Chuck's Definitive List of NBA Champions Not Requiring Asterisk

[Pennebaker]

All rings during the expansion era (1988-2004) should have an asterisk.

Talent was severely diluted across the league and not only that but in the middle of this period the NBA moved the three point line in closer to help poor three point shooters like Michael Jordan (who of course won rings with the shortened three point line).

[BigGargamel]

A team 8-peating? The 62 Celtics definitely needs an asterisk.

[Texas Chuck]

All rings during the expansion era (1988-2004) should have an asterisk.

Talent was severely diluted across the league and not only that but in the middle of this period the NBA moved the three point line in closer to help poor three point shooters like Michael Jordan (who of course won rings with the shortened three point line).

So all teams playing under the same circumstances as every other team? Nothing unfair about that. And Mike didn't win any championships because they moved the line in. You must be overreacting to the Shrug Game I guess?

* Denied

[Texas Chuck]

A team 8-peating? The 62 Celtics definitely needs an asterisk.

Nothing about the legendary William Russell comes with an *

* Denied and frankly a little bit disrespectful

[Rodwilliams]

2015 Warriors easily deserve an asterisk because we saw what happened the following year when the Cavs were healthy. That’s the only series we have actual proof because of the rematch. Please don’t give me the ONE game Draymond suspension because they played two more games with Dray and lost.

We do not award asterisks because teams meet in b2b Finals with the other team winning the rematch. Had you buttressed this argument with the Celtics/Lakers(multiple times) or the Spurs/Heat I might have been able to test this argument for validity, but because this just seems to be an attempt to diminish a specific team you do not like, I must rule against you here. This is not about personal agendas or grudges but an objective attempt to see if any NBA titles deserve an *.

* denied and with prejudice

I made a valid point though. The Spurs/Heat matchup is incomparable because number 1 they were not up 3-1, they lost game 6 off lucky bounce off the rim to Ray Allen for three. I was already expecting them to beat the Heat the following year.

A lot of people thought they only won 2015 because of injuries and then they turn around and lose to the same team the following year when healthy. You beat a injured team one year and lose to them the following year when healthy. How is that not an asterisk? You kinda dodged and ducked the question by deflecting to “I’m Anti Warriors so you can’t take me serious”.

[druggas]

The 72 Lakers should have an asterisk only because they had a 33 game winning streak, won the championship, and got Jerry West his only ring! I rest my case.

[Texas Chuck]

The 72 Lakers should have an asterisk only because they had a 33 game winning streak, won the championship, and got Jerry West his only ring! I rest my case.

As stated earlier, I do applaud the positive nature of this kind of request. The spirit is correct. But if I allow this * then all the others drop down a level effectively giving them an *.

* denied but yes let's give a shout out to the great Jerry West and one of the greatest teams of all-time.

[giannis and 1]

There's a difference between putting an asterik next to a championship and arguing that a certain NBA champion in a given year clearly was not the best team in the league and only wound up on top at the end because of some fortunate / dubious breaks...

health is part of the game. Should the Bucks title be under-appreciated because the Nets put together a team built out of glass or that the Lakers 2 best players are either frail or old?

1. I didn't specifically call out the Bucks but the fact you immediately went there is telling...
2. Kyrie is injury prone, Harden is not.
3. The first team I thought of was the Raptors. The Raptors for all intents and purposes beat the Warriors and were NBA champions in 2019, and should be remembered as such... But that doesn't mean it's irrational to believe that the Raptors would have gotten wrecked had GS been healthy. There was a noticeable difference in peaks between both teams when healthy.

Nets have 2 injury prone superstars and Harden’s fat ass was not in shape when he joined the Nets. Maybe if he was in better shape, he wouldn’t have gotten injured.

Hard to blame the Bucks for that.

[Memories]

Well Kobe was going nowhere until Stern gifted them Pau Gasol who was one of the best big men in the game at that time .

If you're going to talk about somebody gifting a team a player, at least get the people responsible right. Like Jerry West/Chris Wallace.

By that same logic, the Celtics were going nowheresville until Celtic alumni Kevin McHale gifted them Kevin freaking Garnett. That's a big ass astrick right there.

The league had to approve that travesty of the trade, I know Marc Gasol turned out to be a pretty good player later on, but at that time, it was ridiculous, Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol

Huh. That's interesting. It's like...it wasn't a straight up Kwame Brown deal.

