The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each June. The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986. The series is played between the winners of Eastern Conference Finals and Western Conference Finals. At the conclusion of the championship round, the winner of the NBA Finals is presented the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. (Winners from 1946 to 1977 received the Walter A. Brown Trophy) The NBA Finals has been played at the conclusion of every NBA and BAA season in history, the first being held in 1947. Since 1985, the winner of the NBA Finals has been determined through a 2–3–2 best-of-seven playoff format. The team with the better regular season record has home court advantage; the first two, and if necessary, the last two games are played at its home court regardless of their respective seeding.

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History

Highlights

• 1955: The Syracuse Nationals faced the Fort Wayne Pistons. Although both markets were small, the series was spectacular, in part due to the addition of the 24-second shot clock. ^[1] The home team won every game, the Nats taking the series with a free throw by George King at the end of Game 7, breaking a 91–91 tie.
• 1957: The first championship in what was to become the Celtics dynasty. A hard-fought series against the Hawks. Jim Loscutoff won the game for the Celtics in double overtime in Game 7 with two free throws.
• 1962: The second NBA Finals with the Lakers against the Celtics (after 1959). In Game 7, the clock was winding down with the score tied at 100, when Frank Selvy (who once scored 100 points in a college game) missed an eight-foot game- and series-winning basket for the Lakers. The Celtics won in overtime.
• 1966: Another Celtics-Lakers classic. In Game 7, Red Auerbach, Boston's coach, lit up his traditional "victory cigar" mid way through the 4th quarter, only to see his team's big lead melt away. They held on, however, and won 95–93.
• 1969: For the third time in the decade, a Lakers-Celtics final went to seven games. Chamberlain, Baylor, and West, three of the game's best players, were now all playing for the Lakers. Nevertheless, the aging Celtics (who had finished fourth in the Eastern Division), led by player-coach Bill Russell, put on an effective counter-attack. In Game 4, with the Celtics trailing 2–1 in the series and 88–87 in the game, Sam Jones hit an incredible buzzer-beater with three seconds left to even the series and preserve the Celtics' championship winning streak. In game 7, Boston built a big lead and Wilt Chamberlain picked up his 5th foul. The Lakers rallied behind their subs, and cut the deficit to 2 points in the final moments. Laker guard Keith Eickson knocked the ball away from John Havlicek, but it bounced to Don Nelson with only 2 seconds left on the 24 second shot clock. Nelson's shot hit the heel of the rim, bounced high in the air and came down through the hoop as Boston ended up winning 108–106.
• 1970: With the series tied 1–1, Game 3 produced an instant classic. The Knicks' Dave DeBusschere made a basket with 3 seconds left to give the Knicks a 102–100 lead. Jerry West then made a 63 foot shot to force overtime. However, the Knicks recovered to win the game and eventually the series in 7. Game 7 is best remembered when the injured Willis Reed, who supposedly was out of Game 7, started the game and scored the first two baskets to inspire the Knicks just when they needed it. New York claimed its first title.
• 1976: Chiefly remembered for the fifth game, a classic that was often labelled afterwards as the "greatest NBA game ever". With the series tied 2–2 against the Phoenix Suns, Boston took a huge lead at Boston Garden but could not hold it. Eventually, after numerous last second heroics by both teams, Boston won in three overtimes, 128–126. Boston then won Game 6 and took their 13th championship.
• 1978 and 1979: The Washington Bullets and the Seattle SuperSonics swap championships, each team winning on the other's home court. The Bullets won game 7 in Seattle in 1978; and the Sonics return the favor in 1979, beating the Bullets 4-1, taking game 5 on the Bullets' home court.
• 1980: The Lakers took a 3–2 lead against the Sixers, led chiefly by Abdul-Jabbar, who came off the bench with a sprained ankle in Game 5. But the ankle worsened, and Kareem didn't even make the trip to Philadelphia for game 6. Magic Johnson, just a rookie, shifted to center and played out a huge game in Game 6, scoring 42 points and netting 15 rebounds as the Lakers clinched the title, 123–107. This was the series that Julius Erving executed the behind-the-backboard "Baseline Move".
• 1984: The long-awaited rematch of the Lakers and Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1980 with the Johnson-Bird pair entering the league. The Lakers won Game 1, and almost Game 2, but a crucial steal in Game 2 by Gerald Henderson led to a tie game and the Celtics were able to win in overtime to tie the series. The Lakers won Game 3. The Celtics won Game 4. Now tied 2–2, the Lakers and Celtics each held serve at their home court to send the series to Boston for Game 7. Game 5 was a classic, with Bird coming up with a huge game in one of the (literally) hottest games ever in non-air conditioned Boston Garden. Game 7 was a close game but eventually the Celtics won. The 1984 championship series was one of the most watched in history, with soaring TV ratings.
