NBA Finals Reboot: This New Decade Belongs To The Miami Heat

The NBA Finals dates back its inception in 1950 and most of its history has been riddled with dynasty's and rivalries. It's what separates the NBA Finals from the MLB World Series and even the NFL Super Bowl. The NBA Finals usually introduces a decade of dominance by a team or two. Before we talk this years new dynasty and why it will happen let's recap shall we?

'50s and '60s

1950-1954: Minneapolis Lakers
Titles: 4 (5 including '49 BAA finals)
Recap: Lovellette and Mikan lead Lakers to first NBA Dynasty.

1957-1969: Boston Celtics
Titles: 11 (12 Finals appearances)
Recap: Bill Russell and Red Auerbach were the heartbeats of Boston basketball when they took the Celtics on his shoulders for a combined 11 titles in 13 seasons.

'70s

This is by far the lone decade where the words parity and NBA Finals could get along with eight different teams winning an NBA title. Those eight teams were the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Bullets, Seattle Supersonics, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks.

Honorable Mention: New York Knicks with Walt Frazier and Boston Celtics with coach Tom Heinsohn won multiple titles.

(Honorable Mention means teams that had success but fall short of a dynasty consideration)

'80s

1980-1989: Los Angeles Lakers
Titles: 5 (8 Finals appearances)

1981-1987: Boston Celtics
Titles: 3 (5 Finals appearances)

Recap: Magic Johnson versus Larry Byrd wanting to beat each other to bits. Coach K.C. Jones versus Coach Pat Riley. Period. One of the better rivalries in sports at the time.

'90s

1991-1998: Chicago Bulls
Titles: 6 (6 Finals appearances)

Recap: His Airness (Michael Jordan) took the NBA by storm and began a new dynasty in the NBA from the usual Celtics and Lakers along with sidekick Scottie Pippen and the legendary Phil Jackson as head coach.

Honorable Mention: Detroit Pistons won back to back titles in 1989 and 1990 prior to the Chicago Bulls dominance led by Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas. The Houston Rockets also won back to back titles in 1994 and 1995 at a time where Michael Jordan decided to take a break from the game.

'00s

1999-2007: San Antonio Spurs
Titles: 4 (4 appearances)

Recap Led by Tim Duncan, the Spurs began what some don't consider a true dynasty but the Spurs won titles in 1999 (which we will count), 2003, 2005, and 2007.

2000-Present: Los Angeles Lakers
Titles: 5 (7 appearances)

Recap: With the acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson at the helm, the Lakers began the decade with a three-peat from 2000-2002. This was the rise of Kobe Bryant who emerged as one of the best players in the league. The Lakers fell apart but resurged in the latter part of the decade winning back to back titles in 2009 and 2010.

Honorable Mention: None; Detroit Pistons made two appearances and won one while the New Jersey Nets appeared twice losing to the Spurs and Lakers. Not enough for consideration.

'10s

2011-?: Miami Heat
Titles: To Be Determined

Why it will happen: The Miami Heat constructed a roster with arguably the best trio any NBA team has ever had. It's something that hasn't been done before but while some might speculate how it will work there is no doubt that this will. For the past couple of decades we have had different teams make a stand (The Bulls of the 90's and the Spurs of the new Millennium) so it opens the door for a new dog in town in Miami.

Many will argue that Erik Spolestra will not be the coach to take the Miami Heat to the promise land but lets look back at Phil Jackson. He didn't have a title under his belt when he began his dynasty with the Chicago Bulls, Red Auerbach didn't when he began is extraordinary run with the Boston Celtics in the Sixties. All those coaches had the talent to win, no coach can coach an entire squad of bad players to an NBA title and that is a fact. So that said, Erik Spolestra is in the drivers seat.

Honorable Mention: The Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder.

Combination of Elements: When you take a glance at the roster, it's very easy to see why this Heat roster has a blend of past dynasties. Dwyane Wade can best be described as Michael Jordan, the clutch one, the one who has single handedly taken his team to the Finals and out with the Larry O'Brien Trophy. LeBron James can best described as Magic Johnson, a triple-double machine and a playmaker with a hint of Scottie Pippen. Last but not least, Chris Bosh can be considered as Tim Duncan, although not nearly as good as him, Bosh now has the players to potentially pose as big a threat as ever before and dominate.

Why Lakers' and Celtics Dynasty Dominance Is Over: The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are godfathers of the Finals. None of the two won a title in the 90's and barely dominated in the 70's which is a strong reason to assume that it will and can happen again, continuing a pattern. For the time being, both of these dynasties will die down and go on vacation letting another team or two take over.

How Many Rings? In the case of the Miami Heat, with 2 of the top 3 players in the league (Dwyane Wade and LeBron James) and Chris Bosh who is a top 20 player, will reign supreme. This trio is in their prime, Bosh is 26, LeBron is 25, and Wade is 28. The trio has 5-6 years of good years left in them. Their goal will be to get at least more than the Chicago Bulls of the '90s, who might have won a couple more had Michael Jordan decided not to retire.

Verdict: Miami Heat wins 7 Titles (5 of which are straight)
Oklahoma City Thunder wins 2 Titles