Which NBA champion(s) benefited most from injury?

[Spectrum]

No champion since 1984 has failed to validate their championship more than that lucky ass 2004 .

You sound dumb as fuck. They went back to the finals and almost won back to back if not for Sheed's dumb ass.

 

[Darrkman]

1999 Spurs got saved by two injuries. First it was the injury to David Robinson which allowed them to sink and be able to draft Tim Duncan. Then it was the injury to Ewing which allowed the Spurs to win in 1999.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[avantastic]

Not an injury but i think the league benefited from the brawl at the palace. I really think that pacer team was gonna go to the finals.

 

[D-TOWN REP]

Let me add the 2011 Mavs

I'm goin to count Lebron Tucking his tail as an injury

 

[spider705]

Houston Rockets. Both titles.

When the mob injured poppa Jordan to death for MJ refusing to point shave as payment for outstanding gambling debts and David Stern forced him to sit out a season plus to re-evaluate some things.

Injuries, dumb dumb.

Jordan chose to go play baseball. He was perfectly fine, health wise.

This bullshit about the mob, provide HARD EVIDENCE or stop the speculation.

I'm just here so I don't get fined

 

[Art Vandelay]

You sound dumb as fuck. They went back to the finals and almost won back to back if not for Sheed's dumb ass.

Name a team in the last 30 years that did less to validate its title.

 

[Mr. Met]

89 pistons when Magic and B. Scott pulled hamstrings, preventing a possible three peat.

This.

As soon as it happened the world knew.

Maybe 99 Spurs if and only if Camby found a way to neutralize Duncan.

 

[Curtwalk]

The 1980 LA Lakers... If Kareem hadn't gotten hurt, my Sixers might have won that series. They were adjusting to playing against Kareem, but had no clue Magic was THAT versatile and had no idea how to play him...

The lakers still would have won because Philly had no answer for Kareem.
He was the best player in that series through the first five games.

 

[vandamation]

1999 Spurs got saved by two injuries. First it was the injury to David Robinson which allowed them to sink and be able to draft Tim Duncan. Then it was the injury to Ewing which allowed the Spurs to win in 1999.

Sent from my Nexus 7

This.

As soon as it happened the world knew.

Maybe 99 Spurs if and only if Camby found a way to neutralize Duncan.

Camby got hurt... so did Larry Johnson...

 

[shaddyvillethug]

YALL niggas Coulda had Earl the pearl and b.King and still woulda lost famos

 

[shaddyvillethug]

Eewwll 2004 Pistons >>>>

Robert Horry game 6>>>>>>

 

[Incarcer8dagain]

The injury to david Robinson changed alot. Tim duncan would have been a boston celtic

 

[shaddyvillethug]

YALL niccas remember when robert Horry shot that 3 in 2002 WCF?

 

[Art Vandelay]

Camby got hurt... so did Larry Johnson...

I don't believe Camby was hurt for that series and don't remember any LJ injury. Still, Chris Dudley out there as a starter for the entire series instead of Patrick Ewing... That's significant enough on it's own.

Totally forgotten by history and the "scoreboard don't lie" idiots.

 

[DirtyCake]

Name a team in the last 30 years that did less to validate its title.

they went to the eastern conference finals 6 fuckin years in a row. won it in 2004 and lost in game 7 on the road in 2005 you stupid piece of shit. then had the best record in the nba in 2006...

 

[Maxxam]

YALL niccas remember when robert Horry shot that 3 in 2002 WCF?

Vlade was an excellent passer... Hit him right in stride

 

[Art Vandelay]

I think the Warriors were the best team this year but you have to add them to the list for going an entire postseason without playing against a healthy point guard.

Plus, we all know they wanted no parts of a first round match-up against the Thunder with a healthy Durant.

 

[KingTaharqa]

1991 Bulls. The 91 Lakers lost Worthy, Scott, and Coop to his injuries. Bulls just had to beat Magic and Vlade. Easy peasy.

 

[BDR]

I think the Warriors were the best team this year but you have to add them to the list for going an entire postseason without playing against a healthy point guard.

Plus, we all know they wanted no parts of a first round match-up against the Thunder with a healthy Durant.

