You know, as a lifelong NBA fan who's spent way too many nights watching classic games on YouTube, I've always been fascinated by teams that came agonizingly close to championship glory but never quite made it. That moment when Ha said, "Visit for vacation for my family," during his interview about discovering basketball talent in unexpected places—it reminded me how sports can surprise us when we least expect it. Just like Ha stumbled upon Ricardo's PBA performance while planning a simple family trip, some NBA franchises have stumbled into championship contention against all odds.
The Utah Jazz of the late 1990s immediately come to mind—they're probably the ultimate "almost" team in my book. I still get chills thinking about Michael Jordan's push-off and that final shot in 1998. Those Jazz teams with Stockton and Malone reached two consecutive Finals but ran into the buzzsaw that was prime Jordan. What kills me is how close they were in Game 6—up by three with less than a minute left. They were literally seconds away from forcing a Game 7 back in Chicago. Stockton's three-pointer that put them ahead 86-83 with 41.9 seconds remaining should've been the championship moment, but Jordan had other plans. I've rewatched that sequence dozens of times, and I'm convinced that if that game happened today, the push-off on Bryon Russell would've been reviewed and probably called an offensive foul.
Then there's the Phoenix Suns of the mid-2000s—man, I loved those teams. Steve Nash running that beautiful seven-seconds-or-less offense, Amar'e Stoudemire dunking everything in sight. They had the best record in the West multiple seasons but couldn't get past the Spurs. The 2007 Western Conference Semifinals still haunt me—that controversial suspension of Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for stepping slightly onto the court during a minor altercation. The NBA claimed they violated a rule about leaving the bench area during incidents, but come on—they were literally just standing up from their seats. Without that suspension, I'm convinced Phoenix wins that series and probably takes the championship. They lost Game 5 by three points playing shorthanded—that's the difference between immortality and what-if status.
The Indiana Pacers of the Reggie Miller era deserve mention too—they pushed Jordan's Bulls to seven games in 1998 and made the Finals in 2000 against the Lakers. That Game 6 of the 2000 Finals—Reggie's 35 points, that fourth-quarter comeback—they were so close to forcing a Game 7. What people forget is that the Pacers actually outscored the Lakers in the second half of that closeout game. If Larry Bird had drawn up one better play in the final minute, we might be talking about Reggie Miller as a champion instead of a perennial bridesmaid.
Some older fans might bring up the early 90s Portland Trail Blazers—they lost two Finals appearances in three years. The 1992 series against Chicago featured that famous Memorial Day Miracle where Drexler's Blazers blew a 15-point fourth quarter lead in Game 6. I've always wondered what would've happened if they'd managed to close that game out and force a Game 7 back in Chicago. The 1990 Blazers actually took the Bad Boy Pistons to five games despite being heavy underdogs—they won Game 2 in Detroit by eight points, which nobody expected.
The Sacramento Kings of the early 2000s—now there's a team that still makes their fans wake up in cold sweats. The 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Lakers might be the most controversial series in modern NBA history. Game 6 specifically—the Lakers shot 27 free throws in the fourth quarter alone. I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories, but even neutral observers acknowledge something was off about that officiating. The Kings were up 3-2 in the series and had home court for Game 6—they were seconds away from reaching the Finals when Robert Horry hit that ridiculous three-pointer. What kills me is that the Kings actually had the best record in the entire NBA that season at 61-21—they were no fluke.
More recently, the Chris Paul-led LA Clippers and James Harden's Houston Rockets have had their heartbreaks. The Rockets were up 3-2 on the Warriors in 2018 before Chris Paul's hamstring injury—they had a double-digit lead in Game 7 too before that infamous 0-for-27 three-point shooting streak. As for the Clippers—blowing 3-1 leads has become their specialty, hasn't it? The 2020 bubble collapse against Denver was particularly brutal because they looked like the best team in the league up to that point.
Thinking about all these teams reminds me of Ha's comment about discovering talent unexpectedly—"I heard Ricardo play in PBA. So [I said], oh really? I should go." Sometimes championship windows open when we least expect them, and close just as suddenly. The difference between immortality and "what if" can be as thin as one made shot, one healthy hamstring, or one questionable officiating decision. These teams that never won championships but came closest to glory—their stories are often more compelling than many actual champions because they represent human aspiration in its rawest form. They're proof that coming close but falling short still constitutes an incredible basketball journey—one worth remembering and celebrating, even without the ultimate prize.
