Since Michael Jordan retired, NBA has taken on a new look. The game is slowly changing to favor offensive players, while minimizing the physicality of the game, making it more attractive to a global audience. Nowadays, even the slightest physical fitness can lead to penalties for normal and even technical fouls. This makes people wonder how Michael Jordan would live in modern times without too much defensive resistance.
But since 1999, the NBA landscape has favorably shifted to one league instead of another. Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA championships in 8 years, making the Eastern Conference the ruler, including the Boston Celtics led by Larry Bird and Detroit Pistons led by Isaiah Thomas . Since then, the league has been different, and there are champions here every year until 2021. Now is the time to discover which conference has become more difficult since 1999.
1999-San Antonio Spurs (West vs. East 1-0)
The San Antonio Spurs kicked off the post-Michael Jordan era with the championship. Tim Duncan and David Robinson are a two-tower force, allowing Jeff Van Gundy New York Knicks to work easily. In the shortened season of lockout, the Knicks are an unlikely enemy for the Spurs. The New York team is only the No. 8 seed in the East and is expected to gradually eclipse.
But this team led by Patrick Ewing used their bruised style of play to reach the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, their road was too difficult. Gregg Popovich led the Spurs to win the championship in 5 games.As Tim Duncan won the Finals MVP and began to dominate the era, the West began to compare with a 1-0 lead.
2000-Los Angeles Lakers (West vs. East 2-0)
The next three years will be Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers Era. No team can compete with the powerful Lakers. The Lakers are led by Shaquille O'Neal (Shaquille O'Neal), the NBA's most dominant big man. With the start of O'Neal and Kobe Bryant as superstars, the Lakers are an absolute force. Playing in their new arena Staples Center is the beginning of their ten-year dominance.
The Lakers hired former Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson to lead the team, and he did just that. The 21-year-old Kobe was selected to the All-Defensive Team, O'Neal won the MVP, and the Lakers entered the playoffs with confidence. The Lakers reached the Finals, defeating the Indiana Pacers in six games, and O'Neal won his first Finals MVP.
2001-Los Angeles Lakers (West vs. East 3-0)
The following season, the Lakers became a force again. Phil Jackson returned as a coach, O'Neal was still the most dominant big man, and Kobe Bryant became a true superstar. The Lakers signed the former Chicago Bulls champion Horace Grant, and the rest is history. The Lakers made Shaquille O'Neal into the NBA All-NBA First Team, and Kobe Bryant won the NBA All-NBA Second Team honor.
This Lakers team may be the most dominant team ever. With an incredible 15-1 record in the playoffs, they lost only to the 76ers led by their MVP Allen Iverson in the first game of the Finals.Shaquille O'Neal won the finals MVP honor again. They can be said to be the most dominant team of the era entering the 2002 season.
2002-Los Angeles Lakers (West 4-0 East)
The Lakers are back on track again. Their two superstars are back, except that Kobe won the All-Star Game MVP while again being selected to the All-Defensive Team, thus gaining recognition. Both Kobe and O'Neal were selected to the All-NBA First Team, and they focused on setting aside differences and winning their third consecutive championship.
They did it, swept the Trail Blazers, defeated the Spurs in 5 games, and then controversially ended the season of the Sacramento Kings in 7 games. Many people claimed that the referee allowed the Lakers to win. Despite this, they reached the NBA Finals and swept the New Jersey Nets for three consecutive championships. As far as the current situation is concerned, they are the last team to complete three consecutive championships.
2003-San Antonio Spurs (West vs. East 5-0)
The 2003 season was led by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Maru·span 7span The beginning of the Big Three era. Duncan will win the MVP for the second year in a row, and Parker will take it to the next level in his second year. The newly acquired Manuginobili is also a big boost for the team. They are still led by coach Popovich and David Robinson, who will play his last one. Season.
The Spurs will beat Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets in 6 games,Enter the finals. In terms of sheer talent and depth of lineup, this Spurs team is probably the best ever. Due to Duncan's dominance as the best power forward in the game, the Spurs will become a force that cannot be ignored in the next decade or more.
