Most Entertaining NBA Finals Ever

[bundabergdevil]

Off-season chow chow. Here's my Top 5 list, which I am going to limit to 2000 and after because that's when I really started watching (I was a kid during the Jordan Bulls era and did watch but mostly just watched at that point because MJ was a cultural phenomenon). The ranking is based solely on my personal enjoyment/entertainment and not necessarily my rooting interest or happiness with the outcome:

5. Celtics Vs. Lakers 2008 - A highly entertaining and hard fought series with the Celtics' larger than life personalities versus a Kobe in his prime (and a new to the Lakers Pau). Would ignite the fire that took Kobe to his next set of championships after his Shaq run.

4. Spurs vs. Pistons 2005 - Old(ish) school slugfest and the era of Big Shot Bob!

3. Mavs vs. Heat 2011 - The Heat were THE villains that year, for good reason. Lebron's complete misread with 'The Decision' followed by all those introduction fireworks and 'not 1, not 2, not 3...' comments about championships + DWade and Lebron acting like children when they were caught making fun of Dirk's cold...oh, the deliciousness of those Mavs dropping a big Texas-sized turd in their pool was just great. Also, peak Dirk!

2. Heat vs. Spurs 2013 - The first of 2 meetings between the Heat and the Spurs that featured some truly epic, tense games, including the famous game-tying shot by Ray Allen in game 6. Little did we know, it would be the last of the Heat championships before the Spurs vengeance tour the next year and Lebron returning to Cleveland.

1. Cavs vs. Warriors 2016 - Could it be any other series? The only 3-1 deficit comeback in history against what at the time was billed as the best team in history --- and newly anointed league villains w/ KD? The redemption of Lebron as the underdog delivering on his promise to the ultimate underdog city? The Draymond "controversy". The block and a Dukie hitting arguably the biggest shot in NBA Finals history? Loved it.

[SouthernDukie]

Most entertaining:

1984 - Celtics v Lakers. First matchup in the playoffs of Larry and Magic. First time in over a decade that these two powerhouses had met up for a Championship series. Lakers streak out to a 2-1 lead and game 4 in Los Angeles. Everyone writes off Boston as too slow to compete. Bird calls out teammates after game 3 as a "bunch of girls/sissies". McHale delivers the closeline to Rambis as the Lakers were starting to take off again in game 4. Boston claws back and wins that game in dramatic fashion in OT. The series is tied again in an epic Game 7 at Boston Garden. Bird and the Celtics take the game in steamy conditions and beat the hated Lakers once more to show their dominance as T-H-E NBA franchise.

This was the sweetest victory ever for me. I had Laker relatives who were so obnoxious and cocky after Game 3. They literally were getting in my face telling me how it was over. No chance for Boston. But after the Celtics came back and won they all had to shut the **** up! It was epic and it was incredible. Nothing will ever match that for me.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

This was the sweetest victory ever for me. I had Laker relatives who were so obnoxious and cocky after Game 3. They literally were getting in my face telling me how it was over. No chance for Boston. But after the Celtics came back and won they all had to shut the **** up! It was epic and it was incredible. Nothing will ever match that for me.

And then you learned to embrace that thinking, and developed the reverse curse?



Celtics have certainly provided their fair share of Finals moments.

I admit I rolled my eyes at Kevin Garnett emotionally bellowing "anything is possible" after forming one of the first Super Teams in Boston, but there's definitely something to be said for the history of the C's and the rivalry.

[AGDukesky]

The problem with a 7-game series and being entertaining is that often many of the individual games are not that close even if the series is close. My real test for “most exciting NBA finals” would be how exciting it was for non-fans of either team competing. Miami and San Antonio had some good ones and Detroit often made for dramatic and entertaining finals even if the series wasn’t always close.

[SouthernDukie]

And then you learned to embrace that thinking, and developed the reverse curse?

Which was promptly outlawed here and is the clear reason Duke lost to UNC and the Celtics lost to the Warriors.

Cavs v Warriors in 2016 was indeed a great series. That one has to be near the top of most everyone's list.

[Steven43]

Most entertaining:

1984 - Celtics v Lakers. First matchup in the playoffs of Larry and Magic. First time in over a decade that these two powerhouses had met up for a Championship series. Lakers streak out to a 2-1 lead and game 4 in Los Angeles. Everyone writes off Boston as too slow to compete. Bird calls out teammates after game 3 as a "bunch of girls/sissies". McHale delivers the closeline to Rambis as the Lakers were starting to take off again in game 4. Boston claws back and wins that game in dramatic fashion in OT. The series is tied again in an epic Game 7 at Boston Garden. Bird and the Celtics take the game in steamy conditions and beat the hated Lakers once more to show their dominance as T-H-E NBA franchise.

