3 worst players to ever win NBA Finals MVP

1. Andre Iguodala, 2015 Golden State Warriors

Andre Iguodala was the first — and still ony — NBA Finals MVP to not start every game of the series. When when Iguodala replaced Andrew Bogut in the starting lineup for Game 4 with the Golden State Warriors trailing in the series 2-1, it flipped a switch for the Warriors, who won the next three games to claim their first title in 40 years.

For the series, Iguodala put up 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting .521/.400/.357. But in his three starts, those numbers were 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals and he was 9-of-22 (40.9%) from outside the arc.

His biggest impact was slowing down Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James. In Game 4 at Cleveland, Iguodala harassed James into a 7-of-22 night and held him to 20 points, his lowest output of the series. James rebounded to score 40 points in Game 5 and 32 in Game 6 but needed 67 shots to do it.

Iguodala was part of all four Golden State titles since 2015, returning in 2021 after a stint on the Memphis Grizzies roster before actually playing for the Miami Heat for parts of two seasons. The 39-year-old has not officially retired, but new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. told NBC Sports Bay Area in August it was unlikely the 19-year veteran would be back with the Warriors in 2023-24.

Iguodala was a two-time All-Defensive selection and played in the 2012 All-Star Game. He had four seasons of averaging more than 17 points a game for the Philadelphia 76ers from 2006-10. He spent eight years in Philly and a single season with the Denver Nuggets before going to the Warriors for six years. After his stint with Miami, he logged two more seasons in the Bay Area.

For his career, he has averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists, stats that are admittedly weighted down by limited playing time and changing roles over the second half of his career. But playing much of his career in the pace-and-space era, it's worth noting Iggy is a 33% career shooter from 3 and had one of the best stretches of his career coincide with the 2015 NBA Finals.

Of the seven NBA Finals MVPs still active, Iguodala's Hall of Fame case is by far the weakest. He has longevity, but not enough of the accolades and statistical accomplishments to be considered more than a one-off Hall candidate.

But being the worst NBA Finals MVP is better than being the best at a lot of things.