2004-Detroit Pistons (Western vs. Eastern 5-1)
In 2004, the Pistons were a group of special players, the epitome of team games better than individual games. Unlike the Los Angeles Lakers, who will be runners-up this season, the Pistons have no conceited superstar players to hinder the team. Instead, the team won the scoring power forward Rasheed Wallace, formed by Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tashaun Prince And Ben Wallace led a solid starting group of five.
The Pistons will upset the most popular Los Angeles Lakers. Together with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, they won future Hall of Famers Gary Payton and Karl Malone . The Lakers have no team chemistry, and the Pistons dominate the defensive end. Billups won the finals MVP honor and won the NBA championship. The 2004 season is one of the most unpredictable seasons so far, because O'Neal will be traded to the Miami Heat soon.
2005-San Antonio Spurs (West vs. East 6-1)
The San Antonio Spurs will once again be the team to steal NBA headlines. Under the leadership of Tim Duncan again, the Spurs ended with the second seed in the Western Conference. Duncan and Manu Ginobili were both selected to the All-Star team.In the playoffs, the Spurs once again became a force.
ended the MVP in the Western Conference finals Steve Nash and Phoenix Before the Suns season, they played the playoffs with the Nuggets and the Sonics. In the finals, they played 7 games in a series with the defending champion Detroit Pistons. In the seventh game, Duncan and Ginobili scored 48 points to seal the victory 81-74. Duncan won the finals MVP honor.
2006-Miami Heat (6-2 in the West)
The 2006 season provided one of the most unlikely NBA championships in history because Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat will face MVP De K. Nowitzki made a historic comeback in the game with the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat are a great team led by All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, but they shouldn’t be back from 0-2 behind the dominant Dallas Mavericks.
The Heat will win the finals thanks to Dwyane Wade’s great finals series in history, he can average 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.8 APG, 2.7 SPG and 1.0 BPG per game. The Heat will win 4 consecutive games and then end the series in 6 games, making Dirk only 39.0% shooting in the series.
2007-San Antonio Spurs (West vs. East 7-2)
The San Antonio Spurs will once again become champions, dealing with 22-year-old LeBron James and a very ordinary Cleveland Cavaliers. Tony Parker performed well in the series,Leading all scorers with 24.5 points and winning the finals MVP. Of course, the Spurs still have Tim Duncan (18.3 points and 11.5 rebounds) and Manu Ginobili (17.8 points and 5.8 rebounds) on the Spurs roster.
LeBron did his best to lead his team, but they did not have an opponent the Spurs swept them in 4 games. This will mark the first time LeBron has lost in the Finals, although he has not been criticized too much for the series, because he is only 22 years old and does not have any All-Star teammates to accompany him. Despite this, the Spurs won their fourth NBA championship since 1999.
2008-Boston Celtics (West vs. East 7-3)
When the Boston Celtics introduced Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined When Paul Pierce, they completed some of the biggest deals in NBA history. Pierce has long been a loyal Celtics team, and the team rewarded the best team he has ever played. The Big Three in Boston and the budding Rajon Rondo together make the Celtics the most talented team in the NBA, even ahead of the Lakers.
The Lakers stole Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies and paired him with Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. In many ways, Paul Gasol should be a replacement for Shaquille O’Neal. Gasol was full of impact, but the Lakers were eliminated by the overlord Celtics in the Finals, including 39 points in the sixth game. The series lost 1-3. The Lakers should have lost. The time for Boston to dominate again was when Paul Pierce won the Finals MVP.
2009-Los Angeles Lakers (West vs. East 8-3)
The Los Angeles Lakers will be on top of the world again for the first time since 2002.With Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum , Kobe got the help needed to make up for the loss a year ago. The Orlando Magic were full of shooters around defensive star Dwight Howard, but head coach Stan Van Gundy 's untimely decision forced Jameel Nelson to return to the lineup, which made the team's chemical reaction untimely.
The Lakers took full advantage of their advantages and won the series in 5 games. Bryant performed well in the series, averaging 32.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 7.4 APG per game on his way to winning the fourth championship and the first finals MVP. In the series, Howard averaged 15.4 points and 15.2 rebounds per game, but Kobe is a possessed person and cannot be denied.
