The are nearly underway, with the and set to face off for the best hardware available in basketball. In the late 2010s, a showdown between the and the was a foregone conclusion before the season even began. However, the is in a different parity stage, which has led to no team repeating as champion since 2019.
Ahead of the 2024 NBA Finals, a few players are set to debut on basketball's biggest stage. Mavericks superstar has dominated throughout Dallas' epic postseason run but will be receiving his first taste of NBA Finals basketball. Celtics big man will also make his Finals debut and return to action after being sidelined since Game 4 of Boston's first-round series against the .
Many players reach the NBA Finals and cannot maintain their success under the bright lights. However, a select number immediately dominates in their first experience with the eyes of the world on them. These are GIVEMESPORT's top five individual performances of players in their first NBA Finals game.
Arguably the most iconic Game 1 performance in NBA Finals history, did the unthinkable in 2001. Iverson led the to the Finals for the first time since 1983, setting up a showdown against the dominant . The Lakers entered the series with an impressive 12-0 record in the and cemented themselves in each series as one of the greatest teams ever assembled.
In a true tale of David against Goliath, Iverson mustered one of the greatest single-handed performances the basketball world has ever witnessed. Allen Ive.
