Former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson knows something about winning championships.
The legendary head coach coined the 40/20 rule, citing that a team is a genuine contender if they reach 40 wins before 20 losses. Hitting 40 wins before their 59 games often indicates the team is on track to win a championship.
Many teams he has coached in the NBA have achieved this milestone. Now, the three best teams in the NBA are the current embodiment, as highlighted by one Reddit user predicted, almost on the nose.
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Phil Jackson's 40/20 rule still rules
There is no arguing against Phil Jackson. He is widely considered the best coach in NBA history, playing a pivotal role in two of the greatest dynasties in the sports, and his 40-20 rule has stood the test of time, continuing to hold relevance in today's game.
Only four teams throughout the NBA managed to win a championship, falling short of that barometer. You'll have to go back to 2021, where the Bucks managed to win it all that season but in a shorten season.
40/20 rule 🏆
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) June 13, 2023
'23: Y
'22: Y
'21: N
'20: N/A
'19: Y
'18: Y
'17: Y
'16: Y
'15: Y
'14: Y
'13: Y
'12: N/A
'11: Y
'10: Y
'09: Y
'08: Y
'07: Y
'06: N
'05: Y
'04: N
'03: Y
'02: Y
'01: Y
'00: Y
'99: N/A
'98: Y
'97: Y
'96: Y
'95: N
'94: Y
'93: Y
'92: Y
'91: Y
'90: Y
'89: Y
The 1995 Houston Rockets, 2003 Detroit Pistons, and 2006 Miami Heat join the Bucks on this list of teams who won a championship reaching the 40-20 threshold.
Celtics, Thunder and Cavaliers are this year's 40/20 contenders
The Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Cleveland Cavaliers all have eclipsed 40 wins this season before losing 20 games, which should only be bolded well for their championship aspirations. All three teams are odds-on favorites to be playing for an NBA championship.
The Cavaliers (47-10) and the Celtics (41-16) are the No. 1 and No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and appear to be on a collision course to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics are six games back of the top seed and can quickly push the Cavs for home-courtadvantage throughout the playoffs for the Eastern confereence.
Meanwhile, the Thunder (46-11) are leading the Western Conference. At season's end, any of these three teams could win the Larry O'Brien trophy.