As the many people know, the NBA is where amazing happens. Whether its Kobe sinking the fade away, Lebron posterizing a poor soul, or Ron Artest bulldozing unsuspecting victims to the ground, the NBA playoffs are bread and butter for basketball fans. But it’s some of the greatest moments of the playoffs is not the crowning of a champ but the great games that fans can look back on with nostalgia and a permanent sense of awe. However when that series turns into a deciding game 7, it’s no longer a game anymore, its a fight for survival. In game 7, superstars are born, and losers are sent packing only with a hope for next year. Now that your excited lets take a look back at some famous NBA game sevens in the past ten years. L.A. Lakers v. Sacramento Kings, West Finals, 2002 Probably the most exciting game seven of the last ten years, the western conference finale between the Lakers and Kings had it all the things that make a series grade-A quality: overtimes, controversy, and Vlade Divac . The two time defending champion Lakers , fresh off a nail biter win in game 6, were going into the belly of the beast against the Kings on the road in a win or go home situation. Expectations were high considering that the Kings and Lakers were fierce, bloody rivals in the early 2000s. The game exceeded all benchmarks as it became the first game seven in conference finals history to go into overtime. It took 35 points and 30 points from the star duo Shaq and Kobe respectively to give the Lakers the win (and the fact that the Kings couldn’t hit free throws to save their lives helped a bit too). However, the individual performances were surprisingly not the memorable aspects of the game if not the series itself. Rather, most fans remember the Lakers -Kings series for the lopsided officiating. The conspiracy still holds that the refs called completely unnecessary and at times non-existent foul calls against the Kings in a scheme to give the Lakers a win. The notion sounds ridiculous only if one neglects to remember that the series was officiated by none other than the disgraced game-betting referee, Tom Donaghy . Though the controversy clouds the series to this day, the Kings- Lakers game seven nonetheless provided basketball fans the epitome of a down to the wire playoff brawl. Detroit Pistons v. San Antonio Spurs, NBA Finals, 2005 In many cases the finals are characterized by a lopsided match up that usually isn’t very fun to watch. However, the 2005 NBA finals of the Pistons and Spurs certainly did not fail to please. Game seven was easily defined as dramatic as after three quarters, the two teams were tied at 57. It all came down to who performed in the fourth quarter; the quarter were passions flare, fans bay like wild dogs, and all-stars prove why they get payed more than the President. Though the Pistons had led by up to nine in the third, they could not keep up with the Spurs’ scoring onslaught. Detroit’s two prolific scorers Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton combined for a measly 9-26 shooting as the Spurs’ claimed the championship trophy. This game and the series is noteworthy due to the fact that it built on the eventual Spurs dynasty. Then, the Spurs were the perfect blend of talent, heart, and experience unlike the "old geezers" (by NBA standards) that many fans refer to them by today. These are just two of some great game sevens limited to the past ten years. As the 2009 playoffs continue with the Cleavland, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Denver, lets just hope that we NBA fans will be given the gift that is the magic of a game seven.