Throughout the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), there have been several unlikely championship wins that have surprised and captivated fans around the world. These unlikely championship wins are often remembered as some of the greatest moments in the history of the league, and they serve as a testament to the unpredictable nature of sports.

One of the most unlikely NBA championship wins of all time was the 1969–70 New York Knicks. The Knicks were not expected to make it to the NBA Finals, let alone win the championship. They had a solid, but unspectacular team, and they were facing the heavily favored Baltimore Bullets in the Finals. Despite this, the Knicks were able to pull off the upset and win their first NBA title, thanks in large part to the efforts of players like Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, and Dave DeBusschere.

5. In 1995, the Houston Rockets (47–35 record)
sweep the #1 seed Orlando Magic (57–25)

An unlikely NBA championship win came in 1994–95, when the Houston Rockets entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Western Conference, and they were not expected to make much of an impact. Hakeem Olajuwon was joined by Clyde Drexler in a midseason trade but they still finished just 47–35 with two 50-win teams and two 60-win teams in the Western Conference above them. To win the 1995 NBA title, they had to beat the Utah Jazz (60–22), Phoenix Suns (59–23) and San Antonio Spurs (62–20) to reach the Finals.

They finally swept Shaquille O’Neal and the first seeded Orlando Magic (57–25) to win the title.

4. In 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 7

To be fair, the Lakers were defending champions but the unlikeliness in this championship stems from the Lakers losing to the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals by an unprecedented 39 points and the fact that in the 2010 Finals, the Lakers once again found themselves down 3–2 going into Game 6. In a turn of events, the Lakers were able to grab both victories at Staples Center and secure consecutive championships for the first time since the Shaq and Kobe Lakers three-peated.

Both teams featured the same core of players as the 2008 matchup, but this version of the Lakers were much more mature than the previous team with Pau Gasol and Kobe combining for a solid championship run.

3. Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks defeat LeBron James and the Miami Heat in 2011

In 2011, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs capped off an unbelievable playoff run with a title against the Heat “Big Three” of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

The Mavs unbelievable run :

▪️Beat LaMarcus Aldridge and the Portland TrailBlazers in 6
▪️Beat Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in 4
▪️Beat the Durant, Westbrook and Harden OKC Thunder in 5
▪️Beat the Miami Heat in 6

The Miami Heat weren’t just the favorites to win the title, but they were expected to win multiple titles during the upcoming years which they eventually ( 2 titles in 2012 and 2013)

The Mavericks floored a core of veterans with a 32 year old Dirk Nowitzki and players like Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry. Going into the Finals in what was then probably his last shot at a championship, the Mavs dominated on both sides of the floor and Nowitzki played at an immortal level winning the Finals MVP.

2. Detroit Pistons defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.

The 2004 Los Angeles Lakers featured four future Hall of Famers and Kobe Bryant in his prime. Karl Malone and Gary Payton were well passed their primes at that point of time, but along with a dominant Shaquille O’Neal, they still combined to form one of the most talented starting lineups in history reaching the NBA Finals despite a compromised team rapport.

On the other hand, the Detroit Pistons were the complete opposite. They had a starting lineup filled with lesser known stars like Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace.

The Pistons convincingly beat the Lakers in five games. In some games, the Lakers looked like they didn’t even stand a chance. The Pistons’ dominant defense first approach and physical play at the offensive end of the floor was just too much to handle for a team with great individual players.

After the Lakers were defeated, the entire team was broken up and they had to rebuild their dynasty from scratch. Shaq and Payton went to the Heat, Karl Malone retired, and Kobe Bryant was the only major player left from the Lakers’ dynasty of the early 2000s.

1. The Cleveland Cavaliers overcome a 3–1 deficit to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history against the Golden State Warriors

The 2015–16 NBA Playoffs already featured some historic moments with the Golden State Warriors coming in after breaking the all time record of most NBA Regular Season wins posting a 73–9 record. They faced the ultimate challenge against the OKC Thunder with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook pushing them on the back foot with a 3–1 lead. Klay Thompson and Steph Curry pushed their way back winning the series in Game 7.

The odds were completely drawn towards the Golden State Warriors with their winning momentum and facing a Cavs team they pushed to a 3–1 deficit in Game 4 of the series.

The Cavaliers won the next three games to become the first team in Finals history to overcome a 3–1 deficit. It also marked the first time since 1978 that Game 7 was won by the road team and the first time in NBA history where a 3–1 deficit was overcome by the team without homecourt advantage. Game 7 featured two of the most iconic NBA moments ever, with LeBron James running halfway down the court to deny Andre Iguadola at the rim, followed up by a clutch championship winning side step 3 point shot by Kyrie Irving.

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