No more NBA dynasties
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The National Basketball Association has long been a league of dynasties, dating back to when George Mikan led the Minneapolis Lakers to five of the first eight championships. But those days may be over.
State of play: With the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat playing for the title, this marks the first time in over 40 years — and just the sixth time ever — that the NBA will crown five different champions over a five-season span.
- 1954-58: Lakers, Syracuse Nationals (now Philadelphia 76ers), Philadelphia Warriors, Boston Celtics, St. Louis Hawks
- 1971-75: Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Celtics, Golden State Warriors
- 1975-79: Warriors, Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Bullets (Wizards), Seattle SuperSonics (Oklahoma City Thunder)
- 1976-80: Celtics, Trail Blazers, Bullets, SuperSonics, Lakers
- 1977-81: Trail Blazers, Bullets, SuperSonics, Lakers, Celtics
- 2019-23: Toronto Raptors, Lakers, Bucks, Warriors, Nuggets/Heat
The backdrop: Before considering why the streak has ended, it's worth exploring why it lasted so long. The answer is pretty simple: Superstars dominate basketball in a way they simply can't in other sports.
- Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won eight titles in the 1980s; Michael Jordan won six in the 1990s; Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan won eight in the 2000s; LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant won six in the 2010s.
- Talent is no less abundant in other sports like football and baseball, but dynasties are far less prevalent.
- Wild stat: Since the last time the NBA saw five champions in five seasons, it's happened 22 times in Major League Baseball and nine times each in the National Football League and National Hockey League.
The big picture: The age of dynasties could soon return — all it takes is one dominant team. Heck, maybe this will be the first of many Finals trips for Denver and/or Miami.
Yes, but: We could be witnessing a shift in the league that sees the recent championship parity become the norm as the NBA's talent saturation continues.
- International stars are more prevalent than ever, growing the overall talent pool, and a record 43 qualified players averaged at least 20 points this season.
- With more game-changing players spread across the league, it's harder for any one team to dominate, which could lead to a revolving door of champions.
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