They do this in the World Cup, so I thought about the NBA matchups and see how that would look.

2016 would be the choice for the actual Finals, but for the Bronze, I’d say 2018 Boston/Houston would be the best one from a fan standpoint.

In reality this would probably be a game rather than a series.

2025

East: New York Knicks
West: Minnesota Timberwolves

2024

East: Indiana Pacers
West: Minnesota Timberwolves

2023

East: Boston Celtics
West: Los Angeles Lakers

2022

East: Miami Heat
West: Dallas Mavericks

2021

East: Atlanta Hawks
West: LA Clippers

2020

East: Boston Celtics
West: Denver Nuggets

2019

East: Milwaukee Bucks
West: Portland Trail Blazers

2018

East: Boston Celtics
West: Houston Rockets

2017

East: Boston Celtics
West: San Antonio Spurs

2016

East: Toronto Raptors
West: Oklahoma City Thunder

SuperH533 | Knicks

53 | 6 hours ago

Best of three in-between finals games. That’s a lot of money for the league.

MyTeamsSuck99

17 | 5 hours ago

Yo this really ain’t a bad idea lol. But I think the league may not want to take away the anticipation between games

Original_Seat_6211 | Thunder

43 | 5 hours ago

None of the players or coaches would want to be part of this. They all want to enjoy their offseason instead of playing a mini series for a prize they don’t care about

Xc0liber | Lakers

5 | 4 hours ago

Unless there’s money involved like the in season torney.

A million to each players winning 3rd place. I’m sure they will have enough sponsor money to cover that and players will be willing to play for it.

A good in between entertainment during finals off days. They can schedule it so their series will always finish before the finals so it doesn’t take away the excitement.

CMYGQZ | Grizzlies

5 | 4 hours ago

but then you gotta also add it to the finals too. those bench players earning minimums probably would take the cash rather than getting a ring playing 0 minutes in the finals and leaves in the offseason.

Virgil_hawkinsS | Celtics

2 | an hour ago

I like this idea a lot, but the amount is a little high. That’s higher than the bonus for winning the championship

grashnak

30 | 5 hours ago

Hard to pass up Lakers Celtics

Ozmataz_Buckshank_ | Jazz

27 | 6 hours ago

Why are several teams missing? I think Knicks vs Wolves last year would have been cinema. Spurs vs Celtics in 2017 would probably be my 2nd pick

tdotshark

14 | 6 hours ago

If you can’t see the text for reference:

2025

East: New York Knicks

West: Minnesota Timberwolves

2024

East: Indiana Pacers

West: Minnesota Timberwolves

2023

East: Boston Celtics

West: Los Angeles Lakers

2022

East: Miami Heat

West: Dallas Mavericks

2021

East: Atlanta Hawks

West: LA Clippers

2020

East: Boston Celtics

West: Denver Nuggets

2019

East: Milwaukee Bucks

West: Portland Trail Blazers

2018

East: Boston Celtics

West: Houston Rockets

2017

East: Boston Celtics

West: San Antonio Spurs

2016

East: Toronto Raptors

West: Oklahoma City Thunder

Ozmataz_Buckshank_ | Jazz

11 | 5 hours ago

There were just like 3 missing for some reason, thanks

_FuNioNz_

1 | 27 minutes ago

Woah I’m on mobile and 3 teams were missing for me too. Then I just scrolled up without refreshing and they’re back.

the_guitargeek_ | Spurs

5 | 4 hours ago

Kawhi wouldn’t have played in 2017. Celtics would have swept. Fuck Zaza.

_Wash | Timberwolves

20 | 6 hours ago

2025 Wolves/Knicks would have been a banger.

Same with 2020 Nuggets/Celtics

Subject_Profit_7245

19 | 6 hours ago

Wait but they should actually do this

lion_hammer | Cherokee Parks

16 | 5 hours ago

idk, at first thought it seems to make sense but then you realize that even for second place there is like 0 recognition once you lose. you get your conference finals gear but at that point you’re still hoping to win it all. no podium, no second place parade, no silver rings. so i don’t know why anyone would want to battle it out for third place, there are just too many nba championships to be won

Ok_Possible_5702

3 | 5 hours ago

what are you talking about? second place is still a Conference Winner. Teams hang banners for conference wins.

lion_hammer | Cherokee Parks

2 | 5 hours ago

my post couldn’t be clearer lol where did i lie? does the finals loser have any kind of ceremony for second place? no, they head out to the locker room and then go on vacation. they don’t even hang the conference champs banner with fans in attendance most of the time, it’s done during the off season, so yea you get some confetti and champagne the day of but otherwise there is 0 official “second place” recognition

Ok_Possible_5702

2 | 4 hours ago

yes, they have a ceremony where they hang the conference banner.

