The 2022 NBA Finals are already well underway and have seen two of the biggest and most iconic franchises in the history of basketball take to the court to win the biggest prize in the professional game.
Indeed, the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics have been locking horns as they square up against each other as they look to claim the Larry O’Brien trophy and continue to build on the dynasties that they have been able to create.
The California-based franchise has managed to win six Championships in their history, with three of those having come since 2015, whilst the Celtics are looking to win their 18th Championship and their first since 2008; if they achieve this feat, they would also become the most successful team in NBA history.
Naturally, this game has all the ingredients to be a classic and one of the great NBA Finals series to have been witnessed, which is why there has been a global interest for a variety of different reasons. Some are just interested in the basketball being played on the court, others have potentially looked at it as a sports betting opportunity. If you are considering the betting offers in India for the current NBA Final series, then it would be worth checking out the guide to finding the best ones that can be found throughout the contest between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics.
However, whilst the series looks to have everything to be considered a classic, what are some of the other great NBA Finals to have been experienced? Let’s take a look at a couple of them below!
1984: Celtics 4, Lakers 3
The 1984 NBA Finals was an epic seven-game battle between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. The two teams traded wins back and forth throughout the series, with neither team ever leading by more than two games. In the end, it was the Celtics who emerged victorious, winning the series 4-3.
This was one of the most evenly matched and competitive NBA Finals series ever played. Both teams were stacked with talented players, and the games were fiercely contested. The Lakers had Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while the Celtics had Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. In the end, it was the Celtics’ experience and composure that proved to be the difference, as they were able to close out the series with a win in Game 7.
This was an incredible series that will be remembered for many years to come. It featured two of the greatest teams in NBA history and was truly a battle of wills.
2016: Cavaliers 4, Warriors 3
The greatest Finals series ever? It is easy to converse. After losing the first two games in Oakland, the Cavaliers became the first team ever to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship, doing so on the Warriors’ home floor and subsequently ending their 52-year championship drought. LeBron James was incredible throughout, notching a triple-double in Game 7 with 27 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds to close out the series.
Kyrie Irving also had a huge Game 7, scoring 26 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 53 seconds left. It was an all-time performance by two all-time players, and it will go down as one of the greatest Finals series ever.
1969: Celtics 4, Lakers 3
It is hard to top a Finals series that went the full seven games, featured two of the greatest players of all time in Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, and had the winning team come back from a 3-2 deficit. But that is exactly what happened in 1969.
The Lakers jumped out to a 3-2 lead, but the Celtics stormed back with two straight wins to take the title after going back-and-forth. In the seventh game, which was played in Los Angeles, the Celtics managed to win 108-106 and upset everyone in California who had assumed the Lakers would be taking the NBA Championship that year.
This post was last modified on May 2, 2024 6:54 pm