The NBA Finals are home to some of the most unforgettable games in the league’s history. Many memorable games have occurred on the NBA’s biggest stage, but there’s nothing better than a surprise upset that nobody saw coming. Let’s delve into the history books and revisit the NBA teams that shocked the world against the odds-on favorites for the title.
5 Most Shocking NBA Finals Outcomes
Some honorable mentions include:
- 1995 Finals: Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic 4-0 (Rockets)
- 2019 Finals: Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors 4-2 (Raptors)
- 1975 Finals: Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Bullets 4-0 (Warriors)
This list has no particular order, considering the gravity of the achievements of the teams mentioned below. So here are the top five jaw-dropping upsets in NBA Finals history.
1969 Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 4-3 (Celtics)
With Jerry West looking to win his first NBA championship, the Los Angeles Lakers entered the series as the favorites. He had a formidable support cast of Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. They led the series 3-2, but Games 6 and 7 crashed and burned for the Lakers. Notably, Bill Russell performed remarkably well, giving the Boston Celtics their 11th NBA title victory and then retired right after.
Finals MVP: Jerry West – 37.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 7.4 APG
1983 Finals: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 4-0 (76ers)
After claiming two of three titles from 1980 to 1982, the Lakers were the odds-on favorites for the 1983 NBA championship. Who can doubt them, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson playing to the best of their abilities? However, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Moses Malone put on a display for the ages, dominating the scoring, rebounding, and defensive numbers to give his team an unprecedented title victory.
Finals MVP: Moses Malone – 25.8 PPG, 18.0 RPG, 2.0 APG
2004 Finals: Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 4-1 (Pistons)
The Lakers’ stacked roster of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant got an upgrade for the 2003-04 season. Karl Malone and Gary Payton joined the superstars in a quest to win their first championships. Eventually, the Detroit Pistons conquered the Lakers by playing no-nonsense defense throughout the series. Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, and Ben Wallace took the Pistons to the promised land.
Finals MVP: Chauncey Billups – 21.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.2 APG
2011 Finals: Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat – 4-2 (Mavericks)
The ‘Heatles’ were the talk of the sports world during the 2010-11 season, with LeBron James and Chris Bosh arriving in Miami to join Dwyane Wade. Everyone knew who to place their bets on, as the Heat were outright favorites. Dirk Nowitzki, though, had other ideas as he claimed his first NBA title. With the assistance of Jason Terry and Shawn Marion, the Mavericks stunned the NBA world to win their first-ever championship.
Finals MVP: Dirk Nowitzki – 26.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG
2016 Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors – 4-3 (Cavaliers)
In the game that made LeBron James immortal, the Cleveland Cavaliers produced a comeback for the ages in 2016. They trailed 1-3 in the series, only for James to rally his teammates and win it 4-3. James’ defense was on point, averaging 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks, including a stunning clutch block in Game 7 on Andre Iguodala. Despite the Golden State Warriors going on a record-breaking 73-9 run in the regular season, they lost this battle completely.
Finals MVP: LeBron James – 29.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 8.9 APG