Fansided

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 – JUNE 12: Boston Celtics player ML Carr celebrates the team’s NBA championship in the locker room after Game 7 of the NBA Finals outside of the Boston Garden in Boston on June 12, 1984. The Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. (Photo by John Blanding/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 12: Boston Celtics player ML Carr celebrates the team’s NBA championship in the locker room after Game 7 of the NBA Finals outside of the Boston Garden in Boston on June 12, 1984. The Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. (Photo by John Blanding/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /

10. 1983-84 Boston Celtics

If you’re a Lakers fan, this is the Celtics team you hate the most … and it’s not even close. In fact, if you’re a fan of basketball in any way, you love to hate this team. With guys like M.L. Carr and Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell waving towels and talking trash, this Celtics was among the most annoying teams in the history of the NBA. But man were they good.

The interesting twist to this team is their return to title status was spurred by getting rid of one of the most unlikable people in the organization. Coach Bill Fitch and his incredibly negative style had worn thin with the likes of star Larry Bird. Fitch was one of the primary reasons Bird developed his belief coaches have very short life spans on the sideline.

Suffice to say, the Celtics welcomed the hiring of long-time assistant and former Celtics star K.C. Jones to the sideline. Jones had a natural, quiet understanding of leadership. As a former player during the Celtics dominant run in the 1950s and 1960s (Jones won eight rings as a pro and two more as an NCAA champion with Bill Russell at USF), Jones knew how to calmly push and tug at players. Unlike Fitch, Jones wasn’t a control freak. As a result, the Celtics played with confidence and, as Maxwell showed, exuberance.

The major difference between this version of the Celtics and the better version two years later is this was more of a half-court offense dominated by the frontline play of Bird, Kevin McHale and center Robert Parish. That trio combined to average 61 points a game and the team didn’t push the ball nearly as much as it would do in coming years.

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