They don’t get a parade. I’m not sure what’s difficult to understand - they are different kind of celebrations, suited for the different level of achievement.

lion_hammer | Cherokee Parks

0 | 4 hours ago

mavs didn’t, pacers didn’t, not gonna look back further but i’m pretty sure they don’t do it before a game like the championship banner. what other celebrations lol there aren’t a ton. there is no ceremony, no podium, no speeches, no parade, from what i can see no raising ceremony, and even if they do raise it in front of the fans it’s not celebrated on an nba scale. like give me an example of a finals loser being celebrated after losing? as i said the only exception is a tiny locker room celebration after clinching the finals, before they know they’re gonna lose them lol. it’s obviously extremely important to the fans of the specific teams, but people in general objectively don’t give a shit about nba runner ups like they do for major events, that’s a fact, and that all ties in to the point that a third place game would be kinda ridiculous

Ok_Possible_5702

5 | 3 hours ago

Pacers unveiled the banner on their first home game this season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STWqb4niYSo

Mavs also raised a banner for the WCF champions, although I can’t find the video.

Again, no parade obviously. Raising the banner is itself the ceremony.

moonshadow50 | Spurs

8 | 5 hours ago

No they shouldn’t.

The bronze/3rd place game in major tournaments barely works there, and only carries weight if it is 2 teams that haven’t won a medal before. Even then, its a much lower intensity than the semi finals or actual finals and is closer to an exhibition game.

And thats for a single game when teams are stuck at that location and wouldn’t have flights home booked until after the tournament. AND it’s part of an international tournament where players seem to have a very different experience than the grind of their day job.

Asking NBA players who have been playing 8-9 months straight for their team (with only a week off for ASW), including an extra few weeks after most of their colleagues have gone on holiday, and more importantly, who are now back with their families after a conference finals loss - to keep playing another week or two in a series that is going to be completely meaningless?

Yeah - the NBAPA tells you to fuck right off.

Subject_Profit_7245

1 | 4 hours ago

Don’t make it a series just a one-off game and the winners all get $500,000 or something.

fisheggsoup | Jazz

1 | 33 minutes ago

As meaningful as the NBA Cup.

Traditional_Emu3598

11 | 6 hours ago

This is outside the range slightly but that ²⁰¹²⁄₁₃ - ²⁰¹³⁄₁₄ Pacers team is my pick

Fareezer | Rockets

7 | 6 hours ago

This is such a good idea and it’s basically free money. Only downside is the players wanting to go home lol. Gotta go with 23 Celtics Lakers and 22 Mavs Heat for the rivalries.

a_happy_future | Bucks

5 | 5 hours ago

Celtics-Lakers would be a classic.

Buck-Blazers is a low-key banger as well with Prime Dame and early Giannis

Parallel-Quality

6 | 5 hours ago

2025: Wolves
2024: Wolves
2023: Celtics
2022: Heat
2021: Clippers even without Kawhi
2020: Celtics
2019: Bucks
2018: Rockets
2017: Celtics because no Kawhi
2016: Thunder

Marlfox532 | Knicks

3 | 5 hours ago

Ok, 1) I need this to be an actual thing

2020 Celtics/Nuggets would be my pick

phantombrick22 | Magic

1 | 5 hours ago

Knicks/Wolves would be interesting

Ok_Possible_5702

1 | 5 hours ago

I love the idea. A single game, so people stay entertained while the Finals team get an extra day of rest

Nuclearsunburn | Heat

1 | 4 hours ago

Celtics - Lakers playing for 3rd place would be absolute cinema

Soperman223 | Nuggets

1 | 2 hours ago

Celtics-lakers in 2023 would have had higher ratings than the actual finals

AlienGhost000 | Magic

1 | 31 minutes ago

Back2Back 4th place finish for the Wolves then

If there was a Bronze championship for Conference Finals losers in the past 10 seasons, which matchup would be the best one?