• 1985: The Lakers and Celtics met again, and the Celtics opened the series with a crushing 148-112 win over Los Angeles. Known as the "Memorial Day Massacre", Boston's 148 points still stands as the highest total by a team in the Finals. However, the Lakers came back to win the series in six games, finally beating Boston in the NBA Finals. L.A.'s Finals victory marked the only time Boston lost a championship on their home floor.
• 1987: The Lakers and Celtics clashed again. Johnson beat the Celtics on a buzzer-beater in Game 4 to take a 3–1 lead and swing the momentum towards the Lakers. Los Angeles won in six.
• 1990: The Portland Trail Blazers win the Western Conference and went on to be defeated by the Detroit Pistons in the Finals.
• 1993: The Phoenix Suns and the Chicago Bulls squared off in a thrilling series in which the visiting team prevailed in all but one (Game 4 at Chicago). Phoenix fell behind 2–0 in the series, but a triple overtime victory in Game 3, allowed the Suns back into contention. Still, it would be John Paxson's clutch three pointer in Game 6 that would seal the game, the series and the Bulls' first three-peat.
• 1994: The Knicks took a 3–2 lead on the Houston Rockets and had a chance to clinch it in Game 6 but John Starks' final shot was blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon. The Rockets would win game 7 and win their first NBA Championship. Game 4 (June 15, 1994) took place at Madison Square Garden less than 24 hours after hosting the New York Rangers' first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years, following their 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. During Game 5 (June 17, 1994) most NBC affiliates (with the noted exception being the network's own flagship station, WNBC-TV out of New York) split the coverage of the game between NFL Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson's low speed freeway chase with the LAPD. A visibly confused and distraught Bob Costas (NBC's anchor for their NBA Finals coverage) said during the telecast from the Garden that the Simpson situation was "not just tragic but now surreal." This was the only year that both the NBA and NHL finals went the full seven games and both involved teams from one city, which made both New York City coaches (Pat Riley of the Knicks and Mike Keenan of the Rangers) the first coaches to be a coach in a Game 7 in their respective league's finals on two different teams.
• 1997: In Game 5, Michael Jordan, the star player on the Chicago Bulls, was sick and weakened due to a stomach virus. But that didn't matter to Jordan as he still managed to score 38. Soon, Michael would capture his fifth NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, bringing the Bulls to their fifth title in seven years. Not to be forgotten is Michael's buzzer beater in Game 1, and his pass to Steve Kerr for the latter's crucial series-clinching jumper in Game 6.
• 1998 NBA Finals: The Chicago Bulls held a 3–2 lead but nearly lost Game 6. Michael Jordan made two key baskets in the final minute for a one-point win and the championship. There were a number of questionable calls that went the Bull's way in game six. One, most famously was when Jordan possibly fouled Bryon Russell right before he made the game winning shot. The others involved the shot clock. The first was when Howard Eisley of the Jazz made a three as the shot clock ran out during the second quarter, but it was not awarded to him. The other was when Ron Harper of the Bulls made a two point field goal during the fourth quarter. He may have not gotten it off in time, but was awarded the points. It would be Jordan's last game for the Bulls.
• 1999 NBA Finals: The Knicks, who fell to the San Antonio Spurs in 5, made NBA history by becoming the first (and to this date, the only) 8th seed to ever make the NBA Finals.
• 2000 NBA Finals: The Los Angeles Lakers, under new head coach Phil Jackson, led the team to a 67–15 regular season record, and then led them to the Finals against Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to the franchise's 12th championship, while Shaquille O'Neal winning the Finals MVP trophy, averaging 38 points and 16.6 rebounds. The Lakers could have easily have gone to a Game 7, but Shaq and teammate Kobe Bryant scored a combined 67 points to win Game 6 in Los Angeles, 116 to 111.
• 2005 NBA Finals: The first four games were blowouts for the home team, but Game 5 was a very tight game (a scene reminiscent of 1976). Robert Horry shot a three-pointer at the end of the overtime period for a 96–95 win and a 3-2 lead in the series.
• 2006 NBA Finals: The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in six games, with Dwyane Wade garnering MVP honors after averaging 34.7 points per game. The title marked the first championship for aging legends Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning. It also marked the fourth for Shaquille O'Neal and the fifth for coach Pat Riley, both of whom had not previously won a title outside of Los Angeles.
• 2008 NBA Finals: The Boston Celtics ended their 22-year title drought with a six-game victory over their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. Among the notable highlights were the Celtics' 24-point comeback in Game 4 and their 39-point demolition in Game 6, the largest margin of victory in a championship clincher. Doc Rivers becomes the first African-American coach to win the title since former Celtics coach K.C. Jones in 1986. Inglewood, California native Paul Pierce won Finals MVP at the expense of his hometown team.
• 2009 NBA Finals:The Orlando Magic went to the NBA finals for the second time in the history of their franchise only to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games 4-1.

