The Los Angeles Lakers were 100-to-1 in the NBA championship odds market on January 1. Today, they're one win away from the Western Conference Finals.
That quick evolution from pretender to contender has a lot of basketball fans asking the same question: When was the last time a No. 7 seed went on a run like this in the NBA playoffs?'
Last Time a No. 7 Seed was in the Conference Finals
While a handful of No. 7 seeds have made it out of the first round over the last 30 years, only one has ever made it to the conference finals. That was the 1987 Seattle Supersonics.
The '87 Sonics finished the season 39-43, only to suddenly catch fire and take out both Dallas and Houston. The latter Rockets, who were led by Hakeem Olajuwon, were the preseason favorites to win the West.