NBA Finals Game 7: Lessons In Hardship, Stories Of Redemption
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (#2) of the Oklahoma City Thunder attempts a shot against Pascal Siakam ... More (#43) of the Indiana Pacers during the third quarter in Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 19, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Abbie Parr - Pool/Getty Images)
Each season, winning a championship is the goal of all 30 teams in the NBA, but 29 teams will ultimately fall short of this quest. With Game 7 of the NBA Finals approaching, the reality is that either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers will face defeat and experience heartbreak. While winning an NBA championship will undoubtedly alter the trajectory of one of these two franchises, losing this game could also have a profound impact and provide valuable lessons in the process.
Some of the greatest winners in basketball history have lost in the NBA Finals. Phil Jackson won a record eleven championships as an NBA head coach and another two titles as a player. During his final press conference as team president of the New York Knicks in 2017, Jackson discussed the challenge organizations face in assessing team progress and remarked, 'One of the worst things that can happen is to lose in the (NBA) Finals.' In his 2013 book Eleven Rings: The Soul for Success, Jackson also stated, "Losing is as much a part of the game as winning. It's how you handle the losses that teaches you the most about yourself."
Throughout NBA history, there have been 14 instances in which teams lost in the NBA Finals and returned to win the championship the following year. However, only seven teams have accomplished this feat after losing in Game 7. The disheartening experience of coming so close yet falling short may signify the end of an era or represent the final step in a championship ascent. So, which teams were able to accomplish this feat?
Stephen Curry (#30) of the Golden State Warriors can only watch as LeBron James (#23) shoots free ... More throws to help clinch the 2015-16 NBA Championship for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, June 19, 2016. The Warriors won 73 regular season games, a record that still stands. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) (Photo by MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)
2016-17 Warriors: The most recent example of a team winning a championship the season after losing a seven-game NBA Finals series is the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors. They rebounded after suffering a home defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, which was particularly disheartening given that the Warriors had set a record by winning 73 games during the regular season. Before the start of the 2016-17 season, guard Stephen Curry told Sam Amick of USA Today, 'I still haven't gotten over Game 7. Obviously, you hated the feeling, but it's also a motivator to come back even stronger.' That offseason, the Warriors signed the highly sought-after free agent Kevin Durant and went on to win back-to-back titles.
2013-14 Spurs: In the 2013 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs lost to the Miami Heat in a hard-fought seven-game series. The Spurs led the series 3-2 before suffering a heartbreaking overtime loss in Game 6. With just seven seconds remaining, after the Spurs failed to secure a rebound, Heat guard Ray Allen made a three-point shot from the corner, tying the game and sending it into overtime. In a display of remarkable resilience, the Spurs returned to the NBA Finals the following season and decisively defeated the Heat, winning the series 4-1. Two of the lessons learned upon returning to the finals were not to take a lead for granted and to play every possession. In a 2016 interview with Adrian Wojnarowski on The Vertical Podcast, Spurs guard Manu Ginóbili expressed uncertainty whether the Spurs would have won the title without the heartbreak of the previous year. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich described his team's resilience as "a great lesson in stick-to-itiveness and doing your work, not crying about things, and just moving forward.'
1988-89 Pistons: Similar to the Spurs, the Detroit Pistons held a 3-2 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1988 Finals. With the Pistons clinging to a one-point lead late in Game 6, Pistons forward Bill Laimbeer was called for a questionable foul with 15 seconds remaining that resulted in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar clinching the game with two free throws. This occurred after guard Isiah Thomas sprained his ankle in the third quarter, yet single-handedly kept the Pistons in the game. After the Lakers won the series, Isiah Thomas vowed the results would be different the following season and was quoted by the New York Times, stating, 'We're going to finish with the best record in the league and get the home-court advantage.' The Pistons swept the Lakers in 1989, claiming their first NBA championship.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson (#32) of the Los Angeles Lakers attempts to make a pass against the Boston ... More Celtics during Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Basketball Finals at the Boston Garden. The Lakers lost the series 4-3, but would avenge their loss in 1985. (Photo by Carl Skalak /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X30090 TK1 )
1984-85 Lakers: Like the Pistons, the Lakers also learned a difficult lesson a few years earlier, suffering a Game 7 loss in the 1984 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Not only were the Lakers attempting to defeat their archrivals, but they were also dealing with the mystique of the Celtics, who had never lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Due to two critical errors made in Game 4, Magic Johnson was nicknamed 'Tragic Johnson' by Boston-area sportswriters. Both teams returned to the NBA Finals in 1985. Before the series began, Johnson expressed his confidence and poise in a quote to the Los Angeles Times: 'I don't have to redeem myself because everybody knows what I can do. So I'm just going to be out there playing and hopefully don't make those mistakes.' The Lakers silenced their critics by defeating the Celtics in six games.
1978-79 Supersonics: The Washington Bullets defeated the Seattle Supersonics Game 7 of the 1978 NBA Finals, winning a physical seven-game series. The Supersonics held a 3-2 series lead with the home court advantage but were unable to close out the Bullets, as poor execution and inexperience ultimately derailed their efforts. Both teams returned to the NBA Finals in 1979, where the Supersonics swept the Bullets to win their franchise's only title. After the series, Finals MVP and Supersonics guard Dennis Johnson was quoted in the Washington Post, stating, "Last year we didn't know what to expect in this series but we came in with our eyes open this time. We did everything we had to do to win.'
1957-58 Hawks: In the 1957 NBA Finals, the Celtics defeated the St. Louis Hawks in double overtime to win Game 7 of the series, which was a particularly painful loss for the Hawks. With renewed focus, improved defensive continuity, and greater trust among teammates, the Hawks returned to the NBA Finals and earned a revenge victory over the Celtics, highlighted by Bob Pettit's 50-point performance in the closeout game. The team's chemistry appeared to play a crucial role in helping the Hawks defeat the favored Celtics. In 1998, on the 40th anniversary of the championship, forward Ed Macauley told Tom Wheatley of the Post-Dispatch, 'It was a talented group, but it was a very, very closely knit group. It was a very unselfish ballclub.'
1954-55 Nationals: Up 2-0 in the 1954 NBA Finals, the Syracuse Nationals Squandered their lead and ultimately lost at home to the Minneapolis Lakers in a decisive Game 7. This setback fueled the Nationals' desire to make adjustments and finish the job the following season. They defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in the 1955 NBA Finals by a single point in another Game 7. The team's star player, Dolph Schayes, was once described by Bill Russell as 'completely tenacious." His work ethic molded the Nationals into champions during the early years of the NBA.
These examples highlight rare instances of teams bouncing back from disheartening defeats in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, proving their championship mettle. Either the Thunder or the Pacers will face similar circumstances. Next season, the victor will attempt to defend their title, while the runner-up will seek to avenge their loss. One certainty is that both teams have earned a tremendous opportunity to compete in this decisive game, which will determine this season's NBA champion.
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