2010-Los Angeles Lakers (West vs. East 9-3)
One year later, Kobe and the Lakers won again. The Lakers star combination Kobe and Gasol return, and Phil Jackson is eager for the 11th NBA championship. Appropriately, the Lakers found themselves in a rematch with their arch-rival Boston Celtics. Unlike the 2008 series, the Lakers played a solid game.
This series will last 7 games, of which Ci Shiping and Gasol key games made up for Kobe's poor 6-24 shooting night. Bryant will still win the Finals MVP, averaged 28.6 points and 8.0 rebounds in the series, and led all scorers with 23 points in Game 7.
2011-Dallas Mavericks (Western vs. Eastern 10-3)
The Dallas Mavericks defeated a game made up of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh during free agency. The talented Miami Heat,Completed one of the most unlikely championship victories. The Mavericks have a superstar Dirk Nowitzki and some capable veterans, but they should not handle the Heat like they do. But it happened, mainly because Dirk was on a mission, and LeBron James will usher in the lowest point of his career.
LeBron James was defeated by Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry in the series, and played the most for his team. One of the shocking characters. James is not aggressive, doesn't want the ball, and seems to collapse under the pressure of having a great team. The Kings will correct his mistakes in the next two seasons, but Dirk and the Mavericks have been very calm in their 6 victories.
2012-Miami Heat (West vs. East 10-4)
played with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led by Oklahoma City Thunder In the matchup, LeBron James' first NBA championship came from the Heat. James corrected his mistakes last season by playing like the best player in the world, averaging 28.6 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 7.4 APG per game. James is helped by Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but it all has to do with the King.
The Miami Heat put aside the hustle and bustle and focused on becoming the most talented team in the league. The young Thunder have no chance. Thanks to Kevin Durant’s 36 points, the Thunder took the first game, but it was not for them, because James Harden did not perform well in the Oklahoma City series and LeBron will win Finals MVP.
2013-Miami Heat (West vs. East 10-5)
LeBron's second NBA championship is against his old opponent San Antonio Spurs.The Spurs swept LeBron and the Cavaliers in 2007, but this time LeBron will have a team behind him. This series will be very tight, and both teams will have the winners and losers in the first 6 games of the series. This is all about the crucial seventh game, where LeBron James will play one of the best games of his life.
James scored 37 points in the seventh game of the closing game. When Gregg Popovich pleaded with his defender to sag, his jump shot was high. The Spurs have been defensive throughout the game, forcing LeBron to make a jumper instead of completing it at the basket. But the Kings made them pay the price, winning the NBA championship for the second time in a row on behalf of the Eastern Conference.
2014-San Antonio Spurs (West vs. East 11-5)
The San Antonio Spurs tasted sweet revenge in 2014, beating the Heat in 5 games. Tim Duncan is still the best inside defender of his age, and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are still key gears under Gregg Popovich's system. Most importantly, Kawhi Leonard arrived as a two-way superstar.
The Spurs are effective at both ends of the game. Kawhi Leonard is responsible for defending LeBron James throughout the series. James will maintain his 28.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, but the Spurs will never lose because Duncan won his fifth championship and Kawhi Leonard won his first NBA finals. MVP.
2015-Golden State Warriors (West vs. East 12-5)
In 2015, the Golden State Warriors started a dynasty that lasted five years. Their core Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are very special throughout the season.Head coach Steve Kerr unlocked the "death lineup", in which Andre Iguodala served as power forward and Draymond Green served as center. This lineup occupies a dominant position and will usher in a new era of basketball.
The Warriors are the favorite in the West, even though they have encountered huge obstacles in the form of the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James returned to Cleveland to join the All-Star Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love . But the king will see his two stars fall due to injuries, leaving only Matthew Delavidova to rely on. LeBron tried but failed. The Warriors won the NBA championship and Andre Iguodala won his first and only Finals MVP.
2016-Cleveland Cavaliers (West vs. East 12-6)
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the record 73-9 Golden State Warriors with a score of 3-1 and won the NBA championship. Thus completed the most incredible comeback in the finals. LeBron James was almost inhuman in the series, and Kyrie Irving defeated Stephen Curry in Game 7 and shot one of the most critical shots in the history of the Finals.
