Greatest Game 7 Players in NBA History

Game 7 are two of the best words in all of sports. Unless you’re the emotional wreck who has to compete in the ultimate pressure test.

Well, isn’t that right, Dennis Johnson, wherever you are? In Game 7 of the 1978 NBA finals, Johnson played like a deer in headlights. The 23-year-old Seattle SuperSonics guard bricked every one of his 14 field-goal tries, an epically bad performance that remains a record today. Afterward, D.J. confessed to the c-word: choke. Only months later, he was still chosen as the 1979 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. No seventh game necessary.

But who are the guys you would want on your side with a playoff series on the line? We have them right here.

Note: We want consistency over a period of time, so we set the bar at five career Game 7s. That’s why you won’t see the names of Michael Jordan, Steve Nash and James Worthy, who otherwise would have made the cut. 

Career: 13 seasons (1967-1979)

Teams: New York Knicks (1985-2000), Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01), Orlando Magic (2001-02)

Game 7 record: 3-4

Game 7 statistics: 23.8/14.1/3.4

Big Pat was widely reputed to come up small in pressure moments, but at least in Game 7s, that’s a bad rap for the most part.

Unfortunately, the one that he would like to have back came in the 1994 NBA Finals, when Hakeem Olajuwon owned him in a six-point loss.

Career: 14 seasons (1972-1986)

Teams: ABA Virginia Squires (1972-74), ABA San Antonio Spurs (1974-76), San Antonio Spurs (1976-1985), Chicago Bulls (1985-86)

Game 7 record: 1-4

Game 7 statistics: 27.4/6.0/3.2

Despite that unsightly won-loss record, The Iceman made the cut for this reason: He consistently rose to a greater level with lesser teams. It also was difficult to ignore that only a select few have averaged more points in seventh games. 

He scored 42 and 31 points in two losses and drained 50 percent of his field goal tries overall.