LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Other Superstars Facing Most Eliminations By Eventual NBA Champions
Winning an NBA championship is always a dream of players entering the league. Playing against the best and defeating them is just a cherry on top. The NBA saw many superstars who dominated their eras by consistently delivering on the court. Their high output performances not only helped their teams in the postseason but the won titles. LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kevin Durant are prime examples of the same, with a 100% record in the NBA Finals MVP category. But even players like these suffered losses to eventual winners, and some even lost to the NBA Champions (either in finals or midway) multiple times. Check out the list of superstars who lost to the NBA Champions more than ‘expected’.
NBA Champions Eliminating Superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and James Harden
Expect some high numbers with the players in the discussion making the postseason on multiple occasions. The list is updated through the 2024 NBA postseason. Here is the complete list of players eliminated by the NBA Champions,
| Jugador | Eliminations | Estaciones | Loss in the NBA Finals |
| Patrick Ewing | 7 | 1990, 91, 92, 93, 94, 96, 99 | 1994, 1999 |
| Charles Oakley | 7 | 1986, 90,91,92,93,94,96 | 1994 |
| James Harden | 7 | 2010,11,12,15,18,19,20 | 2012 |
| Kevin Durant | 7 | 2010, 11, 12, 14, 19, 21, 23 | 2012, 2019 |
| Elgin Baylor | 8 | 1959,62,63,65,66,68,69,70 | – |
| Rasheed Wallace | 8 | 1999, 2000,01,02,05,06,08,10 | 2005, 2010 |
| LeBron James | 8 | 2007,08,11,14,15,17,18,23 | 2007,11,14,15,17,18 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 8 | 1970,72,74,77,79,83,84,89 | 1974,83,84,89 |
| Derek Fisher | 8 | 1999,2003, 04,07,08,11,12,14 | 2004, 2008, 2012 |
| Jerry West | 8 | 1962,63,65,66,68,69,70,73 | 1962,63,65,66,68,69,70,73 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 10 | 1960,62,64,65,66,68,69,70,71,73 | 1964, 69,70,73 |
As for Patrick Ewing, the giant killer was Michael Jordan and his three-peat winning Chicago Bulls, who eliminated the Knicks on four occasions. Similar was the case with Charles Oakley. Former member of the Chicago Bulls saw his side dominate the 90s era, while he lost to them four times. James Harden fell victim to two mega teams – the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry’s side handed him most eliminations, while the Miami Heat in 2012 crushed his dream of the first NBA Championship.
Kevin Durant Might have won two titles and Finals MVP awards with the Warriors, but the same team haunted him for years. The Lakers’ great, Baylor, sadly didn’t win any titles, but the dominant Celtics were too hot to handle with Bill Russell and co winning the 11 titles in that period. Rasheed Wallace had a stellar career with the Pistons, winning the 2004 title against all odds. But around it, there were heartbreaks, at the hands of Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers. LeBron James could have had 10 NBA Titles by now if it weren’t for the Spurs and Golden State Warriors, who combined for 6 titles against his Cavs and Miami sides. Yet one of the memorable series was the 2016 NBA final, where LBJ led the side from a 1-3 deficit to the title.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a similar story. Spanning his career with Showtime Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, ‘Cap’ would have won 10 titles, but again Boston Celtics were his nemesis, denying him at least two titles. Darek Fisher, key player of the Lakers’ dynasty side, lost eight times to the eventual winners and three times in the finals against three different teams.
But Jerry West had the most tragic losses of all time. Losing eight finals. The only non-champion Finals MVP won his first title in 1972but around it, there were a number of losses against the Celtics. Another victim of the Celtics’ dominant era was Wilt Chamberlain. Playing for the Philly and Los Angeles Chamberlain finally won his first title with the Sixers and won NBA Finals MVP with the Lakers in 1072.
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