The 16 Biggest NBA Finals What-Ifs Since 2000, from Kobe's Ankle to Curry's Game 4
The 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers had all the makings of being a classic. We witnessed another "What the Hali" moment in Game 1, and the heavy underdog Pacers kept up their magical run by pushing OKC to a Game 7.
Tyrese Haliburton had it going early on the ultimate NBA stage, but what happened next has everyone wondering what could have been.
In fact, there have been plenty of similar moments over the last two-plus decades.
We're here to look back at the Finals matchups from the past 25 years and identify some notable "what-ifs" that could have altered what did happen in those series.
Our choices are subjective and presented in chronological order starting in 2000, but the goal was to identify a key moment (or moments) that could have changed the outcome of the series. However, we accepted the Finals matchups as they were at the time, including whatever injuries were already present when the series began.
So, there will be no questioning what 2021 would have looked like if Kevin Durant's toe wasn't on the line in the second round, what could have happened if a certain player hadn't been injured before the Finals or conjecture about what could have happened in a given year if (insert team name here) had made the Finals instead.
We're going to touch on plenty of what-ifs, but let us know in the app comments if there are any others that still haunt you all these years later.
2000: What If Jalen Rose Actually Seriously Injured Kobe Bryant?
1 of 16
By the first quarter of Game 2 of the 2000 NBA Finals, Jalen Rose and the Indiana Pacers had already realized they weren't going to be able to contain Kobe Bryant—and they were already having enough trouble dealing with prime Shaquille O'Neal.
So, Rose decided to try to eliminate one of those variables with a play that would now be classified as a flagrant foul.
"I acted like I was contesting the jump shot and purposely made him come down on my foot," Rose admitted to ESPN in 2021. "In my mind, I didn't want him to break his ankle. But I wouldn't mind if he missed the next few games because we would have a better chance to win."
Bryant missed the rest of Game 2 (a Lakers win to go up 2-0), but he then missed all of Game 3, which the Pacers won to keep their hopes alive. However, Bryant was able to come back from his sprained ankle in time for Game 4 and played a critical role in carrying L.A. to a gritty win after Shaq fouled out midway through overtime.
What if Kobe's injury had been significantly worse and he wasn't there in Game 4 to play the hero—or for the rest of the series for that matter? Could Shaq alone have carried the Lakers to the title, or could the Pacers have turned the tables?
Indiana won two of its three games at home—Game 4 being the exception—so if Bryant hadn't been available, the Pacers might have snagged the first NBA championship in franchise history. Had the Lakers lost because of Bryant's injury, what would that have meant for their early-2000s dynasty? Would it have ever taken root?
2005: What If 'Big Shot Bob' Was Off the Mark in the Final Seconds of Game 5?
2 of 16
No matter what jersey he wore, Robert Horry was known for being clutch throughout his 16-year NBA career. But few shots were bigger than his three-pointer in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
After four straight blowouts brought the Finals to a 2-2 tie, Game 5 went down to the wire—and even required five extra minutes to be decided. The San Antonio Spurs trailed the Detroit Pistons 95-93 with 9.4 seconds left in overtime when Horry inbounded to Manu Ginobili, who was quickly doubled in the corner. Ginobili passed back to Horry, who was wide open for the game-winner, which sank through the net with 5.8 seconds left.
But what if it hadn't dropped? Maybe the Spurs could have gotten the rebound for a game-tying putback, but there were four Pistons in the paint and Ben Wallace had Tim Duncan boxed out. It's more likely Detroit would have held on for the win to take a 3-2 advantage in the series.
Could Detroit—which did win in San Antonio to force Game 7—have earned its second successive championship if it had led 3-2 going into Game 6? Could the Spurs have rallied to win both of the final two contests at home? Would Larry Brown have stayed as the coach for 2005-06 if the Pistons were going for a three-peat?
We'll never know the answers to those questions, in large part because of "Big Shot Bob."