No one expects Cleveland to have a chance in this series, but LeBron James will not be deprived of his third championship and his first championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game, while Irving averaged 27.1 points. The Warriors will not be able to represent the West again in 2016, even though the next two years will benefit them.
2017-Golden State Warriors (West vs. East 13-6)
’s first season with the Golden State Warriors,Kevin Durant found himself in the NBA Finals for the second time in his career. Because of the Miami Heat's super team, his first appearance in the Finals ended in disappointment, but this time he has his own super team.
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala are all back; LeBron James and his company have no chance. Durant won the series in 5 games in the Finals and continued for another 2 years in the Golden State Warriors’ dominance, thus avenging LeBron James in the Finals.
2018-Golden State Warriors (West vs. East 14-6)
Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors are once again a force to be reckoned with. The Cleveland Cavaliers have no chance, even with healthy Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love joining LeBron James. Durant averaged 28.8 points per game in the series and won the Finals MVP for the second time in a row.
Many people criticized this Finals series because of how easy it was for the Warriors to disband the Cavaliers, but that's why Durant left Oklahoma City as a free agent. He knew that playing with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson would win him a ring, and he did this while continuing the Golden State Warriors dynasty.
2019-Toronto Raptors (West vs. East 14-7)
Kawhi Leonard completed one of the greatest seasons of superstars in NBA history. He led the Raptors in 2019 The Dragons won the NBA championship. Due to Marseille Ujiri's shrewdness, the Raptors made a major move to introduce Leonard into Gasol along with Danny Green and Mark. These three formed a new starting lineup, and the team point guard Kyle Lowry is still on the team.
Many people think that Kawhi is not keen on staying in Toronto, but he is the best player in the league on his way to winning his second NBA championship and second Finals MVP. The Raptors rested in the Finals due to injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, but their path to the Finals is truly memorable.
2020-Los Angeles Lakers (West vs. East 15-7)
The Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of the shortened season and acquired superstar Anthony Davis to the team’s 17th NBA champion. The Lakers are a force behind Anthony Davis and Finals MVP LeBron James, handling the business in six games against the Miami Heat.
The Lakers are by far the most talented and physical team in the league. No team has a chance in the playoffs. The Portland Trail Blazers barely made the playoffs, the Houston Rockets were small, and the Denver Nuggets were exhausted in multiple 7-game series. In the Finals, the Heat were forced to play without Adebayor and Goran Dragic, which may make this team the worst ball in the history of the NBA Finals team. The Lakers are still dealing with business, and LeBron won his fourth championship and the last championship in the Western Conference.
2021-Milwaukee Bucks (West vs. East 15-8)
The Milwaukee Bucks are the most recent NBA champion and the eighth team to represent the Eastern Conference in the championship series. The Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 0-2. With the historic sixth game, Giannis Antetokounmpo won the finals MVP.
The Bucks won the 6th game, thanks in large part to Giannis Antetokounmpo's 50-point offensive, which included accurate shooting by their otherwise unstable superstar The hit rate is 17-19. The young Suns have struggled against Antetokounmpo throughout the series, and the Milwaukee team has made them pay again and again. Giannis also became the third player in NBA history to win the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year award and Finals MVP, along with Michael Jordan and Hakim Olajuwon.
Which conference is more difficult in history?
Since Michael Jordan retired, the Western Conference has some of the best teams in NBA history, which means this is a tougher league. The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs have won 11 of the past 19 championships, while the Warriors and Mavericks have won another 4 championships on behalf of Western Conference . The dynasty of the Spurs and the Lakers is particularly amazing, because some of the best players of all time represent these teams, including Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Tim Duncan.
The Eastern Conference mainly succeeded through LeBron James, who played for the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2008 Boston Celtics Super Team was a special group of players, and the 2004 Pistons were also the leading defensive team. Shaquille O'Neal was also a member of the Heat in 2006, and recent champions including the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks also have some strong teams. But in terms of overall victory and talent, since Michael Jordan won his last NBA championship, the West has won the most championships and has the best players.
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