It’s been quite the year for sports fans in South Florida. On Monday, the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final and now advance to their second NBA Final in four seasons.
That Game 7 win in Boston came just days after the Florida Panthers upset the No. 1 seed Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final (a Panthers team that won its own Game 7 at TD Garden earlier in the NHL playoffs).
For the first time ever, two South Florida franchises are headed to play for a title in the same season.
Believe it or not, no NBA and NHL team in the same city have ever both won it all since the NBA began play in 1947. However, there have been several instances in which NBA and NHL teams in the same city have advanced to the NBA and Stanley Cup Final respectively in the same campaign.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the cities that have seen their NBA and NHL teams play for their sport’s biggest prize in the same season, to show how legendary it would be if the Heat and Panthers pull this off.
Warriors and Sharks, 2016
The Golden State Warriors and San Jose Sharks didn’t exactly play in the same city, but they advanced to the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final in 2016. The Warriors played at Oracle Arena in Oakland and famously blew a 3-1 series lead against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. On the other hand, the Sharks made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history, but came up short against the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games.
A light difference to the rule here is that — like the Heat and Panthers — the Warriors and Sharks don’t play in the same arena, or even the same city. But — like the Heat and Panthers — the two teams play very nearby and represent the same region of the state.
Nets and Devils, 2003
The New Jersey sports scene enjoyed quite a bit of success in 2003. The New Jersey Devils captured their third Stanley Cup in franchise history after they defeated the Anaheim Ducks in seven games. The New Jersey Nets went to…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/heat-panthers-can-make-history-nba-nhl-teams-that-have-played-for-championship-in-same-season/
Author : Chris Bengel
Publish date : 2023-05-31 17:51:03
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