Stop he nobody can guard Curry

 

[Art Vandelay]

1991 Bulls. The 91 Lakers lost Worthy, Scott, and Coop to his injuries. Bulls just had to beat Magic and Vlade. Easy peasy.

That's why I think this is a great conversation. That context gets lost to history when people just look at the final result and make all their judgments based on that.

 

[Nobody]

That's why I think this is a great conversation. That context gets lost to history when people just look at the final result and make all their judgments based on that.

Yeah and people will then say lebron lost three times in the finals but forget that 2007 was probably a team no one but lebron would've brought to the finals, and last year they played with significant injuries against a team that was largely healthy

 

[Art Vandelay]

Yeah and people will then say lebron lost three times in the finals but forget that 2007 was probably a team no one but lebron would've brought to the finals, and last year they played with significant injuries against a team that was largely healthy

That's another example of a myopic assessment based on the final result.

This is LeBron's 12th year in the league. He's been in the finals for half of them at this point. (Largely through signing up with team Voltron but that's another conversation.) People will diminish that argument by saying he's 2-4 in the Finals and would be 1-5 without one Ray Allen shot and comparing that to Jordan's 6-0 record or Kobe's 5-2 record. But that's a huge oversimplification-- if #45 Jordan didn't lose to Orlando in the conference finals but advanced and lost to Houston in the finals, that's greater success. Seven finals appearances with six championships is irrefutably better than six championships and only making it to the finals six times. If LeBron made it to the finals every year and still won the championship twice, his 2-10 finals record would be far more impressive than his actual 2-4 record. It's as if saying they'd have been better off losing in the playoffs earlier this year and the other three times they advanced to the finals and lost. It's just ridiculous that most people advantage finishing #3-30 over being #2.

 

[Amajorfucup]

2015 Golden State Warriors.

 

[alexw]

Stop he nobody can guard Curry

man curry was struggling against shump thursday night

and what does dumb ass blatt do

sits shump during crunchtime and OT but he plays james jones who was the primary source of all of the warriors runs

blatt is a fucking joke

 

[Nobody]

That's another example of a myopic assessment based on the final result.

This is LeBron's 12th year in the league. He's been in the finals for half of them at this point. (Largely through signing up with team Voltron but that's another conversation.) People will diminish that argument by saying he's 2-4 in the Finals and would be 1-5 without one Ray Allen shot and comparing that to Jordan's 6-0 record or Kobe's 5-2 record. But that's a huge oversimplification-- if #45 Jordan didn't lose to Orlando in the conference finals but advanced and lost to Houston in the finals, that's greater success. Seven finals appearances with six championships is irrefutably better than six championships and only making it to the finals six times. If LeBron made it to the finals every year and still won the championship twice, his 2-10 finals record would be far more impressive than his actual 2-4 record. It's as if saying they'd have been better off losing in the playoffs earlier this year and the other three times they advanced to the finals and lost. It's just ridiculous that most people advantage finishing #3-30 over being #2.

I feel you.

 

[Rollie_Fingaz]

I think, in terms of impact, a free ride to the finals is more significant than battling your way to the finals and facing a team that loses an important (but second-level) player for a couple of games in a tough series.

That Celtics squad never lost a playoff series with their starting 5 intact.

I don't believe Camby was hurt for that series and don't remember any LJ injury. Still, Chris Dudley out there as a starter for the entire series instead of Patrick Ewing... That's significant enough on it's own.

Totally forgotten by history and the "scoreboard don't lie" idiots.

LJ had a bad knee going into the series against Indiana and one of the Davis boys injured the other one. He couldn't guard Duncan when health. He wasn't going to do shit with two bad legs.

KNICKS SURIVE JOHNSON INJURY, OUST PACERS IN 6
By Kevin KernanJune 12, 1999 | 4:00am

This season of turmoil presented one more hurdle for the Knicks, one more test of faith thrown their way last night at the Garden. Larry Johnson went down with a sprained right knee with 6:03 remaining in the first half.

Sprewell also had a broken bone in his foot and Camby had a bad knee.

 

[Art Vandelay]

LJ had a bad knee going into the series against Indiana and one of the Davis boys injured the other one. He couldn't guard Duncan when health. He wasn't going to do shit with two bad legs.

Sprewell also had a broken bone in his foot and Camby had a bad knee.

