NBA History: Looking at all the NBA Champions since 2000

1999 was the beginning of the shift in power from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference in the NBA. Six of the previous 8 championships were awarded to the Eastern Conference’s Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan.

In 1999, it was the West’s San Antonio Spurs and since 2000 13 out of 20 Larry O’Brien trophies have been handed out to Western Conference teams. Those 13 championships are shared among just 4 teams while the 7 title wins from the East went to 5 different teams.

Here we rank the nine teams that have won an NBA Championship since 2000.

#9 Toronto Raptors - 1 championship (2019)

The Toronto Raptors had spent the previous 5 seasons playing outstanding basketball. They had 50 plus wins in each of their last 4 seasons but had been eliminated from the playoffs by the LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers 3 straight years from 2016-2018 including a 6-game defeat in the 2016 ECF. They were a good team but they were just not good enough.

Then, team president and general manager Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster reshaped the fortunes of the franchise in three bold moves starting the summer of 2018. First, it was firing longtime head coach Dwane Casey and replacing him with a rookie in Nick Nurse.

A deal parting ways with All-Star DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a 2019 first round pick for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green gave the Raptors two starters, both defensive stalwarts and a superstar considerably better than DeRozan in Leonard. This deal was made knowing it may be a one-year rental and management was betting everything on the payoff.

However, they didn’t stop there as in the mid-season, a deal with Memphis brought another defensive star Marc Gasol to play at center. As if the basketball gods were pleased with the Toronto Raptors, not only did Kawhi Leonard re-establish himself as an NBA superstar despite coming off of an injury-plagued season, but LeBron James who had been holding the Raptors back by playing for Cleveland in the East had moved to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2018-19 season.

Finally, add to the mix Joel Embiid suffering multiple illnesses in the Raptors-Sixers second-round series won by the Raptors as well as the plethora of walking wounded and continued injury issues the Warriors suffered before and during the NBA Finals, and the Raptors mowed down their opposition in the 2019 NBA Playoffs with a defense that was stifling and intense.

While the 2019 NBA Finals victory was historic for a Toronto Franchise, they are ranked 9th on this list due to the fact the main component that got them to the holy grail, Kawhi Leonard is now a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Raptors are not likely to defend their crown in 2020 unless management pulls off another brilliant and unexpected trade in the coming days.

#8 Dallas Mavericks - 1 championship (2011)

Dallas Mavericks v Miami Heat - Game Six

The Dallas Mavericks finally won the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2011. It was a season they probably shouldn’t have been able to reach the pinnacle of NBA Basketball. It was the first playoff run of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh playing together on a super team for the Miami Heat and was year one of 4 consecutive years that the Heat would compete for the NBA crown.

However, the Heat like the Mavericks were delayed in accomplishing their goal. The Mavericks were a regular season winning machine for 11 straight years winning 50 or more games. They even won 60 in the 2002-03 and 2005-06 seasons. The 2006-07 season saw them win a whopping 67 games. The Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse were near NBA Champions in 2006 but fell to the eventual winners the Miami Heat.

However, for most of that 11-year stretch from 2000 to 2011, the Mavericks just had a miserable time trying to get out of the first or second round of the playoffs. So, their ascendancy to the title came when the window of success seemed to be closign on them.

In the summer of 2010, they had traded to acquired defensive and shot-blocking standout Tyson Chandler to play center. They also acquired a 33-year-old sharp shooting Peja Stojakovic and resigned Dirk Nowitzki to complement a 33-year-old Jason Terry, a 32-year-old Shawn Marion, and a 37-year-old Jason Kidd in that 2010-11 season.

The Mavericks were experienced but not in their prime and they beat the star-studded youthful Miami Heat 4-2 in the 2011 Finals. The Mavericks spent a decade plus of contending for and making 2 NBA Finals before finally winning one.

#7 Detroit Pistons - 1 championship (2004)

Beginning in the 2001-02 season, the Detroit Pistons started a 7-year run as the most dominant team in the Eastern Conference. They would win 50 plus games a season culminating in a 64-18 record in the 2005-06 season. They were led by great players like Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, and Rasheed and Ben Wallace.

The Pistons would appear in 6 straight ECFs winning it twice and appearing in two straight NBA Finals winning once in 2004. The Pistons had some internal management issues as in that seven-year period of greatness they were had as many as three head coaches in Randy Carlisle, Larry Brown, and Flip Saunders. It was under Brown’s tutelage in 2004 that the Pistons would win their first NBA Title since their Bad Boy days two-peat in '89 and '90.

Their victim in 2004 were the Kobe Bryant and Shaq led Lakers who were in their 4th NBA Finals in 5 years after winning the crown from 2000 to 2002. The Pistons in 2004 used an effective inside out game with either big forcing Shaq to wander away from the basket on defense to guard the shooting of power forward Rasheed Wallace.

