The 40 Greatest NBA Finals of All Time, Ranked

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.