The Toronto Raptors haven’t had much to cheer about in recent years. After winning the NBA Finals in 2019, the Canadian outfit seemingly dropped off a cliff and entered a rebuilding phase. They have missed the playoffs in the last two seasons and have recorded just one postseason series victory since their finest hour five years ago.
That was a 4-0 series whitewash of the Brooklyn Nets in 2020, but it has been downhill since then. The start to the current campaign has been particularly disappointing, with the Raptors claiming just three victories in their first 15 games so far this term. That early form has prompted websites offering online sports betting in Canada to make Toronto a rank +100,000 outsider for the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy, the joint longest in the league.
However, while Ontario’s finest look is set for another problematic campaign, they can sleep soundly knowing they are one of just four active teams with a 100% record in the NBA Finals. Discuss their glorious 2019 success and the other perfect teams under the brightest lights.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors etched their name into history as the only Canadian franchise to win the NBA title, doing so in dramatic fashion in 2019. They defeated a Golden State Warriors side at the peak of its powers. The Splash Brothers of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson led the San Francisco-based outfit into their fifth straight championship series, and they had won three of the previous four.
The sensational Kawhi Leonard (who the Raptors traded DeMar DeRozan for) had other ideas. He was in scintillating form as he amassed a mighty 28.5 points per game average, good enough to secure the Finals MVP award. His leadership, combined with standout moments like his game-winner against the 76ers earlier in the playoffs, defined one of the Raptors’ greatest seasons.
Key contributions also came from players like Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet, who collectively outplayed the injury-riddled Warriors. From their Game 1 win in Toronto to their Game 6 heroics at Oracle Arena, the Raptors were fearless and made basketball history north of the border.
Denver Nuggets
Five years later, the Denver Nuggets followed the Raptors by reaching the Finals for the first time and claiming their maiden championship. Led by Serbian behemoth Nikola Jokic, the Colorado-based outfit was the team to beat in 2023, and they duly lived up to the billing. They topped the Western Conference throughout the regular season before demolishing everyone in their path in the postseason, including a clean sweep of LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals.
The Nuggets met a Miami Heat side in the championship series amid a fairytale run. The number eight seed had shockingly beaten both the top-seed Milwaukee Bucks and the second-seed Boston Celtics en route to the finals, with Jimmy Butler proving to be the ultimate clutch player. Unfortunately, their luck would run out in the finals, with Denver claiming a resounding 4-1 series victory to secure a 100% record in the Finals.
Chicago Bulls
While the Nuggets and Raptors have a 100% record in the finals, they have both reached the championship series just once. The Chicago Bulls, however, came the big one on no fewer than six occasions throughout the 1990s and emerged victorious on each occasion.
Under the iconic leadership of star player Michael Jordan and coach Phil Jackson, the Bulls amassed six NBA titles across eight years, completing not one but two three-peats. Their first triumph came in 1991 when MJ led his side past Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers in five. This marked the beginning of a new era.
Over the next two seasons, they swept past opponents like the Portland Trail Blazers in 1992 and the Phoenix Suns in 1993, establishing Jordan’s dominance in scoring and playoff heroics. Then, arguably, the most famous sportsman on the planet decided to try his hand at baseball, prematurely ending his basketball here, much to the dismay of every supporter on the planet.
After a brief gap, Jordan returned to the court and to the Bulls, who, in turn, returned to their winning ways. They secured more victories in 1996, 1997, and 1998. They first defeated the Seattle Supersonics before dispatching Karl Malone and John Stockton’s Utah Jazz in consecutive Finals matchups in 1997 and 1998.
Key players like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman and clutch shooters like Steve Kerr played significant roles alongside Jordan. The dynasty’s perfect Finals record remains a testament to their unparalleled greatness.
Sacramento Kings (as Rochester Royals)
Long before they became the Sacramento Kings, the franchise was known as the Rochester Royals. It secured its lone NBA Championship in 1951. They defeated the New York Knicks in a thrilling seven-game series to claim the title just a few years after the Second World War.
The Royals were led by Arnie Risen, a dominant big man who averaged a double-double in points and rebounds throughout the Finals. Alongside him, guards like Bob Davies and Bobby Wanzer provided scoring and crucial assists, while forward Jack Coleman added defensive grit. Their championship series against their Big Apple rivals was a back-and-forth affair, ultimately culminating in a seventh-game decider, which the Royals won 79-75 on their home court.
Over the decades, the team relocated multiple times before settling in Sacramento, but another Finals appearance doesn’t appear to be on the horizon any time soon.