2006: What If Josh Howard Didn't Call That Timeout in Game 5?
3 of 16
Dallas Mavericks fans probably are still holding on to a handful of what-ifs from this series.
What if they hadn't let a 13-point lead slip away in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter in Game 3 (they probably win the title)? What if Jerry Stackhouse didn't get suspended for Game 5? What if Dwyane Wade didn't shoot a bajillion free throws in the series (slight exaggeration)?
Those are all worthy options here, but we're going to go with a different, more unique moment. With 1.9 seconds left in overtime of Game 5 and the Mavs up 100-99, Wade drew a controversial foul that sent him to the line, where he made the first shot. Mavs coach Avery Johnson signaled to his players to call timeout after the second shot to advance the ball for the last shot.
Before the second shot, though, Dallas forward Josh Howard made a timeout signal and began walking toward the bench. The referees granted the timeout, leaving the Mavs without a timeout and unable to advance the ball after Wade made the game-winning free throw—his record-setting 21st of the night.
What if Howard had just stood at the line and done nothing? Would Wade have made or missed the free throw in that reality? After a timeout, would the Mavs have given us a legendary buzzer-beater at the other end to take a 3-2 lead with two chances to win the championship back in Dallas?
2008: What If Paul Pierce's Knee Injury Was as Bad as It Looked at First?
4 of 16
A nervous hush fell over TD Banknorth Garden with 6:48 left in the third quarter during Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals. Paul Pierce, the Celtics' homegrown star and leader of their Big Three, was down in pain holding his right knee.
He couldn't put weight on his leg and was carried off the court by his teammates. Back in the tunnel, he was loaded into a wheelchair and whisked off for further examination. Celtics fans, naturally, feared the worst.
Less than two minutes of game time later, though, Pierce made a shocking and memorable reemergence from the tunnel, walking under his own power while wearing a sleeve on his right knee. His reemergence spurred the crowd, and his play on the court—6-of-6 from the field after the injury—helped lift the C's to a win over the rival Los Angeles Lakers.
While Pierce himself started a rumor that he just left the court to use the bathroom, he later set the record straight that he had a sprained MCL. But what if Pierce's injury was as bad as it looked at the time and he missed extended time—maybe even the whole series?
Given that Pierce was the heart of the Celtics and ultimately earned series MVP, it's possible Boston wouldn't have been able to overcome Pierce's absence. However, with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and plenty of solid role players, Boston certainly could have made a solid run at the title.
While the Lakers would have definitely had the edge had Pierce's injury been as bad as everyone feared, Garnett is here to remind you that "anything is possible!"
2009: What If Dwight Howard Makes One of His Free Throws at the End of Game 4?
5 of 16
Maybe there wasn't anything the Orlando Magic could have done to overcome the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009. Maybe the Lakers were just better.
But two overtime losses have to still sting for Orlando, especially the one in Game 4 at home. On that day in particular, the Magic were oh-so-close to winning in regulation.
The Magic were up 87-84 with 11.1 seconds left when star center Dwight Howard was sent to the line for two free throws. Though he was just a 59.4 percent shooter from the line that season, all the Defensive Player of the Year needed to do was hit his average and make one of his attempts to essentially seal the win.
Instead, Howard missed both attempts and Derek Fisher—0-of-5 from three-point range to that point—made a game-tying triple with 4.6 seconds left to force overtime. The Lakers took care of business from there and won the title three days later on Orlando's home floor.
But what if Howard had made one (or both) of those free throws and helped the Magic hold on? Then the series would have been tied at two games apiece with Game 5 in Orlando. Had the series been even at that point, there's no telling what could have happened.
Instead, the Magic fell in a gentleman's sweep and haven't been back to the Finals since.
2010: What if Kobe Bryant Didn't Pass and Went for the Dagger Himself?
6 of 16
Now, this what-if could have reasonably instead been, "What if Kendrick Perkins doesn't get hurt in Game 6?" but in the words of Perk, we're going to "carry the hell on." (Not every what-if should be an injury. That would just be monotonous.)
