Ranking Every NBA Finals From The 2010s
Start writing a post
Sports

Ranking Every NBA Finals From The 2010s

The 2010s featured an array of NBA Finals that created dynasties and legendary players. However, not every Finals series was all that exciting and fun. Here, we rank all 10 NBA Finals from the last decade.

573
Ranking Every NBA Finals From The 2010s

Here it goes...

#10- Cavaliers VS Warriors (2018)

golden state warriors wow GIF by NBAGiphy

Result: Warriors win 4-0

Finals MVP: Kevin Durant

The only Finals sweep of the decade, this series was easily the most boring of any other one on this list. Golden State's super-team was no match for LeBron James and the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers who did not have Kyrie Irving this time around in the 4th straight Finals matchup between the two teams.

#9- Cavaliers VS Warriors (2017)

excited golden state warriors GIF by NBAGiphy

Result: Warriors win 4-1

Finals MVP: Kevin Durant

After losing to the 73-9 Warriors following a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals, Kevin Durant joined the Warriors in the summer of 2016 to join the NBA's next super-team with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Durant returned to the Finals for the first time since 2012, where his performance pushed the Warriors over the edge to defeat the defending champions, Cleveland Cavaliers in just five games.


#8- Heat VS Spurs (2014)

kawhi leonard wink GIF by San Antonio SpursGiphy

Result: Spurs win 4-1

Finals MVP: Kawhi Leonard

Following San Antonio's heartbreaking loss to the Heat in the 2013 Finals, the Spurs came back the next year with vengeance and only one goal in mind. They faced the Heat once again in a Finals rematch where the defending champions played sloppy and did not seen as hungry as the Spurs to win the championship that year. Kawhi Leonard's dominant performance assisting the Spurs to defeat the Heat in only five games, cemented him as one of the best young players in the game.

#7- Heat VS Thunder (2012)

lebron james GIFGiphy

Result: Heat win 4-1

Finals MVP: LeBron James

After the Thunder took game one in this series, the Heat stormed back winning the next four straight to secure the franchise's second NBA championship and LeBron James's first to establish himself among the other legendary greats who have one championships. This young Thunder team with three future MVPs on its roster would never reach the Finals again.


#6- Cavaliers VS Warriors (2015)

Happy Andre Iguodala GIF by NBAGiphy

Result: Warriors win 4-2

Finals MVP: Andre Iguodala

Surprising the entire NBA, this Warriors team broke out just after firing their former head coach Mark Jackson, to which Steve Kerr came in to substitute. He led the Warriors to a commanding 67-15 record, placing them atop of the entire Western Conference. When they reach the Finals, they faced the new "Big 3" in Cleveland, featuring LeBron James who just returned home to Cleveland, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. Andre Iguodala being placed in the starting lineup after the Cavaliers went up 2-1 in the series, locked the Warriors in to win the next three and come out victorious.

#5- Mavericks VS Heat (2011)

dirk nowitzki GIF by Dallas MavericksGiphy

Result: Mavericks win 4-2

Finals MVP: Dirk Nowitzki

Following the creation of Miami's "Big 3", the Dallas Mavericks had come back to the top, where they once were in 2006, but defeated by Wade and Shaq's Miami Heat. Dirk and company came back dominant, playing excellent team basketball to defeat Miami in six games, to which LeBron James did not show up in the series, making Miami a disappointment right after the alliance of Wade, James, and Bosh. This series helped establish future hall of fame Dirk Nowitzki's NBA greatness, finally winning a ring and Finals MVP.

#4- Warriors VS Raptors (2019)

Lets Go Sport GIF by NBAGiphy

Result: Raptors win 4-2

Finals MVP: Kawhi Leonard

After the Raptors traded away franchise star DeMar DeRozan to the Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard, their goal to win a championship in the near future was very clear. During he regular season, the Raptors finished quietly in the second seed behind the Milwaukee Bucks, the most talked about team in the East. Once the playoffs came around, Toronto peaked with an amazing all-around team effort with a stacked roster to backup superstar Kawhi Leonard. Being down in every series in the Eastern Conference at one point, Toronto showed their championship culture bouncing back in every series to make the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, defeating the injury-plagues defending champions Golden State Warriors to secure their first ever title, and further prove Kawhi Leonard's greatness in the league.

#3- Celtics VS Lakers (2010)

Happy Kobe Bryant GIF by SHOWTIME SportsGiphy

Result: Lakers win 4-3

Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant


In an NBA Finals rematch between the Lakers and Celtics from 2008, with Boston coming out as the champions, Kobe Bryant led his team to their second-straight NBA title, defeating the Boston Celtics in a game 7 that came right down to the very end. Bryant eventually won Finals MVP in his swan song of the Finals that gave him his fifth NBA title, and placing him up with the NBA greats, drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan.

#2- Cavaliers VS Warriors (2016)

Giphy

Result: Cavaliers win 4-3

Finals MVP: LeBron James

In a series that became an instant classic, LeBron James's legacy was on the line with questions over whether he would deliver his promise to Cleveland in bringing them their first ever NBA championship. LeBron responded and Cleveland emerged victorious in the final moments of game 7 with LeBron James's great block against Andre Iguodala, making it the greatest block in NBA Finals history, along with Kyrie Irving's clutch three, bringing Cleveland their first ever NBA championship, and sustaining the great legacy of LeBron James.

#1- Spurs VS Heat (2013)

Ray Allen Sport GIF by NBAGiphy

Result: Heat win 4-3

Finals MVP: LeBron James

Miami's dynasty continued as the Heat won back-to-back championships in a nail-biting series that saw Ray Allen's iconic game-tying three in game 6 keep Miami's hopes alive to force overtime, and an eventual victory that would be followed by a game 7 for the ages, coming down to the very final minute. This championship made the Miami Heat emerge as one of the great NBA franchises, and proved the massive success of the "Big 3" to the basketball world, and also showcasing Dwyane Wade's legacy as the third greatest shooting guard of all time.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

55599
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

35845
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957852
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

186268
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments