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Best NBA Teams of the 2000’s

The NBA playoffs have arrived and are showcasing the best NBA teams. For the franchises dwelling in decades-long tribulations of despair, a flash of hope may intrepidly emerge, destined to ameliorate their suffering. For the franchises entrenched in the heavens of the hoops universe, it is time to wield further their sustained dominance, with increased alacrity, adding further banners to their already bedecked rafters.

It’s been a curious 25 years. The beginning of the 2000’s presaged a return to the rugged legacies erected by notable greats like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaq, Tim Duncan, even Yao Ming, were perceived as the thoroughbreds necessary to serve as the keystones required to unlock the greatness of a franchise. We were quickly disabused of that notion, as dominant wing players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant hearkened more to the career trajectories previously delineated by Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson. Several years later, the game transformed almost beyond recognition, as the success of the “Splash Brothers” introduced concepts of spacing oriented around maximizing the competitive advantage of the three point line.

 Regardless of the approach leveraged, the teams below displayed levels of dominance that were transcendent. We’ll identify what made each of these teams memorable, why they were viewed as especially formidable within the context of NBA history, and how they’ve managed to shape the current manifestation of the league today. Here are the top NBA teams of the 2000’s.

8. 2013-2014 San Antonio Spurs

2013-2014 San Antonio Spurs - Best NBA Teams of the 2000's
Photo courtesy of YouTube, Top Teamwork Plays of the 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

The 2012-2013 Spurs lost in tragic fashion to the Miami Heat, with Ray Allen executing a decisive shot in the waning minutes during a Game 6 where the Spurs appeared to be the better team. Allen’s last-second stroke shifted the momentum of the series, as the Heat claimed their second consecutive title in a Game 7 that they commanded in Miami.

The 2013-2014 Spurs were not in a mood to lose, even against a franchise seeking the first three-peat achieved since the 00-02 Lakers. The 13-14 Spurs achieved the best regular season record in the NBA, finishing at 62-20. While led by an aging superstar in Tim Duncan, he was nevertheless surrounded by talent, manifest in the forms of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. Once they reached the title game, the Spurs veterans quickly disposed of the Miami Heat, winning the series 4-1. They begin our list of the top NBA teams of the 2000’s.

7. 2007-2008 Boston Celtics – Best NBA Teams

2007-2008 Boston Celtics - Best NBA Teams
Photo courtesy of YouTube, 15 years ago, Kevin Garnett let everyone know | NBA on ESPN

In offseason acquisitions, the 2007-2008 Celtics signed what we now colloquially refer to as the first “Big 3” — Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, adding to the core established by remaining Celtic Paul Pierce. While Garnett was initially intrigued by propositions from the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns, once the Celtics acquired the rights to Ray Allen; his eyes quickly shifted to Boston during free agency, where he eventually joined his longtime friend, Paul Pierce.

The Celtics quickly made the most dramatic turnaround in NBA history, going 66-16, a 42-game improvement in the win column from the previous season. Kevin Garnett won the Defensive Player of the Year award, serving as the lynchpin of the league’s best defense.

The team’s pulsating ethos throughout the year was emanated by a simple Zulu and Xhosa phrase: “Ubuntu,” which roughly translates to “I am because you are.” A remarkably unselfish team, the Celtics claimed the 2008 title over their arch-rivals, the Lakers, winning a 6 games series 4-2.

6. 2022-2023 Denver Nuggets

2022-2023 Denver Nuggets - Best NBA Teams of the 2000's
Photo courtesy of YouTube, Nikola Jokić 2022-23 Season Highlights

Like the Spurs before them, the 2022-2023 Denver Nuggets were a quintessentially understated squad. Unlike many of their forebears, they lacked the multiplicity of star players that seemed compulsory to win a championship, let alone winning a championship without too much staunch resistance.

Led by Nikola Jokic, “The Joker,” a Serbian passing sleuth, the Nuggets first wrested the West with ease, then dominated the Celtics en route to the franchise’s first NBA championship.

In their NBA Finals performance against the intrepid and rugged Miami Heat, Jokic was the obvious selection for Finals MVP. He averaged 30.2 PPG, 14 rebounds and 7.2 assists. His sidekick, the criminally underrated Jamal Murray, also averaged 25 PPG, five assists and five rebounds during the overall post-season. The Nuggets, additionally, compiled an 18-4 playoff record during their run to the Larry O’ Brien trophy, a display of dominance in the contemporary playoff scene only rivalled by the early-aught Lakers.

Whatever your thoughts on their humdrum regular season record, the Nuggets were still the undisputed #1 West seed entering the 2023 playoffs. They present the rudiments of a dynasty akin to the Duncan-led Spurs. Keep an eye on the Nuggets going forward. They’re going to be special.

5. 2015-2016 Cleveland Cavaliers – Best NBA Teams

2015-2016 Cleveland Cavaliers - Best NBA Teams
Photo courtesy of YouTube, Final 3:39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals

This selection could be contentious, as ardent Warriors fans may assert they deserve this spot, were it not for Draymond Green punching LeBron James in the groin during a critical play that ultimately resulted in him missing the proceeding contest. Who knows what may have happened absent the “Groin Punch Heard Round The World?”

Still, one cannot relegate the 15-16 Cavaliers as an outright oddity, given their dominance during the regular season. When healthy, there was never much dispute over who would ultimately face the Warriors, the regular-season champions, coming off a 73-win season, the best in NBA history.