Damn. The 1999 Spurs had it easier than I remembered. No way a healthy Knicks team didn't have a shot given how competitive that series was with all they were dealing with.

That Celtics squad never lost a playoff series with their starting 5 intact.

That's the peril of assembling an older team of veterans desperate to win one before Father Time takes over. The 2004 Lakers, who lost with an injured Malone, could say the same thing. And the 1999 Knicks. And, I'm sure, many other teams.

 

[Rembrandt Brown]

I did not remember speculation that the Warriors first title could possibly be attributed to a season-ending Durant injury.

On Life Without Durant for the Oklahoma City Thunder

This team could have a title by now had Westbrook and Ibaka not suffered ill-timed injuries during the 2013 and 2014 playoffs...

The Warriors, by the way, are a big winner here (after the 2015 Durant injury). It sounds crass, but that’s reality in the NBA. Almost every champion needs a bit of injury and matchup-related luck along the way, and injuries large and small have affected almost every playoff season. Don’t listen to any asterisk talk, ever. Look at league history and you’ll find that an injury tilted the championship odds at some point damn near every May or June.​

​

We Need to Talk About Kevin: On Life Without Durant for the Oklahoma City Thunder
MARCH 20, 2015
by ZACH LOWE

It was a wicked dilemma: A championship run would be the trump card in convincing Kevin Durant to stay in Oklahoma City, but to make that run, the Thunder and Durant would have to take an unknowable risk with his right foot.

In the end, Durant’s body spoke, and pushed a resolution upon an organization that is a mere 15 months away from a generational superstar hitting the free-agent market amid an unprecedented cap boom. Serge Ibaka is out at least a month after a knee scope, raising the possibility that he will miss some or all of the first round should the Thunder make it. A healthy Thunder team without Ibaka is still a dangerous animal, but it is hard to see them defending well enough to topple the juggernaut Warriors — the league’s best scoring team.

The championship odds got longer with Ibaka’s injury, and the risk/reward of Durant pushing through tilted more toward the “risk” side. When Durant’s foot started hurting on Thursday, everything pointed to this choice. The Jones fracture in Durant’s right foot should eventually heal fine if Durant spends enough time away from basketball, according to several trainers and foot specialists. Playing on it now, after a second surgery and these complications, carried a long-term risk of reinjury and created a situation that medical experts began to describe as untenable over the last 48 hours.

The Thunder and Durant are making the right choice, but it comes at a huge cost to the organization: It has likely lost its last chance to chase a ring with Durant before he becomes the most talked-about expiring contract since LeBron James in 2009-10.

...

 

[Rembrandt Brown]

A 2012 list of the most consequential injuries in NBA playoff history:

JUN 21, 2012

Blame it on the lockout-shortened season, blame on the shoe apparel companies, but there have been a ton of impactful injuries in this years NBA playoffs. Chris Bosh may not be scoring at his usual pace but his rebounding and defense have been huge in these NBA finals, and I am not sure the Heat would be up 3-1 in the series as I write this, if he didn’t come back from injury.

But truth be told, a lot of it just boils down to luck. Some injuries you just know are season ending, like when Baron Davis’s inner knee ligaments exploded like he stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan. Then there are others that look as bad and the player gets up and shakes it off.

It takes a talent, chemistry, and coaching, but let’s not act like every champion hasn’t had their share of luck to survive the gauntlet that is the NBA playoffs and finished unscathed as a champion.

History is often not kind to the unlucky teams, but looking at how injuries have helped dictate this year’s playoffs, I thought it was apropos to look back at the most significant injuries in NBA modern playoff history. Oh, what could have been?

Similar to all of the lists, it is so difficult to narrow it down So I narrowed it down to injuries that happened to key players on championship caliber teams.

To be clear, we are talking legit injuries here only. Not the Paul Pierce/Dwyane Wade death defying, wheel chair needing sprained ankles, only to come back and score 35 points type injuries.

To the list:

1. Magic Johnson – 1989

The Lakers, in quest for a 3-peat, were 11-0 in the playoffs, stomping through the Western Conference like Death Row records in the mid 90’s. Unfortunately, while the Pistons were battling it out in the tougher Eastern conference, the Lakers had a week off to prepare for the NBA finals. That gave Pat Riley time for 4 hour practices aimed on keeping his team sharp, but what it really did was overwork his starting backcourt. Byron Scott strained a hamstring in practice and missed the entire finals. The worst was yet to come however.

