The Lakers of Magic Johnsonthe Celtics of Larry Bird or the Bulls de Michael Jordan. More recently, in this century, the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal Lakers, the Spurs of David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and the Warriors of the Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. There was a time when the NBA dominated a privileged minority. But today, impossible to predict the champion, establish the criteria to define who the favorites are truly, the anarchy and disgust.
The new ring holders, the Oklahoma City Thunderthey are the seventh different champion in the last seven years and also a new team that is added for the first time to the NBA record. However, having the seventh different champion since 2019 and a team that won his first ring was already something guaranteed before he concluded these finals because the Indiana Pacers Nor have they ever lifted the title.
Warriors led by Curry, the most recent dynasty
After the two titles followed by the Warriors In 2017 and 2018, Toronto Raptors They gave the departure gun to what has been consolidated as a democratization of the NBA in which anyone can take power.
The Raptors deprived the bay of a third consecutive in 2019 with Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka and Sergio Scariolo in the coaching staff and, from there, distribution of the cake with a piece for each one: the Lakers of LeBron James and Anthony Davis won the ring of the bubble playoffs in 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks of Giannis Antetokounmpo They did it in 2021, the Warriors could still add another scepter to their dynasty in the middle of this democratization in 2022, the denver nuggets premiered in the palmraés in 2023 by the hand of the hand of Nikola Jokic and the Boston Celtics won the ring 17 years later in 2024.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the Massachusetts set to that corrective in the finals to Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks (4-1) with Boston coach Joe Mazzulla, receiving advice from Pep Guardiola.
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The 'democratization' of the NBA
Seven different champions in seven years
2019: Toronto Raptors
2020: Los Angeles Lakers
2021: Milwaukee Bucks
2022: Golden State Warriors
2023: Denver Nuggets
2024: Boston Celtics
2025: Oklahoma City Thunder
In what is another reality of this new era of the NBA, the change in trend is also giving many teams the opportunity to win its first ring with the palmarés welcoming New names. Up to three of these last seven champions have been crowned for the first time with the cases of Raptors, Nuggets and Thunder a total of seven since 1999 with also the cases of Spurs (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014), Miami Heat (2006, 2012 and 2013), Dallas Mavericks (2011) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2016).
The NBA has matched so much to the point that, in what has been consolidated as a curious cursethe champion is far from successful title the following year: since that same year 2019, the defender of the title has never passed second round.
Keep the champion roster, very expensive
The NBA has put a lot on its part so that it is not always the same ones that distribute the cake with restrictive financial standards that make the champions very complicated to keep their templates.
The salary limit is updating with the constant increase in the salaries of the players but the restrictions for exceeding it are increasingly harder and it is no longer worth having money without limit to deal with luxury tax.
With the recent collective agreement, -and apart from the economic fines -, the teams face penalties that cannot be solved by paying as not being able to use the medium level exception to incorporate players to overcome the second limit or see their first round pick pick of Draft to the latest positions of that first round if it is maintained above the second limit.
Nuggets have had to let several players go after the 2023 ring
But the increasingly crazy economic cost of luxury rates is already diminishing recent champions such as Denver Nuggets, that have seen their depth of template reduced after the 2023 ring and cannot renew fundamental secondary pieces such as Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Los Celtics They dared to challenge the rules renewing their entire roster last year, but, after falling into conference semifinals this year, the Massachusetts team has already to make movements before the More than 500 million between salaries and luxury tax that will cost the squad next season. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis would be on the output ramp.
The rise of 'Small markets' With these unexpected finals between Pacers and Thunder he has been very present in the conversation in this series for the ring. Above all, taking into account that these are two low -cost templates, in 18 Indiana position this season with a salary mass of 169 million and in the 25 Oklahoma position with 165.
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The Thunder have a projected cost for the next campaign of 177 million, which would already place them as the 13th most expensive NBA template but still with margin, well below the 195 million in which the first salary limit is located.
Of course, the renovations of Rookie contracts of two fundamental pillars such as Chet Holmgren y Jalen Williams They are just around the corner but, when it concerns next season, OKC has all its players with contract. And before thinking about the long term, to aspire to be dynasty you have to break that curse of the champion first. The dynasties, prohibited in this confirmed NBA era.
