Winning an NBA championship is always special, but it's important to note that not all championships are equal and some are more significant than others. Some started dynasties, some ended ones and some were just won out of nowhere.
Let's take a look at some of the most significant NBA champions in history.
5. 2008 Boston Celtics
Behind the masterful moves by Executive of the Year Danny Ainge, the Celtics were able to execute one of the biggest and most dramatic turnarounds in history. In a series of trades, Ainge brought in sharpshooter Ray Allen from the Seattle SuperSonics and Defensive Player of the Year winner Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves to join team captain Paul Pierce. The new-and-improved Celtics squad was able to complete one of the most dramatic turnarounds in NBA history, going from a 24-win season to a league-best 66 wins.
After a tough playoff journey, the Celtics ultimately paved the way for a dream matchup against the rival Los Angeles Lakers. This was the 11th time these two successful franchises had faced each other in the NBA Finals, with Boston enjoying an 8-2 record against LA. This was also Boston's first NBA Finals appearance since bowing down to the Lakers in six games in the 1987 NBA Finals.
Pierce led the way in a classic six-game series against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, giving the Celtics their 17th overall championship and their ninth over their bitter rival. Pierce was also named Finals MVP after averaging 21.8 points and 6.3 assists in the series.
4. 2001 Los Angeles Lakers
After defeating the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers were looking to defend their crown coming into the next season. The duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant got off to a rather shaky start but eventually gained momentum late in the season by winning their last eight games to cap off a 56-win season.
The Lakers continued their hot streak by going on the most dominant run in playoff history. L.A. swept all three Western Conference opponents, including the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs, to book a trip back to the NBA Finals.
The Lakers matched up against MVP Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. After losing the first game at home in overtime, the Purple and Gold rolled past the Sixers in the next four games to snatch back-to-back Finals trophies and the 13th in franchise history, capping off a 15-1 postseason run to boot.
3. 2015 Golden State Warriors
2015 gave birth to a new NBA dynasty. The Golden State Warriors surprised everyone and finished the 2015 regular season with a new franchise record of 67 wins. They were only the 10th team to win 67 games in a season and became poised to win their first NBA title in 40 years. The Warriors had a masterful regular season under first-year head coach Steve Kerr, who had the services of Splash Brothers Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, who also won MVP.
The up-and-coming Warriors shot their way to the NBA Finals to face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had prodigal son LeBron James back from a four-year stint in Miami. The young Warriors had their hands full as LeBron and the Cavs muscled their way to a 2-1 lead coming into Game 4.
An unlikely hero emerged for Golden State when sixth man Andre Iguodala was asked to start the game in place of Andrew Bogut to complete the Warriors' small-ball lineup. This lethal Warriors lineup fueled them to win the next three games and bring the trophy back to the Bay Area. Iguodala's masterful play on both ends of the court earned him Finals MVP, becoming the first player to win this award without starting every game in the series.
2. 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers
After the loss against the Warriors in 2015, the Cleveland Cavaliers were hungry for retribution. The Cavs looked to be a team on a mission as they rose to the top of the Eastern Conference.
However, midseason drama struck the team as the franchise chose to fire head coach David Blatt in January 2016 despite a 30-11 record. Assistant coach Tyronn Lue was tasked to take over the coaching duties and eventually led Cleveland to the top seed in the conference for the first time since 2010.
LeBron James and the Cavs swept their first two playoff matchups against the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks before taking care of the Toronto Raptors in six games. Over in the West, the Warriors enjoyed a historic 73-win regular season, but they needed to come back from down 3-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder to set up a Finals rematch.
The Warriors came out swinging, winning the first two games and eventually dealing Cleveland a 3-1 deficit after four games. Finals MVP LeBron James then spearheaded the Cavs to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in NBA Finals history. James had an incredible seven-game performance and became the first player in NBA history to lead all players in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in a playoff series. One of the key plays of the series was LeBron's infamous chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in the dying minutes.
This was also the first-ever championship won by the Cleveland franchise.
1. 1998 Chicago Bulls
The 1997-98 season was Michael Jordan and the Bulls' “Last Dance,” as the city of Chicago was preparing to bid farewell to one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the NBA. The Bulls were coming off their fifth NBA championship after defeating the Utah Jazz in six games the year before, and there was plenty of drama throughout the season leading up to this final championship run.
By taking care of business against the New Jersey Nets, Charlotte Hornets and then the Indiana Pacers in an epic seven-game series, the Bulls reached the NBA Finals to defend their title in a rematch against Karl Malone and the Jazz. Utah seemed to have an answer to the Bulls early by winning the first game at home in OT. Chicago won the next three games before Utah won in Chicago to force a Game 6 back in Salt Lake City.
In that historic Game 6, the Jazz had possession and the lead with less than a minute to go in the game, only for Jordan to grab the spotlight one last time in the Finals. After a quick bucket, Jordan stole the ball from Malone and eventually crossed over Bryon Russel to drill one of the most iconic jumpers of all time to win the Bulls their sixth NBA championship in just eight years.
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