Ranking every NBA Finals MVP in Los Angeles Lakers history

1. Shaquille O’Neal

Finals MVP: 2000, 2001, 2002

The only player to win three Finals MVPs for the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal was arguably the most unstoppable offensive talent in the history of the NBA. When he joined the Lake Show in ’96, he was just entering his athletic prime at 24 years old.

He would go on to terrorize opposing defenses for the next eight seasons in a row in LA. Other teams would send double-teams at Shaq as often as they could, but when he got the ball on the low block, it was over.

Shaq would be named Finals MVP in all three of the Lakers’ championships from 2000 through 2002. With all due respect to Kobe Bryant, there could not have been a much clearer choice. Against Indiana in the 2000 Finals, Shaq put up astounding averages of 38 points and 16.7 rebounds per game.

His numbers did not fall off over the next two Finals, either. In Game 1 against the 76ers in 2001, Shaq posted an absurd line of 44 points and 20 rebounds (ironically, the only game LA lost in their entire playoff run). He was the driving force behind one of the most dominant runs in NBA history.

In all, Shaq averaged 35.7 points against the frontcourts of the Pacers, 76ers and Nets in the Lakers’ three Finals wins. At his peak, he made light work of the competition and became the second player to ever win three straight Finals MVPs after Michael Jordan. That is enough to earn him the title of greatest Finals MVP in Lakers history.