Pacers, Thunder Finals matchup marks latest with championship droughts
No matter who comes out victorious in the 2025 NBA Finals, one thing is for certain — a long championship drought will be snapped.
This is the second NBA Finals in which both participants are on title droughts that exceed 40 years, according to ESPN Research. The previous instance was in 2021 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.
The Indiana Pacers have won three ABA championships — which don’t count in terms of titles in NBA history — but never in the NBA. However, their coach, Rick Carlisle, has been in this position before with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Carlisle is the 10th coach to lead multiple franchises to the NBA Finals. A win against the Thunder would make him the fourth head coach to win titles with multiple franchises, joining Alex Hannum, Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.
The Oklahoma City Thunder technically have one title as the Seattle SuperSonics, who were champions in 1979. However, that championship banner is held at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, not the Paycom Center.
With one combined championship between the two franchises entering the Finals, the series joins the list of NBA Finals matchups featuring the fewest combined titles since 1980.
Here’s a look at how those series panned out.
2021, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns
Combined titles One
Winner: Bucks win 4-2
In search of their first championship since 1971, Milwaukee’s roster faced a problem outside of facing Phoenix. No one on its roster had NBA Finals experience.
The Bucks were the third team over the past 25 postseasons to reach the Finals and have zero games of previous Finals experience, joining the Golden State Warriors in 2015 and the Utah Jazz in 1997. It didn’t matter for the Warriors, who beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to snap their championship drought. The same applied to Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and five assists per game as the Bucks beat the Suns in six games. He notched a decisive 50-point, 14-rebound performance in Game 6, helping the franchise win its first championship since 1971.
2011, Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat
Combined titles: One
Winner: Mavericks win 4-2
In one of the more iconic playoff runs in recent memory, the Mavericks took down star after star to finally exorcise their franchise’s demons.
Since its first season in 1980-81, Dallas reached the Finals once and lost in the conference finals twice. This time around, the Mavericks got the job done against the Heat’s big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Facing a 2-0 series deficit, Dallas ended Game 2 on a 22-5 run over the final 7:14 of the game. Dirk Nowitzki capped the comeback with a game-winning layup. Ten days later, he had 21 points and 11 rebounds to clinch the championship on the road.
2006, Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat
Combined titles: Zero
Winner: Miami win 4-2
The first Heat-Mavericks matchup marked the only NBA Finals series since 1980 where neither team had won a championship entering it. This was also the first Finals appearance for both franchises outright.
Wade led the way for Miami’s championship, averaging 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals in a stellar performance. Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but then lost four straight.
2003, Brooklyn Nets vs. San Antonio Spurs
Combined titles: One
Winner: Spurs win 4-2
Then known as the New Jersey Nets, the franchise’s second consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals came against a brewing dynasty. The Spurs had one championship heading into the series, but were about to string together three more in five seasons.
Tim Duncan earned NBA Finals MVP honors after averaging 24.2 points, 17 rebounds plus 5.3 assists and blocks each. He dropped a near-quadruple double in the clincher with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and eight blocks.
1995, Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic
Combined titles: One
Winner: Rockets win 4-0
Houston’s second of its back-to-back championships marked the end of an improbable run. The Rockets entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and became champions — the lowest seed to ever win an NBA title.
On the way to the Finals, Houston took down the 60-win Utah Jazz, 59-win Suns and 62-win Spurs in that order. Waiting for them on the big stage were the 59-win Magic, led by Shaquille O’Neal, who had finished second in MVP voting.
None of that mattered, though, as the Rockets swept the Magic behind a memorable Hakeem Olajuwon run. He averaged 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2 steals and blocks each in the Finals.
ESPN Research contributed to this story.
Source: espn.com