2010s NBA Finals, Ranked: 1
Looking back at the 10 NBA Finals played during the 2010s, I bring you the last of a seven-part series where I rank them
I’ll be honest: I looooove the 2010s decade of NBA basketball. I might be somewhat biased towards it, simply because it’s the period of time in which I got into watching, enjoying and talking about basketball, but it’s still great nevertheless. The amount of all-time greatness we witnessed in it is startling and would take a while to put into words, but those that have been around know how great basketball was during that span.
In terms of talent alone, the decade might go down as the second-best (behind the 2000s), and the historic moments that happened on the basketball court are ones that will live forever. More specifically, the moments we witnessed during some championship series were remarkably great, and deserve their spot in a museum to celebrate basketball’s greatest moments. However, since I’m not a museum director, I’ll do the best I can to commemorate my favorite decade of NBA basketball and its moments: rank those series.
In appreciation of the 2010s and all those memorable moments it gave us, let’s reminisce on the very best matchups (in most cases) each season had to offer: the NBA Finals of the decade. As the series that crowns a champion and acts as a ladder that a player can use to establish himself as one of the best in history, we saw some great series and individual performances during the 10 Finals of the 2010s. With that in mind, let’s rank ‘em! (because what else are we doing?).
Before I resume my rankings, let’s look over the criteria I used:
Historical Precedent: record(s) broken in series, impact series had on a player’s legacy, and everything else like that.
Competitiveness: number of games in series and margin of said games.
Rewatchability: being able to rewatch the series and enjoy it impartially.
Injuries: key injuries that impacted the result of the series.
This is part seven of a seven-part series. You can find part one here, part two here, part three here, part four here, part five here, and part six here.
Without any further adieu, I present you the last piece of my ranking, featuring the best NBA Finals series of the 2010s:
1. 2013: San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat (Heat won 4–3); MVP: LeBron James (25.3pts, 10.9reb, 7.0ast, 2.3stl, 0.9blk on 44.7/35.3/79.5 shooting)
After avenging their 2011 Finals loss with a dominant regular season, having the MVP of the league and beating the OKC Thunder in five games in the Finals, the Heat finally won a championship with their Big Three. Yet, 1–1 in Finals series wasn’t what was advertised when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in South Beach in the summer of 2010. Everyone, including them, expected multiple championships and one of the greatest dynasties ever. What came next was peak Big Three Miami Heat.
Adding Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and Chris Andersen (mid-season) to a supporting cast that already had Mike Miller, Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole was unsurprisingly fantastic for Miami, as they went 66–16, the best record in the NBA. They won 27 straight games at a certain point, the second-longest winning streak in NBA history (at the time). LeBron led them by having the best overall regular season of his career: he averaged 26.8pts/8.0reb/7.3reb/1.7stl/0.9blk on 56/40.6/75.3 shooting, was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year (should’ve won it) and won his fourth MVP, falling one vote shy of being the first unanimous MVP ever (thanks to the journalist who gave an MVP vote to Carmelo Anthony).
In the playoffs, Miami swept the Milwaukee Bucks (respect to Brandon Jennings for the confidence), defeated Chicago in a very physical five-game series where technical and flagrant fouls were handed out like candy on Halloween, and headed into the Conference Finals against an Indiana Pacers team that they had played the season prior, and was vastly improved thanks in large part to the development of Paul George.
George showed he had indeed arrived in Game One, scoring 17 of his 27pts in the second half to keep the Pacers in the game, sending the game to Overtime with a tough three-pointer, and scoring eight in OT. However, it was King James’ 30pts/10reb/10ast and game-winning layup that got the Heat to barely escape with a one-point win (103–102) and a 1–0 lead. However, it was evident Indiana had a solid team that could really compete. Indiana took Game Two (97–93) on the road to tie the series, led by a phenomenal outing from Roy Hibbert (29pts/10reb). George and James had a great exchange at the end of the third quarter as well, which also symbolized PG was in superstar status to stay.
Both squads also split a two-game set in Indy (Heat won Game Three, Pacers won Game Four, which made it a three-game series entering Game Five. James (30pts/8reb/6ast) and George (27pts/11reb/5ast) went toe-to-toe in Game Five, but the Heat got a surprising 16 points from Udonis Haslem to pull away with a 3–2 lead with a 90–79 lead. Game Six was also an amazing duel between George (28pts/8reb/5ast/3stl) and James (29pts/7reb/6ast), but Hibbert’s 24pts and 11reb made the difference as the Pacers forced a seventh game with a 91–77 win. Even through all of that, Game Seven was a convincing Heat win (99–76) in which LeBron (32pts/8reb) got the last laugh.
