Starting with the first time it was awarded, the Finals MVP award has been an occasional source of controversy. Here are seven such cases, some of which forever altered the individual legacy of the players involved.
1) Jerry West over Bill Russell and John Havlicek, 1969
As is often the case in sports, the man the NBA Finals MVP has been named after, Russell, never won the trophy himself. That was no fault of Russell himself or the voters, as the award wasn't instituted until his final year in the league, 1969 (it was renamed after Russell in 2009). It's arguable that Russell would have won it at least eight times, maybe as many as 10, but in his one actual chance to be honored, he was beaten out by a player from the team his Celtics vanquished. The Lakers were heavily favored in the 1969 Finals, boasting a dominant trio of West, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain, while Celtics veterans Russell and Sam Jones were obviously on their last legs (both retired after the series). It marked the seventh Finals match-up of the Lakers and Celtics in an 11-year span, and like they had previously in 1962 and 1966, the teams battled for the full seven games. After facing double-teams all season, West found himself in one-on-one situations against Boston and took full advantage in games one and two, going off for a combined 94 points and 18 assists in Lakers wins. Though Russell was still Boston's team leader, top rebounder, and top defender, the scoring load was now resting on John Havlicek's shoulders. He scored 37 points in the game one loss, 43 in game two (before fouling out late), 34 in a game three win, and a team-high 21 in a game four win. Jones got the headlines for hitting the winning shot in game four to even the series, but it was Havlicek's scoring and Russell's all-around play that allowed the Celtics to survive a scoring onslaught from West. "The Logo" had 42 points in Los Angeles' game seven loss, and finished the series with 37.9 points per game. This is certainly more impressive than Havlicek's 28.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, or Russell's 9.1 points and 21.1 rebounds per game, but it sticks out like a sore thumb seeing that West is the only player in Finals history to win the MVP from a losing team. It's hard to argue against the decision, but it's also difficult to swallow that Russell wasn't awarded in maybe his gutsiest and most impressive performance. Havlicek would eventually win Finals MVP in 1974.
2) Kobe Bryant over Pau Gasol, 2010
Just like he had in 2009, Bryant statistically dominated the 2010 NBA Finals. His scoring average fell from 32.4 points per game to 28.6, but that was still 10 full points higher than the next player on either team in the series, which happened to be his teammate, Gasol. With 18.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game, while shooting 47.8% from the field, Gasol was an absolute force in this seven game Lakers victory. Bryant did add 8.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game to his 28.6 points, but he shot just 40.5% from the field. On paper, you could still argue that Bryant had the more impressive series, but anyone who paid close attention in games six and seven likely walked away with a different assessment. Trailing the series 3-2 heading back to Staples Center, Gasol helped the Lakers set the tone in the first quarter of game six, with five points, six rebounds, and three charges taken as Los Angeles opened up a big early lead and held on for a 89-67 win. Though Bryant led all scorers in that game with 26 points, Gasol had 17 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists, and spent most of the contest guarding Kevin Garnett. When the Celtics were determined to turn the winner-take-all game seven into a war of attrition, Gasol was ready to respond. Not only did the Spanish star score 19 points, he also added 18 rebounds, nine of them offensive, took some game-changing charges, and was rallying the troops throughout. It was a reputation-changing performance for a player that had spent his entire career being labeled as "soft," and it was only fitting that Gasol grabbed the final rebound to finish off the series. But Bryant, despite shooting just 6-of-24 from the field, managed to finish with 23 points and 15 rebounds, and unsurprisingly received the Finals MVP award. Though it's far from cut-and-dry that Gasol deserved it more, Lakers fans will always remember him as one who got going when the going got tough, and carried the franchise to its 16th title.
3) Paul Pierce over Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, 2008
If the Celtics had held on and defeated the Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals, then Paul Pierce would have likely won his second Finals MVP award. He was the team's leading scorer in that series, just as he had been in the 2008 NBA Finals, and usually that's more than enough for voters on which to base their decision. But as brilliant as Pierce was in 2008, the other members of the "Big Three" had mad their own compelling argument for the MVP trophy. For Kevin Garnett, it was his defensive intensity that propelled the Celtics to the championship, practically willing the team through many of its toughest games. He finished the series third on the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game, first in rebounding with 13.0, first in blocks, first in steals, and third in assists. Then there was Ray Allen, who finished second in scoring with 20.3 points per game, plus third in rebounding, third in steals, second in blocks, and fourth in assists. He also provided the defining moment of the series, a crossover move that froze the Lakers' Sasha Vujacic, and an ensuing driving lay-up that sealed game four and a 3-1 series lead for Boston. Allen and Garnett were the leading scorers for the Celtics in the clinching game six, with 26 each, while Garnett led the way in their game one win, and Allen in their game three loss (Pierce was the leading scorer in the game two win, game four win, and the game five loss). It's one case where an awarding of co-MVPs would seem perfectly appropriate, as the three superstars performed beautifully together to cap a distinguished season.