That aside, we're going to skip to the final minutes of Game 7, which was easily the closest game of the 2010 Finals between the Celtics and Lakers. With just over a minute left and the shot clock fading, Kobe Bryant dribbled toward the top of the key where he was well-covered by Ray Allen. Bryant then made the right play and passed to an open Ron Artest (now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest), who knocked down the dagger over Paul Pierce, putting L.A. up 79-73 with one minute left.
For Celtics fans (and probably some Lakers fans, too), Artest making that shot in that moment likely still feels unreal (29.1 percent from three in that playoff run). But rather than question the shot, what if Bryant never made the pass in the first place? Sure, it was the right play, but what if Kobe—one of the best tough-shot makers in NBA history—tried to put the Celtics away himself?
If he made the tough shot in that situation, his already incredible legacy would ratchet one notch higher. But if he missed, the Celtics would have had some hope—especially if Allen responded with a made three at the other end like he did in reality. That Allen three with 51.3 seconds left would have tied the game instead of just bringing Boston back within three. From there, anything could have happened.
Instead, Kobe (unsurprisingly) made the right play, Artest (somewhat surprisingly) made the clutch shot, and the Lakers repeated as champions.
2011: What If Someone Came Through with a Buzzer-Beater at the End of Regulation?
7 of 16
Three games during the 2011 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks were decided by three points or fewer. In each of those contests—Games 2, 3 and 4—the trailing team had the last possession and took a shot at tying or winning the game.
All three times, they missed.
Dwyane Wade caught the back rim with a game-winning three attempt in Game 2, sending the series to Dallas tied. Dirk Nowitzki missed one of his signature fadeaway, mid-range jumpers at the conclusion of Game 3. In Game 4, Wade didn't catch the inbound cleanly but somehow saved it from going backcourt...only for Mike Miller to airball a tough three-pointer that would have tied the game.
But what if any number of those shots had fallen? What if any number of those games had at least gone to overtime?
The permutations of what could have happened are endless. Had things swung in Miami's favor, the LeBron James-led Heat could have topped the NBA earlier than they did and potentially could have three-peated (they won the title in 2012 and 2013). In that scenario, Dirk Nowitzki would have been denied his first and only title. Would he have stayed in Dallas after that heartbreak?
Alternatively, had Nowitzki's buzzer-beater fallen in Game 3 and the Mavs won in overtime, Dallas would have potentially won the series in five games instead of six. That may not have changed much for them in the moment, but it would have further cemented their status as an elite team. Meanwhile, falling in a gentleman's sweep would have added more pressure and sounded more alarms around the Heat. Skip Bayless definitely would have had even more ammo against LeBron and the Heat than he already did, too.
2013: What If the Spurs Still Had a Timeout After Ray Allen's Game-Tying 3?
8 of 16
There are a couple huge what-ifs from Game 6 that aren't worth exploring here because the answers are obvious. Namely, what if Kawhi Leonard made both of his free throws with 19 seconds left or what if Ray Allen missed his three-point attempt with five seconds left?
The answer to both of those questions is simple: The Spurs would have almost undoubtedly won the championship.
Instead, let's ask a question with an open-ended answer: What if the Spurs still had a timeout after Allen's game-tying three? During the fourth quarter, the Spurs used four timeouts, leaving themselves without one to advance the ball. After a replay review where they were able to draw up a full-court play, Tony Parker air-balled a tough 12-footer and the game went to overtime.
But what if Parker and the Spurs didn't have to waste so much time getting the ball across the court? What if coach Gregg Popovich instead could have drawn up a sideline out-of-bounds play? Maybe the result would have been the same and Miami would have still earned the incredible comeback victory, but it's possible the Spurs could have created a magical moment of their own with a buzzer-beating, series-clinching shot.
