All the bubbly has been popped. The thick fog of confetti has settled to the ground. The parade is a thing of the past. And now, the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors are about to exit their offseason wonderland with a target on their backs and all eyes on their prize. They won't be back here again unless they can fight off the hordes.
And history.
Title defenses are genuinely difficult. If winning a championship is the mountaintop, repeating that feat is the moon.
Only 10 different teams have won titles during the three-point era (1979-80 onward). Five teams—Boston Celtics (four), Chicago Bulls (six), Los Angeles Lakers (10), Miami Heat (three), San Antonio Spurs (five)—account for 28 of the 36 Larry O'Brien Trophies handed out during that time.
Despite that consistency, just five squads—Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Bulls, Lakers and Heat—managed to repeat as title-holders.
Winning even a single championship is an exclusive accomplishment, one Golden State already achieved. And while that experience should ...
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Article written by Dan Favale