It takes a lot of luck and skill to win an NBA Championship. Out of 30 hungry and determined teams, only one franchise can call themselves champions at the end of a given season. For a team to win an NBA title, they must win 16 games (road/home games) in the playoffs in order to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. Over the last 20 seasons, we’ve seen unlikely and dominant teams make impressive playoff runs to win an NBA title. Here are the best NBA Champions over the last 20 seasons.
The Top 3 NBA Champions Over The Last 20 Seasons
3. 2006 Miami Heat
The 2005-2006 Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in a captivating series. The Heat were down 0-2 before Miami star guard Dwyane Wade led the charge and helped Miami win its first NBA championship. Wade was only in his third season after being drafted in 2003 he notably led the Heat to 52 wins. In the series, Wade averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists and won Finals MVP. Moreover, this championship win solidified Wade’s position as a premier player in the league.
Yes, Wade had NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal by his side, but he was 34 years old and only averaged 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds in the Finals. The Miami squad was brimmed with veteran talent such as Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning. However, Wade at the age of 24, was the clear of this championship team.
The Heat went through the Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets (No.3 Seed), and the Detroit Pistons (reigning ECF Champions) to make the Finals.
2. 2011 Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks won its first-ever NBA title in 2011 against the “Big-3” Miami Heat. In fact, it was the first season that LeBron James joined forces with Chris Bosh and Wade while all three were still in their prime. The Heat were heavy favorites going into the season and even more favorited against a Dallas team that had a bevy of veteran players.
Dallas ended up winning the series 4-2 mainly due to a masterclass performance from Dirk Nowitzki. The Dallas forward averaged 26.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in the six-game affair, respectively. The Heat led 2-1 at one point, but subpar play from James and solid adjustments from head coach Rick Carlisle lifted the Mavericks to the upset win.
Furthermore, Dallas went through a tough Western Conference to even reach the NBA Finals. In the first round, Dallas faced a Portland Trail Blazers team that was third in the conference and had premier forward LaMarcus Aldridge. In the semi-final round, the Mavericks swept Kobe Bryant and the two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. Moreover, in the conference finals, Dallas defeated an Oklahoma City Thunder team that featured stars such as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Nowitzki took home the Finals MVP award after being just a few years removed from having lost to Miami in the Finals. Dallas’s 2011 title run is one of the best and most improbable ever.
1. 2017 Golden State Warriors
The 2017 Golden State Warriors are the definition of a perfect team. The Warriors had two-time MVP Stephen Curry, prime Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green (who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2016). Furthermore, Kevin Durant joined the Warriors in the offseason prior. So, the Warriors had two of the greatest shooters ever in Curry and Thompson, a forward that possesses high IQ and supreme defense in Green, and an arguable top-15 all-time player in Durant.
Who realistically was going to beat this team? Nobody. The Warriors posted a dominant 67 wins and didn’t lose a playoff game en route to the NBA Finals. In fact, its only loss came in the finals against an under-matched Cleveland Cavaliers team that featured Kyrie Irving and James. Golden State went on to win the NBA title which was Durant’s first championship in his career. Ultimately the 2016-17 have a strong case as the greatest team of all time. Warriors The only teams that can be compared to the 2017 Warriors are the 1995-96 Bulls and the 1985-86 Celtics.
The Last Word
There have been a plethora of NBA champions that perhaps should have been on this list. The 2013 Heat and 2009 Lakers were the toughest omissions. However, the story and the path the teams listed above embellished were too impactful to not list.
