A true underdog story is not something that happens often in the NBA — especially one that ends in a championship. When you have to win four out of seven games in a series, true underdogs rarely make it through the gauntlet of the NBA Playoffs.
That's why the story of this year's Dallas Mavericks is just that much better — especially if they can close the deal.
In the last 40 years, only seven teams (including Dallas) have been series underdogs in the NBA Finals after winning the Conference finals and Conference semifinals as underdogs as well.
Here's a look at the other teams who have been in this exact spot.
2024 Dallas Mavericks
Pre-season title odds: 25-1 | NBA Finals series odds: +180
In the first round, Dallas was -175 favorites over the Clippers before being +100 against the Thunder and +150 against the Timberwolves. Entering the Finals against the Celtics, the Mavericks are +180 series underdogs.
At 25-1 odds to win the NBA title entering the regular season, only the 2020 Miami Heat on this list had longer odds and they ended up losing in six games in the bubble to the Lakers.
The good thing for Dallas, is their +180 series price is the third-shortest on this list. The shortest goes to the Rockets at +130, the only winner of the group, and next was the 2010 Boston Celtics, who were involved in the only series here to go seven games — which they lost to the Lakers.
2023 Miami Heat
Pre-season title odds: 16-1 | NBA Finals series odds: +330
The 2023 Heat are the most recent team to make the NBA Finals being underdogs in all four series, including the finals itself. The Heat won two of those series as underdogs of +400 or higher, the first team to accomplish that feat since at least 1990.
Heat went on to lost the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets, 4-1.
2020 Miami Heat
Pre-season title odds: 60-1 | NBA Finals series odds: +290
Three years prior, the Heat made the NBA Finals again as underdogs. After knocking out the Celtics and Bucks, Miami faced the Lakers in the finals in the Bubble during the pandemic. Heat ended up losing the series, 4-2.
2010 Boston Celtics
Pre-season title odds: +450 | NBA Finals series odds: +165
After eliminating the Heat in the first round as favorites, the Celtics in 2010 were +380 against the Cavaliers and LeBron James, who they beat, sending the king down to Miami. Then the Celtics knocked off the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals before facing the Lakers in the finals. The series went the full seven games before L.A. came out on top against Boston.
2009 Orlando Magic
Pre-season title odds: 20-1 | NBA Finals series odds: +240
A year before the Celtics beat them en route to the NBA Finals, the Orlando Magic had their own underdog journey. As +550 series underdogs, Orlando pulled off one of the two biggest upsets in either the NBA Finals or Conference finals in recent memory taking out LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Once they made the finals, Orlando lost the series 4-1 against the Lakers.
1999 New York Knicks
Pre-season title odds: 5-1 | NBA Finals series odds: +600
In a strike-shortened season, the No. 8 seed New York Knicks upset the Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers to make the NBA Finals and face the San Antonio Spurs, who they ended up losing to in five games. The Knicks are just the third team in the last 35 years to win three straight series all as dogs, with the 2023 Heat and the next team on our list — the 1995 Rockets.
1995 Houston Rockets
Pre-season title odds: +450 | NBA Finals series odds: +130
The holy grail. The '95 Rockets remain the golden standard when it comes to underdog runs. Houston beat the Jazz, Suns and Spurs all being listed at +200 underdogs or higher to make the NBA Finals. Once in the finals, Houston was listed as a +130 underdog and ended up sweeping the Orlando Magic to win the title.
Over the last 40 years, of the six teams prior to the 2024 Mavericks to make the NBA Finals as underdogs, after winning the previous two series as dogs — only the 1995 Houston Rockets came through in the end and won it all.
The 1994-95 season also happened to be the rookie year for a certain up and coming point guard out of Cal named Jason Kidd — who was playing for the Mavericks