This allowed Ben Wallace to slip inside without Shaq marking him for putback dunks, rebounds, and back door cuts while the Lakers had no rim protection. After losing their crown to San Antonio the next year, the Pistons could never get out of the ECF again.

#6 Cleveland Cavaliers - 1 championship (2016)

The Cleveland Cavaliers had their prodigal son return to his native State Ohio to once again lead their franchise 4 years after “the decision” to leave for Miami. A franchise that had been in rebuild mode since their 2003 1st overall draftee left in the summer of 2010 was immediately made relevant and dangerous to play against.

In fact, this edition of the Cavaliers represented the East in the NBA Finals from 2015-18 for 4 straight years. They did win one NBA title in 2016. The Cavaliers did it in dramatic fashion as well. Having lost the previous year to the same Golden State Warriors, the 2016 NBA Finals was on the verge of being handed to the Warriors again. However, with the Cavaliers trailing the series 3-1, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving dropped a combined 81 points in game 5 (the first time two finals teammates both scored 40).

James followed that performance up with a 41 point 11 assist double-double in game 6 to even the series at 3-3. In game 7, the Cavaliers held the vaunted Warriors offense scoreless over the last 4:30 seconds of the game to become the first team to ever win an NBA Title while trailing in the series 3 games to 1. However, even after this MVP Finals performance by LeBron James, the Cavs would lose 3 of 4 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.`

#5 Boston Celtics - 1 championship (2008)

NBA Finals Game 6: Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics

As an executive for the Boston Celtics, Danny Ainge has become a very shrewd and smart player asset manager. He will forever be remembered in Boston for the following two trades. First, on 28 June 2007, the Seattle SuperSonics traded Ray Allen and Glen Davis to Boston in exchange for Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Jeff Green.

Approximate one month later on July 31, 2007, Boston acquired Kevin Garnett in a 7 for 1 swap. The T-Wolves received Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected), and the 2009 first round pick (Minnesota had traded it to Boston in the Rick Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade of 2006).

These two player acquisitions fetched Boston the NBA’s most storied franchise as well as an instant return back to the glory days competing for and winning Championships. The Celtics big three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, along with the support of PG Rajon Rondo would appear in 2 NBA Finals winning once and appear in 3 ECF in 5 years.

However, it was the 2007-08 season that brought an instant return on the assets traded and acquired when under the leadership of Doc Rivers as head coach, the Celtics amassed a 66-16 regular season record. Boston knocked off the Los Angeles Lakers in a 6-game NBA Finals series. Boston took a 3-1 series lead and eventually blew out the Lakers in Game 6 131-92 to secure the title.

When Boston made it back to the NBA Finals two years later, they did not have the same success in 2010. Due to an injury to center Kendrick Perkins 6:30 minutes into Game 5 of the 2010 Finals, the Celtics squandered a 3-2 series lead losing Game 6 89-67.

In Game 7, reliant upon a 35-year-old Rasheed Wallace to try and contain a hobbled Andrew Bynum (had to have knee drained between games) the Lakers managed to take game 7 by just 4 points 83-79 denying Boston’s big three a second title.

#4 Miami Heat - 3 championships (2006, 2012, and 2013)

The Miami Heat have three NBA Titles to their name all within the last 13 years. The first title came in 2006 under somewhat odd circumstances. The Heat had lost the 2005 ECF after holding a 3-2 series lead on the defending champions Detroit Pistons. They started the 2005-06 season 11-10 at which point head coach Stan van Gundy decided to resign citing a need to be with his family.

Pat Riley then took over as head coach and the Heat won 41 of their remaining 61 games. With Dwyane Wade emerging as a megastar and a 33-year-old Shaquille O’Neal supplying support, the Heat would win their first NBA title knocking off the Dallas Mavericks in a 6-game NBA Finals Series. Wade would win the Finals MVP Award in 2006. In the deciding Game 6, Wade scored 36 points and hauled in 10 rebounds in a 95-92 Heat victory.

Wade would have to wait 5 more years to make another Finals appearance this time forming a big three in the summer of 2010 with Chris Bosh and LeBron James joining him in Miami. The three 2003 draft class standouts would proceed to lead Miami to 4 consecutive NBA Finals winning 2 and losing two.

In 2011, they fell prey to the experience of the Dallas Mavericks but knocked off the OKC Thunder in 2012. 2013 was a championship repeat for Miami as they managed to knock off the Spurs in a 7-game series.

Ultimately, their last attempt to secure a title failed in 2014 when the Spurs got their revenge beating the Heat in 5 games with Kawhi Leonard’s defense securing him the Finals MVP for the series. However, one simply cannot understate the fact that the Miami Heat made 4 straight NBA Finals.