The 15-16 Cavs were the first team ever to win a playoff series, after being down 3-1. Even more incredulously, they accomplished this feat against a team that had laid waste to the entire NBA over the course of an 80 game season. If you have your druthers about the Cavs, let that single fact alone sink in.

We all were waiting for Lebron’s MJ moment, where we could at least stomach the notion that he may be somewhat of an equivalent to Michael Jordan. I still don’t believe that’s entirely true, but the “LeBlock” cemented a moment in time that will crystallize his legacy in the NBA. LeBron already had two titles nestled away in his closet prior to bringing a championship back to his hometown of Cleveland; but what he accomplished during his second stint with the Cavs, regardless of the ensuing excellence of the Warriors after the acquisition of Durant, will forever remain his true legacy in the annals of NBA history.

4. 2012-2013 Miami Heat

2012-2013 Miami Heat - Best NBA Teams of the 2000's
Photo courtesy of YouTube, Ray Allen’s AMAZING game-tying 3-pointer in Game 6!

The 2012-2013 edition of the Miami Heat were the forebears for what the Splash Brothers would eventually accomplish in Oakland. They finished the season 66-16, completed a 27- game win streak, while still seemingly not displaying their full prowess on the court. On their roster, they had several future NBA Hall-of-Famers, including Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and sharp-shooter, Ray Allen.

Aggressive defensively, with elite athletes assertively roaming around the perimeter, they created steals and organized a half-court offense oriented around spacing. This provided latitude for James and Wade to either drive to the basket unimpeded, or dish the ball to the perimeter for open looks from Mike Miller, Ray Allen, and Shane Battier at the three-point line.

Granted, the Heat, for as formidable as they were, faced a daunting contest in the Finals against the experienced Spurs, led by the ageless Tim Duncan. It took a miracle-shot from Ray Allen, during the waning seconds, to secure a second straight title for the Heat franchise. Still, this team made the promise of LeBron’s arrival in Miami come to fruition. It may not have been 8 titles, as LeBron initially suggested in a bout of hubris, but it was still a wonder to behold as a fan.

3. 2006-2007 San Antonio Spurs – Best NBA Teams

2006-2007 San Antonio Spurs - Best NBA Teams
Photo courtesy of YouTube, 2007 NBA Finals – Game 4 – Full Game Highlights – San Antonio Spurs vs Cleveland Cavaliers

The Spurs were the most dominant, consistently excellent, franchise of the 21st century. Built around an enigmatic big man, Tim Duncan, who abhorred the spotlight and was a consummate team player; Duncan engendered a culture of resilience and resolve that proved as durable in the mid-aughts as it did a decade later. The Spurs won 5 titles over the course of Duncan’s career, even amidst the ever-evolving trends of the NBA. Teamwork, it turned out, proved to be the most consistent variable in achieving success.

The 06-07 Spurs faced their battles. Still, once they reached the NBA Finals against the overmatched Cleveland Cavaliers, there really wasn’t a question as to the ultimate outcome. Surrounded by veterans like Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen; as well as emerging stars such as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili; Duncan possessed the core and surrounding talent to excel. They swept the Cavaliers in the Finals, signaling to the rest of the league that the Spurs were no mere outlier; they would be a perennial contender.

2. 2016-2017 Golden State Warriors

2016-2017 Golden State Warriors
Video courtesy of YouTube, Golden State Warriors’ Top 25 Plays of the 2016-2017 NBA Season

What to do after achieving the best regular season record in NBA history the previous year? Acquire the second-best player in the league, a forward disguised as 7″ foot shooting guard with limitless range, that’s what.

The Warriors acquiring Kevin Durant in free agency, similar to Lebron’s decision in 2010, completely disrupted the prevailing chemistry of the NBA. After ignominiously trading fellow superstar, James Harden, in 2012; Kevin Durant had faced numerous setbacks on his quest to winning an NBA championship with the franchise that had drafted him, the Oklahoma City Thunder (previously the Seattle Supersonics).

Eager to easily gain the recognition afforded by winning a championship, Durant fled Oklahoma City for Oakland, CA; to the welcoming arms of Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The results? As one would assume: spectacular. The Warriors mustered a 67-15 regular season record while also bulldozing their way through the playoffs, accruing a playoff record of 16-1 and winning the NBA championship.

1. 2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers – Best NBA Teams

2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers
Photo courtesy of YouTube, NBA Finals 2000. Lakers vs Pacers Game 1 Highlights

The Shaqobe Lakers were the epitome of catching lightning in a bottle. Shaq was already a megastar when he arrived in LA, departing the Magic franchise rather ignominiously as fans in Orlando squabbled over whether he was worth a considerable investment. Their reluctance to grant him his due catalyzed Shaq to seek greener pastures. Enamored as he already was with the circumference and gravitas offered celebrities enmeshed in the Hollywood culture, he decided to sign with LA Lakers during his free agency, completely altering the post-MJ landscape. Had the Magic elected to prioritize Shaq in the infancy of his NBA career, the epicenter of the NBA may have been in Orlando once MJ hung up his shoes.

Alas, it was not to be. Shaq struggled for several years to bring the Lakers their coveted title, but in conjunction with the precocious Kobe Bryant, he managed to achieve it during the 1999-2000 season. In the ensuing 2000-2001 season, the Lakers ran a victory lap, largely unmolested by any serious opposition. They swept the Blazers, the Kings, and the Spurs en route to the NBA championship. Though they did drop one game to the Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers nonetheless managed to win their second straight title resolutely. It seemed a new dynasty was dawning in LA.