In a close physical game one, Magic, obviously the Lakers leader, on court coach, and every other cliché you want to use, strained his hamstring, rendering him useless the rest of the series. My Pistons would go on to sweep the short handed Lakers in just 4 games. While it sucked to see a legend like Magic Johnson injured, I had no guilt as a fan because just the year prior….

2. Isiah Thomas – 1988

The Pistons for my early childhood were unwatchable. Not only did they suck they were a wasteland of vagabond players. Dick Vitale was their coach for a hot second and no one I knew really went to the games. In 1981 that all changed. They drafted a 6 ft NCAA Champion with a crooked Afro and baby face smile. On the court he was all killer though. The franchise changed forever from the inside out.

In 1988 the Pistons had finally rid themselves of the Boston Celtics and made their first finals appearance. The Lakers were the heavy favorite but the Pistons didn’t care, stealing game 1 at the Forum. The series would go back and forth with the Pistons up in the series 3-2 as the teams returned to LA for game 6. Isiah had arguably the greatest quarter in NBA finals history, scoring 25 points on one foot in route to a 2 point loss.

Pat Riley, rightfully so I might add, refused to let the Pistons use the Lakers facility to help Isiah heal his severely sprained ankle. The Raiders, who were in Los Angeles at the time, let the Pistons training staff ice and elevate Thomas’s ankle at their facility in downtown LA. Unfortunately it didn’t matter, Zeke was rendered useless in game 7 and the Pistons lost on a horrific phantom call on Kareem that has left me more bitter than Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame speech.

3. Kevin Garnett - 2009

I still think the Celtics would have repeated if he hadn’t completely dislocated his knee cap. KG hasn’t been the same player since. He is still effective because he is such a skilled shooter and plays with an intensity unrivaled by any NBA Player in recent memory. The Celtics would go on to make a playoff run and eventually lose to the Orlando Magic, but the Celtics were the best team in the league that year until KG got hurt. His leadership and ability to draw the opposing team’s big man out of the paint are two qualities Boston simply couldn’t replace.

4. Kendrick Perkins – 2010

With one game between them and another ring, Kendrick – James Evans – Perkins blew his knee out in Staples center in game 6 of the NBA finals. Despite Kobe shooting 6 for 26 from the field, the much beleaguered Ron Artest (before he was Metta World War) saved the day for the Purple and Gold in game 7. But really what won the game for the Lakers was that the Celtics simply could not grab a rebound. Rasheed Wallace, with a joint in his right ear, gave a valiant effort but he was not prepared to play 30 minutes in a game that physical. The Celtics smallish front court eventually wore down as the game went on. Kendrick Perkins, despite the fact he runs like Larry Holmes (and I mean Larry Holmes present day) may have been the difference between a Laker repeat, and Celtic redemption.

5. Derrick Rose – 2012

The league’s reigning MVP had an injury filled season to say the least, but the Chicago Bulls persevered and found a way to lockdown the #1 seed in the east. But unfortunately in the 1st round of this years playoffs vs. the upstart Philadelphia 76ers, he made a jump stop move he has made a million times before but this time was different. Even all of us internet doctors knew that not only was his season over, but so were the Bulls chances at a championship.

6. Dwight Howard – 2012

The 2012 Orlando Magic were not going to win a championship if Howard was healthy or not. But the impact they could have given the Heat a similar series that the Celtics did. The Heat obviously have no center, and they struggle to stop point guards. Well, Orlando does have the best center in basketball and a shot first point guard in Jameer Nelson. Relax people, I am not saying Orlando would have beaten Miami, I am saying they may have extended them as long as the Celtics did.
A healthy Dwight Howard may not have gotten Orlando to the NBA finals, but he definitely would have had an effect on which team from the Eastern conference did.

