Is the NBA Finals every year? This question has been asked for many years, and the answer is yes. The NBA Finals take place every year, but not all teams have a chance to make it there.
In this article, we will look at the history of America’s favorite sport and see how the NBA Finals have changed over time.
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What Is The NBA Finals?
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The winners of the NBA Finals are awarded the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
The NBA Finals began in 1947 when the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia Warriors in a best-of-seven series.
The most recent champions are the Golden State Warriors, who won the 2018 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors have appeared in four of the last five NBA Finals and won three championships.
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Is The NBA Finals Every Year?
Yes. The NBA Finals have been held every year since 1947. There have been some exceptions, such as the first two years of the NBA Finals being played in March and April and the last four games of the 1976 NBA Finals being played in early May due to a scheduling conflict with the Montreal Olympics.
However, for the most part, the NBA Finals have been held every year since the league’s inception.
Which Teams Have A Chance To Make It To The NBA Finals?
Not all teams have a chance to make it to the NBA Finals. To qualify for the NBA Finals, a team must win their respective conference. The Eastern and Western conferences have different qualifying rules.
In the Eastern conference, the top four teams qualify for the playoffs. The first and second place teams receive a bye to the second round, while the third and fourth place teams play in a best-of-seven series to determine who advances.
In the Western Conference, the top eight teams qualify for the playoffs. The first and second place teams receive a bye to the semifinals, while the third and fourth place teams play in a best-of-seven series to determine who advances.
The fifth through eighth place teams also plays in a best-of-seven series, with the winner advancing to the next round.
Why Are There So Many Consecutive Seasons Without A Change In Teams Playing For The Championship?
The NBA Finals is a matchup of the best teams in the league, so it would make sense that it’s played every year. However, that’s not the case. There are several years when the finals don’t happen at all. Let’s take a look at some of those years.
1947 was the first year that the NBA Finals took place. The Minneapolis Lakers played against the New York Knicks. The Lakers won, and they would win three of the first four championships. After that initial matchup, there wasn’t another NBA Finals until 1955. That’s because there was a big gap between the first and second NBA Finals.
There was a total of thirteen years where there wasn’t an NBA Finals. This happened for a few different reasons.
One reason is that teams would frequently move around, so it was hard to have any consistency in the league. Another reason is that World War II caused a significant hiatus in the sport.
In 1998, the Chicago Bulls played against the Utah Jazz in that matchup, and the Bulls won. Michael Jordan was a big part of that victory, as he led the team to their sixth championship. After that win, there was another hiatus in the NBA Finals. This time, it was because of a lockout in the league.
In 2005 the Dallas Mavericks played against the Miami Heat in a matchup, and the Mavericks won. Dirk Nowitzki was a big part of that victory, as he led the team to their first championship.
In recent years, there have been a few different matchups in the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors played against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and 2017, and the Warriors won both times. The Houston Rockets played against the Golden State Warriors in 2018, but they lost.