The first National Basketball Association title was won in 1947 by the Philadelphia Warriors over the Chicago Stags. In the following season, Philadelphia's repeat bid was ended in the Finals by the Baltimore Bullets.
Over the following 21 seasons from 1949-69, however, either the Lakers or Celtics franchises would go on to win 16 of the NBA titles at stake. That's more than 75 percent.
Let me reiterate: the Celtics and Lakers have won over half of the NBA titles. If there is any justice in sports (there isn't), neither of these teams would win another title ever again.
After Boston and LA, from watching through my lifetime I know the Bulls have 6, the Spurs have 4, the Pistons 3, as well as the Knicks and Rockets both with 2. But what about the rest?
One thing I particularly wondered was how many teams like my beloved Trail Blazers have won just a single title. As it happens, it's a pretty rare occurrence. Only three NBA teams that are still in their original cities - Portland, the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat - have a single title. The Atlanta Hawks also won a title while located in St. Louis (1958), as did the now-defunct Rochester Royals (they became the Kansas City and then Sacramento Kings) in 1951 and the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979 (they're now the Oklahoma City Thunder).
And if you add the Bulls and Spurs to the Celtics and Lakers, those four teams have won 42 of 62 titles. That means four teams have won over two thirds of the rings.
But in none of those sports (except maybe the Premiereship) is there such a clog of a small oligarchy of teams winning the vast majority of the titles.
It makes me all the more happy that Portland managed to beat the odds and win the 1977 championship. And that a very promising championship window may be opening for the Blazers soon.
Oh, and in the spirit of tonight's game: go Magic!
If I have to see that damned NBA "Where Amazing Happens" promo with Kobe alley-ooping to Shaq during the 2000 WCF 4th quarter collapse in Game 7, one more time!
The Lakers are just the big tease. They'll report that Phil Jackson won't come back to coach, he comes back. They'll report that Kobe wants to be traded, he comes back. They'll lose a home game in the playoffs, they'll take two back on the road.
There are no words to describe my contempt for that team. I abhor the colors yellow and purple, the floor colors for Laker home games blind me on TV. Ugh, and Jack Nicholson needs to spend more time on the golf course. They even have Spike Lee now.
Needless to say, whatever it says on my gravstone, a part of me wants it to read: "Lakers Suck!"
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