NBA History: Looking at all the NBA Champions since 2000

#3 Golden State Warriors - 3 championships (2015, 2017, and 2018)

Golden State Warriors Victory Parade

The Miami Heat went to 4 straight NBA Finals as did the Cleveland Cavaliers and both teams were led by LeBron James who appeared in 8 straight NBA Finals from 2011 to 2018. However, the Golden State Warriors have been the team to beat for 5 straight years (2015 to 2019) and won 3 titles during that time. They have revolutionized the game with a brand of small ball, ball movement, and an emphasis on three-point shooting.

What has also made their run this last 5 seasons so impressive is that except for free agent signings of KD and Andre Iguodala, their roster was built on draft picks which included the likes of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry. Twice they won 67 regular season games and set an NBA record with 73 wins in 2016. While they lost in 2016 to Cleveland during the NBA Finals, they had won it all in 2017 and 2018 and secured all their 3 titles against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Injuries, perhaps exacerbated by the additional 100 plus extra playoff games Warriors players have endured the last 4-5 years, conspired to rob the Warriors of their best lineup and efforts in a 6-game Finals defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

Now that Klay Thompson will miss a huge chunk of the 2019-20 season and Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and KD are no longer with the Warriors, it's possible that a new Western Conference finalist will emerge next season. However, do not dismiss the Warriors for the 2020-21 season.