In the end, Miami had reached their third straight Finals series in which they faced an opponent they collectively didn’t know well, but LeBron sure did…
Led by the trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and one of the best coaches in NBA history in Gregg Popovich, the Spurs had dominated the West for more than a decade: they had four championships, made three other Conference Finals, four semifinals and had 13 consecutive 50+ win seasons. This particular season, they also won 50+ with a great balanced squad: Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard in his second year, Boris Diaw, Danny Green, Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter, Patty Mills and Cory Joseph, notably. To make the Finals, they swept the injury-riddled Lakers in round one, they defeated the surprise Warriors in a six-game second-round matchup, and they swept the Grizzlies in the Conference Finals.
Once again, San Antonio would face LeBron James in a Finals series, with the first one coming in 2007 when San Antonio swept James’ Cavaliers. This time, however, it was completely different on both sides: LeBron wasn’t a young player looking to prove himself and carrying a team that shouldn’t have been there, but rather a champion and MVP looking to add to his legacy, and he had a formidable team to legitimately compete. The Spurs, on the other hand, weren’t in their prime, but they were looking to prove they still had firepower left in the tank to add a fifth championship to their dynasty.
Game One in Miami was tight throughout. It looked like San Antonio took control in the fourth quarter, having a seven-point lead with two minutes left to play. But Miami, after a LeBron layup and three Allen free throws, cut the deficit to two (88–86). Two free throws from Duncan put the Spurs up four, but two free throws by James put the Heat by two again, needing a stop to have a chance to tie or take the lead. They had a strong defensive possession, with multiple players defending Tony Parker and forcing him to lose the ball a couple of times and fall to the floor. But alas, Parker battled through and knocked down a remarkable shot off the glass to put San Antonio up four with 5 seconds left, putting the nail in the dagger for the Spurs to take a 1–0 lead. Parker had 21pts (10 in the fourth quarter) and 6ast, while Duncan had 20pts/14reb/4ast/3blk. For Miami, LeBron had 18pts/18reb/10ast.
In Game Two, after both teams tied at 22 after one, the Heat took the next three quarters 81–62, including a 33–5 run in the third and fourth periods, to win 103–84 and tie the series. Mario Chalmers led the Heat in scoring with 19pts, while James added 17 (9 in the fourth quarter), along with 8reb/7ast/3stl/3blk (one of them being one of the most memorable of the decade). Danny Green (17pts on 6–6 shooting, 5 threes) was the Spurs’ leading scorer.
In San Antonio, the second half of Game Three was a masterclass of dominance from the Spurs: they outscored the Heat 63–33 (35–14 in the fourth), Danny Green scored 27pts on 9–15 shooting from the field and 7–9 on threes (22pts on 7–10 shooting and 6–7 on threes in the second half), Gary Neal scored 24pts on 9–17 shooting and 6–10 from downtown off the bench (10pts on 4–7 from the floor and 2–4 from three in the second half), they went 16–32 from three as a team (most makes in a Finals game at that point), and won 113–77. Not only was this the Heat’s worst playoff loss in franchise history, but it was also the third-highest margin of victory in Finals history.
In Game Four, LeBron James (33pts/11reb/4ast/2stl/2blk) responded well after being off in Game Three (and in the series overall), Dwyane Wade (32pts/6reb/4ast/6stl/1blk) had a throwback performance, the duo dominated in the second half (36pts/9reb/3ast/6stl between them in the final two quarters), Chris Bosh (20pts/13reb/2stl) also didn’t back down, and the Heat tied the series with a 109–93 win. The Heat only led by five entering the fourth, but a 10pt final period from Wade helped Miami outscore San Antonio 28–17.
San Antonio’s star trio responded well to start Game Five, with them and Kawhi Leonard scoring 28 of the 32 first-quarter points for the Spurs, while they only allowed Miami to score 19. Danny Green got hot in the second quarter by scoring 11pts via three threes, extending the team’s lead to 17 and tying Ray Allen’s record for most three-pointers in a single Finals series (22). Miami continued battling to cut the deficit to five, but the home team wouldn’t give in in what remained of action; their lead grew to 20 in the fourth, and while Allen (15 of his 21pts in the last 8:37 of the game) tried to lead a rally, the Heat fell short and lost by 10 (114–104).