1947–1956: The Early Years and Lakers Dynasty

During the first decade the Minneapolis Lakers had the first NBA dynasty, winning 5 championships in 6 years.

During the 1940s and early 1950s decades, the NBA Finals were nothing but a minor highlight on the calendar. Franchises which had previously been in the National Basketball League tended to dominate, especially the Minneapolis Lakers.

1957–1969: The Celtics Dynasty

The Boston Celtics went 11-1 in the NBA during thirteen seasons (1956-1957 to 1968-1969). The Boston Celtics won the NBA 8 years in a row during the 1958-59 to 1965-66 NBA seasons. ^[2]

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers made up 19 of 26 possible NBA appearances during thirteen season (1956-1957 to 1968-1969). The two teams met 6 times during the 8 years Boston won the NBA in a row. ^[2] This statistic inlcudes 1 season (1958-1959) the Los Angeles Lakers were still the Minneapolis Lakers and marks the largest stretch of seasons (14) that two teams made up over 65% of NBA appearances, second being the 10 seasons (1979-1980 to 1988-1989) the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers appeared 13 times.

For most of the late 1950s and the 1960s, the Celtics seemed always to have the upper hand on Wilt Chamberlain's teams. With the establishment of the Celtics dynasty in 1957, Bill Russell became the star of the league. The seventh game of that year's championship was decided on a Celtics basket in the final seconds of the second overtime.

In 1964, Wilt Chamberlain, who had moved to California with his team, the former Philadelphia Warriors, led the San Francisco Warriors to a Western Conference championship, but again failed to conquer the Celtics. The following season, he was traded back to Philadelphia, to join the 76ers, the former Syracuse Nationals team that had moved to cover the vacancy created with the departure of the Warriors.

1966 produced a clash between the two stars in the playoffs, and Boston won 4–1. However, Chamberlain's desire to score was so great that the coach told him to play a team game, not an individual game, and thus avoid drawing double-teams. His new-found team spirit brought them to a new record of 68 wins the following season, and they defeated the Celtics and then advanced to, and won, the Finals.

In 1968, Boston overcame a 3–1 deficit against Philadelphia to once again arrive in the Finals. Playing against Jerry West's Lakers, they seemed doomed to defeat. Nevertheless, for the sixth consecutive time, they defeated L.A., winning by a four games to two margin.

The following year, 1969, found the Celtics overcoming even longer odds. Boston barely qualified for the playoffs, finishing fourth in the East. The Lakers, who in the offseason added Chamberlain to join West and Elgin Baylor, won the West and were prohibitive favorites to finally win it all for the first time since relocating to LA. They easily won the first two games at the Los Angeles Forum. However, when the series shifted to Boston Garden, the Celtics won two close games, by margins of 110–105 and 88–87, respectively, in Games 3 and 4. The fifth game, played into the Forum, returned the advantage to the Lakers, but the sixth game was a massive Celtics win, Chamberlain scoring just two points the entire duration. Game 7 was held on May 5, with balloons hung up in the arena in anticipation of a Lakers victory. Russell immediately used the balloons as an inspiration for his team, and they raced off to an early start and held off a furious Lakers comeback to win 108–106 and take the series, their eleventh championship in thirteen years. This game represented the final one in this first incarnation of the Celtics' dynasty.

1970–1979: Decade of Parity

The 1970s saw eight different teams win the title, with the Celtics and Knicks both winning twice.

In 1970, a classic final featured the New York Knicks against the Lakers. In the waning moments of Game 3, with the series tied, Jerry West hit a basket from sixty feet away to tie the game, a shot which would become one of the most famous ever. Although the Knicks went on to win the game in overtime and continued their momentum for a 4–3 win, the Lakers were not defeated. Just two seasons later, the team won thirty-three games consecutively, the longest such streak in NBA history. By the 1971-72 season's end, they had broken the record for most wins in a season, tallying up 69 wins, one more than the 76ers of 1966–67. The Lakers finally, after a tough playoff-season, took home the championship for the first time since the Minneapolis days. The Knicks won the championship again in 1973, using much the same formula, for their second franchise victorious season.

The 1974 championship went back to the Celtics as the remaining players demonstrated excellent teamwork and resilience in the Finals.

The late seventies were characterized by a major breakthrough of the league's western franchises. In 1975, after compiling a 48–34 regular-season record, the Golden State Warriors swept the heavily-favored Washington Bullets 4–0 in an upset.

The next year, 1976, saw the rise of the Phoenix Suns. Only eight years in existence, they overcame a losing record early in the season to build remarkable win streaks to finish 42–40. The events culminated in upset victories over Seattle and Golden State. In the final against Boston, the teams split the first four games. Game 5 became one of the most memorable games of all. It went into three overtimes but eventually went to Boston 128–126. Two days later the Celtics finished it off for their 13th championship.

