Five-straight Finals appearances and four championships in eight seasons is notable for any NBA era, yet the Golden State Warriors dynastic run is starting to look even more special as the league enters an historical period of parity.
The Warriors were the envy of the league for nearly a decade, dominating the Western Conference between 2015-2019 and adding the icing on the cake with another championship in 2022. Now, it appears unlikely that any team will enjoy a similar level of success in the near future.
The NBA is now far removed from the days of the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers dominating the league
With a young core led by one of the league's all-time greats, the Denver Nuggets appeared primed to start a dynastic run after winning the title last season. Yet instead, the reigning champs were stunned on Sunday as they proved helpless in the Minnesota Timberwolves overcoming a 20-point Game 7 deficit to advance to the Conference Finals.
Speaking after the game, Nuggets' head coach Michael Malone referred to the the physical and mental toll his side has faced in trying to become the first team to repeat since the Warriors in 2018.
"Not taking anything from Minnesota. We played until June last year. We had to play main guys through Game 82 to secure (a high) seed. I think emotionally and physically, guys are gassed."Michael Malone
That quote puts further perspective into Golden State's enormous effort to make five consecutive NBA Finals, and even the ability to bounce back from two underwhelming seasons to reach the mountaintop once again.
Denver's elimination means the NBA will crown a different champion for the sixth-straight season -- only the second six-year span in history where that's happened. Either the Timberwolves, Mavericks, Celtics or Pacers will join the Nuggets, Warriors, Bucks, Lakers and Raptors as champions over the past six seasons.
The NBA appears to have reached its goal of league-wide parity, proving a far cry from four-straight years of the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers meeting in the Finals. As Golden State's dynasty fades further into the distance, the league is seemingly making it an even rarer experience to be forever treasured.