Would that have deprived us of a Game 7? Sure. But Allen's legendary shot followed by a game-winner at the other end would have vaulted Game 6 to the top of all the "best game ever" lists...at least for everyone outside of Miami.
2015: What If the Cavaliers Made One of Their Final Shots in Regulation of Game 1?
9 of 16
This might be one of the most series-altering and league-altering what-ifs on this entire list. The reverberations could have been huge.
First, let's set the scene. With the game tied at 98, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving blocked a layup attempt by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, setting the Cavaliers up with a chance to take the last shot. LeBron James ultimately put up a tough, fading 21-footer over Andre Iguodala that missed, and Iman Shumpert's putback jumper at the buzzer glanced off the rim.
The Warriors then dominated the overtime period to take Game 1. To make matters worse for Cleveland, Irving went down with a fractured left kneecap during the extra frame and missed the rest of the series.
Had James or Shumpert hit either of their shots at the end of regulation, the Cavs would have likely (or definitely in the case of Shumpert) won the game. By doing so in regulation, it could have spared Irving from suffering his knee injury, thereby keeping him available for the rest of the series.
Considering Cleveland won Games 2 and 3 without Irving, it's possible that the Cavs could have run away with the series with a win in Game 1 and with Irving still on the court.
In that scenario, would the Warriors dynasty have taken root? Would the Cavs have retained David Blatt as coach instead of firing him the next season? Would the LeBron-Kyrie era in Cleveland have lasted longer with an additional championship under their belts—conversely, would it have ended sooner? Would Kevin Durant going to Golden State two years later still be a thing?
The questions are endless, and we'll still ask a few more since the Warriors and Cavs provided plenty of what-if moments during their four straight Finals against each other from 2015 to 2018.
2016: What If Draymond Green Doesn’t Hit LeBron in the Groin and Get Suspended?
10 of 16
If we were ranking the what-ifs on this list, most people would probably put this at No. 1.
With under three minutes left in Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors led the Cavaliers by 10 and were well on their way to a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 series lead. Then, Draymond Green was knocked to the ground and LeBron James stepped over him while he was down. Green, feeling disrespected, swung at James' groin while standing up, inciting an altercation between the two that resulted in personal fouls on each.
After the game, the NBA reviewed the footage and assessed Green with a flagrant 1 foul for the "retaliatory swipe of his hand to [James'] groin." Since that was Green's fourth flagrant point of the playoffs, he was automatically suspended for Game 5—a game the Cavs won by 15. Cleveland then won going away in Game 6 at home before earning a hard-fought, tightly contested Game 7 in Oakland to complete an improbable comeback from down 3-1.
Had Green simply gotten up and verbally confronted James, there would have been no grounds for a flagrant foul, and he would not have missed Game 5. Given how well Green had been playing and how critical he was to the Warriors' play style, he could have potentially helped them put the Cavs away in Game 5 before Cleveland could have gotten any spark of hope.
"If I played we win, of course," Green said in 2017. "So I do feel it's my fault that we lost. ... Absolutely my fault, but I don't feel wrong for what I did at all."
With a different result in that series, the 2015-16 Warriors would likely be remembered as the greatest team of all time after finishing the regular season with a league-best 73-9 record. But without the championship to top it off, the Warriors were left wondering what if, while James and the Cavs celebrated the first and only championship in franchise history.
2018: What If J.R. Smith Didn't Dribble Out the Clock in Game 1?
11 of 16
This is the only what if on this list from a series that ended in a sweep, so things going differently may not have ultimately mattered. But this moment was so memorable that we'll dive in anyway.
With 4.7 seconds left in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals between the Cavaliers and Warriors, George Hill went to the free-throw line with the opportunity to give Cleveland the lead. He made the first attempt to tie the score at 107, but he missed the second.
Cleveland's J.R. Smith got the rebound and instead of putting up a shot in traffic, he dribbled out almost to half court. By the time he passed the ball to Hill, it was too late.
