lebron james
NBA Dynasties: Past and Present
With the playoffs around the corner, it’s time to look at the history of dynasties and point out two teams that have sky-scraping stakes this season. Books have been written about NBA dynasties; let’s try to keep it simple.
NBA Dynasty:
- An NBA team that has won multiple championships in close succession while dominating a span of at least 3-5 years.
- A team that still shows up on NBA TV at least once a month.
- A team that has three or more of its core players on different championship teams.
Clear-cut Dynasties:
Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers: The first dynasty. Mikan was simply taller than everyone and could see the future with his glasses.
Russel’s Celtics: 11 rings? Russell is the equivalent of Gholam, obsessed with this ring business, and stands 6’11 instead of 2’11.
Magic’s Lakers: The Lakers dominated from the moment Magic stepped on the floor, from 1980-1991. They earned 5 championships and an unbelievable 8 finals appearances. Magic was in the finals almost every year of his career.
MJ’s Bulls: 6 championships could have easily been 7 or 8, and they’re the only team to ever three-peat, twice! The best regular season record of all-time, coupled with 6 rings, makes the Bulls arguably the greatest team of all-time.
Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers: Absolute dominance. Shaq was the most dominant player ever seen. In his prime, no one could stop Shaq, not Hakeem, not Ewing, not MJ, not Wilt, not Russell, not Lebron, no one, never forget that. The burbling beast, hungry for a ring, paired with a young Kobe, instilled fear in the opposition. It’s a shame egos got in the way, despite the Zen keeping the peace. Kobe wasn’t in his prime, which is the real sad part about the split. The epic game 7 against Portland is one of the greatest “Give me that!” moments ever seen. I thought this was going to be a tough call, but it isn’t. They’re the only team to 3-peat apart from MJ’s bulls. Dynasty Status: Granted. Kobe did continue to win another 2 rings, but apart from Phil and D fish, it was a different team.
Honorable Mentions:
Dr J’s Sixers: The Sixers had an up and down decade when they acquired the silky smooth Julius Erving in the late 70’s. They were consistently relevant, reaching the finals 4 times from 1977-1984 and failing to win all but one of them. Despite a star-studded roster, it was a difficult era with Magic and Larry coming in and taking the league by storm. Dynasty Status: Not even close.
Larry’s Celtics: The smell of sweat in the old Boston garden was enough to make you cough up the ball or a lung. They had the best home record in NBA history, with the white version of basketball Jesus as their leader. A well-balanced team, with grit and unprecedented IQ, Bird’s Celtics went to the finals 5 times in the 80’s, only winning 3 championships. As historic as that team was, they fall short, merely because they only won 3 without repeating once. Dynasty status: Close, but they were unlucky in that the competition in the 80s was fierce enough to deny them dynasty status.
Modern day Goliath:
Tim Duncan’s Spurs: Ever since Greg Popovich lucked out in the 1997 draft with the 1st overall pick, the spurs haven’t looked back. The NBA is a league of blessings in disguise; David Robinson’s season ending injury was the reason Timmy joined the Spurs. The Spurs military apparatus, with the talent of Timmy, the admiral, Sean Elliot and mastery of Pop, bred a project of excellence and consistency. Years later, the Spurs are still a model of patience and continuity. The permanence in bridging the Robinson era with the Duncan era was seamless; the addition of TP and Manu Ginobili gave them a stellar force to continue that success with unrivalled longevity. They’ve won 4 NBA Championships since 1998; all winning seasons. They have only been ousted in the first round three times and have been to the finals 5 times, winning 4 out of the five. Not to mention, the measure of regular season excellence, as they peaked this year. Pop is a player, with Tim Duncan as the centrepiece, bridge D-rob with TP and Manu and we got ourselves a long-term dynasty that may always be underrated. Dynasty Status: Yes, granted, they are a dynasty. Another finals appearance or win would put them firmly as one of the supreme franchises in history. The final chapter will be decided next week. The curtain waits.
Miami Heat: Three straight finals appearances with 2 championships in the bank. Pat Riley’s Padowan genius Eric Spolstera has been instrumental, making sure egos and games mesh. The humility of Wade to take a back seat and ice his knees has been solicitous. It helps to have a mammoth freak of nature that can shoot, drive, pass, intimidate and bully everyone; Lebron is a physical and cerebral specimen never seen before. Bosh is a half decent compliment. Dynasty status: To be constructed, a minimum of 2 more rings required based on the talent involved.
When there are many pundits whaling at the gap between the top teams and the second tier teams nowadays, we can see that Miami and San Antonio are playing for their place in history. In the bigger scheme of things, this year is pivotal. For Miami, a third straight title would cement their dynasty status, instantly. For the Spurs, it will further embolden their case for long-term consistency and supremacy. The beauty of this season is it’s up for grabs. Out west, anyone from the Spurs, Thunder, Clips, and Rockets could win it. In the East, apart from Miami, Indiana and Brooklyn look to roll in the hay by next week. It’s also the first time in the history of the NBA that the Knicks, Lakers and Celtics miss the playoffs (collective bargaining?). How will this year play out? Who are your East and West finalists?
ShaBlam! I just realized the Lakers are the top franchise in history; the Lakers had 3 different dynasties, with Boston a close 2nd and Chicago right behind them. Any dynasties missed?
Stay tuned for our playoff preview this Friday.
Much love and basketball,
Rambeeni
Rambeeni Basketball 