It has nothing to do with participation. It means you won to get there. It means you've won 8 times to get to that stage. It means you won more than whoeever didn't get there as many times. Y'alls argument is it's better to have not gotten there at all then to have gotten there and lost.
The TRUTH of the matter is going through the Pacers and Nets year after year to reach 8 finals and LOSE 5 (and counting) of them is nowhere near the accomplishment that going through Larry Bird's Celtics and the Bad Boy Pistons to reach and WIN 6 finals while being the best player on the floor (and on the earth) for all of them is.
Why is Bron the only guy that ever gets the credit for reaching (and then LOSING) multiple finals? Where the respect for Kobe going through the Spurs Twin Towers, the Kings, and so many other great teams to reach how many finals in the early 2000s, in his early 20s to boot?
Where's KD's credit for leading his squad over the defending champ Mavs and Kobe's Lakers to reach the finals and lead all scorers in that series shooting over 50% from the field, at only 23 years old?
Where's Curry's credit for turning one of the NBA's most historically pathetic franchises into a dynasty, winning the stacked West 3 years running and breaking the Bulls all time win record in the process while WINNING 2 finals?
Where's Duncan's credit for not only reaching the finals countless times over his career, but WINNING 5 of them, 2 at Bron's expense?
Live in a world where Lebron James is the only NBA player to reach multiple finals brehs.