The San Antonio Spurs’ 22-year-old superstar Victor Wembanyama is about to step onto an NBA Finals floor for the first time.
If you follow the league, you know what happens next can change how we talk about the former No. 1 overall pick.
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MORE: 5 greatest New York Knicks playoff heroes ever
The Spurs are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014 after that Game 7 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Beyond Wembanyama, San Antonio boasts three other major contributors younger than 25 in power forward Julian Champagnie (24) and guards Stephon Castle (21) and Dylan Harper (20).
Meanwhile, the veteran New York Knicks, back in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, are trying to crash that party.
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So before Wembanyama or any Knicks breakout joins the conversation, it is worth setting the bar.
These are the eight best NBA Finals performances by players age 25 or younger, ranked No. 1 to No. 8 by what they averaged and how badly their team needed it.
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Magic Johnson’s closeout as a rookie in 1980
May 16, 1980: With Kareem hurt for Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Sixers, rookie Magic Johnson starts at center & scores a Finals rookie record 42 points to lead the Lakers to the win and the championship.
pic.twitter.com/9TyrHpkBdY
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) May 17, 2026
Magic Johnson’s Game 6 in 1980 is the north star. A 20-year-old rookie starts at center for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, drops 42 points with 15 rebounds and 7 assists on the road in Philadelphia, and the Lakers walk out with the first title of the Showtime era. That is a kid taking on the weight of a franchise in a deciding game and handling it like he has been there for a decade.
For the series, the Finals MVP averaged 21.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and 8.7 assists.
Tim Duncan owning 1999 as a second-year big man
June 16, 1999: Tim Duncan had 33 PTS (13-21 FG) and 16 REB in the Spurs' 89-77 win over the Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Jaren Jackson added 17 PTS and David Robinson had 13 PTS/9 REB/7 AST for San Antonio. New York's Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston each scored 19 PTS. pic.twitter.com/b0nTAPqjxa
— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) June 16, 2023
Before Wembanyama, San Antonio boasted Tim Duncan quietly bending the league to his will.
At 23, Duncan led the Spurs to their first title in 1999 and became the foundation for what would become a dynasty. His NBA Finals against the Knicks was a clinic on two-way dominance. He averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. His numbers were the sort of steady, overwhelming production that does not always make highlight reels, but absolutely buries opponents over a long series.
Kawhi Leonard locking down LeBron in 2014
Kawhi Leonard Games 3-5 of the 2014 Finals
23.7 PPG
9.0 RPG
2.0 APG
2.0 SPG
2.0 BPG
68.6 FG%
53.8 3p%
84.2 FT%
G3 – 29-4-2-2-2 on 10/13 FG
G4 – 20-14-3-3-3 on 7/12 FG
G5 – 22-10-2-1-1 on 7/10 FG pic.twitter.com/509iuhqngF
— Lukas (@KBsLakeShow24) June 29, 2025
San Antonio’s last title before this current run came with another a 22-year-old star front and center. Kawhi Leonard won Finals MVP in 2014, and it was not because he was putting up giant scoring totals. It was because he spent the series making life hard for the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, then the best player in the world. Still, Leonard hit shots and cleaned the glass on the other end. He put up 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game on 61 percent shooting from the field.
Dwyane Wade carrying Miami in the 2006 Finals
Dwyane Wade comes up clutch to take the NBA Finals series lead 3-2 against the Mavericks! (2006)
43 PTS
4 AST
4 REB
3 STL
39% FG (11/28)
84% FT (21/25) pic.twitter.com/wkmmH3hdrt
— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) May 29, 2025
Dwyane Wade’s 2006 NBA Finals is one of those runs that feels bigger than the numbers, and the numbers are massive. At 24, he took over after Miami fell behind the Dallas Mavericks and turned the series around with a relentless mix of drives, free throws and late-game shot-making. The Finals MVP averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists, living at the line with 16.2 free throw attempts per game.
5. LeBron James’ all-around onslaught in defeat
Yes, the 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the Spurs. But if you watched that series, you remember a 22-year-old James trying to solve a peak San Antonio defense while carrying an offense that often had no other reliable creators. He posted 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game against San Antonio’s schemed traps and loaded paint. His shooting numbers were not pretty (35.6 percent FG), yet he rebounded, defended and created for teammates in ways that showed exactly where his career was headed.
Tony Parker emerges as 2007 Finals MVP
🏆 4x NBA Champion
🏅 2007 Finals MVP
🌟 6x All-Star
➕ much more
Look back at some of the best Finals moments from Tony Parker with the Spurs, ahead of him joining the Hall of Fame tonight! pic.twitter.com/81WrLnMUXP
— NBA UK (@NBAUK) August 12, 2023
Tony Parker just barely squeezes into this list. He turned 25 three weeks before the 2007 NBA Finals, and his MVP performance deserves a spot because of how clearly it signaled a power shift within the Spurs’ dynasty. Parker sliced up the Cavaliers’ defense with dribble penetration, floaters and pull-ups, giving San Antonio a different offensive gear to complement Duncan’s interior control. He averaged 24.5 points per game on 56.8 percent shooting from the field in the sweep. His scoring efficiency and pace pressure were the difference in several of those games.
7. Kobe Bryant’s first Finals run as co-star in 2000
Kobe Bryant takes over game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Pacers! (2000)
28 PTS
5 AST
4 REB
2 BLK
1 STL
52% FG (14/27) pic.twitter.com/vvGdrBxXtY
— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) May 22, 2025
Kobe Bryant had been in the league for a few years by the time the Lakers reached the 2000 NBA Finals, but he was still 21, technically on the front end of his career arc. That series against the Indiana Pacers was Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal’s coronation, yet Kobe’s role as a late-game creator and perimeter defender mattered just as much to how Los Angeles closed things out. He finished the series averaging 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists despite an ankle injury that limited him early on. His scoring average climbed as the series went on, and he delivered big moments, including crunch-time heroics in Game 4.
8. Larry Bird’s early Finals impact for the Celtics
May 5, 1981: During Game 1 of the NBA Finals vs the Rockets of Larry Bird hits one of his most famous shots, a putback which Red Auerbach called the greatest play he'd ever seen.
pic.twitter.com/JiQu9SEqkD
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) May 5, 2023
Larry Bird’s first title with the Celtics came early in his career. While the 24-year-old was surrounded by veterans, his fingerprints were all over Boston’s 1981 championship run. It featured Bird in his early 20s playing a complete game, rebounding like a big, handling like a guard and operating as a secondary playmaker and primary shooter. He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7 assists per game in the six-game win over the Houston Rockets. His Finals numbers were balanced across scoring, boards and assists, a preview of the all-around engine he would become.