Dirk Nowitzki was 32. The Heat had LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. Dallas won 4-2. Dirk played through a 101-degree fever in Game 4. The most satisfying championship for neutral fans. LeBron's villain era ended. Dirk became immortal.
No superstars. Just a team. Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace. They beat the dynasty Lakers 4-1. It wasn't supposed to be close. Defense and teamwork beat individual talent.
The Warriors were a .500 team. Dallas had 67 wins. Baron Davis posterized everyone. Stephen Jackson was fearless. The first 8-seed to beat a 1-seed in a best-of-7 series. Oracle Arena was a fortress.
The Warriors won 73 games. Led the Finals 3-1. Nobody comes back from 3-1 in the Finals. LeBron came back from 3-1 in the Finals. The Block. The Shot. Cleveland's first championship in 52 years. LeBron crying on the court.
Hakeem Olajuwon carried a 6th-seeded team to back-to-back championships. They swept the 60-win Magic in the Finals. Hakeem won Finals MVP, regular season MVP, and DPOY. The most dominant single-player run ever.