Danny Green (24pts/6reb on 8–15 shooting and 6–10 from behind the arc) broke Allen’s record for most threes in a single Finals series in the third quarter, Parker (26pts/5stl) lead them in scoring, Manu Ginobili was inserted into the starting lineup and made a big contribution (24pts/10ast), Tim Duncan added a double-double (17pts/12reb) and Kawhi had 16pts with 8reb. For the Heat, James (25pts/6reb/8ast/4stl) and Wade (25pts/10ast) led the attack, and Bosh added 16pts on 7–11 shooting from the field.
The Spurs had played their last home games of the season, and entered American Airlines Arena in Miami with the chance to close it out. Although they already had four championships, multiple successful seasons and an established dynasty, the Spurs needed this: their last championship came in 2007 against a team that wasn’t in their universe of caliber and were coming off losing in the Conference Finals (2008), losing in the first round (2009), being swept in the semifinals (2010), losing in the first round against the eight seed (2011) and a loss in the Conference Finals the season prior.
The Heat, needless to say, also needed this: after forming their Big Three and boasting about how stacked they were, they lost to the Mavericks in the Finals, beat the young and talented Thunder, and now needed to complete their all-time great season against the veteran Spurs to win back-to-back titles. LeBron James needed to show, once again, that he could perform on the biggest stage, this time against a team that forced him into a poor performance in his first Finals appearance. Everything was set, and all that was left was for both teams to show why they should be champions. And boy did they ever…
Game Six started with both teams playing with confidence, tying the game at 14 when Gregg Popovich called his first timeout. Duncan made some baskets, LeBron had some assists and made a jumper, and Kawhi had 6pts. A thunderous Leonard dunk on Mike Miller put the Spurs in the lead, 18–16, and Erik Spoelstra called his first timeout.
Duncan finished the period with 12pts on 6–6 shooting, but thanks to Chalmers’ 10pts (including a three to put Miami up 27–24) and 5pts/5ast from LeBron, the Heat were up 27–25 after one. The Spurs finished the second quarter on a 11–0 run, with Duncan scoring seven of his 13pts of the period during that run, to finish the first half with 25pts (he was unstoppable), and the Spurs were up by six (50–44) at the half.
In the third, a Leonard and-one extended the Spurs lead to nine (64–55), one that Duncan extended to double digits with a traditional three-point play of his own. In a series defined by one squad going on a big run, the Game Six run belonged to the Spurs in the third, with San Antonio going 16–8 to put the score at 71–58, and enter the fourth with a 75–65 advantage.
At this point, I would like to reiterate something I’ve mentioned in other parts of this ranking, and I can’t stress it enough: a double-digit lead in a playoff game, no matter how small it is, looks like more than what it actually is; every possession matters more, which leads to the game slowing down, which means there are fewer windows for a rally (even if the deficit is less than double figures but more than six or seven. Everyone watching at the time can attest to the thought that it seemed like the game was over. However, the Heat showed the heart of a champion.
A three by Chalmers and a layup by James got the Heat in striking distance. On the ensuing possession, Tiago Splitter made a basket, and (more notably) Mike Miller lost a shoe. Even with that, he was left open and nailed a three to cut the deficit down to four, which forced Popovich to burn a timeout. Later, Chalmers and James ran a crisp pick-and-roll that led to a LeBron dunk to put Miami back down four; it was clear this game was going to go to the wire.
Down 75–80, Chalmers forced a tough shot that was short, but James threw it down on the other side, losing his headband in the process. At the time, maybe it seemed funny seeing James without a headband, considering it was the one accessory that had made him stand out throughout his career. Considering he could’ve easily picked it up but refused to do so, it was apparent that LeBron was laser-focused on leading his team back.
Right on queue, LeBron took over: he made a layup, blocked Duncan, made a layup in semi-transition afterward and made another layup to put the Heat up by three (87–84). And after a Ginobili basket and two Dwyane Wade free throws, the lead was still at three with two minutes left. In a series defined by runs, Miami responded to San Antonio’s third-quarter outburst with a 24–11 run in the fourth to retake control with 2+ minutes left. Everyone was convinced the series was going to seven. That is, everyone except the Spurs…
Tony Parker put his superhero cape on, making a contested step-back three over LeBron to tie the game, and after a Heat turnover he took advantage of the Chalmers matchup in semi-transition to score a short shot to put the Spurs back on top by two, 91–89, with 58 seconds remaining.
