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#3 Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs
An unfortunate injury to David Robinson resulted in the San Antonio Spurs ending the 1996-97 NBA season as the third-worst team in the league. After winning the draft lottery, they selected Tim Duncan as the No. 1 pick in the 1997 Draft.
Two years later, Duncan helped the Spurs win their first-ever NBA title. It was a comfortable 4-1 series victory, with Duncan closing out the series with 31 points and nine rebounds.
Duncan spent his entire NBA career with the Spurs, helping them win four more championships before retiring in 2016. Since their last victory in 2014, the Spurs have not featured in the NBA Finals.
#2 LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James was selected as the 1st overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft class that included superstars like Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. James led the Cavs to the playoffs on numerous occasions, but failed to reach the NBA Finals.
All hope was lost when LeBron James announced his departure from the team. The Cleveland natives knew James was their best chance of winning a championship, and were distraught by the news of his exit. However, the Akron native promised to return and bring a championship to the city after four years with the Miami Heat.
James made his return in the 2014 offseason, and led the Cavs to the NBA finals in 2015. However, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala proved too much for the Cavs to handle.
Making another run to the NBA Finals in 2016, James rallied the Cavs from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-9 Warriors, which marked his third championship and first for the Cavaliers.
#1 Kyrie Irving - Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers had two top-five picks in the 2011 NBA Draft, both of whom made significant contributions to their 2016 NBA championship run. Kyrie Irving was the No. 1 overall pick, while Tristan Thompson was selected as the 4th overall pick.
Irving has always shown high-level ball-handling skills, which earned him the Rookie of the Year award that year. LeBron James' departure in 2010 turned out to be good for the Cavs, as they finished dead last in the Eastern Conference, leading to a favorable pick in the draft.
Despite Irving's arrival, the Cavs won the championship only after the return of James. He championed the signings of All-Star Kevin Love and JR Smith to boost the team's chances. After falling to the Golden State Warriors in 2015, they exacted revenge the next year, with James producing the dagger 3 in Game 7 to seal their title.
