hot shooting and the team's zone defense, James struggled big time in the worst series of his career. In fact, many of his critics still remember his Game 4 performance, where he shot just 3-for-11 and ended up with only eight points. It was certainly a dark spot in his legacy, but no one should forget his four NBA Finals MVPs either.