8. LeBron James, 2020
When LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers, the championship expectations were higher than ever before. The most decorated player of his generation was tasked with leading Los Angeles to the first title of the post-Kobe Bryant era.
James and Anthony Davis succeeded in that respect in 2019-20, with the former winning his fourth career Finals MVP award and his first with the Lakers.
While many would argue that Davis was the Lakers' best player in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, it was James who took the lead in the Finals. He did so by averaging 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.5 three-point field goals made on .591/.417/.667 shooting.
It was a performance for the ages from a player who was already 35 years of age, yet as ready as ever to put forth an effort that few in NBA history could rival.
In the close-out game of the 2020 NBA Finals, James was in magnificent form. He posted 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists on 13-of-20 shooting, playing 41 minutes as he ensured that his fourth career championship would be clinched.
It was the type of performance that Lakers fans had been dreaming of witnessing since the face of the NBA arrived in Los Angeles in 2018.