NBA Finals: Only the Knicks Lack a Win Since 1973

The NBA’s Final Four has been determined, and just so you know, we’re going to see a brand-new champion this year.

In the Western Conference, the number one seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder, will face off against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

In the Eastern Conference, it's the third-seeded New York Knicks facing off against the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers.

No matter which team emerges victorious in the Thunder-Wolves series, the winner from the West will make their debut appearance in the Finals.

In the meantime, both the Knicks and Pacers have made it to the Finals, though it has been quite some time since their last appearance. The Knicks' most recent trip was in 1999 when they were seeded eighth during a lockout-condensed season. They ended up losing to the San Antonio Spurs.

In 1994, they were defeated by the Houston Rockets. Prior to that, in 1973, the Knicks emerged victorious. This victory took place during the era of Walt Frazier , Earl Monroe , Willis Reed , Dave DeBusschere , and Bill Bradley They defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to win the championship.

As for the Pacers, their only trip to the NBA Finals happened in 2000, where they were defeated by the Lakers. Prior to joining the NBA, during their time in the ABA, they made it to the finals five times, winning championships in 1970, 1972, and 1973. Additionally, they appeared in the ABA Finals in both 1969 and 1975.

And yes, I realize the Thunder used to be the Seattle SuperSonics. But I don’t really include Sonics history as part of Thunder history — even though some do.

But since this is my website, I’m keeping the Thunder and Sonics as separate entities (especially since I think Seattle will have the Sonics again within the next few years as an expansion team). Also, I doubt too many people in Seattle are rooting for the Thunder. It’s been 16 years since the Sonics left for OKC.

Regardless of how you look at it, this represents an exciting new era for the NBA. Several teams that have never or rarely experienced such moments before are now stepping into the limelight. While the Thunder are considered frontrunners due to their impressive 68-14 season record, I genuinely believe the outcome remains uncertain.

If there’s one takeaway from this season, it’s clear: This could go either way for everyone involved.

Just to clarify, I believe every possible Finals pairing would be excellent. Think about Thunder versus Knicks. Or Thunder against Pacers. Also, Wolves facing off with Knicks. And let’s not forget Wolves squaring up with Pacers. Absolutely, absolutely, and twice absolutely. I'd embrace all these scenarios. From now on, the NBA feels the same way too.

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