Just such a silly thing to pick on of all trades that were and currently are MUCH MORE lobsided. (Like the Celtics being gifted Kevin freaking Garnett?!). Especially in a astricks argument.

[Gramercy Riffs]

2015 Warriors easily deserve an asterisk because we saw what happened the following year when the Cavs were healthy. That’s the only series we have actual proof because of the rematch. Please don’t give me the ONE game Draymond suspension because they played two more games with Dray and lost.

We do not award asterisks because teams meet in b2b Finals with the other team winning the rematch. Had you buttressed this argument with the Celtics/Lakers(multiple times) or the Spurs/Heat I might have been able to test this argument for validity, but because this just seems to be an attempt to diminish a specific team you do not like, I must rule against you here. This is not about personal agendas or grudges but an objective attempt to see if any NBA titles deserve an *.

* denied and with prejudice

I made a valid point though. The Spurs/Heat matchup is incomparable because number 1 they were not up 3-1, they lost game 6 off lucky bounce off the rim to Ray Allen for three. I was already expecting them to beat the Heat the following year.

A lot of people thought they only won 2015 because of injuries and then they turn around and lose to the same team the following year when healthy. You beat a injured team one year and lose to them the following year when healthy. How is that not an asterisk? You kinda dodged and ducked the question by deflecting to “I’m Anti Warriors so you can’t take me serious”.

Given that you admit that you're anti-Warriors and unable to comment on them objectively, you can't be taken seriously and should be dismissed.

[loserX]

I notice the 2022 championship isn't on there. What do you know about the 2022 championship, Chuck?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW??

[brutalitops]

Every year deserves an * because everyone cheated the wolves out of the title

Straight facts.

[Kordic27]

There's a difference between putting an asterik next to a championship and arguing that a certain NBA champion in a given year clearly was not the best team in the league and only wound up on top at the end because of some fortunate / dubious breaks...

health is part of the game. Should the Bucks title be under-appreciated because the Nets put together a team built out of glass or that the Lakers 2 best players are either frail or old?

1. I didn't specifically call out the Bucks but the fact you immediately went there is telling...
2. Kyrie is injury prone, Harden is not.
3. The first team I thought of was the Raptors. The Raptors for all intents and purposes beat the Warriors and were NBA champions in 2019, and should be remembered as such... But that doesn't mean it's irrational to believe that the Raptors would have gotten wrecked had GS been healthy. There was a noticeable difference in peaks between both teams when healthy.

I personally thought it was weird that the nba gave the raptors a bye all the way to the finals.

[Rodwilliams]

We do not award asterisks because teams meet in b2b Finals with the other team winning the rematch. Had you buttressed this argument with the Celtics/Lakers(multiple times) or the Spurs/Heat I might have been able to test this argument for validity, but because this just seems to be an attempt to diminish a specific team you do not like, I must rule against you here. This is not about personal agendas or grudges but an objective attempt to see if any NBA titles deserve an *.

* denied and with prejudice

I made a valid point though. The Spurs/Heat matchup is incomparable because number 1 they were not up 3-1, they lost game 6 off lucky bounce off the rim to Ray Allen for three. I was already expecting them to beat the Heat the following year.

A lot of people thought they only won 2015 because of injuries and then they turn around and lose to the same team the following year when healthy. You beat a injured team one year and lose to them the following year when healthy. How is that not an asterisk? You kinda dodged and ducked the question by deflecting to “I’m Anti Warriors so you can’t take me serious”.

Given that you admit that you're anti-Warriors and unable to comment on them objectively, you can't be taken seriously and should be dismissed.

Everything I stated in that post was facts. Where’s the lie? It still not an excuse for him to duck the question by deflecting to something else. He dodged the question because he had no rebuttal, had no answer for it, that’s why he changed the subject.

[Ckay]

Just shut the NBA down.

[Beethoven]

Lots of talk in recent days about which titles should have asterisks. So I have undergone an exhaustive research project and present you with an undisputed list of champions who should not have their achievement marred in any way by that peskiest of special characters: *

All teams not on the below list remain open for debate to be asterisked if you can justify it, but these must forever be excluded. You are welcome, but please attribute credit.