This was the sweetest victory ever for me. I had Laker relatives who were so obnoxious and cocky after Game 3. They literally were getting in my face telling me how it was over. No chance for Boston. But after the Celtics came back and won they all had to shut the **** up! It was epic and it was incredible. Nothing will ever match that for me.

I concur wholeheartedly; my thoughts went immediately to 1984. Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson. The Boston Celtics🍀 vs the Los Angeles Lakers. These guys took the NBA to another level and made it must-watch television. Truly all-time epic.

Can’t be topped in my mind.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Which was promptly outlawed here and is the clear reason Duke lost to UNC and the Celtics lost to the Warriors.

Cavs v Warriors in 2016 was indeed a great series. That one has to be near the top of most everyone's list.

I'm not sure that 38 years later is really "prompt," but point made.

[bundabergdevil]

I'm not sure that 38 years later is really "prompt," but point made.

Hah hah. Can't spork, this made me laugh, which I've indicated by putting the 'hah hah' in front of this sentence.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Hah hah. Can't spork, this made me laugh, which I've indicated by putting the 'hah hah' in front of this sentence.

Perhaps one day the internet will offer us a roundly accepted shorthand way to indicate a chuckle.

[Skydog]

Perhaps one day the internet will offer us a roundly accepted shorthand way to indicate a chuckle.

CKL? I often feel silly writing LOL - it's just too much and likely untrue. But I do CKL quite often. Now where do we go to add CKL to the interweb lexicon?

[CameronBlue]

Perhaps one day the internet will offer us a roundly accepted shorthand way to indicate a chuckle.

Or when someone claims to have spit their coffee on their computer monitor. Such claims should be validated.

[obowl1955]

1984 Celtics vs Lakers by a mile.

[heyman25]

Willis Reed playing on severely injured leg in game 7.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_NBA_Finals
Walt Frazier
the man who jilted Duke Bill Bradley
Earl the Pearl Monroe
Elgin Baylor
Dave Debusschere
Wilt Chamberlain

Jerry West hitting a nearly full court shot to send into overtime.60 feet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzWGnA4Ll-0
https://www.basketball-reference.com...vs-knicks.html

[bundabergdevil]

CKL? I often feel silly writing LOL - it's just too much and likely untrue. But I do CKL quite often. Now where do we go to add CKL to the interweb lexicon?

For my first internet years in the 90s, I thought LOL meant “love online” and was very confused.

[DU82]

Willis Reed playing on severely injured leg in game 7.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_NBA_Finals
Walt Frazier
the man who jilted Duke Bill Bradley
Earl the Pearl Monroe
Elgin Baylor
Dave Debusschere
Wilt Chamberlain

Jerry West hitting a nearly full court shot to send into overtime.60 feet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzWGnA4Ll-0
https://www.basketball-reference.com...vs-knicks.html

Earl Monroe wasn’t with the Knicks in 1970. He was acquired by the Knocks before the ‘72-73 season for Mike Riordan and Dave Stallworth, who both were on the ‘70 championship team.

[CameronDuke]

For some reason I really was entertained by the 2010 NBA Finals between the Lakers and Celtics.

Maybe because it was Kobe’s last championship. RIP Kobe!

[Daddylawman]

1979 has got to be in the mix. Rookie Magic Johnson filling in at center for an injured Kareem and goes for 42 including the famous "baby hook"

[AGDukesky]

1979 has got to be in the mix. Rookie Magic Johnson filling in at center for an injured Kareem and goes for 42 including the famous "baby hook"

That was 1980 and a good candidate. Magic and Bird played in the 1979 NCAA finals, which was not an exciting game.

[Neals384]

Willis Reed playing on severely injured leg in game 7.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_NBA_Finals
Walt Frazier
the man who jilted Duke Bill Bradley
Earl the Pearl Monroe
Elgin Baylor
Dave Debusschere
Wilt Chamberlain

Jerry West hitting a nearly full court shot to send into overtime.60 feet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzWGnA4Ll-0
https://www.basketball-reference.com...vs-knicks.html

You nailed it heyman. Eight future hall-of-famers in that series, including Phil "action" Jackson. Two overtime games in the series. Heroic Willis Reed didn't just play well, he inspired the team and the crowd to a frenzy.

[Dukehk]

Cavs vs Warriors I suppose. Recency bias.

The Western Conference finals, in fact, have produced some ridiculously intense series over the years though. Better than most finals.

Too many to list out. Lakers vs Sacto, Lakers vs Minnesota, GSW vs Houston, GSW vs OKC etc.

The east has been really really weak for a while now.

The NBA championship will likely be won in the WCF next year too.