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Ranking every NBA Champion from No. 72 to No. 1 — The Definitive List

By Staff

TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors and Serge Ibaka #9 of the Toronto Raptors defend their positions during Game One of the NBA Finals on May 30, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors and Serge Ibaka #9 of the Toronto Raptors defend their positions during Game One of the NBA Finals on May 30, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – MARCH 18: Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) celebrates during the Miami Heat 105-103 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on March 18, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Elise/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 18: Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) celebrates during the Miami Heat 105-103 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on March 18, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Elise/Getty Images) /

21. 2012-13 Miami Heat

The 2012-13 Miami Heat were a regular-season juggernaut. Racking up 66 wins, including a 27-game win streak,  and outscoring opponents by an average of 8.5 points per 100 possessions, they were the fully weaponized version of the Dwyane Wade-LeBron James-Chris Bosh combination. Their suffocating defense veered towards a hyper-aggressive pick-and-roll scheme that harrassed ball-handlers and turned live-ball turnovers into vicious open-court dunks. In the halfcourt, LeBron James settled into playing more power forward than ever before, scoring inside or picking apart opponents by kicking it out to a wealth of 3-point shooters.

For all their regular-season dominance, the Heat were pushed to the brink in the playoffs. The Pacers used their elite defense and Paul George’s emergence as an offensive star to push the Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Then, the Spurs famously had Miami on the velvet ropes before Ray Allen’s historic game-tying 3-pointer in Game 6 helped stave off elimination and give Miami a chance to finish the job in Game 7. There were some bumps in the road, but this team made good on their potential when it mattered most.

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