Kevin Durant recently found himself in the middle of tirades after the Brooklyn Nets got swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2021-22 NBA Playoffs. Perhaps the biggest shot that was thrown at him was when Charles Barkley called him a ‘rider' for tagging along with the Golden State Warriors to win a couple of championships in 2017 and 2018.
Yes, Durant is certainly an undeniable talent and an all-time great but there's no denying that he joined a GSW squad that already went to the Finals before he even entered the picture. His arrival to the team just made them more unbeatable, thus allowing them to win two consecutive titles over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Durant's stint in the Bay Area is still debatable but there are a handful of other current players who actually did the work and drove their respective teams all the way to the title. These players have surely left their mark in NBA Finals history as their heroic performances have allowed their teams to sit atop the league and attain championship glory at one point in time.
With that said, let's take a look at ClutchPoints' 2021-22 Top 5 ‘Bus Driver' list.
ClutchPoints' 2021-22 Top 5 ‘Bus Driver’ List
5. Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala winning the 2015 Finals MVP in the championship series against the Cleveland Cavaliers remains to be a hot topic up to this day. Though Stephen Curry's contributions can certainly make a strong case for him to win the award back then, Iguodala still put up a noteworthy performance in that series that deserves much recognition as well.
Trailing 2-1 in the series, the Warriors needed a major adjustment and Steve Kerr opted to put Iguodala in their starting five in Game 4 for them to play a small-ball lineup. He was tasked to guard LeBron James and successfully made life harder for him as he held him to a meager 38.1% shooting from the field. The Cavaliers star still managed to tally a stellar line of 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists but it is safe to say that he had to work twice as hard just to make his shots with Iguodala guarding him.
Meanwhile, Iguodala himself averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and four assists. His numbers may not be as eye-popping as compared to the other Finals MVPs in history but he sure did have a major impact on both ends of the floor during the Warriors' 2015 championship run which warrants him a spot on this list.
4. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry may not have won a Finals MVP award in his career but he has always been a huge part of all three titles that he won with the Warriors. In 2015, he averaged 26.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds while he tallied 26.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 8.0 rebounds in 2017. Finally, Curry normed 27.5 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds in 2018.
From a statistical standpoint, his biggest chance to win a Finals MVP award was in 2015 which ultimately went to Andre Iguodala despite his lower numbers. Unfortunately, Curry was eventually overshadowed by Kevin Durant in 2017 and 2018 which hindered him from earning the plum in two consecutive Finals appearances.
Still, everyone knows that Curry is the centerpiece of the Warriors dynasty that was built by Mark Jackson and continued by Steve Kerr. Even though he didn't win a Finals MVP award, his numbers can prove that he played an invaluable role in the Warriors' title runs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's championship run in the 2020-21 NBA Playoffs has been written off by many due to the injuries sustained by players on the other teams. Despite having an ‘easy path' to the title, it is still marvelous how the Greek Freak was able to carry Milwaukee on his back without any other big-name superstars on his team. With his tireless attitude and the team's solid chemistry, the Bucks were able to nab a 4-2 series win against the Phoenix Suns to win their first championship in 50 years.
No one else deserved to be hailed as the Finals MVP except for Antetokounmpo after averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in this series. Through his performance, he was able to show that staying loyal to a team and not joining forces with other superstars can still result in a championship, especially in the modern NBA that has been going crazy for superteams.
During his days with the San Antonio Spurs, Kawhi Leonard was already playing like a legitimate superstar in the early stages of his career. In a team with Hall of Famers like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, it was a 22-year-old Leonard who led the team in winning their title in 2014 against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
He averaged 17.8 points with a 75.3% true shooting percentage which remains to be the highest of any Finals MVP in NBA history, per StatMuse. With his effectiveness on both ends of the floor, the Spurs were able to challenge the Heat's bid for a three-peat with a 4-1 series win in the 2014 Finals.
Several years later, Leonard found himself on another championship squad, this time with the Toronto Raptors. Luck may have played a part in their campaign as Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all missed time due to their respective injuries. Still, credit must be given to the Raptors for taking advantage of the situation and completing a 4-2 series win to hoist Toronto's first title in franchise history.
By leading his team with 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, Leonard won his second Finals MVP award and proved that he can indeed carry a team on his back and take them all the way to the title.
1. LeBron James
Superteams in the modern NBA may have started with LeBron James and the Miami Heat but there's no denying that he held responsibility and remained at the forefront of his star-studded squads. Some of those runs have resulted in titles and some have not but LBJ is still the ultimate top guy that a championship-caliber team would want on its side in a bid to win the crown.
His 2016 NBA Finals appearance with the Cleveland Cavaliers is the perfect example of a player carrying his entire team on his back. The future Hall of Famer notched 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists as he led the Cavs to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win Cleveland's first NBA championship against the Golden State Warriors.
Aside from that, the two titles that he won with the Heat and one with the Los Angeles Lakers only demonstrate his ability to drive his teams all the way to the top of the league. People will always find a reason to hate on LeBron James but the way he led his superteams to numerous titles and made his mark as a perennial superstar can't be neglected, especially during the prime years of his career.
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