Note: We are looking at matchups of two teams trying to win a title for the first time in their city. Many franchises have won titles in a different city that they count as apart of their franchise, but we’ll just be looking at cities here.

This year will give us a matchup of two teams trying to win their 1st NBA title for their city. The Thunder started as a franchise in 1967 as the Seattle Supersonics and did win the NBA championship in 1979. But they have not yet won in OKC though they made the Finals in 2012. The Indiana Pacers became a franchise in 1967 and won 3 ABA titles before joining the NBA in 1976. Just like the Thunder, this is their 2nd Finals appearance after 2000 where they lost to the Lakers. Both teams hoping to avenge their previous loss.

If you want to get technical, then the last time two franchises with no titles in the past met was in 2006 with the Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks.

The only Super Bowl since 2016 to not feature the Patriots or Chiefs, this was the 2nd straight year a team got to play the Super Bowl at home. The Los Angeles Rams played in Los Angeles before moving to St. Louis in 1995 and did make the Super Bowl in 1979 but lost. As the Los Angeles Rams, they again made the Super Bowl in 2019 but lost to the Patriots. The Cincinnati Bengals who have been a franchise since 1968 made the Super Bowl in 1981 and 1988, but lost both times. And in this matchup, the Rams would win their first Super Bowl in LA with a thrilling 23-20 win.

For the technical here: Also the Rams in 1999 who beat the Tennessee Titans for their only Super Bowl in St. Louis.

The farthest back of any league, the first international team featured in the World Series brought two teams trying to win their first title for their city. The Braves as a franchise actually goes back to 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings who would later become the Braves and play there until 1953 when they moved to Milwaukee. Winning titles in 1914 and 1957 in two different cities, but after losing their first try in 1991, they were hoping to get Atlanta one in 1992. The Blue Jays on the other hand became an expansion franchise in 1977 and finally had the team to get over the hump. And they would end up beating the Braves in 6 games to win the first World Series outside of the United States, then they would do it again the next year with Joe Carter’s walk off against the Phillies. The Atlanta Braves would get their title three years later in 1995 and added another in 2021.

For the technical here: 1980 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals that the Phillies won in 6 games.

We don’t have go far back at all for this and there’s no technicality’s here as it was two expansion franchises hoping to get their glory. The Florida Panthers became a franchise in 1993 and made their first Stanley Cup in 1996 but lost to the Avalanche. They then made it back in 2023 as an 8 seed and ran into the Golden Knights. An expansion franchise dating back to just 2017, they made the Stanley Cup in their first season but lost to the Capitals. They were however right back in 2023 and were too much for the Panthers as they won in 5 games for the first championship in Vegas. The Panthers made it right back the next year and won their first Stanley Cup in 7 games over the Edmonton Oilers, and now both teams are back for a Stanley Cup rematch.

Jerry West has the most points ever in an NBA Finals game 1 that being in 1969 when he scored 53 against the Celtics. The Lakers won the first 2 games, but again lost to the Celtics in 7. Despite this, Jerry West won the first ever NBA Finals MVP after averaging 38 points a game.