San Antonio had shown resilience and were well on their way to another championship. But there was still time left.
The Heat had the ball down by two and drew a mismatch with Parker defending LeBron. However, LeBron lost the ball trying to spin towards the basket and Manu was fouled by Allen while sprinting to the other basket, both of which he made and put the Spurs up 93–89. Out of nowhere, the Spurs went on a 7–0 run in less than a minute to retake control. Yet, there was still time left on the clock.
LeBron had the ball in his hands once again, he drove to the basket and threw a high pass to Bosh that got to the Spurs because of miscommunication. Allen gave Ginobili another intentional foul, and again Miami had squandered another chance to stay in the game. It was at this point the home crowd in South Beach were shocked and went silent. The veteran team had taken the game away from them in heartbreaking fashion. Some fans even started leaving the building, convinced that their season was over. It was going to be 1–3 in the Finals for the Heat’s Big Three, LeBron would be 1–4 in Finals with another defeat against the Spurs. This would be devastating for “The Heatles” legacy…
Ginobili split a pair at the free throw line, leaving the door open for the Heat. Out of the timeout, with San Antonio employing a small-ball lineup with Boris Diaw substituting Duncan (Pop wanted Diaw on LeBron and they wanted to avoid a three), James quickly fired a three and missed (everything), but Wade tapped it to keep it alive, Miller captured the loose ball and quickly shuffled it to LeBron who hit his second attempt three-point attempt of the possession. Timeout San Antonio. It was still a game.
Kawhi had a golden opportunity to put the game away at the foul line, but he missed his first attempt before making the second. Both sides were without timeouts, and Miami still had a chance. Chalmers quickly brought it down the court, looking for LeBron who came off a Bosh screen. He tried the game-tying three and missed it, but Bosh grabbed the offensive rebound, kicked it out to a backpedaling Ray Allen, and he made a contested corner three to tie it.
Miami got a second chance to win the series, and with Parker missing the potential game-winner at the horn, the Heat could secure that chance in Overtime. They took a 101–100 lead in OT after a LeBron floater, and they kept a lead until there were 40 seconds left. At that point, Parker had the ball in his hands in the perimeter with Bosh switched onto him, but Chris made another spectacular defensive play to recover on Tony’s stepback to block his shot and give Miami possession with 31 seconds left.
Wade missed a jump shot on the other end of the floor, and Ginobili quickly raced down the court, drove to the basket and lost the ball on a no-call, which was recovered by Allen, who was fouled intentionally. Really ironic that the one responsible for both teams being in this position had the privilege to put it away.
He did his job by making both free throws and making it a three-point game, but there were still 1.9 seconds left for the Spurs to try and tie it. After the timeout, Green got open for a second after a Splitter screen but, again, Bosh made another stellar play by quickly closing out and blocking his shot (50/50 call between block and foul, you decide) at the buzzer to win a rollercoaster of a game.
It’s common to say that a close sports game isn’t suitable for the faint of heart, but this game truly personified what a game that isn’t for the faint of heart looks like. Both squads had control of the outcome at different points of the game, the momentum was always changing and this game could’ve ended in a thousand different ways. But, it ended up being what I believe is the greatest game played in NBA history. It included one of the best shots in history, could’ve been the destruction of the legacy of the Heat’s Big Three if they lost and solidified the Spurs’, but it ended up showing the resiliency and the heart of a champion of both sides. You can also watch this video if you’re still not convinced.
It also featured tremendous performances: LeBron James had a triple-double (32pts, 16 in the fourth quarter, 10reb and 11ast), Mario Chalmers had a sensational performance (20pts on 7–11 shooting from the floor and 4–5 on threes), Chris Bosh accompanied fantastic plays down the stretch with a double-double (11pts/10reb), Dwyane Wade had 14pts in a game where he suffered a swollen knee, Duncan had a peak performance (30pts, 25 in the first half, and 17reb), Tony Parker had a tough overall shooting night but came through when it mattered most (19pts, 14 in the second half, and 8ast on 6–23 shooting) and Kawhi Leonard showed out in the bright lights (22pts/11reb/3stl; overall good besides the missed free throw).
