Chuck's Definitive List of NBA Champions Not Requiring Asterisk

[Texas Chuck]

2006 deserves the biggest asterisk possible. There’s no debate

Everyone shot a bunch of FT's that year including our boy Dirk.

* Denied

[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.

[mademan]

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 and their victory over Golden State. The Raptors for all intents and purposes were the NBA champions that year, but if there weren't multiple injuries to Golden State it's hard to see that being the outcome...

Why does this matter though? Who cares who the best team in 2019 is? Golden state lost the finals because they had two of their three best players injured, but that doesn’t mean they still didn’t lose. If hypotheticals mattered, we wouldn’t watch the games.

It doesn't matter when it comes to arguing who the NBA champion was that year, it is relevant when discussing who the best team in the league was that year.

My point was that people who put asterisks on championships tend to confuse the two when they're not necessarily the same.

My personal belief is that short of cheating no championship should have an asterik next to it.

Is durability not a part of being the best team?

[Texas Chuck]

*2002

Feel bad for the Kings for sure. But sorry...

* Denied

[Texas Chuck]

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.

Oh no, I checked the Celtics titles very very carefully, including 2008.

* Denied

[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.

Oh no, I checked the Celtics titles very very carefully, including 2008.

* Denied

I wasn't actually making a case of an astrick. I was just using his weird backwards logic.

[Bornstellar]

2006 deserves the biggest asterisk possible. There’s no debate

Everyone shot a bunch of FT's that year including our boy Dirk.

* Denied

I'll never forget Dirk getting god like ref treatment against SA, and I still vividly remember him stepping on Tim Duncan's foot and Duncan getting his 6th foul because of it in one of the games warmed my heart to see the tables turned in the Finals


I agree though, no asterisks. Asterisks only exists to make the losers feel better

[QingJames]

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.

Was there a noticeable in difference between the two teams? Raptors swept the Warriors in the regular season series, including slapping a full-strength Warriors in Oracle with their starting lineup of 5 all stars.

That Raptors team was one of the best defenses in the history of the game. Sad how underrated they get because of the xenophobia of some Americans.

[uncleoswald]

kobe was usually good, but against the 2004 pistons he was not good.

i feel like it would be a more faithful retelling of history to say he was good against the pistons, on account of the fact that he was usually good.

i suggest the 2004 pistons get an asterisk.

[Texas Chuck]

kobe was usually good, but against the 2004 pistons he was not good.

i feel like it would be a more faithful retelling of history to say he was good against the pistons, on account of the fact that he was usually good.

i suggest the 2004 pistons get an asterisk.

Damn. Damn. I really don't want to hand out an asterisk to the 04 Pistons, but that case is nearly airtight. Kobe normally good, not good here, and lots of people really love Kobe and we had a huge Kobe fan just handing out asterisks left and right earlier this week so this would totally please him.

Yep, gonna have to allow this one.

2004 Detroit Pistons*

[ellobo]

I take offense to you putting an asterisk on the 71 Utah Stars title. You should be ashamed.

Umm...read the thread title again.

[uncleoswald]

Damn. Damn. I really don't want to hand out an asterisk to the 04 Pistons, but that case is nearly airtight. Kobe normally good, not good here, and lots of people really love Kobe and we had a huge Kobe fan just handing out asterisks left and right earlier this week so this would totally please him.

Yep, gonna have to allow this one.

2004 Detroit Pistons*

thank you, texas chuck, i feel like, especially because we can definitively prove the 04 pistons were the worst champions of the past 20 (possibly 40, maybe 60, who knows what about 80???) years, you will feel proud to deliver this asterisk.

[Quattro]

I’m gonna be sad when Chuck retires

[lonniefire]

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

This is a rebuttal to the KD Lebron Steph thread but I’m letting you know that this thread is going backfire on you, very badly. That dude must’ve pissed a lot of people off on here because there was a lot truth to what he was saying on that thread.

[Texas Chuck]

This is a rebuttal to the KD Lebron Steph thread but I’m letting you know that this thread is going backfire on you, very badly. because there was a lot truth to what he was saying on that thread.

1. Dude the people who already don't like me aren't going to dislike me any more over this lol. Also, are you threatening me?

2. No, no there wasn't any truth to what he was saying in that ridiculous thread. It was merely in the latest of his attempt to denigrate anyone he perceives as a threat to his favorite players. Nothing more, nothing less. And we should never support such transparent rubbish.

[theFireBlanket]

Asterisk thread wrt: use of Chuck in a basketball forum without actually alluding to (a list compiled by) Charles Barkley.

[Mickey8]

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

[Texas Chuck]

Asterisk thread wrt: use of Chuck in a basketball forum without actually alluding to (a list compiled by) Charles Barkley.

My screenname literally is a homage to Sir Charles. Asterisk request therefore unfortunately must be denied at this time.

[lonniefire]

This is a rebuttal to the KD Lebron Steph thread but I’m letting you know that this thread is going backfire on you, very badly. because there was a lot truth to what he was saying on that thread.

1. Dude the people who already don't like me aren't going to dislike me any more over this lol. Also, are you threatening me?

2. No, no there wasn't any truth to what he was saying in that ridiculous thread. It was merely in the latest of his attempt to denigrate anyone he perceives as a threat to his favorite players. Nothing more, nothing less. And we should never support such transparent rubbish.

No I’m not threatening you, I’m just giving you a heads up that this thread is not going to go the way you think.

That other thread turned into mental gymnastics, mainly for Lebron. It was some truth in there but I just didn’t like the part where he said Kawhi did things the right way lol.

If you think Lebron rings deserve an asterisk then it’s only right you feel the same way about KD and Steph. All 3 did the same thing with super teams and stuff. I don’t see an issue with that. I don’t see how you can compare any of these other champions to what these 3 did.

[-Sammy-]

I disagree about 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The rest are legit, though.