A Decade of Equality The 1970s saw eight different NBA champions - the most of any decade - and no back-to-back winners. Every other decade has a signature team or teams. The league had only three champions in the ‘40s, but the last was the Minneapolis Lakers, who won in 1949, then captured five more titles in the ‘50s. The ‘60s had the Celtics. The ‘80s had Boston and Los Angeles. The ‘90s, well, they’re Bulls territory. But the 1970s can’t be characterized by one team. More than any other time, the era could best be noted for its parity. When the 1970s began, the league was a two-division, 14-team league coming off a Boston Celtics monopoly of 10 championships in 11 years. For many fans, the NBA wasn’t just dominated by the Celtics, it was the Celtics. But times changed and by decade’s end, the league had ballooned to 22 teams in four divisions and had engulfed the ABA. However, the ‘70s were the opposite of the decade before it. The 70’s were dominated by no one, the championship trophy could count on a new holder each year. There were 8 different champions in the 70s, the most in any 10 yr period of the NBA. Only six times did the team with the league’s best regular-season record earn a trip to the NBA Finals. And not a single team defended its title. Ironically, the decade produced the most uneven matchups, with two series sweeps and three more getting settled in only five games. It was also a period that preceded the time when the spectacular play became a regular part of NBA games. The league had its share of players who played in rare air – notably Elgin Baylor. But there was not the great number of leapers and fliers that entered the league later. Erving arrived in ’76, but he was one of a kind. Perhaps, the lack of a singular marquee team diminished the 70’s respect, the respect that was given to the 60s and the 80s. Yet the case could be made that some of the ‘70s teams deserve to be ranked among the greatest in NBA history: the Lakers of 1972, Knicks of ’73 and Blazers of ’77. Portland’s 1977-78 squad might have had the decade’s best chance of establishing a mini-dynasty with a repeat title, but a rash of injuries subverted a 50-10 start. The multitude of great teams has made it hard to categorize the time as great or average. Instead, it has become a jumble of images and personalities. “I think we helped determine the growth of the league,” West said, “and I think we left a lot of memories that are now just being discovered.” Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham, who won NBA titles as a player in 1967 and as coach in 1983, might have given the best endorsement for the 1970s. “Looking back on the era I played in, and I’ve been involved in the league 30 years, I wouldn’t give up that era for anything.” The 70’s Underrated or Not? - Blake
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 02:58:48 +0000
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