Other western franchises that won their first titles in the late 70's included the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977 and the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. Portland's victory was against the heavily favored Philadelphia 76ers led by Julius Erving. Although the Washington Bullets were able to defeat Seattle in the 1978 NBA Finals, Seattle was able to prevail the following year against the Bullets to win its first NBA title.

1980–1990: Lakers-Celtics Rivalry

Between 1980 and 1989, either or both of the Celtic and Lakers played in every NBA Finals. ^[2] The Lakers won five titles during this span (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988); the Celtics won three (1981, 1984 and 1986), the Pistons won twice (1989, 1990), and the Sixers won once (1983).

The 1979 NCAA Championship Game featured Earvin "Magic" Johnson's Michigan State University team facing off against Larry Bird's Indiana State team. Michigan State won the game. This meeting has been immortalized, in fact, it attracted the largest ever TV rating for an NCAA Championship game, with 38 percent of all television viewers that night tuned to the game.

Bird had actually been drafted the year before, but later decided to stay in college for one more year, and the two superstars both entered the league that same year, 1979, leading their respective teams to dazzling heights. Johnson's Lakers reached the finals in 1980, and took a 3–2 lead, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could not play in Game 6 due to injury. Johnson shifted to center, ended up playing every position on the court and scored 42 points to win his first championship, a remarkable performance in the annals of the sport.

Boston won the 1981 championship against Houston thanks to Bird, and the team continued dominating the league afterwards, taking many Atlantic Division titles.

Philadelphia, led by Moses Malone and Julius Erving, took the 1983 prize, losing only once in the entire playoffs, and sweeping the Lakers. (Malone had predicted earlier that they would sweep every series.) However, in the 1984 NBA Finals, the Celtics and Lakers met for the first time since 1969, and again, from Bird's performance, the Celtics toppled Johnson's Lakers 4–3. The seventh game of that series attracted the largest TV audience ever for an NBA game, and the second-largest ever for a basketball game, with only the game between the two stars played five years earlier having a larger audience. It was the last NBA Finals played in the 2-2-1-1-1 format.

In the 1985 championship, the Lakers made amends for their previous eight losses to the Celtics by defeating them in six games. After losing the first game in a rout, 148–114, dubbed the "Memorial Day massacre", they won four out of five, including the clincher in Boston Garden, to finally end the long years of frustration of failing to defeat the Boston Celtics. This finals was the first to be played in the current 2-3-2 NBA Finals format, which Red Auerbach suggested to David Stern in order to cut back on the frequent traveling between Boston and Los Angeles. Auerbach said years later, it was terrible that they went to this format because it takes away the home court advantage from the team with the first two games at home and they don't get to host the all but crucial Game 5, which is the swing game in a 7 game series.

The 1986 NBA Finals brought the Celtics back against the Houston Rockets. Boston won in six games, taking their sixteenth championship, with the MVP award going to Larry Bird, his second Finals MVP trophy.

In 1987, the Lakers and Celtics met again for a rubber match. Both sides had won one series, and now a third was being played. The Lakers pounded out two victories, but Boston took the third. Game 4 would be one of the most memorable games ever played. In the waning moments, Magic Johnson scored a skyhook to give the Lakers a 107–106 win, and a 3–1 series lead. They dropped one more, but won Game 6 to take the series. This championship team was recently voted the best in history by the NBA's officials and experts.

In 1988 and 1989, the aging Celtics failed to reach the Finals, with the Lakers and Pistons becoming the best of their conferences. The 1988 finals went to Los Angeles in seven games, but the Pistons swept the Lakers in 1989. In 1990, Detroit beat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games, and the name "Bad Boys" became attached to the team for its rough, physical play.

1991–1998: The Bulls Dynasty

During the 1990s the Bulls completed two three-peats. The decade also had the Rockets winning back-to-back championships and the Jazz falling short twice. It started with the Pistons winning their second championship in as many seasons.

The majority of the 1990s was marked by the rise of the Chicago Bulls dynasty (otherwise known as the "Michael Jordan era"), which ended in 1998. Coached by head coach Phil Jackson and led by superstar Michael Jordan, the Bulls won six championships from 1991 to 1998. Supported by such remarkable players as Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, Jordan led the Bulls to victory in all NBA Finals series they competed in, and won the Finals MVP award each time. The Bulls became the second team to sweep games 3 through 5 on the road in Finals history when they did so in the 1991 series against the Lakers (Pistons did it in 1990). Particularly memorable were the 1993 Finals, which became an offensive showdown between Jordan and regular-season MVP (and close friend) Charles Barkley. These Finals are also notable in that only one game (Game 4 at Chicago) was won by the home team. Game 3 of the 1993 Finals is widely considered one of the greatest basketball games ever played. In this first game at Chicago, the Bulls attempted to go up 3–0 in the series, but the Suns were not willing to seal their own doom. With neither side quitting, the game took three overtimes to decide, with the Suns finally prevailing 129–121. However, the Bulls would clinch the series in Game 6 at Phoenix on John Paxson's clutch three pointer to become only the third team in history to three-peat.

The Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, won the 1994 and 1995 NBA championships. Olajuwon dominated the game during those two seasons, becoming the only player in history to win the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award, NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP in the same season (1993–94). The seven-game NBA Finals between the Rockets and Knicks in 1994 would be the last to reach a game seven until the 2005 series between San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. It was also the only year that both NBA and NHL finals would go a full seven games, but also involve teams from one city. The Rockets' win in Game 7 denied New York from having both NBA and NHL titles, as the New York Rangers had just defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of their finals.

The Rockets swept the Orlando Magic in the 1995 Finals, Olajuwon again claiming honors as Finals MVP. The Rockets thus became only the fifth franchise to win back-to-back titles.

After a short stint as a baseball player, Jordan decided to return to basketball in late of the 1994–95 season (March 19). Although he failed to lead the Bulls to the Finals in that year, he returned to pre-retirement form the next year and led the Bulls to one of the most memorable seasons ever. The 1995–96 Chicago Bulls finished the regular season with a record of 72–10, the best regular season record of any team in the history of the NBA. They proceeded to dominate in the playoffs, with series records of 3–0, 4–1 and 4–0, and then went on to defeat Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Seattle SuperSonics in 6 games in the NBA Finals.

In 1997 and 1998, the Bulls met the Utah Jazz. Led by Olympians John Stockton and Karl Malone, the Jazz were defeated in both Finals by the Bulls in six games. In both series, Chicago won by hitting winning shots in the sixth and deciding game-the first by Steve Kerr in 1997 in Chicago and the second by Jordan in Utah the following year. Although Jordan, Pippen and coach Phil Jackson were the only three members involved in all six championships, the Bulls dynasty had a cast of characters that proved to be decisive in obtaining the ultimate prize. Little-known players such as Jud Buechler, Randy Brown, Bill Wennington, Ron Harper and Luc Longley were key players that rarely produced an astounding amount of points, but proved crucial via setting picks, rebounding, creating turnovers, et cetera. Additionally, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson,B.J. Armstrong, Dennis Rodman, and other supporting cast members were all pieces that were added to the puzzle to create the dynasty known as the "Untoucha-Bulls." Before the beginning of the 1999 season, Phil Jackson decided to retire, setting off a chain reaction that resulted in most of the team, including Jordan and Pippen, leaving the Bulls. With no foundation of youth to build upon, the Bulls would be lottery-bound for the next 6 seasons.

1999–Present: Lakers/Spurs dominance

The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have won 10 of the last 11 Western Conference titles, and 8 NBA Finals. Every NBA Finals from 1999 to 2009 featured either Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant.

In 1999, the San Antonio Spurs dominated the playoffs and finished with a 15–2 post-season mark, including sweeps of the Blazers and Lakers. With a defensive squad led by big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan, San Antonio's 84.7 points allowed per game was the fewest average points allowed in the post-season in the last 30 years. In the Finals they held the Knicks, the first #8 seed team to reach the finals, to an average of 79.8 points per game. So stingy was the defense that only twice in 17 playoff games did San Antonio's opponent muster 90 points. It should be noted, however, that the 1998–99 NBA season was the lockout shortened season.

In the three years span in the early 2000s, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, won the NBA Finals in dominating performances, each year completing the task in one fewer game than the previous Finals. Shaquille O'Neal won the finals MVP all three times. The first championship came at the expense of the Indiana Pacers, whom the Lakers defeated in 6 games. During their 2001 postseason run, the Lakers swept their first 3 series and won the Finals in 5 games, finishing with a unprecedented 15-1 record. They were particularly dominating in the 2002 Finals, as they kept the lead virtually all the time in every game; only for a short while near the beginning of Game 4 did the New Jersey Nets gain any significant lead in a game. The Lakers sweep of the Nets was the first sweep in the Finals since Houston swept Orlando in the 1995 Finals. However, the Lakers streak of championships ended when the Spurs defeated the 5th seeded Lakers in the 2003 conference semifinals.

The 2003 NBA Finals marked the first championship contested between two former ABA teams, the San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets. The Spurs went on to beat the Nets and win the series in 6 games, 4–2. In the series clinching game, Tim Duncan was two blocks short of recording the first quadruple-double in NBA Finals history, finishing with 22 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocks. The Spurs win also denied New Jersey from having both NBA and NHL titles in the same year, as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Anaheim Mighty Ducks 3-0 in Game 7 of their finals.

