Top 5 teams from the 2000s that did not win an NBA championship
NBA history is mostly defined by teams, players, coaches and executives that managed to win the biggest prize in the league. However, the story always has two sides: the glory of NBA success and the disappointment of failure.
5 best teams from the 2000s that could not win an NBA title
Many former athletes are quick to point out that the pain of losing is much bigger than the joy of winning, and that is something many fans can relate to.
In this article, we will list five teams from the 2000s that were not fortunate enough to reach the ultimate goal in the NBA, even if they were constructed to compete for the biggest prize.
#5 2000 Portland Trail Blazers
The 1999-2000 Portland Trail Blazers were not a one-man show; they were a strong unit that was just one decent quarter away from upsetting the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant LA Lakers.
This Portland team was guided by Mike Dunleavy Sr. from the sidelines and had Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, Steve Smith, Arvydas Sabonis, Damon Stoudamire and Detlef Schrempf in the squad.
In the 1999-2000 regular season, the Portland Trail Blazers posted a 59-23 record, the second-best in the West. However, they were the third seed, as they did not win their division.
In the NBA Playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers met with the LA Lakers in the 2000 Western Finals.
After falling down 3-1, the Portland Trail Blazers tied the series and forced a Game 7. In the deciding game, the Trail Blazers entered the fourth quarter 71-58 and were up 75-60 with 10:28 left in the game.
Between the 10:28 and the 2:58 mark in the fourth quarter, the Portland Trail Blazers did not score a single point, and the LA Lakers came roaring back and took the game over.
Eventually, the LA Lakers won their first of three consecutive championships.
#4 2000 Indiana Pacers
Reggie Miller carried the Indiana Pacers franchise for 18 years, between 1987 and 2005, but he could not deliver an NBA title to the city. Miller's Pacers came awfully close a couple of times but often ran into legendary teams.
In 1998, during Larry Bird's first year as the Indiana Pacers' coach, they reached the Eastern Finals but were defeated by Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in seven games. After another exit in the 1999 Eastern Finals, the Pacers finally reached the NBA Finals in 2000.
The 1999-2000 Indiana Pacers finished the regular season with the East's best record, at 56-26. The team reached the NBA Finals with Miller, Jalen Rose, Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, Austin Croshere, and Dale Davis as the main performers.
However, the Pacers' chance in the finals came exactly when a dynasty was emerging in LA. Ultimately, the team fell in the 2000 NBA Finals to the Shaq-Kobe LA Lakers in six games, but it deserved recognition for the solid run.
#3 2005 Phoenix Suns
The 2004-05 Phoenix Suns, coached by Mike D'Antoni and guided on the court by Steve Nash, tied the franchise's best record during the regular season (62-20) and grabbed the best record in the entire NBA.
In the postseason, Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson led the team to the Western Finals after beating the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks.
Like every team on this list, the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns were stopped by a legendary team that was establishing a dynasty in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns lost in the Western Conference Finals against Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs in five games and saw their great season end without meeting with the Larry O'Brien trophy.
#2 2001 Philadelphia 76ers
The 2000-01 Philadelphia 76ers were impressive in the regular season and took the best record in the Eastern Conference, guided by Allen Iverson, who won the NBA scoring title and the MVP award that year.
The Larry Brown-coached team started the year with a 10-0 record and went on to earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers reached the 2001 NBA Finals after beating the Indiana Pacers in the first round and claiming two memorable seven-game series against the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks.
Not only was Iverson guiding the team on offense, but Dikembe Mutombo was also a big contributor, being the NBA Defensive Player of the Year that same season.
Iverson guided his side to a win in the first match of the NBA Finals with 48 points. It was the LA Lakers' first defeat of the entire 2001 postseason. However, unfortunately for the Sixers, it was the only loss for the Lakers.
Ultimately, Philly's great season ended with a five-game loss in the NBA Finals.
#1 2002 Sacramento Kings
The early 2000's Sacramento Kings, led by Chris Webber on the court and coached by Rick Adelman, posed a big threat to the Shaq-Kobe LA Lakers, especially in the 2002 NBA Playoffs.
With Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie and Vlade Divac, the 2001-02 Kings posted the best regular-season record in franchise history, 61-21, and had the best record in the entire NBA.
They reached the 2002 Western Finals after comfortable wins in the first and second rounds of the postseason. With home-court advantage, the Kings were looking at a great chance to take down the then two-time reigning champions LA Lakers.
The series went to seven games, as the Shaq-Kobe LA Lakers took some memorable wins, especially in Games 4 and 6, with Robert Horry's game-winning shot at the buzzer and the controversy of the sixth game, when the LA Lakers shot 27 free throws in the fourth quarter.
In the seventh game at ARCO Arena, the LA Lakers took a 112-106 win in overtime, with 35 points from Shaquille O'Neal and 30 from Kobe Bryant.
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