Spoiler:

2021 Milwaukee Bucks
2020 Los Angeles Lakers
2019 Toronto Raptors
2018 Golden State Warriors
2017 Golden State Warriors
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers
2015 Golden State Warriors
2014 San Antonio Spurs
2013 Miami Heat
2012 Miami Heat
2011 Dallas Mavericks
2010 Los Angeles Lakers
2009 Los Angeles Lakers
2008 Boston Celtics
2007 San Antonio Spurs
2006 Miami Heat
2005 San Antonio Spurs
2004 Detroit Pistons
2003 San Antonio Spurs
2002 Los Angeles Lakers
2001 Los Angeles Lakers
2000 Los Angeles Lakers
1999 San Antonio Spurs
1998 Chicago Bulls
1997 Chicago Bulls
1996 Chicago Bulls
1995 Houston Rockets
1994 Houston Rockets
1993 Chicago Bulls
1992 Chicago Bulls
1991 Chicago Bulls
1990 Detroit Pistons
1989 Detroit Pistons
1988 Los Angeles Lakers
1987 Los Angeles Lakers
1986 Boston Celtics
1985 Los Angeles Lakers
1984 Boston Celtics
1983 Philadelphia 76ers
1982 Los Angeles Lakers
1981 Boston Celtics
1980 Los Angeles Lakers
1979 Seattle SuperSonics
1978 Washington Bullets
1977 Portland Trail Blazers
1976 Boston Celtics
1976 New York Nets
1975 Golden State Warriors
1975 Kentucky Colonels
1974 Boston Celtics
1974 New York Nets
1973 New York Knicks
1973 Indiana Pacers
1972 Los Angeles Lakers
1972 Indiana Pacers
1971 Milwaukee Bucks
1971 Utah Stars
1970 New York Knicks
1970 Indiana Pacers
1969 Boston Celtics
1969 Oakland Oaks
1968 Boston Celtics
1968 Pittsburgh Pipers
1967 Philadelphia 76ers
1966 Boston Celtics
1965 Boston Celtics
1964 Boston Celtics
1963 Boston Celtics
1962 Boston Celtics
1961 Boston Celtics
1960 Boston Celtics
1959 Boston Celtics
1958 St. Louis Hawks
1957 Boston Celtics
1956 Philadelphia Warriors
1955 Syracuse Nationals
1954 Minneapolis Lakers
1953 Minneapolis Lakers
1952 Minneapolis Lakers
1951 Rochester Royals
1950 Minneapolis Lakers
1949 Minneapolis Lakers
1948 Baltimore Bullets
1947 Philadelphia Warriors

I saw this thread and was slightly amused to see which pudgy soft-underarmed, 30yr old still living w his parents , never accomplished anything in life , never involved in any team experience, Google searching millennial started this topic , and to my slight confusion to see Texas chuck started it. I was honestly a bit afraid to click on the spoiler to see his list.
LOL

[shangrila]

ABA is non-canon here. * Denied for all 7 seasons.

Huh?

You put them in your list. If ABA isn't canon, why put them in?

I copy and pasted obviously. Way too lazy to type all that and check it for ABA teams. Regardless the NBA champions are legit champions.

The whole list needs an asterisk now.

[BostonCouchGM]

injuries shouldn't factor into the discussion. It's a part of the game and often it's war of attrition. If you included injuries as a factor then pretty much every champion would deserve and asterisk. Asterisks are warranted when stars collude to join other stars and when it's clear the league intervenes via officiating or suspensions. The NBA is a TV show. Of course it's rigged to try and make sure its biggest, most marketable stars are in the Finals. "I'm Coming Home" commercial was played all during the 2016 season when Lebron went back to CLE. He was always going to win a ring that season. They decided that story line well in advance and it wouldn't' have been a successful marketing campaign if they lost.

[RoyceDa59]

Amen

[Lunartic]

What does an "asterisk" mean? That the title was won via irregular means?

If the Bucks played the Suns and the Suns were missing their entire team and required random walk-ons and floor wiping boys to play instead, would that be considered an asterisk title?

At some point we have to acknowledge some titles are worth more in terms of basketball hardship and accomplishment than others. There is a hierarchy unless you're a dullard that thinks the KD Warriors titles are on par with Dirk's or Lebron's Cav title.

Surely, posters here understand there's more nuance to the game than "hurr they won the title that all that mattr!"