This game was a marathon of endless emotions for those that saw it, and even more for the players: LeBron played 50 minutes, Kawhi played 46, Duncan 44, Chalmers and Parker 43, Allen and Green 41, Bosh 39, Wade 37 and Ginobili 35. This game was crazy. The best part about it? There was still one game left to play; two days after giving it all on the court to close out/extend the series, both teams suited up to play a game whose title features the two best words in sports: Game Seven.
San Antonio began the game with a vengeance, jumping out to an 11–4 lead, but Miami battled and had an 18–15 lead at the end of one after a Shane Battier three, a Chris Andersen putback and another Battier three. LeBron (11pts) and Wade (10pts), who had gotten his left knee drained and went through eight hours of therapy prior to the game, had a tremendous second quarter, but San Antonio kept the score tight after the first two quarters by Duncan 9pts and Parker (8pts), with a Wade basket in the final seconds all that separated both teams at the half (46–44 Heat lead).
Kawhi had a solid third quarter (9pts), and a Ginobili layup (6pts in the quarter) gave the Spurs a 71–69 lead, but James (13pts in the quarter on 4–6 from the field, all being outside shots with three threes) started to make all the outside shots that San Antonio was gifting him. A Chalmers banked-in three at the buzzer gave Miami a 72–71 lead heading into the fourth. With both teams exhausted, in all aspects, Game Seven was headed into a fourth quarter where both teams were equally good. It had been a tremendous series filled with spurts where both teams showed dominance, resiliency and weakness. But even with all of that, their seasons were going to be decided in the final 12 minutes to play.
LeBron made two consecutive jumpers to put Miami up 85–79 with 4:30 left to play. Momentum seemed to be in the Heat’s favor, but a Manu three gave the Spurs life. One minute later, James got out in transition and found a red-hot Battier, who hit another three to give the Heat an 88–82 advantage. Again, the momentum was on the side of the home team. However, as had been the case throughout the course of the series, one team responded to the gut-punch of the other: Ginobili quickly came down with the ball, passing it to Duncan who scored a tough post and-one basket. Timeout Miami. This championship wasn’t going to be won easily.
After the break, Wade scored a layup on a set play, giving Miami a five-point lead (90–85). Two possessions later, Kawhi made an enormous three to cut the deficit to two with two minutes remaining. The 21-year-old again came through, putting the game at a point where it could go either way.
Chalmers received a screen from James in the next possession, drove and got fouled. With a chance to make it a two-possession game and having gone 9–11 from the charity stripe for the series, Mario missed both and the Spurs again had a chance to tie. Leonard had a good look for three but missed it and the ball went out of bounds with 1:25 left. Wade missed a jumper, James got the offensive board and kicked it out to an open Battier at the top of the key, but his three hit the back of the rim and the Spurs were out in transition again.
Down the court, Duncan had Battier defending him in the post. Duncan quickly spun and attempted a comfortable hook shot that he missed, also missed the putback, Bosh captured the rebound and gave it to James. A perfect opportunity to tie the score and change the complexion of the game was wasted. Tim clutched his shirt in frustration and slapped the floor when he was back on defense. A player that was calm and collected most of the time was showing clear signs of frustration, which goes to show how big this game was.
Erik Spoelstra called for time with 39 seconds left to make a play. The replay showed just how open and close Duncan had missed on the other end… an opportunity the Spurs didn’t take advantage of, just like the one they had two nights prior up by five with 21 seconds left. Once again, Miami had a shot to end the series.
James got the inbound and wasted some clock up until there were 33 seconds left, got a screen from Chalmers, took advantage of the space given off Parker’s soft hedge to elevate for a jumper, and drilled it. The Heat had a four-point lead (92–88) with 27.9 seconds left.
However, if this series taught us anything, it’s that the game wasn’t over until the clock read “0:00”. Ginobili inbounded the ball to Timmy in the post, got it back, drove baseline and attempted a pass in the air looking for Duncan, but LeBron read the play and intercepted the pass, afterward receiving an intentional foul from Duncan. He made both, putting San Antonio’s deficit at six (88–94) with 23.5 remaining and with the Spurs only having one timeout.
