Ranking the top 5 NBA Finals from the 21st century

#3 Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs, 2013

LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat goes up for a shot against Danny Green #4 of the San Antonio Spurs in overtime during Game Six of the 2013 NBA Finals

The Miami Heat squared up against the San Antonio Spurs in what was a thrilling NBA Finals. The Heat were in search of a back-to-back, while Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs wanted a fifth championship.

Tony Parker got the Spurs off to a good start in the 2013 NBA Finals as his clutch shot guaranteed them a 92-88 win in Game 1. Three-point shooting gave the Miami Heat an edge in Game 2 as they evened the series.

It was a back-and-forth series as neither team failed to pull away. The Spurs were close to ending the series in Game 6, but Ray Allen had other plans as his corner three forced a Game 7.

With all to play for, LeBron James took over and recorded 37 points and 12 rebounds. His stellar performance was enough to lead the Heat to victory, while he won his second NBA Finals MVP award.

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#2 Miami Heat vs Dallas Mavericks, 2011

Jason Kidd #2 of the Dallas Mavericks holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy

The Dallas Mavericks had an opportunity to exact revenge against the Miami Heat, and they did so in fine fashion. The presence of LeBron James did not mean much to the determined Mavericks side that wanted payback for the devastating 2006 NBA Finals loss.

Dirk powered the Mavs to win their first championship 🏆Mavericks vs. Heat, 2011 NBA Finals Game 6 - 9:00pm ET on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/HEheUnZZYt

— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 7, 2020

Led by Nowitzki, the Mavericks had to fight for every win against the star-studded Miami Heat team. Clutch shots ruled this series, with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry excelling over James, Wade, and Chris Bosh. To date, it remains one of the most competitive NBA Finals of all time.

The Mavericks ended the series in Game 6, sparking a lot of narrative surrounding James not being clutch and how championships cannot be bought. Regardless, the Heat won back-to-back championships in their next two seasons.

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#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors, 2016

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers takes a shot against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals

Of all the LeBron James versus Steph Curry battles, this is the most memorable one. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors met in the NBA Finals for four consecutive years from 2015.

Although the Warriors almost always had the better of the Cavs, James activated god mode in 2016 and single-handedly led the Cavaliers to their first championship. Kyrie Irving was also a crucial piece that helped the Cavs overcome the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Clutch Blocks in Playoffs History…"OHHHH.. BLOCKED BY JAMES!"LeBron James chases down the layup attempt late in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, helping the Cavaliers win their first-ever title! pic.twitter.com/owr7cTAcsc

— NBA (@NBA) July 17, 2021

Down 3-1, the Cavs were ruled out of a comeback, especially against a formidable Warriors team. However, LeBron did the impossible by completely dominating the remaining three games.

Words cannot explain how intense the 2016 NBA Finals was. To put it in perspective, the Cavaliers overcame the Warriors, who had a record 73-9 run in the regular season.