NBA History: 5 Greatest teams of the last decade

The 2016-17 Golden State Warriors are among the best teams of the past decade
The 2016-17 Golden State Warriors are among the best teams of the past decade

#4 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James finally secured a title for the Cavs
LeBron James finally secured a title for the Cavs

The 2015-16 Cleveland team was full of drama, but it was the roster that finally ended the Cavaliers' wait for a title. In Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, LeBron James had two genuine second stars to play alongside, while the Cavs also got solid performances out of seasoned veterans such as J.R. Smith and Channing Frye.

Despite a mid-season change in coaches, the Cavs finished the regular season with a 57–25 record, earning the number one seed for the first time in six years. In the postseason, the team went on to sweep the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks before overcoming the Toronto Raptors in six games.

Down 3-1 against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, it appeared that the Cavs' great season wouldn't yield a championship, but the Big 3 of Love, Irving and James helped fuel an unlikely comeback, finally ending the city of Cleveland's 52–year championship drought.


#4 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio's most recent title came back in 2014
San Antonio's most recent title came back in 2014

The San Antonio Spurs narrowly lost the 2013 NBA Finals in seven games to the Miami Heat. Gregg Popovich's team then picked themselves up to exact revenge the following summer. While they were reaching the end of an era, the Spurs could still call upon their Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker - while a 22-year-old Kawhi Leonard was quickly developing into the star that he is today.

Popovich's well-drilled team could also call upon important role players such as Danny Green, Patty Mills, and Marco Belinelli and the Spurs finished the regular season with a league-best 62-20 record.

The Spurs battled past the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder on their way to the NBA Finals, and Miami couldn't deal with San Antonio's ball movement as they came away with a convincing 4-1 series win against LeBron and company.

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