Kevin Jackman

Written by Bobby Mette, follow us on Twitter- @kjackmansports or Facebook.com/jackmansports     

  The NBA Finals are upon us and the Dallas Mavericks are America’s last hope to take down the dominating talent from South Beach. The Series is tied at 2 games apiece, and should come down to game seven. It only seems right that Dirk and Jason Kidd win their first championship. Chicago fans would love to see Lebron fail in the Finals again so that the talks of the King vs. MJ can die down for the time being. While many people can’t help but pray that the Mavs will come out on top, Dirk and Co. have an opportunity to change history. Over the past 30 years, there have only been eight different NBA teams who have won a championship. EIGHT! Among the other three major sports, the NHL has had 14, the NFL has had 15, and the MLB (yes the MLB) has had the most with 19. The sport that does not have a salary cap, the sport in which many people become fed up with the amount of money the Yankees have, has had the most teams win a World Series Title.

            So how come the NBA has had so few teams share the glory of winning the NBA Finals in the last 30 years? Well, let’s take a look at those 8 teams who have won. Could it be that a superstar led each of these teams? The Lakers, believe it or not, have won 9 times. Their stars: Kobe, Shaq, Kareem, and Magic. The Bulls six times thanks to MJ, Scottie, and Dennis (Chicago fans: don’t try and argue for anyone else to be put here). The Celtics and Spurs have each won 4. Spurs studs: Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, and The Admiral. The Celtics of course have the “Boston three party” and Larry Bird.  Detroit three times: “The Bad Boys” won a couple back in the day and the most recent with Chauncey, Hamilton, and Wallace.  Houston won twice with Olajuwon and Clyde “The Glide”.  Miami and Philly each have won once. The Heat had their hero, Dwayne Wade, and Philly had Dr. J and Moses Malone. Most of the names just mentioned are or will be Hall-of-Famers. The one team that may not have had a standout superstar would be the Pistons team of the past decade. Many of these teams did have a strong supporting cast, which is a huge key for winning a title, but it is not be as important in the NBA. Let’s just say that a team like the San Francisco Giants will never win an NBA Title. There needs to be a top player in the league in order for a basketball team to bring home the hardware.

            The Dallas Mavericks have never won a championship before so they could add their name to the list, something the country would much appreciate. While it may seem like the dynasties will hang around for years to come due to the formation of all-star teams around the league, there may be some sharing of the wealth. The Heat should be around for a while and the Bulls have found their second coming. While the Lakers, Celtics, and Spurs have become pretty old, you can never count them out. The Thunder (Super Sonics) are the only team that has not won in the past 30 years that could very well win multiple championships in the next 10 years. The bottom line: don’t expect to see any new champions in the NBA anytime soon. The dynasties will continue to thrive, while the other major sports stand around and laugh. Next time you want to bash the Yankees for buying everyone, take a look at the past champions in the most watched sports. It’s proof that when it comes to basketball, one player is more likely to take over the game than in any other sport.

Last 30 MLB champions: 19

Giants, Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, Cardinals, White Sox, Red Sox, Marlins, Angels, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Yankees, Yankees, Marlins, Yankees, Braves, Blue Jays, Blue Jays, Twins, Reds, A’s, Dodgers, Twins, Mets, Royals, Tigers, Orioles, Cardinal, Dodgers, Phillies

Lat 30 NFL champions: 15

Packers, Saints, Steelers, Giants, Colts, Steelers, Patriots, Patriots, Buccaneers, Patriots, Ravens, Rams, Broncos, Broncos, Packers, Cowboys, 49ers, Cowboys, Cowboys, Redskins, Giants, 49ers, 49ers, Redskins, Giants, Bears, 49ers, La Raiders, Redskins, 49ers

Last 30 NHL champions: 14

Blackhawks, Penguins, Red Wings, Ducks, Hurricanes, Lightning, Devils, Red Wings, Avalanche, Devils, Stars, Red Wings, Red Wings, Avalanche, Devils, Rangers, Canadiens, Penguins, Penguins, Oilers, Flames, Oilers, Oilers, Canadiens, Oilers, Oilers, Islanders, Islanders, Islanders, Islanders

Last 30 NBA champions: 8

Lakers, Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Heat, Spurs, Pistons, Spurs, Lakers, Lakers, Lakers, Spurs, Bulls, Bulls, Bulls, Rockets, Rockets, Bulls, Bulls, Bulls, Pistons, Pistons, Lakers, Lakers, Celtics, Lakers, Celtics, 76ers, Lakers, Celtics