Ranking every NBA Finals MVP in Los Angeles Lakers history
By Will Eudy
4. LeBron James
Finals MVP: 2020
Joining the Lakers at a later age than anyone else to win Finals MVP for the franchise, LeBron James arrived in LA already a three-time champion. He brought titles to the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers before bringing his talents to the City of Angels in 2018.
At 33 years old, James was entering the later stages of his career. But less than twelve months into his Lakers tenure, he got a running mate that he knew would help him as he rode out his final years: Anthony Davis.
When AD joined LA in 2019, the Lakers began to assemble a championship-level roster. LA held the best record in the Western Conference during the 2019-20 season. But in March 2020, the COVID-19 virus forced the NBA season to take an indefinite hiatus.
After the season resumed in July, the Lakers joined the other teams invited to the NBA Bubble in Orlando. They maintained the top seed in the West for the playoffs, reaching the NBA Finals against the Heat.
It was in that series that LeBron seemed to turn back the clock. At 35 years old, James led the team in scoring and playmaking while putting up ultra-efficient shooting splits of 59% from the floor and 41% from three. His triple-double of 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists helped LA clinch the title in Game 6.
On the biggest stage, LeBron returned to his prime form and showed that he could still get it done when it mattered most. He became just the third player in NBA history to win a Finals MVP for multiple teams, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kawhi Leonard. His dominating performance in 2020 was impressive, but not as impressive as our next Finals MVP.