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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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LANDOVER, MD – CIRCA 1979: Head coach Lenny Wilkens of the Seattle Supersonics looks on against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1979 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Wilkens coached for the Supersonics from 1969-72 and 1977-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – CIRCA 1979: Head coach Lenny Wilkens of the Seattle Supersonics looks on against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1979 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Wilkens coached for the Supersonics from 1969-72 and 1977-85. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

58. 1978-79 Seattle Supersonics

The beauty of this Supersonics team was most of the players were too young to understand they weren’t very good. At least not championship good. Seattle won the title with a bunch of guys who will never qualify as anything close to true stars. Jack Sikma was a second-year forward/center out of Illinois Wesleyan who had a nice little baseline fade, but not much else.

Guard Dennis Johnson, small forward John Johnson and forward Lonnie Shelton were the other under-25 players who made up a roster than included six players who averaged double figures on the season as the Sonics won the Pacific Division and then dominated two of the three playoff series they were in. Again, the overall condition of the league in the 1970s was so bad that no team was very good for very long. No team back-to-back titles during the decade.

57. 1958-59 Boston Celtics

Red Auerbach always had a knack for recognizing and stealing, er, acquiring talent from other teams. In 1951, he acquired guard Bill Sharman after Sharman’s rookie season. By the 1958-59 season, Sharman had developed into one of the two best scorers on the Celtics along with guard Bob Cousy. The two averaged more than 20 points a game and were the leading scorers among six Celtics who averaged in double figures.

Boston’s balanced offense was simply too much for the Minneapolis Lakers, who were led by dynamic scorer Elgin Baylor, but had little else to help him.

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