While we can’t quite say it would be one of the biggest upsets in NBA history, if LeBron James finally brings Cleveland a championship, doing it against a Warriors team that broke the single-season record for wins (73), it will go down as an all-time series remembered for the upset of one of the game’s all-time best teams.
Not that we’re rooting for LeBron, but it’s fun to think about. Such a series win is possible. Just take a look at the all-time upsets we’ve seen in NBA playoff history.
Josh Helmuth contributed to this article.
Photo: Getty
5 NBA Playoff Upsets
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2004 Detroit Pistons
The 2004 NBA Finals was a showdown between the Lakers and Pistons. From 2000 to 2002, the Lakers won three straight NBA titles. The Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, but added Gary Payton and Karl Malone to have a stacked roster full of veterans. But instead of a 4-peat, the Pistons held the Lakers to only 75 points in Game 1 and only scored 68 in Game 3.
The 3rd seeded Pistons ending this Lakers dynasty, especially in five games, is considered one of the NBA’s most shocking Finals upsets.
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1995 Houston Rockets
The defending NBA Champions had 47 wins and were the 6th seed. Although led by Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, they were still considered underdogs.
The first round matchup against the Utah Jazz was a challenge. Karl Malone, John Stockton and Co. had a great season with over 60 wins. However, Houston stole two games in Salt Lake before knocking out the Suns in the next round after being down 1-3. After beating the Spurs, Houston repeated as champs after sweeping Shaq and Penny in the Finals – beating an Orlando team that were heavy favorites.
The Rockets won nine road games and four 50-plus win teams in the playoffs.
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1994 Denver Nuggets
No eight seed had ever won a playoff series until the ’94 Nuggets. The No. 1 seeded Sonics were loaded with Shawn Kemp, Sam Perkins, Kendall Gill and Gary Payton, but what they didn’t have was chemistry. After losing the first two games by double digits, Dikembe Mutombo and the 42-40 Nuggets stunned the Sonics (and the rest of the basketball world) by winning the final three games of the series, including Game 5, which went into OT.
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1969 Boston Celtics
The 60s Celtics were the most dominant team in NBA History, led by Bill Russell, one of the game’s most dominant centers. Although in 1969 this was not the same team that won eight of the last nine NBA championships. They were slower and older. They were coming to the end of a dynasty.
This team went into the playoffs as the 6 seed with a 48-34 record. They started their playoff run by upsetting the 55-27 Philadelphia 76ers before beating the 54-28 New York Knicks. The Celtics then faced the Wilt Chamberlain/Jerry West-led Lakers in the Finals, which went to seven games. The Celtics stole Game 7 108-106, which would be Russell’s last.
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2010 Boston Celtics
Although the Celtics won the title in 2008, the veteran core of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were on their last breath in the 2010 Eastern semis against a LeBron-led Cavs team that went 61-21, clinching the No. 1 seed. However, the more experienced veterans from Boston were able to shut down The King and the random compilation of other players Cleveland stacked around him en route to a 4-2 series win. LeBron would bolt for Miami just weeks later.