7. Joe Johnson – 2005

Long before he was the grossly overpaid shooting guard for the Atlanta Hawks, Johnson played along side Steve Nash in the Phoenix Suns frenetic run and gun system. They finished the year with the most wins in the league, and were poised to make a run at the title. But in their series against Dallas, Joe Johnson injured his eye, and was forced to miss substantial time. They were still able to get past Dallas, but Johnson missed the first two games of the next series, versus San Antonio, and the Suns never recovered.

People forget how close that series was. Had Johnson been healthy, there is a real chance that the Suns might have unseated the eventual champs.

8. Patrick Ewing – 1999

It’s hard to call Ewing’s Achilles tendon injury back in 1999 devastating, since after Ewing finally dropped out of the postseason after Game 2 of the Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the #8-seed Knicks made their way to the Finals anyway. They lost to the Spurs 4-1. Ironically, they might not have reached the NBA finals had Ewing been healthy. But once they got there they sorely missed him vs. the twin towers of David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Marcus Camby played admirably but he is more of a weak side off the ball shot blocker, and he proved to be no match for Robinson down low, leaving a bulging disc, bearded Larry Johnson attempting to guard Duncan. As you can imagine, that didn’t work out too well.

9. James Worthy - 1983

This one doesn’t technically count because Worthy broke his leg with about two weeks left to go in his rookie season, but that injury did affect L.A.’s ability to repeat as NBA champions in ’83. That was Philly’s famous Fo-Fo-Fo championship year, and a big reason they won the title is because L.A. was too thin up front. That might not have been the case had Worthy still been playing.

10. Dirk Nowitski – 2003

I was happy to see Dirk Nowitzki win his first championship a year ago; it’s because a sprained knee possibly kept him from winning one in the 2003 postseason, which could very well have been the most impressive individual stretch of his career. I have always loved the simplicity of Dirk’s game. He relies on a great shooting stroke and precision like footwork. He’s a chess player with a hell of a one foot fade away jumper.

He started the playoffs that year with a 46-point outburst in Game 1 of Round 1, and then in the second round he pushed the Mavericks to a win in Game 7 over the Kings with a monster 30-point, 19-rebound game. In the very next game, the first of the Conference Finals against the Spurs, he dropped 38 and 19 in San Antonio, but by the end of Game 3 Dirk had a sprained knee that would keep him out of the rest of the series. The Spurs went on to beat the Nets in the Finals, while Dirk had to wait eight more years before finally getting that ring.

11. Yao Ming – 2009

It’s hard to believe that only a few short years ago, Yao Ming was one of the best centers in basketball. Yes he was always a step slow on defense, but offensively he was very skilled with his back to the basket or facing up. One of the things that really hurt Yao was the lack of big men for him to play against. There were times the game was simply too fast for him. Opposing teams would involve him in high pick and rolls on defense and he couldn’t effectively guard offensive players in space. It surely wasn’t for a lack of effort, but when you are 7’7 and have a head the size of a small planet, sliding your feet vs. a point guard is simply going to be a struggle.

Back in 2009, the Rockets were primed for a playoff run when their star broke his foot. Yao really was never the same after this injury, and the Rockets were bounced out of the playoffs by the eventual champion Lakers.

1. Magic Johnson – 1989
2. Isiah Thomas – 1988
3. Kevin Garnett - 2009
4. Kendrick Perkins – 2010
5. Derrick Rose – 2012
6. Dwight Howard – 2012
7. Joe Johnson – 2005
8. Patrick Ewing – 1999
9. James Worthy - 1983
10. Dirk Nowitski – 2003
11. Yao Ming – 2009

 

[BAG]

Kevin Love & Kyrie Irving out 2015 Nba finals Cleveland should have 2 chips!!!

 

[Day_Carver]

Kevin Love & Kyrie Irving out 2015 Nba finals Cleveland should have 2 chips!!!

You shouldn't have one chip, let alone 2....but it's all good

 

[Day_Carver]

Interesting thread. A lot of good points and perspectives.......

 

[xxironxx]

89 pistons when Magic and B. Scott pulled hamstrings, preventing a possible three peat.

Foh.

 

[g0nbad real bad]

Kevin Love & Kyrie Irving out 2015 Nba finals Cleveland should have 2 chips!!!

This

 

[Rembrandt Brown]

Kevin Love & Kyrie Irving out 2015 Nba finals Cleveland should have 2 chips!!!

This

i can think of a more recent example that tops that...