NBA
Key Highlights From the Last 10 Years of NBA History
Looking at some key highlights from the last 10 years of NBA history, including LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and more!
Nathaniel Butler/Getty Images
If you’re an NBA fan, you’ll know that it’s a sport full of drama, excitement, and memorable moments. No matter who your favorite team is, and whatever your most memorable moment may be, there are plenty of key highlights to choose from. Here we look at five of the very best from the last decade since 2012.
This was arguably the greatest moment in NBA history and one of the biggest upsets of all time. LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first championship in over half a century and cemented his reputation as one of the top all-time players. It was a close game throughout with neither Cleveland nor the Golden State Warriors being able to gain more than a ten-point lead.
In addition, it pitted Stephen Curry, considered the best-ever shooter against King James, arguably the best all-around player ever. For the first time in NBA history, Cleveland came back from being down three to one in a series to win the championship. This seventh game changed course based on a single block by James on Iguodala Andre alongside Kyrie Irving’s incredible shooting for Cleveland.
Despite losing the NBA finals, the 2015-16 season was one to celebrate for the Golden State Warriors. They won an incredible 73 games in the regular season, breaking the previous record held by the Chicago Bulls in 1996 of 72 for the most in NBA history. Stephen Curry was named Most Valuable Player in the league, the first time a player was unanimously chosen. In addition to Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, he was named to the All-Star Game, the first time since 1976 that the Warriors had three All-Stars.
Another historic Game 7 moment occurred between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors. During the 2018-19 season, Leonard had been traded to the Raptors despite concerns over his health following an injury-plagued season. Despite these concerns, Leonard had a stellar season that culminated in his buzzer-beating shot in Game 7 of the semifinals.
As the buzzer sounded, Leonard hit a shot from the corner that bounced an incredible four times before sinking into the net, giving the Raptors a 92-90 victory over the 76ers. It was the first-ever NBA Game 7 buzzer-beater in history, and even the usually calm Leonard celebrated.
Just sneaking in by virtue of it being 2012, is LeBron’s destruction of the Boston Celtics Big 3. Following trash talk from Celtic’s Kevin Garnett, James took no prisoners as he scored 45 points including 15 rebounds, plus five assists, in the Miami Heat’s 98-79 win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden. This unbelievable performance contributed to his first-ever NBA title, beating the Celtics yet again in Game 7. He also went on to win the Finals Most Valuable Player award for the first time in his career.
Arguably the greatest scorer in the NBA, combined with one of basketball’s greatest teams — the Golden State Warriors — it was always going to be an exciting Finals Series. Kevin Durrant scored a playoff career-high of 43 points in Game 3 of the 2018 Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Golden State came back from a 13-point deficit to win 100-102 following a final minute deep three from Durant. Durant scored 43 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. LeBron James responded with a triple-double of 33 points/11 assists/10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough. The Cavaliers faced a 0-3 series deficit for the second year in a row that proved to be too much to overcome.
Of course, there’s one way to make the NBA even more exciting with online betting. To make the most of your money when placing bets on NBA games, be sure to check out the latest promo offers being offered by online sportsbooks in the US. A resource such as WSN.com helps streamline this process by compiling all this information in one place.
Still haven’t had enough NBA? Then take a trip down memory lane and celebrate 75 years of the league with Sports Illustrated’s top 75 moments. Whoever you support, whoever your favorite player, you’ll find something of interest in this highlight reel.
