https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ho ... is-legacy/
-- "It's not as terrible as it seems."
Here are top cumulative Game Scores in the 9 Finals trips for LeBron's teams and their opponents. Asterisk* designates a winning year.
Code: Select all
. 2007
16.2 Parker SAS
15.3 Duncan SAS
11.6 Ginobili SAS
10.6 LeBron Cle
9.0 Gooden Cle
. 2011
22.7 Wade Mia
16.6 Nowitzki Dal
13.7 LeBron Mia
13.4 Terry Dal
. 2012 *
23.6 LeBron Mia
20.7 Durant OKC
18.9 Westbrook OKC
16.4 Wade Mia
. 2013 *
22.5 LeBron Mia
15.9 Duncan SAS
14.9 Wade Mia
14.2 Leonard SAS
. 2014
22.5 LeBron Mia
15.8 Leonard SAS
12.9 Duncan SAS
11.6 Parker SAS
10.9 Ginobili SAS
10.6 Bosh Mia
. 2015
24.6 LeBron Cle
17.9 Curry GSW
13.6 Iguodala GSW
12.1 Green GSW
11.8 Mozgov Cle
. 2016 *
26.5 LeBron Cle
19.1 Irving Cle
17.2 Green GSW
13.1 Curry GSW
. 2017
30.3 Durant GSW
29.6 LeBron Cle
24.1 Curry GSW
18.2 Irving Cle
. 2018
28.3 LeBron Cle
26.9 Durant GSW
20.1 Curry GSW
15.6 Love CleIn the last 7 years, only Durant has outperformed LeBron in a Finals by this measure, and that's just once in 3 meetings.
LeBron almost looks stronger each time out, until this year -- which was still better than any of his mvp years.