As the 2025 NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder prepare to culminate in a winner-take-all Game 7, fans and analysts alike are reflecting on just how rare and significant this kind of moment is in the league’s modern history.
It’s been nearly a decade since the last time basketball’s biggest stage saw a Game 7, a dramatic gap for a league built on parity, drama, and high-stakes matchups.
This will be just the sixth Game 7 in over three decades, a rarity that only adds to the magnitude of Sunday’s contest in Oklahoma City. So, when was the last time the NBA delivered the ultimate showdown? The answer will bring great memories that include LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
When was the last Game 7 in NBA Finals history?
The most recent Game 7 in the NBA Finals took place on June 19, 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors squared off in a historic conclusion to an unforgettable series.
The Warriors, led by the “Splash Brothers” Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, had entered the playoffs after posting a record-breaking 73–9 regular season. They took a commanding 3–1 series lead and appeared poised to cap off a historic year.
However, what followed was arguably the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and the Cavaliers rattled off three straight wins to become the first team ever to overcome a 3–1 deficit in the Finals. Game 7 at Oracle Arena was a tense, low-scoring battle that ended 93–89 in favor of the Cavs.
The game was punctuated by LeBron’s iconic chase-down block, Kyrie’s clutch three-pointer over Curry, and an emotional outpouring from a franchise that had waited over 50 years for its first title.