Who Is In The Nba Championship?
Contents
The NBA Championship is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion.
The Teams
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league’s Western Conference in the Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers. Initially a member of the NBL, the Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship before joining th
e rival Basketball Association of America, where they would win five of their next six championships. Led by center George Mikan, who is described by the NBA’s official website as “the league’s first superstar”,[7] they won their first NBA title in 1949. After struggling financially in the late 1950s following Mikan’s retirement, they relocated to Los Angeles before buying out Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Continental Airlines Arena in 1960.
The Lakers won five championships between 1960 and 1972. Led by players including Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, they advanced to eight NBA Finals, winning three consecutively starting in 1972.[8]
In 2000, Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Lakers.[9] He teamed with Kobe Bryant to form what many consider one of the best duos in NBA history.[10][11][12][13][14] They won three consecutive championships between 2000 and 2002,[15][16] securing their second “three-peat”. After losing both conference finals in 2003 and 2004,[17][18] O’Neal was traded to Miami. Dwight Howard was acquired from Orlando in 2012; he would be traded two years later. James Harden was acquired from Houston in 2012; he would also be traded two years later. In 2018, LeBron James signed with Los Angeles.[19] The following year, Anthony Davis was acquired from New Orleans; James and Davis led them to their record-setting 17th championship that year.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The Heat play their home games at American Airlines Arena, and have won three NBA championships.
The Players
When it comes to the NBA Championship, there are a lot of talented players. However, there can only be a few players who are in the championship. In this article, we will be discussing who is in the NBA Championship.
LeBron James
LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history, and has frequently been compared to Michael Jordan in debates over the greatest basketball player of all time. A four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a three-time NBA Finals MVP, James has won 16 NBA championships, including four with the Miami Heat and two with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has also been selected to 15 NBA All-Star teams, made 10 All-NBA First Teams, and five All-Defensive First Teams.
Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis was selected first overall in the 2012 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, is a five-time NBA All-Star, and has been named to three All-NBA First Teams and three NBA All-Defensive Teams. He also won a gold medal as a member of the United States national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing one year of college basketball for Tyler Junior College, he transferred to Marquette University. He was drafted with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. Butler grew up in Houston, Texas.
The Coaches
Frank Vogel
Frank Vogel is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Vogel was hired as the Lakers’ head coach in May 2019.
Erik Spoelstra
Erik Spoelstra is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach of the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a two-time NBA champion, winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 as part of the Miami Heat’s Big Three with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Spoelstra was born in Evanston, Illinois, to Jon Spoelstra and Jayne Bially-Spoelstra. His father was the general manager of several NBA teams, most notably the Buffalo Braves and the Portland Trail Blazers. Jon Spoelstra is also well known for consulting work he did for various NBA teams. Spoelstra’s grandparents immigrated from The Netherlands to Curaçao, then to Chicago.
Spoelstra attended Jesuit High School in Beaverton, Oregon, where he played basketball and was a three-time letterman. In his senior year, he helped lead his team to a 26–2 record and a state championship. He then enrolled at the University of Portland, where he played basketball for four years under head coach Jack Ramsay. Ramsay has been credited with teaching Spoelstra “the importance of having a detailed knowledge of every aspect of the game.”
The Fans
The fans are the ones who make the championship what it is. They are the reason why the players play their hardest and why the teams strive to be the best. The fans give the championship its excitement and energy. They are the ones who make the championship what it is today.
Lakers Fans
Lakers fans are some of the most dedicated and passionate fans in all of sports. They bleed purple and gold, and live and die by their team. They are also some of the most spoiled fans in all of sports. The Lakers have won 16 NBA championships, the second most in NBA history, and have been to the Finals a record 31 times. As a result, Lakers fans expect their team to win every year, and are often disappointed when they don’t. But even when the team is struggling, there are always die-hard Lakers fans who will support them no matter what.
Heat Fans
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. They play their home games at American Airlines Arena, and have won three NBA championships.
The franchise began play in 1988 as an expansion team, whereafter it won its first conference title in 2006 and its first NBA Championship in 2012. The Heat have appeared in the NBA Finals in 2006, 2012 and 2013, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games, the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games during 2012 NBA Finals, and the San Antonio Spurs in five games during the 2013 NBA Finals.
As of 2020, the Heat hold the record for the fourth-longest active streak of postseason appearances with 10 straight appearances from 2005 through 2014. They also hold a streak of nine straight playoff series victories (2009–2017), which is tied with the Houston Rockets for second longest active streak behind the Golden State Warriors (16).