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The Top 6 NBA Finals Ever

A look inside at the most memorable NBA final series.

Eric Coburn

Jun 13, 2016

Merrimack College

Fansided

With the NBA Finals officially underway between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s time for a few more weeks of Steph Curry and LeBron James coverage. To take away from all that, this week’s Pick-Six tackles the best NBA Finals of all-time.

6. 1962 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics, 4 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 3

This series between two teams involved in basketball’s greatest rivalry was one that came down to the final seconds in both regulation and overtime. The Lakers’ Frank Selby missed a 12-foot jumper that given Los Angeles the lead and the title, which sent the game to overtime. The Celtics, led by Bill Russell’s 30 points and 44 rebounds, outscored the Lakers 10-7 in overtime, and took home the title.

5. 1988 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers, 4 vs. Detroit Pistons, 3

Despite the Lakers’ Game 7 victory to take home the championship, this series is mostly known for the Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Thomas and his Game 6 performance. He sprained his ankle in the game, but still managed to set the NBA Finals single-quarter record for points with 25 in the third, and finished with 43 points, 8 assists, and 6 steals. Despite Thomas’ best efforts, the Pistons lost 103-102 in Game 6, and couldn’t make up for the point guard being injured in Game 7, as they lost 108-105.

4. 1969 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics, 4 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 3

This series gave the Celtics the chance to win the 11th and final title of the Bill Russell era. The series came down to the final moments of Game 7, where Boston’s Don Nelson hit a foul-line jumper to give the Celtics a three-point lead and push the team past the Lakers. The Celtics had finished fourth in the conference that season, but managed to finish a Cinderella-like run to the Finals with a championship.

3. 1984 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics, 4 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 3

Of course another Celtics-Lakers series made it onto this list. The Celtics were down two points with 18 seconds left in Game 2, and the Lakers had the ball with the chance to go up 2-0 in the series. However, Boston’s Gerald Henderson stole James Worthy’s pass and laid it in to tie the score, sending the game to overtime. Boston won 124-121 to even the series and gain back momentum needed to finish out their championship run in a 111-102 win in Game 7, led by Cedric Maxwell’s near triple-double performance.

2. 2013 NBA Finals: Miami Heat, 4 vs. San Antonio Spurs, 3

As much hate as LeBron James gets, especially the hate he received during his Miami run, you have to give him some props for what he and the Heat pulled off in this series. The Spurs led 94-89 with less than 30 seconds left in Game 6, and they appeared as if they had completed their fifth championship run. The series is known for Ray Allen’s clutch three pointer to tie the game with seconds left in regulation to force overtime. The Heat won the game 103-100, and then wrapped up the championship with a 95-88 win in Game 7 to complete the comeback.

1. 1998 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls, 4 vs. Utah Jazz, 2

This series was perfect. Michael Jordan and the Bulls against John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz. The whole series is now known historically for Jordan’s final shot in Game 6, where he tallied his 45th point of the night, which gave the Bulls the lead and the title. All of the games, except one blowout in Game 3, was decided by five points or less, which any basketball fan would love to see in a modern-day world where NBA Finals games have consistently been decided by 20-30 points in some cases. The series had true drama, something most NBA series lack nowadays, and it should go down as the best NBA Finals of all-time

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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I get it... I'm pale.

1. At least I can't lose you in a crowd!

2. Oh my goodness your skin is like glow-in-the-dark.

3. Can't you just get fake tan?

4. Do you tan or just burn?

5. Your kids are going to look like Casper the Friendly Ghost!

6. *holds arm against your arm* Look how much darker I am compared to you!

7. *holds pale arm against another pale arm* Aw, at least you're darker than her!

8. I laid out by the pool almost every day over break!

9. I haven't used sunscreen since I was, like, five.

10. *adjusts selfie lighting to their face* Oops, where'd you go??

11. *after working out* Your face is SO red!

12. *wears white* Look! You're all one color!

13. You need to get some sun.

14. Aren't you excited for summer?

The struggle bus is real.

1. Child prodigies:

2. Hearing other musicians in the practice room next door and accepting that you will never be as talented as them:

3. That anxiety that takes over before every performance:

4. Taking a million 0 credit classes:

5. When there's a paper due the next day, but you have to attend yet another concert in order to pass a 0 credit class:

6. When your friends try to encourage you after a performance, even though you are criticizing everything in your mind:

7. Knowing that there's always that one professor during juries:

8. The oh-so-attractive band/choir uniforms:

9. Realizing that a college campus is maybe not the best atmosphere to finish your latest composition:

10. Hearing "Oh, you sing opera? I LOVE Phantom of the Opera!" for the hundredth time:

11. When people think finals week is a breeze for you.

12. When you're drowning in the stress that comes with 18+ credits (and not to mention all those 0 credit classes) and people ask you how you are:

13. When it all comes down to it, though, you know that at the end of the day, music is your passion:

We don't buy into these... just like how we don't buy our friends.

8. "The whole philanthropy thing isn't real, right?"

7. "I don't need to buy my friends."

6. "Oh, so I'll bet you love to drink."

5. "Can you tell me some of your secrets?"

4. "What do you do at your meetings?"

3. "Do you guys haze really badly?"

2. "Is it just like in the movies?"

1. "Sororities are so basic."

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3. You get a chance to eat "kid foods" again.

4. You've traded in your cute purse for a large tote bag.

5. You have at least one car seat in your backseat.

6. Their nap time is your happy time.

7. Lunch time can be a disaster.

8. You have to play the same board games repeatedly.

9. You catch yourself using the same lines your parents once told you.

10. Your "mom-mode" kicks in at times.

11. Your heart melts a little when they do something cute.

You'll never find any souvenirs with your name on it

1. You know you are up next when the teacher pauses while taking attendance

2. When “I’m going to do my very best to make sure I know all your names” is said, it may or may be an empty promise

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6. holds arm against your arm Look how much darker I am compared to you!

7. holds pale arm against another pale arm Aw, at least you're darker than her!

10. adjusts selfie lighting to their face Oops, where'd you go??

11. after working out Your face is SO red!

12. wears white Look! You're all one color!