The 40 Greatest NBA Finals of All Time, Ranked

This article was originally published on Lizanest.com

The NBA Finals represent the pinnacle of basketball drama, where legacies are forged, emotions run high, and every possession can shift the course of history. Some series deliver unforgettable moments—buzzer-beaters, comebacks, collapses—etched forever in the minds of fans. Others reveal the heart of the sport itself: intensity, resilience, and brilliance under pressure. This ranking celebrates the most thrilling championship battles ever played, judged not just by outcome, but by the sheer spectacle and unforgettable drama they brought to the game.

#40: 1951 – Royals vs. Knicks (4-3)

Low scoring. Sluggish pace. No shot clock. The 1951 Finals were the NBA’s first seven-game marathon, and while that’s historically cool, it felt more like a crawl than a sprint. The Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings) won the first three games, then almost blew it.

The Knicks tied it at 3–3, but Rochester pulled off a Game 7 escape. The entire series saw teams score in the 70s and 60s. Game 7 ended 79–75. It was more of a boxing match than a basketball match. This was the NBA still figuring itself out. Clunky, raw, but foundational. A relic, but a respected one.

#39: 1955 – Nationals vs. Pistons (4-3)

The first Finals Game 7 in NBA history should’ve been a barnburner. Instead, it was strange. The Syracuse Nationals and Fort Wayne Pistons—teams most modern fans have never seen footage of—dug into a grinding, error-prone finale. The Nats pulled it out, winning 92–91 and capturing the league’s third-ever championship.

George King made the game-saving free throw, then the game-saving steal. This Final was important, historically, but lacked the fire and finesse that the Finals would later come to embody. Still, it set a tone for tight finishes and unexpected heroes.

#38: 1995 – Rockets vs. Magic (4-0)

So much promise. Shaq and Penny. Youth, power, flair. Then Nick Anderson missed four free throws in Game 1, and the whole thing cracked. The Rockets, defending champs and sixth seed that year, smelled blood. Hakeem Olajuwon dismantled Orlando in every way—footwork, finesse, fundamentals.

Clyde Drexler added fuel. It wasn’t close. The sweep felt almost cruel, as if the future was delayed indefinitely. And it was. The Magic never made it back. The Rockets, though? They became one of the most respected “run it back” champs of all time. Smooth. Surgical. Sweeping. Just not suspenseful.

#37: 1992 – Bulls vs. Blazers (4-2)

Jordan hit six threes in the first half of Game 1, then shrugged. That shrug might’ve said, “Even I’m surprised.” Clyde Drexler and the Blazers gave Chicago trouble, especially in Game 4’s comeback win. But this wasn’t a tightly contested saga—it was a coronation.

Jordan was already the king, but this confirmed it. He averaged 35.8 points and dissected Portland with ease. The Bulls were tighter, tougher, smarter. The Blazers fought, but did not finish. The series’ legacy rests not in the tension but in Jordan’s casual dominance.