Kidzworld counts down the top five moments in the history of the NBA Finals. Magic and his airness are among the chosen - check them out!
#5. Best Finals Moment - Willis Comes Back (1970)
Believe it or not folks, but there was a time when the New York Knicks won an NBA Championship. In the 1970 NBA Finals, the Knicks faced Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 5, Knicks center and captain Willis Reed tore a muscle in his thigh. The injury caused Willis to miss Game 6, where the Knicks lost to the Lakers. In the deciding Game 7 in Madison Square Garden (The Knicks' home), Reed dramatically walked out right before tipoff and played. His leadership and sacrifice was enough to energize the Knicks to win their first Championship!#4. Best Finals Moment - Clutch City (1994)
The 1994 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets was one of the most thrilling series ever. The match up between Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets and Patrick Ewing of the Knicks (the top two centers at the time), proved to be worth the billing as the two battled back and forth all series. In the end it was Olajuwon and the Rockets who prevailed, as they took the series in seven games. After the Finals, the Rockets were nicknamed "Clutch City" for the large number of clutch shots they hit throughout the series.#3. Best Finals Moment - Jordan on Fire (1992)
In 1992, his "airness", Michael Jordan put on one of the most amazing shooting displays in the history of the finals. In Game 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers, MJ set an NBA record by hitting six treys in the opening half. After he hit his sixth three-pointer, Michael looked over to his bench and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "How in the world are all these shots going in?". He also broke a recordwith 35 first-half points. He finished the game with 39 points and the Bulls went on to win the series in six games.#2. Best Finals Moment - Simply Magic (1980)
As a 20-year old rookie with the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson proved to be mature beyond his age. All season long, Magic displayed his incredible point guard skills, but it was the NBA Finals where he showed he could do it all. His Los Angeles Lakers were up 3-2 in the best of seven against the Philadelphia 76ers. Going into Game 6, the Lakers were without their Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who injured his ankle the game before. The 6'9" Magic stepped up and replaced Kareem at the center position. How did Magic do? He scored a game high 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out 7 assists! The Lakers won that Championship game and Magic went on to win the MVP of the Finals that year.#1. Best Finals Moment - Jordan Buries Jazz (1998)
Every professional athlete dreams of going out on top. In Michael Jordan's final game with the Bulls, that's exactly what he did. The Bulls had won the previous two NBA Championships and were playing the Utah Jazz in the finals for their quest for a three-peat. It was also believed to be MJ's final year in the NBA. In Game 6, the Bulls were down 86-85 to the Jazz, but Jordan had the ball with less than 15 seconds to go. Jordan dribbled at the top of the key and with five seconds left, he crossed over Utah's Bryon Russell and shot an 18-foot jump shot. The ball swished in the net, giving the Bulls the one point lead and eventually the championship victory. Check out the clip! That proved to be Jordan's final shot as a Chicago Bull. What a way to go out!Related Stories:
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