What would be the hypothetical modern equivalent to the 1969 NBA finals?

[ardee]

To this day I don't think we've yet seen a Finals as narratively epic as 1969. You had arguably five of the six greatest players of that generation on the court together for a full series. Both Wilt and West/Baylor had separate rivalries with the Celtics and then they teamed up for one final showdown against their shared enemy. You get one absolutely historical performance from West (38/5/7 on 57% TS for the series), it goes to 7 games and is decided by a single basket with one second on the clock.

It would be like if Jordan played the Rockets with Hakeem/Barkley/Drexler in 1998 instead of the Jazz and his famous winner coming in game 7 instead of 6.

What do you think the 2010-20s equivalent would be? One last LeBron-Warriors Finals if he goes back to Cleveland?

[Cavsfansince84]

I think KD having gone to Boston for Brown and then that Bos team vs LeBron's Lakers would be the closest since you get LA/Boston, LeBron-Boston(I think it would be LeBron's 7th playoff matchup with them) and LeBron-KD again.

[rk2023]

If it happens this year, I feel Lakers Warriors in round two (even if it's not the finals) would fit the bill imo.

Warriors team that is a far cry from their best seasons (using SRS & so on as a measuring stick), but with the same core players and a squad that's a tough draw who's still opened up a championship window. I see this as somewhat similar to the later 60s Celtics as opposed to their best units. Add in the one player who's beaten them (excluding 2019 sans Klay/Durant), and another player who's had some key battles with them in AD - along with a newer coach and new core with a 'rivalry' (mostly fueled by James' vs Steph's fans) and we've got a blockbuster outing.

I think we match up the best against GSW against any team out West, but getting there (for both teams) is easier said than done for both of these teams. Only time can tell.

[FuShengTHEGreat]

Not a Finals and not in the 2010-20 era but the 1986 WCF between the Lakers and Rockets in terms of the sentence
"on the court together for a full series" might be comparable in terms of uniqueness

I think that's the only playoff series in NBA history to have FIVE different players drafted #1 in their class on the court at the same time.

[Colbinii]

Not a Finals and not in the 2010-20 era but the 1986 WCF between the Lakers and Rockets in terms of the sentence
"on the court together for a full series" might be comparable in terms of uniqueness

I think that's the only playoff series in NBA history to have FIVE different players drafted #1 in their class on the court at the same time.

Tuesday nights LAL/MIN game had 4 previous #1 picks on the court.

[Colbinii]

2017 Warriors vs Cavaliers was already close with Draymond, Curry, LeBron and KD being 4 of the Top 6-7 players of the past decade.

[FuShengTHEGreat]

Not a Finals and not in the 2010-20 era but the 1986 WCF between the Lakers and Rockets in terms of the sentence
"on the court together for a full series" might be comparable in terms of uniqueness

I think that's the only playoff series in NBA history to have FIVE different players drafted #1 in their class on the court at the same time.

Tuesday nights LAL/MIN game had 4 previous #1 picks on the court.

Very close!

[OhayoKD]

To this day I don't think we've yet seen a Finals as narratively epic as 1969. You had arguably five of the six greatest players of that generation on the court together for a full series. Both Wilt and West/Baylor had separate rivalries with the Celtics and then they teamed up for one final showdown against their shared enemy. You get one absolutely historical performance from West (38/5/7 on 57% TS for the series), it goes to 7 games and is decided by a single basket with one second on the clock.

It would be like if Jordan played the Rockets with Hakeem/Barkley/Drexler in 1998 instead of the Jazz and his famous winner coming in game 7 instead of 6.

What do you think the 2010-20s equivalent would be? One last LeBron-Warriors Finals if he goes back to Cleveland?

2018 Cavs beating the 2018 Warriors. Cast discrepancy wasn't that, but 30+ great with a cast that had fallen off overcoming a superteam whose best player had injury issues and was possibly outplayed by his teammate is as close as you get over this time period.

The other examples that come to mind would be the 2011 Mavs actually upsetting the Heat and the 2015 Cavs beating the 2015 Warriors(after obliterating the Hawks).

The former is more analogous to 1968 and there's no co-star injury for the latter(this would be more appropiate for a hypothetical wilt upset in 1965), so I'd say that 2018 hhypothetical is more like for like.

Naturally someone who likes Wilt might not like the analogy, but it is what it is

[ShaqAttac]

Not a Finals and not in the 2010-20 era but the 1986 WCF between the Lakers and Rockets in terms of the sentence
"on the court together for a full series" might be comparable in terms of uniqueness

I think that's the only playoff series in NBA history to have FIVE different players drafted #1 in their class on the court at the same time.

Tuesday nights LAL/MIN game had 4 previous #1 picks on the court.

Very close!

woah

[PhiEaglesfan712]

To this day I don't think we've yet seen a Finals as narratively epic as 1969. You had arguably five of the six greatest players of that generation on the court together for a full series. Both Wilt and West/Baylor had separate rivalries with the Celtics and then they teamed up for one final showdown against their shared enemy. You get one absolutely historical performance from West (38/5/7 on 57% TS for the series), it goes to 7 games and is decided by a single basket with one second on the clock.

It would be like if Jordan played the Rockets with Hakeem/Barkley/Drexler in 1998 instead of the Jazz and his famous winner coming in game 7 instead of 6.

What do you think the 2010-20s equivalent would be? One last LeBron-Warriors Finals if he goes back to Cleveland?

2018 Cavs beating the 2018 Warriors. Cast discrepancy wasn't that, but 30+ great with a cast that had fallen off overcoming a superteam whose best player had injury issues and was possibly outplayed by his teammate is as close as you get over this time period.

The other examples that come to mind would be the 2011 Mavs actually upsetting the Heat and the 2015 Cavs beating the 2015 Warriors(after obliterating the Hawks).

The former is more analogous to 1968 and there's no co-star injury for the latter(this would be more appropiate for a hypothetical wilt upset in 1965), so I'd say that 2018 hhypothetical is more like for like.

Naturally someone who likes Wilt might not like the analogy, but it is what it is

This was the first thing I thought of. Had the 2018 Cavs defeated the Warriors or the Rockets in the NBA Finals. The 2018 Cavs were a 4-seed like the 1969 Celtics. And don't forget that the entire squad around LeBron got made over during the trade deadline. To me, LeBron's 2018 playoff run, especially the Toronto sweep and beating a much better Celtics team in the Eastern Conference Finals, was the most impressive of his career. The only that would top it is if he led this year's Lakers team to at least an NBA Finals appearance.

[prolific passer]

If the rockets and bulls met up in 97 then that would have been the closest one to 69.