LeBron James had been standing with his hands out at the top of the key and eventually tried to call timeout, but it was in vain. James, for the record, finished that night with 51 points in one of the greatest individual performances in the NBA Finals over the past decade.
"It was a tie ballgame and we had a timeout," Smith said after the game. "I tried to get enough space because, obviously, KD [Kevin Durant] was standing right there. I tried to get enough space to bring it out to maybe get a shot off. And then I looked over at Bron, and he looked like he was trying to call a timeout. So I stopped. And then the game was over."
But what if Smith had handled that situation differently or if the Cavs had immediately gotten a timeout (or if Hill had just made the free throw)? Cleveland could have stolen Game 1 on the road and set a whole different tone for the series. Golden State likely would have won the series anyway, but as we saw in 2016, it would be foolish to automatically count LeBron and the Cavs out in a seemingly dire situation.
2019: What If Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant Didn't Get Injured?
12 of 16
The Warriors were already limping into the NBA Finals, with Andre Iguodala banged up and Kevin Durant nursing a strained right calf that would keep him out until Game 5. Somehow, things only got worse during the Finals.
Klay Thompson suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter of Golden State's Game 2 win and missed Game 3—a contest the Toronto Raptors won by 14. Durant made a short-lived return in Game 5, scoring 11 points in the first quarter before suffering a torn Achilles tendon just two minutes into the second quarter.
What if neither of those injuries happened, though? Had Thompson been available for Game 3—a game missed by both Durant and big man Kevon Looney—could the Warriors have taken a 2-1 series lead at home instead of falling behind while Steph Curry tried valiantly to keep pace with the Raptors by himself?
What if Durant was fully available for Games 5 and 6? Could he have spurred Golden State's own version of a 3-1 comeback (if the Warriors were even in that situation)? And had he not torn his Achilles, could Durant have extended both his time in the Bay Area as well as the franchise's championship window? Would they ever have traded him to the Brooklyn Nets?
Had the Warriors been at relatively full strength (assuming Durant still missed the first four games with the pre-existing injury), would Toronto still have been able to hoist its first and only Larry O'Brien Trophy?
2020: What If Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragić Didn't Get Injured?
13 of 16
If we were going to make an exception to accepting the series as it was at the time, this would be it. We'll never know what would have happened had the COVID-19 pandemic not thrown the world upside down. We'll never know how the NBA season would have played out under normal circumstances or outside the bubble.
We'll also never know what would have happened if the Miami Heat had had their full complement of starters for the full series.
Both Bam Adebayo (shoulder) and Goran Dragić (foot) exited Game 1 with injuries and both missed Games 2 and 3. With those two out, the Los Angeles Lakers scored double-digit wins in Games 1 and 2 before Jimmy Butler put together a herculean effort (40 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds) to will the Heat to a victory in Game 3.
Adebayo returned in Game 4, but that didn't stop the Lakers from earning a 102-96 victory to build a 3-1 series lead. By the time Dragić returned in a limited capacity (19 minutes off the bench) in Game 6, it was too late.
What would the series have been like, though, if Adebayo and Dragić both made it through Game 1 unscathed? Could the Heat have at least earned a split after the first two games? Could they have taken some of the burden off Butler, allowing him to be better and more effective longer in the series? Could the full-strength Heat have pushed the Lakers to seven games...or even won the series outright?
2021: What If the COVID-19 Protocols Kept Giannis Out of Games 5 and 6?
14 of 16
Though everyone was out of the bubble, the COVID-19 pandemic was still very much a major storyline during the 2021 season, including during the playoffs. And the Milwaukee Bucks feel like they definitely "dodged a bullet."
With their series against the Phoenix Suns tied at two, Bucks reserve Thanasis Antetokounmpo entered the league's health and safety protocols just hours before Game 5 tipoff in Phoenix. As important as he may have been to the team's culture and chemistry, Thanasis likely wasn't going to play in Games 5 or 6 anyway.