4) Magic Johnson over Jamaal Wilkes, 1982
As much as his rookie season in '79-'80 was an unmitigated success, Magic's sophomore effort in '80-'81 was a proportionate disappointment. He missed over half the season after tearing cartilage in his knee, and upon his return feuded with head coach Paul Westhead as Los Angeles flamed out in the first round of the playoffs. The '81-'82 season got off to a rocky start as well, and when Westhead was fired after just 11 games, everyone (somewhat correctly) laid the blame on Johnson. The team recovered and secured the top seed in the playoffs under new coach Pat Riley, while Johnson joined Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players with 700 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in a season. By the time the Lakers reached the NBA Finals against Philadelphia, he was culminating a full-scale image rehabilitation. And with his affable and approachable personality and winning smile, it was easy for Magic to indoctrinate himself back into the good graces of fans and the media. The Lakers won the NBA Finals in six games, as he nearly averaged a triple-double for the series with 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. It may seem like an open-and-shut case for MVP on paper, but consider that Magic was fifth on the Lakers in scoring for the series. Jamaal Wilkes led the way with 19.7 points per game, including a team high 27 in the clinching game six, and ably defended Julius Erving throughout the series. It was a cathartic performance for Wilkes, who had struggled mightily in the previous year's first round loss to Houston, then suffered personal anguish over the death of his newborn daughter just days before training camp started in 1981. But the MVP, and the hyped redemption, went to Johnson, who would eventually win a third Finals MVP trophy in 1987.
5) Chauncey Billups over Rip Hamilton, 2004
Even though they had reached the Conference Finals the year before and fielded the league's most balanced starting five, the Pistons were given little chance in the 2004 NBA Finals. The Lakers had been a soap opera all season after the additions of Karl Malone and Gary Payton, but everyone assumed that when the rubber hit the road in the postseason Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal would carry the day, as usual. Instead the Pistons ran away with a punishing five-game victory, ending Malone's career (and Phil Jackson's, briefly), the Kobe-Shaq marriage, and the attendant Lakers dynasty. Billups was the unquestioned team leader and catalyst for Detroit, even though he had spent the past seven seasons with six different teams, and he set the initial tone with 22 points in game one, as Detroit stole a win in Los Angeles. But from the point the series traversed to Detroit tied at 1-1, it was Rip Hamilton's offense that carried the Pistons to immortality. Hamilton had 31 points in a game three blowout, 17 points and six assists in game four, and 21 points in the clinching game five. He did all this while playing with a broken nose, which forced Hamilton to wear a protective mask to which he was still adjusting. His numbers were comparably impressive against Billups, with 21.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game to Billups' 21.0/3.2/5.2. Indefatigable, Hamilton also led the Pistons in minutes played over the course of the series. This was an especially impactful decision, as that Finals MVP trophy just might be the difference between Billups getting into the Hall of Fame and Hamilton falling short.
6) Dennis Johnson over Gus Williams, 1979
The 1979 championship was a true team effort for Seattle. They join the '76-'77 Blazers and '03-'04 Pistons as the only post-merger title teams without an entry in the top 50 of our all-time greatest player list. Johnson was arguably the best player on the roster, and his career output beyond this season certainly bore out that distinction. But the team's title run also featured crucial performances from top rebounder Jack Sikma, defensive specialist John Johnson, and especially Williams, who was Johnson's back court mate and Seattle's leading scorer. Williams finished with 32 points in Seattle's game one NBA Finals loss against the Bullets, then 23, 31, 36, and 23 in their four subsequent wins. Each of those totals was a team high, and Williams was also third on the Sonics in assists, with his fast break playmaking befitting his nickname "Wizard." Only three other players besides Williams in the post-merger era led both NBA Finals teams in scoring for the series but was not named MVP, and those were Wes Unseld in 1978, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1980, and Kevin McHale in 1986. All three of those players, who were all-time greats in their own right, lost out on the trophy to first ballot Hall of Famers in Elvin Hayes, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, respectively. Though Johnson was obviously a great player, it took 20 years after his career ended for him to be (posthumously) inducted into the Hall. A Finals MVP trophy would have arguably benefitted Williams' career and legacy more than anyone else on this list. He almost certainly would have received more respect from Sonics management who otherwise lowballed him with a 1980 contract offer that caused Williams to sit out an entire season of his prime.
7) Andre Iguodala over LeBron James and Stephen Curry, 2015
For the first time since the inaugural award was handed out to Jerry West in 1969, a player from the losing NBA Finals team had a legitimate case for series MVP in 2015. It helps that the player was James, who will almost assuredly go down as one of the three greatest players in league history. Even more amazing is that Iguodala won the award over his teammate Curry, who was the reigning league MVP and posted demonstrably better stats than Iguodala in the series. After the Warriors finished off the series in six games, Curry didn't even receive a single MVP vote, with Iguodala winning the award with seven votes over four for James. He became the first player ever to win Finals MVP after playing the majority of the season off the bench (Iguodala did start in three of the six NBA Finals games). Iguodala's stats in the clinching game six were undeniably great, with 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists, but it was his defense on James that ultimately won him the prize. James struggled with his shooting from the floor with Iguodala hounding him, and his plus/minus stats were decidedly improved during the time that Iguodala was resting on the bench. But James still averaged nearly a triple-double for the series, with 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game, and single-handedly forced the series to six games without the services of the injured Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. It's doubtful that we'll ever see another losing player win Finals MVP again, as this was arguably the perfect situation for it to finally happen.