Largest upset in NBA finals
You don't see significant betting upsets in the NBA finals because the last teams have to be good even to get there; they typically have to beat out three other teams by then. The biggest betting upset in the NBA finals was the 2004 matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers were recently a three-time champion from 2000-02, with two of the top three players at the time in Shaq and Kobe. Two other future Hall-of-Famer veterans, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton, also joined up with the Lakers to attempt to win their first rings.
On the other hand, the Pistons had no typical superstar; their highest scorer didn't even average 18 points a game. Their only all-star that season was Ben Wallace, a defensive superstar who never averaged over 10 points in an NBA season.
Thus, it wasn't surprising that Detroit was +500 to win the finals. Yet, the Pistons would win game one and ultimately the series 4-1. They would hold the Lakers to under 90 points in all their wins; the Lakers would only score 99 points in their sole victory. The Detroit Pistons showed that defense and teamwork could win over superstars in the NBA.
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Quotes
A lot of people think they will sweep,
Al Michaels
They may have had better individual players, but we always felt we were a better team,
Chauncey Billups
That doesn't bother us because we're ready to shock the world,
Chauncey Billups
References
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Basketball Reference
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Top Moments: Pistons shock NBA world, win championship in 2004
In the epitome of team-ball over star power, the Pistons would become one of the most unlikely champions when they defeated a Los Angeles Lakers team sporting four future Hall of Famers 4-1 in the 2004 Finals. The victory is considered one of the greatest upsets in U.S. pro sports history.
NBA
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Detroit Pistons complete '5-game sweep' of Shaq-Kobe Lakers, 16 years ago
They had four future Hall of Famers in O'Neal, Bryant, Malone and Gary Payton, and one of the greatest coaches ever in Jackson, who entered the series 9-0 in the Finals and 35-0 in playoff series with home-court advantage.
Detroit Free Press
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Detroit Pistons flat-out better than Lakers in 2004. They proved it in Game 1 of NBA Finals
Billed as the superteam vs. a team of role players, it was the new-age Goin' to Work Pistons playing the role of spoiler and demanding respect after a convincing 87-75 win.
Detroit Free Press
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Teamwork Thumps Star Power
The National Basketball Association has new kings, and for the first time in 25 years, there is not a superstar among them. The Detroit Pistons, the essence of teamwork, the essence of grit, manhandled the built-to-win, built-to-gloat Los Angeles Lakers
The New York Times
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Detroit believes in upset of Lakers
Chauncey Billups knows that few people outside the Detroit locker room think the Pistons can beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
ESPN