In 2004, veteran stars Gary Payton and Karl Malone signed with the Lakers. Along with Bryant and O'Neal, they formed what many expected to be one of the best teams in NBA history. The Lakers were the clear favorites to win the NBA championship. However, the Detroit Pistons, under coach Larry Brown and led by defensive star Ben Wallace and offensive floor general Chauncey Billups, defeated the Lakers to become the first Eastern Conference team since the Bulls to win the NBA championship. The Pistons became the first home team to sweep games 3 through 5 in a Finals series (particularly notable because the home team in those games does not have home-court advantage in the series and is usually considered the underdog in the series). Previously three road teams did it (Detroit in 1990, Chicago in 1991 and the Lakers in 2001). Point guard Billups won the Finals MVP award, becoming the first point guard to win the award since fellow Piston Isiah Thomas in 1990.

In 2005, for the first time since 1987, the previous two champions met to decide it all, despite neither having played the other in their championship season. The Pistons and Spurs were both considered defensive specialists, having both knocked off offensive-minded No. 1 seeds to reach the Finals. The first four games were blowouts for the home team, but Game 5 produced an instant classic. The game was close throughout: even as the Spurs pulled away in the third quarter the Pistons came back, and the game was tied 89–89 and went into overtime after Tim Duncan missed a potential winning shot for San Antonio. In overtime, the Pistons jumped to a quick 95–91 lead but Robert Horry scored the game-winning 3-point basket with 6 seconds left. This capped an explosive 21-point performance by Horry off the bench, even though Horry had not scored at all until 1 second remained in the third quarter. Horry scored more than a point a minute the rest of the game. This was a capstone to Horry's long career of similarly dramatic game-winning heroics. In Game 6 the defending champion Pistons were given little chance to recover from such a heartbreaking loss but continued a trend of excelling with their 'backs against the wall.' The game was tight throughout until, with a one-point lead and two minutes to play, the Pistons scored the final 8 points of the game to win 95–86. Key to the Detroit win was Rasheed Wallace, who returned to the game to score 7 points and garner a game-clinching steal and rebound, all in the final four minutes. Wallace thus earned some redemption for his gaffe at the end of Game 5 when he left Horry unguarded on the game-winning shot. A decisive Game 7 was now set up to conclude this suddenly gripping series, the first Finals Game 7 in 11 years (when Houston defeated New York). The Pistons became the first road team to force a game 7 down 3–2 in the series since the NBA switched to the 2–3–2 format in 1985. The home team was 7–0 previously in game 6 with the 3–2 lead ('86 Celtics, '87 Lakers, '96 Bulls, '97 Bulls, '00 Lakers and '03 Spurs) and home-court for game 7. The 2005 Finals was won by the Spurs 81–74, giving them their third NBA Finals championship in seven years. Tim Duncan won his third Finals MVP award, joining Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal as the fourth player to win three Finals MVP awards. Robert Horry won his sixth NBA title, and became the second player in NBA history (the other being John Salley) to win a title with three different teams (Rockets, Lakers, Spurs).

The 2006 NBA Finals featured the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. It was the first NBA Finals since 1971 that had both Western and Eastern Conference champions making their first Finals appearance in franchise history. Led by upcoming star and Finals MVP Dwyane Wade, legendary coach Pat Riley and veteran superstar Shaquille O'Neal, the Miami Heat won the championship 4 games to 2 on Dallas' home court. The Heat's clinching victory in game 6 was their first win at Dallas in four years, and they became only the third team to ever win the finals after going down 0–2, and the first since the 2–3–2 format started in 1985. Most agree that the turning point of the series was in Game 3, when the Heat overcame a 13 point deficit with less than 6 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to win 98–96. The comeback was led by Dwyane Wade's 12 points in the final six minutes and a clutch outside jumpshot by once-perennial all-star Gary Payton, who was appearing in his third NBA finals. Wade constantly earned high accolades in the form of comparisons to Michael Jordan throughout the series. His points-per-game average was better than what Jordan had in his first championship (34.7 vs. 31.2). And in four games (43, 42, 36 twice), he scored as many as or more than Jordan did in his best game in the '91 Finals (36). One difference that impacted Wade's scoring was the number of times he attempted free throws, which exceeded Jordan's average by nearly five attempts per game. In games 3,5, and 6, Wade was able to consistently get to the line in the fourth quarter. In game 5, Wade had the same number of free throw attempts as the entire Mavericks team. Heat coach Pat Riley became the third coach to win Championships with two different teams (Alex Hannum and Phil Jackson were the first two), and the first to ever do it with two different teams as an interim head coach.

