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#3 LA Lakers - 2020 NBA Playoffs
The 2020 LA Lakers won a unique NBA championship. The final games of the regular season and the entire NBA Playoffs were played in a bubble at Orlando due to the pandemic. And regardless of what many say, it was not easy.
All teams were confined in the NBA Bubble to complete the 2019-20 NBA season after it was suspended in March. Some highly-rated teams, such as the Milwaukee Bucks and the LA Clippers, did not with it effectively.
LeBron James and the LA Lakers, however, did a tremendous job and won the NBA title.
Moreover, they had to face strong competition in the postseason. The Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers and arguably the hottest scorer at the time, Damian Lillard.
They proceeded to beat the Houston Rockets, whose roster boasted two former MVPs in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, in five games.
The Denver Nuggets played the LA Lakers in the Western Conference Finals after two inspiring performances against the Utah Jazz and the favored LA Clippers. But James, Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers dominated them across five games.
Ultimately, the Lakers defeated a red-hot Miami Heat (12-2 in the East Playoffs) in six games to clinch the franchise's record-equalling 17th championship. LeBron James won Finals MVP for his performances in the 2020 NBA Finals.
#2 Dallas Mavericks - 2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 Dallas Mavericks had one of the most surprising runs in the history of the NBA Playoffs.
The Mavs were the third seed in the Western Conference in the regular season. They opened their run in the postseason against the Portland Trail Blazers (48-34).
After beating Portland in six games, the two-time reigning NBA champions LA Lakers stood in the Mavs' way. Dirk Nowitzki and his unfancied squad handed Kobe Bryant and the Phil Jackson-coached team a stunning sweep to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
In the WCF, they faced a young but highly talented OKC Thunder team. That Thunder team had three players (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden) who became NBA MVPs over the next decade.
Nowitzki was inspirational against OKC and led Dallas to their second NBA Finals appearances after beating OKC in five games. Dirk averaged 32 points per game in the WCF.
In the NBA Finals, the mighty Miami Heat with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were awaiting Dallas. However, after staging a great comeback in the fourth quarter of the second game, Dallas found their way against the Heat.
LeBron James had arguably the worst postseason series of his career in the 2011 NBA Finals. Still, Miami managed to hold a 2-1 lead in the series before Dallas and Nowitzki defeated them in three consecutive games to clinch their first-ever NBA Championship.
#1 LA Lakers - 2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 LA Lakers had arguably the greatest NBA Playoffs run in the history of the league.
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant led the team to a dominant 15-1 record in the NBA Playoffs, but their path through the Western Conference was a daunting one.
After going 56-26 in the regular season and clinching the West's second seed, the reigning champions had to work hard to win their second consecutive title.
The Lakers faced four 50-win teams in the 2001 NBA Playoffs and three of those had won at least 55 regular-season games. They also faced six future Hall-of-Famers in the process (which is the third-most in NBA history).
They swept the Portland Trail Blazers in three games in the first round. The LA Lakers then registered another sweep in the second round against the Sacramento Kings.
Against the first seed in the entire NBA, the San Antonio Spurs with Tim Duncan and David Robinson, the Lakers performed at an astonishing level.
LA swept San Antonio and registered a points differential of 22.25 over the Spurs. They won Games 3 and 4 by 39 and 29 points, respectively.
In the 2001 NBA Finals, the Lakers saw their winning streak snapped by Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. However, they defeated the Larry Brown-coached team (with Dikembe Mutombo playing at center and Iverson as the reigning MVP of the league) in five games to repeat as NBA Champions.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 3 Reasons why Philadelphia 76ers shouldn't give up Ben Simmons for James Harden