Pop decided to not burn it yet, so Ginobili sprinted down the court with the ball. He attempted a three that didn’t draw iron and landed in possession of Dwyane Wade, who got fouled with 16.3 left. The crowd started going nuts. Wade made the first, making it a three-possession game. They had the championship in their hands. Wade missed the second but Battier tipped it out to Chalmers in the perimeter. Mario gave it to Wade in the corner, who gave it to LeBron at half-court and back to Chalmers. San Antonio wasn’t going to foul to extend the game… Miami had done it; they won back-to-back championships.
Instead of celebrating right away a series that took them on an emotional rollercoaster, Wade, LeBron and Spoelstra quickly went to pay respect to their opponents. And it was a respect that they rightfully deserved: not only because of their legacy as champions and one of the best franchises in sports, but also for the high level they showed in this series and for taking Miami’s Big Three (in their prime) to the brink of elimination on multiple occasions.
When it was all set and done, a second-straight fantastic game of basketball was over, and it was another classic in a hard-fought series. Like the last one, it also featured fantastic performances: LeBron was masterful with 37pts (22 in the second half) and 12reb, Wade had 23pts and 10reb, the “Shane Battier game” happened (18pts on 6–8 from three), Duncan had 24pts/12reb/4stl, Kawhi had 19pts/16reb, and Manu scored 18pts with 5ast.
Both teams truly showed the heart of a champion in this series. Both teams showed they were the better of the two in instances. Both teams gave it their all. This series, whether it’s because of individual plays or entire runs, could’ve ended in a thousand other ways. The series featured the Heat’s Big Three at their peak (the best version of LeBron James, a Dwyane Wade before he was destroyed by injuries and Chris Bosh in the first of his prime years with the franchise), the first time we saw Kawhi Leonard playing great basketball in a big stage (showing glimpses of what was to come for him), the best season from one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history, a legendary Game Seven, the best game in NBA history (Game Six), a top-three greatest shot ever (Ray Allen Game Six three), and it served as the fuel for one of the greatest revenge/comeback stories in sports history (the Spurs coming back the next year and convincingly finishing the job against the Heat).
Best of all? There weren’t any impactful injuries in the series (D-Wade’s knee issues at the end and Parker’s hamstring issues throughout were more important than recognized at the time, but nothing that forced anyone to miss games).
With this series, Tim Duncan became the fourth player in NBA history to appear in a Finals series in three different decades. It was the first time the Spurs were defeated in a Finals series, while also being the first they didn’t have home-court advantage for. It was the Heat’s third straight Finals appearance, becoming the first Eastern Conference to reach this mark since the Bulls did it from 1996–98. The series also included a remarkable four players who had previously won a Finals MVP trophy (LeBron, Wade, Duncan and Parker. It was the last championship “The Heatles” won together, a little bit short of the amount they originally claimed they would have. And, it was the last Finals series with David Stern at the helm, the best commissioner in American sports history.
Maybe it didn’t have the close games that the 2010 Finals did. Maybe it didn’t impact legacies like the 2011 Finals did. Maybe it wasn’t the best story like the 2016 Finals. But one thing it did have was the best combination of all factors: by definition, it didn’t have close games. However, it did have both teams show legitimate dominance. It didn’t have the biggest impact on legacies out of all the series in this ranking, but it’s pretty close to the top. And it definitely didn’t feature one of the best stories directly, but it was the catalyst for one.
It was a legendary series between two of the best teams in history, the final two games being historically fantastic in their own right, included great players in big-time moments, and it was a real fight between a team looking to establish itself as one of the best dynasties ever, while the other looked to add to a decade-long reign of dominance. And while it could’ve had other potential results, the one we got ended up as the best one: the back-to-back that established the Miami Heat as one of the best teams in NBA history, the motivation for the Spurs to reach a level of dominance in the following season’s playoffs never reached in NBA history, a legendary shot that will forever be remembered in basketball lore, and the best Finals series of this decade.
I’ll admit that I may be biased towards this series. The 2012–13 season was the first I somewhat watched as a fan of the NBA, it was the first Finals series I watched fully, and I was rooting for the Heat. I made an impartial argument for all of them, and the top four are honestly interchangeable between them. However, this is the order that I landed on, with 2013 coming out as the best of the ten.
Thank you for your support of this ranking, I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to like the post, let me know your opinion (via comment here or Twitter), share with whoever you think would enjoy these rankings, and subscribe to my column if you want more content like this. Take care!