Typically, winning an NBA championship means going through 82 games in the regular season before engaging in four best-of-seven series. As a result, coming away with a ring is one of the most elusive feats for any team. But due to unforeseen circumstances and external forces, the playing field has been altered on several occasions.
Although all NBA champions are legitimate, others achieved it in a manner that's simply away from the standard. Here is a look at six NBA championships that might need an asterisk.
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1998-99 San Antonio Spurs
The 1998-99 season marked the first time the NBA went through a lockout. From July 1, 1998, the league only opened the season on January 20, 1999. As a result, the season was limited to just 50 games for each team. To make matters worse, NBA players were left out of shape. Throw in the condensed schedule, and the injuries were abundant.
The San Antonio Spurs were wise to stick to their proven pieces and robust team system, successfully outplaying their counterparts en route to a title. However, dealing with the shortest NBA season in history surely makes a championship path much easier. In fact, even 11-time NBA champion coach Phil Jackson boldly claimed that the Spurs' title in 1999 needed to have an asterisk.
2011-12 Miami Heat
2011 marked the second lockout in NBA history due to the need for a new collective bargaining agreement. This paved the way for NBA players to hold exhibition games. On the other hand, others played professionally overseas. But unlike the first lockout, the issues were resolved by Christmas Day. Nonetheless, the lockout still shortened the 2011-12 season to 66 games for each team.
Coming off a disappointing 2011 campaign, LeBron James and the Miami Heat were hungry to avenge their Finals loss. As a result, the Heat, led by their Big Three, rolled past its opponents en route to the 2012 NBA championship. It was James' first-ever NBA championship. However, the shortened season certainly raised some eyebrows to its legitimacy.
2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers
Speaking of James, eight years later, his latest championship run was once again be marred by another shortened season. Now with the Los Angeles Lakers, The King was expected to deliver a championship to Los Angeles, opening the doors for a blockbuster deal to bring in All-Star big man Anthony Davis.
However, the 2019-20 NBA season took a hit after the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc, taking millions of lives around the world and postponing the basketball season after the positive results of Utah Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.
But thanks to Commissioner Adam Silver's leadership, the league successfully erected a bubble in Disneyland, resuming the season. Inside the bubble, only teams in playoff contention were able to participate. Naturally, teams could only play less than the usual full 82-game season.
And given that it was inside a bubble against an infectious virus that remained uncontained, fans were barred from being physically present. It certainly was an unusual environment, which the Lakers thrived in to win the 2020 NBA title. As a result, a lot of critics continue to debate about the validity of the Lakers' championship, thanks to the absence of the usual variables such as fans, homecourt advantage, travel, and a complete regular season.
2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks
After completing the 2019-20 season inside the bubble, the NBA took its first step towards the “new normal.” With the COVID-19 pandemic still very much alive, the league continued to impose strict restrictions and health-and-safety protocols but allowed the games to be played in stadiums.
Of course, the Toronto Raptors were forced to play in Tampa, due to Canada's border restrictions. Furthermore, the season was also decreased to 72 games. The most interesting fact about the 2020-21 season was that it went through the shortest offseason period before its unveiling.
Naturally, teams fresh from the 2020 NBA Finals like the Lakers and Heat were handicapped by the lack of rest as injuries started to plague their rosters. Furthermore, the infectious coronavirus forced the league to clamp down on contract-tracing measures, preventing key players from suiting up in crucial games and sometimes leaving teams with depleted lineups.
It can't be denied that it was Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks that came out on top. However, a shortened season coupled with its unique challenges does put some question marks regarding the league's playing field in that season.
2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, was one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. Besides, this is the last team to ever achieve a three-peat. However, to this day, a lot of fans continue to talk about the questionable calls that happened at the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Kings. Talks about it drew more heat after ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy released a statement.
Donaghy pleaded guilty to gambling charges and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. At the heart of the allegations, an official document claims of alleged manipulation of Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals that helped the Lakers march to the Finals, paving the way for a three-peat.
Numbers-wise, the claim wasn't far off. The Lakers shot 40 free-throw attempts to the Kings' 25. In addition to this, questionable calls ultimately marred the heated deciding contest. More than two decades later, this is still considered as one of the most poorly officiated playoff games in league history.
2005-06 Miami Heat
Speaking of Donaghy, the ex-referee certainly didn't stop there in his attempt to reveal the NBA's internal corruption after serving his sentence. In fact, he appeared in the Forgotten Mavericks Podcast to claim that the 2005-06 Dallas Mavericks were outright denied an NBA championship after some strings were pulled behind the scenes.
The Mavericks were on the cusp of winning a title after racing to a hot 2-0 start. However, the Heat fought their way back into the series to win the 2006 NBA title in six games. Donaghy claimed that the series was manipulated and extended for Miami to come back in the series. He also added that the issue stemmed from the supposed bitter relationship between then Mavs owner Mark Cuban and veteran referee Ed Rush.