#3 Golden State Warriors - 3 championships (2015, 2017, and 2018)

The Miami Heat went to 4 straight NBA Finals as did the Cleveland Cavaliers and both teams were led by LeBron James who appeared in 8 straight NBA Finals from 2011 to 2018. However, the Golden State Warriors have been the team to beat for 5 straight years (2015 to 2019) and won 3 titles during that time. They have revolutionized the game with a brand of small ball, ball movement, and an emphasis on three-point shooting.

What has also made their run this last 5 seasons so impressive is that except for free agent signings of KD and Andre Iguodala, their roster was built on draft picks which included the likes of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry. Twice they won 67 regular season games and set an NBA record with 73 wins in 2016. While they lost in 2016 to Cleveland during the NBA Finals, they had won it all in 2017 and 2018 and secured all their 3 titles against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Injuries, perhaps exacerbated by the additional 100 plus extra playoff games Warriors players have endured the last 4-5 years, conspired to rob the Warriors of their best lineup and efforts in a 6-game Finals defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

Now that Klay Thompson will miss a huge chunk of the 2019-20 season and Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and KD are no longer with the Warriors, it's possible that a new Western Conference finalist will emerge next season. However, do not dismiss the Warriors for the 2020-21 season.

#2 San Antonio Spurs - 4 championships (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014)

If the Golden State Warriors are a dynasty, then so too are the San Antonio Spurs. The only thing more constant than death and taxes are that the Spurs perennially competing for the NBA Title. Gregg Popovich has been the Spurs head coach since 1998–that’s 21 years and counting. Further, the Spurs have appeared in the NBA Finals 5 times since 2000 winning 4 and losing just once. In fact, they also won a title in 1999.

What further secures their place as a sacred NBA franchise is that they have also lost 4 WCF series since 2000. This team is always a threat to be an NBA finalist. Until recently, this team relied heavily on Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker all of whom have now retired. In 2003, "The Admiral” David Robinson’s last season was a championship year for the Spurs.

However, it’s the consistency of their roster and smart drafting even when they had low selections that kept them competitive. Combined, Parker, Duncan, and Ginobili played a total of 52 seasons worth of games together. Continuity and consistency are definite tenants of success.

There is the George Hill trade that fetched the 15th overall pick with which the Spurs drafted Kawhi Leonard 15th overall in 2011, Tiago Splitter's selection with the 28th pick in 2007, acquiring a player like Danny Green with a second-round pick in 2009, or even the acquisition of Glen Robinson at the end of the 2005 season.

The Spurs front office knows talent and they subsequently won championships because of that knowledge. Their last title was in 2014 when they beat the Miami Heat in 5 games with Kawhi Leonard winning the Finals MVP award.

#1 Los Angeles Lakers - 5 championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010)

The Los Angeles Lakers top this list due to the fact that they are a championship team in every era. In this case, since 2000 they have the most NBA Titles at 5. They did it by bridging the early years of the great Kobe Bryant with the acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal that got them three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002.

That hall of fame duo actually led the Lakers to 4 NBA Finals in 5 years. After failing to make it in 2003 they were back in the championship series in 2004 but lost to the Detroit Pistons. In their 2000 to 2002 three-peat as NBA Champions, the Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets respectively in the NBA Finals each year.

Their return to championship form was kickstarted by a midseason trade in 2008 that saw the Lakers obtain the talents of Pau Gasol. The Lakers did make the 2008 NBA Finals but came up short losing the series 4 games to 2 to the big three (Garnett, Pierce, and Allen) of Boston.

In true Lakers fashion, they were not done competing for a title. They would make it back to the promised land in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, it was the Orlando Magic losing a 5-game NBA Finals to the Kobe and Gasol led Lakers. In 2010, it was Boston again representing the East, but this time it was the Lakers winning a 7-game series after finding themselves trailing 3 games to 2.

The Lakers and Celtics are the two most decorated teams in the NBA. The Lakers have won the title 16 times while the Celtics have won it 17 times. The last 20 years have introduced NBA fans to four new NBA Champions. The Raptors (2019), Cavaliers (2016), and the Dallas Mavericks (2011) each won their first championship during this period. Miami won all their three titles since 2006.

What is clear is that a championship franchise must be stable, consistent and willing to make the bold move when the time is right. Dallas took 11 years of elite play before they got the right combination of experience to win a title. Toronto found an upgrade to their All-Star DeMar DeRozan in Kawhi Leonard before turning 6 years of solid success into a title by betting on Kawhi Leonard who turned out to be the missing piece to their championship aspirations.

The crown does not come easily and it's even harder to defend it. Will the next 20 years bring us new titleholders or will the storied franchises like the Lakers and Celtics keep the glory to themselves? It will be fun watching the outcome.

Edited by Raunak J