In the 2007 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers made their first Finals appearance in their 37 year history and faced off with the experienced San Antonio Spurs. The defensive minded Spurs were able to shut down Cavaliers lead scorer LeBron James effectively as they captured their fourth title in nine years in a convincing 4–0 sweep. This is the first Finals sweep since 2002 by the Lakers against the Nets. The Spurs showed excellent team play and the Cavs were confined to an average 80.5 points per game. Spurs' French point guard Tony Parker won NBA Finals MVP, making him the first European player to win the award.

In 2008, the Eastern Conference was represented by the revamped Boston Celtics, and the Western Conference by the Los Angeles Lakers. This marks the 11th time that these two teams have met in the Finals, the last such meeting happening in 1987. On June 17, the Celtics defeated the Lakers 131-92 in game 6 to win the series 4-2 and win a record-setting 17th NBA Championship. Paul Pierce was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

In 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 4 games to 1, making it their 4th NBA title for the decade, a record amongst all 4 major professional sports leagues in North America. Game 1 was a 25-point blowout for the Lakers, but game 2 went into overtime after Magic guard Courtney Lee was unable to convert a lay-up at the end of regulation. The Lakers won game 2 in the overtime session. After a close Magic victory in game 3, game 4 went down to the wire. Down by 5 with 30 seconds left in regulation, Kobe Bryant made a spin move in transition and assisted Pau Gasol on a dunk. With 11 seconds left, Bryant fouled Dwight Howard under the basket. Howard missed both free-throws, allowing Derek Fisher to tie the game with a clutch 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in regulation. The game went into overtime, where the Lakers outscored the Magic 12-4. Game 4 was considered to be the turning point of the series and Los Angeles easily captured the title in game 5, winning 99-86. Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP. This continued the alternating of the champions between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference since 2003. The title also marked an unprecedented 10th Championship for head coach Phil Jackson.

Finals appearances

The statistics below refer to series wins and losses, not individual games won and lost.

Num	Team	W	L	PCT	Last appearance	Last title	Notes
30 [5]	Los Angeles Lakers	15	15	.500	2009	2009	6–1 (one as champions of the NBL which merged with the BAA to form the NBA) as Minneapolis Lakers; two three-peats: one as Minneapolis from 1952–54 and one as Los Angeles from 2000–02, and the most recent one in 2009.
20	Boston Celtics	17	3	.850	2008	2008	Won 8 straight titles from 1959–1966. 13 of their 17 championships were Brown Trophies.
9	Philadelphia 76ers	3	6	.333	2001	1983	1–2 as Syracuse Nationals
8	New York Knicks	2	6	.250	1999	1973	In 1999, became first 8th playoff seed to ever reach finals
7	Detroit Pistons	3	4	.428	2005	2004	0–2 as Ft. Wayne Pistons
6	Chicago Bulls	6	0	1.000	1998	1998	All with head coach Phil Jackson and players Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Three-peats from 1991–93 and 1996–98. Most championships won without losing a championship. Never played a game 7.
6	Golden State Warriors	3	3	.500	1975	1975	2–1 as Philadelphia Warriors; 0–2 as San Francisco Warriors; 1–0 as Golden State Warriors [6]
4	San Antonio Spurs	4	0	1.000	2007	2007	All with head coach Gregg Popovich and Power Forward/Center Tim Duncan.
4	Houston Rockets	2	2	.500	1995	1995	2 championships with center Hakeem Olajuwon (named MVP in both championship series) with one of those being with Clyde Drexler , championships were back to back.
4	Atlanta Hawks	1	3	.250	1961	1958	All appearances as St. Louis franchise
4	Washington Wizards	1	3	.250	1979	1978	0–1 as Baltimore Bullets (see note below), 1–2 as Washington Bullets.
3	Seattle SuperSonics	1	2	.333	1996	1979
3	Portland Trail Blazers	1	2	.333	1992	1977
2	Milwaukee Bucks	1	1	.500	1974	1971
2	New Jersey Nets	0	2	.000	2003	Never	Won 2 ABA titles in 1974 and 1976. Also appeared in 1972 ABA Finals.
2	Phoenix Suns	0	2	.000	1993	Never
2	Utah Jazz	0	2	.000	1998	Never	Both with coach Jerry Sloan and players Karl Malone and John Stockton.
2	Orlando Magic	0	2	.000	2009	Never	Lost both NBA Finals appearances. Swept by the Rockets in 1995 and defeated in 2009 by the Lakers in a 4-1 series.
1	Baltimore Bullets	1	0	1.000	1948	1948	Team folded in 1954 and is not the same franchise as the current Washington Wizards.
1	Miami Heat	1	0	1.000	2006	2006	Won 4 straight games after losing first 2 in 2006.
1	Sacramento Kings	1	0	1.000	1951	1951	Won first appearance in NBA Finals as Rochester Royals
1	Cleveland Cavaliers	0	1	.000	2007	Never	Team was swept in the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs
1	Dallas Mavericks	0	1	.000	2006	Never	Lost 4 straight games after winning first 2 in 2006.
1	Indiana Pacers	0	1	.000	2000	Never	Team won three ABA championships (1970, 1972, 1973) and made two other ABA Finals appearances (1969, 1975).
1	Chicago Stags	0	1	.000	1947	Never	Team folded in 1950.
1	Washington Capitols	0	1	.000	1949	Never	Team folded in 1951.