However, Thanasis being ruled out set off major concerns that his younger brother, Giannis—you know, the two-time NBA MVP—could also be sidelined since the Antetokounmpo brothers are essentially inseparable. But those fears were never realized, as Giannis scored 32 points and helped put the Suns away with an iconic alley-oop in Game 5 and then had a performance for the ages with 50 points in Game 6 to fulfill the Bucks in Six prophecy.
But what if both Giannis and Thanasis were both hit by COVID-19 and forced to sit out? Could the Bucks have withstood the absence of their star like they did when Giannis missed Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after hyperextending his knee? Would the Suns have been able to take advantage of Giannis' absence to regain control of the series and win it before he'd have a chance to come back?
Thinking more broadly, would the NBA have intervened in any way to allow Giannis to play or pause the series? Had the Bucks not won that series, would the currently omnipresent talks about Giannis leaving for greener pastures have reached a deafening volume back in the summer of 2021—even though he had just signed a supermax contract in December 2020?
If Giannis didn't play and thereby didn't drop 50 points—not 51, not 49—in Game 6, a Milwaukee-area Chick-Fil-A definitely wouldn't have done as much business as it did on July 21, 2021.
2022: What If Stephen Curry Didn't Go Supernova in Game 4?
15 of 16
The Warriors had their backs against the wall heading into Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals. Trailing the Celtics 2-1 with Game 4 in Boston, Golden State absolutely needed a win.
Stephen Curry, who had injured his foot during a loss in Game 3, made sure the series would head back to the Bay Area tied. When his team needed him most, Curry put together arguably the greatest Finals performance of his career with 43 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, not to mention going 7-of-14 from three-point range.
Curry scored 14 of his 43 points in the third quarter, and he closed the win out by scoring 10 of the Warriors' final 12 points, including a critical three-pointer with under two minutes left to put the Dubs up by six.
“I felt like we just had to let everybody know that we were here tonight,” Curry said after the game. “Whether that’s their crowd, their team, our team, whoever wants to see that energy and that fire, we feed off of that.”
But what if Curry didn't raise his level quite so high? What if his shots weren't falling at such a high clip, or if Boston's defense was able to keep him a little more under wraps?
Could the Warriors have still claimed victory on the strength of their stingy defense, which held the Celtics to three points over the final five minutes? Or would Boston, by limiting Curry, have done enough to take a monumental 3-1 series lead to the Bay Area?
2025: What If Tyrese Haliburton Didn't Tear His Achilles During Game 7?
16 of 16
The Indiana Pacers were the ultimate comeback kids during the 2025 playoffs, battling back from a record five deficits of 15-plus points for jaw-dropping wins. Tyrese Haliburton was at the center of all of the biggest moments, hitting four buzzer-beaters—one in each round of the playoffs—to either win a game or send it to overtime.
Haliburton's biggest shot arguably came in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, when he gave the Pacers their first lead of the night—after trailing by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter—on a 21-footer with 0.3 seconds left. In the do-or-die Game 6, Haliburton played through a calf strain, logging 14 points and five assists while being a team-best plus-25 in 23 minutes to help send the series to Game 7.
At the outset of the winner-take-all tilt, Haliburton was on fire. He was 3-for-4 on three-pointers with nine points in seven minutes. But then—pop—everything changed in an instant. Haliburton tried to drive off his right foot and ruptured his Achilles tendon, falling to the ground and pounding the hardwood in disbelief over the cruel way his magical playoff run would end.
The Pacers hung tough and even led at halftime, but the Oklahoma City Thunder surged in the second half to somewhat comfortably capture their first title in their OKC era.
But what if Haliburton never went down? What if he was able to play all the way to the final buzzer of Game 7? Could the Pacers have held off the Thunder with Hali in the lineup—or at least stayed close enough to have one last shot at buzzer-beating glory?
.jpg?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Wild Adebayo Trade Idea 💡")