Active franchises with no Finals appearances

Team	#Seasons	Founded	Notes
Buffalo Braves / San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers	38	1970	Founded as Buffalo Braves, moved to San Diego in 1978 and became Clippers before moving to Los Angeles in 1984.
Denver Nuggets	32	1976	Joined NBA after 9 ABA seasons (1967-76). Denver played in the 1976 ABA Championship, losing to the New York Nets.
Charlotte / New Orleans Hornets	20	1988	Founded in Charlotte, moved to New Orleans in 2002, split home schedule with Oklahoma City from 2005-07 (due to effects of Hurricane Katrina), during which time they were the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, before returning to New Orleans fulltime in 2007.
Minnesota Timberwolves	19	1989
Vancouver / Memphis Grizzlies	13	1995	Founded in Vancouver, moved to Memphis in 2001.
Toronto Raptors	13	1995
Charlotte Bobcats	5	2004

Most common matchups

• 11 times: Boston Celtics (9) vs. Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (2)
• 6 times: Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers (1) vs. Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (5)
• 5 times: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (3) vs. New York Knicks (2)
• 4 times: Boston Celtics (3) vs. St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks (1) (Such a meeting is now impossible due to current conference alignment.)
• 3 times: Detroit Pistons (2) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1)
• 2 times: Seattle SuperSonics (1) vs. Washington Bullets/Wizards (1)
• 2 times: Boston Celtics (2) vs. Houston Rockets (0)
• 2 times: Chicago Bulls (2) vs. Utah Jazz (0)

Individual games records

Num	Team	W	L	PCT	Notes
22	San Antonio Spurs	16	6	.727	swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last appearance
35	Chicago Bulls	24	11	.686	4-2 in their last finals appearance against the Utah Jazz.
6	Miami Heat	4	2	.667	Won their only finals appearance against the Dallas Mavericks.
6	Baltimore Bullets	4	2	.667	franchise defunct
11	Milwaukee Bucks	7	4	.636	3-4 in their last finals appearance, lost to the Boston Celtics.
122	Boston Celtics	74	48	.607	4-2 in their last finals appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers.
7	Sacramento Kings	4	3	.571	all as Rochester Royals
40	Detroit Pistons	22	18	.550	includes 4-8 as Fort Wayne franchise
31	Golden State Warriors	17	14	.548	includes 10-6 as Philadelphia franchise and 3-8 as San Francisco franchise
23	Houston Rockets	12	11	.522	Swept the Orlando Magic in their last finals appearance.
18	Seattle SuperSonics	9	9	.500	2-4 in their last finals appearance, lost to the Chicago Bulls.
169	Los Angeles Lakers	85	87	.494	includes 20-15 as Minneapolis franchise. 4-1 in their last finals appearance against the Orlando Magic.
53	Philadelphia 76ers	24	29	.453	includes 9-11 as Syracuse Nationals
25	Atlanta Hawks**	11	14	.440	all as St. Louis franchise
48	New York Knicks	20	28	.417	1-4 in their last appearance against the San Antonio Spurs.
17	Portland Trail Blazers	7	10	.412	2-4 in their last finals appearance, lost to the Chicago Bulls.
12	Phoenix Suns	4	8	.333	2-4 in their last finals appearance, lost to the Chicago Bulls.
12	Utah Jazz	4	8	.333	2-4 in both their finals appearances, both to the Chicago Bulls.
6	Dallas Mavericks	2	4	.333	2-4 in their only finals appearance, lost to the Miami Heat.
6	Indiana Pacers	2	4	.333	2-4 in their only finals appearance, lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
6	Washington Capitols	2	4	.333	franchise defunct
20	Washington Wizards	5	15	.250	all as Baltimore Bullets (0-4) and Washington Bullets (5-11)
5	Chicago Stags	1	4	.200	franchise defunct
10	New Jersey Nets	2	8	.200	Swept in their first appearance by the Los Angeles Lakers.
9	Orlando Magic	1	8	.111	Swept by the Houston Rockets in their first appearance.
4	Cleveland Cavaliers	0	4	.000	Swept by the San Antonio Spurs in their only appearance.

References

1. NBA : Nats Win First Title of Shot-Clock Era
2. http://www.nba.com/history/finals/champions.html
3. http://www.nba.com/history/finals/champions.html
4. http://www.nba.com/history/finals/champions.html
5. http://www.nba.com/lakers/history/year_by_year.html
6. NBA : Golden State Warriors Finals appearances