NBA set to have 9th franchise win a title in Adam Silver's 12 seasons as commissioner. Parity reigns
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — In the entirety of David Stern's 30-year tenure as the NBA's commissioner, eight different franchises won a championship.
Adam Silver is in Year 12 of his run overseeing the league — and a ninth different franchise is about to win a title on his watch.
The parity era in the league
is not new, and it most certainly lives on this year, with either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers set to become NBA champions. The winning team in these NBA Finals will be the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, a run the likes of which the league has never experienced before.
'We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league,' Silver said Thursday night in his annual news conference before Game 1 of the finals. 'The goal being to have 30 teams all in the position, if well managed, to compete for championships. And that's what we're seeing here.'
In Stern's 30 years, the eight championship-winning franchises were the Los Angeles Lakers (eight times), Chicago (six), San Antonio (four), Boston (three), Miami (three), Detroit (three), Houston (twice) and Dallas (once).
For Silver, the chart looks much different. Golden State has won four titles since he became commissioner, and Milwaukee, Cleveland, Boston, the Lakers, Denver, Toronto and San Antonio have one. Oklahoma City or Indiana will be the next entry on that list.
'David used to joke early on in his tenure as commissioner,' Silver said. 'He said his job was to go back and forth between Boston and L.A. handing out championship trophies.'
And this run — seven champions in seven years — started in 2019, immediately after Cleveland and Golden State played in four consecutive finals and the league heard plenty of grumbling about a lack of unpredictability. In that seven-year span, 11 different franchises (out of a maximum of 14, obviously) have been to the finals at least once, with the Thunder and Pacers the newest names on that list.
'It's healthy for the league for all 30 teams to be constantly positioning,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'If you're good, you have to navigate being good. If you're not good, there's systematic things that can help you. I think generally that's good for the league. We're not focused on what's good for the league. We're focused on what's good for the Thunder. We're trying to operate within that environment.'
In other matters covered by Silver on Thursday:
Expansion
There is a board of governors meeting in Las Vegas next month, and Silver thinks it's likely that those owners will decide at that time whether or not to take the next official step toward expanding the league in the coming years.
Officially exploring the notion of adding teams seems likely.
'It will be on the agenda to take the temperature of the room,' Silver said. 'We have committees that are already talking about it, but my sense is at that meeting they're going to give direction to me and my colleagues at the league office that we should continue to explore.'
That does not mean it will definitely happen, even though there are certain markets — Seattle and Las Vegas among them — that are known to want NBA teams.
'I'd say the current sense is we should be exploring it,' Silver said. 'I don't think it's automatic.'
Silver said he and the league office have gotten numerous calls from groups about potential expansion, with the standard response — until now — being that the NBA appreciates the interest but isn't ready for any real talks.
That's what will likely change, with the plan — if the owners give the go-ahead — set to include engagement with outside advisors evaluating market opportunities, media opportunities and other factors.
All-Star Game
Speaking on the topic of next year's All-Star Game for a second straight day, Silver said he hasn't given up on finding a formula that works.
Silver revealed in an interview on FS1 on Wednesday that a
U.S. vs. the world game
is possible in some form for next year's All-Star Game, which will be aired in mid-February on NBC — smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics, also on NBC. So, the U.S. vs. World theme would fit perfectly with Olympic coverage.
'I think we're on to something,' Silver said.
The idea — U.S. vs. World — has been bandied about for months, and top international players like San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo have said they would be intrigued by such an idea.
'We are looking at something that brings an international flavor into All-Star competition,' Silver said. 'We're still experimenting internally with different formats and talking with the players' association about that. I don't think straight-up U.S. vs. World makes sense, but that's not what they did in the NHL either.'
Silver was referring to the 4 Nations Face-off, which was a smashing success during a stoppage during the NHL season this past February.
Season length
After a postseason where injuries hit a number of top stars — Boston's Jayson Tatum, Golden State's Stephen Curry and Milwaukee's Damian Lillard among them — Silver said the league isn't looking at reducing the current 82-game regular season in an effort to lower workload on players.
'Money's part of it. There's no question about it. We're a business,' Silver said. 'But having said that, I don't really see the benefit to reducing the number of games. ... We have absolutely no data to suggest that.'
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
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an hour ago
- New York Times
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Advertisement 'Shot making is important in this league, but especially in the playoffs, they are not as important as coming in there possession by possession, grinding down and doing what you're supposed to do.' Facing their largest deficit of the game early in the fourth quarter, the wear-down effect was once again in effect. Rather than throwing in the towel, the Pacers kept fighting. Going against one of the NBA's most physical defenders, Nembhard didn't back down and ran through Alex Caruso wrapping him up for a foul like a running back trying to get into the endzone and finished the tough layup through contact to keep the Pacers in the game. Indiana's use of intensity, pace, physicality and high pressure has become a strategy it's known for. In this year's playoffs, the Pacers have frustrated teams, forcing opponents into their play style and getting them out of rhythm. 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Advertisement 'They're a very fast team,' Gilgeous-Alexander said at media day on Wednesday. 'I think, like, above all, they understand how they're playing and they're very, like, stubborn in their approach. They kind of like grind you with the way they play. They wear you down.' After the Pacers forced the Thunder into chaos with their full-court press and Holmgren missed his full-court attempt at the rim, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault decided to go to a smaller lineup that could handle the ball better and still apply pressure on the perimeter. But that tactical decision meant Siakam was the biggest player on the floor and the same effort he showed at the start of the second half would end up coming up clutch as the Thunder tried to close the game. While Siakam didn't touch the ball on the possession above, he knew if he continued to work and do his job, he could outwork the smaller Thunder players around him and put himself in position for a rebound. 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It happened so fast,' Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the game. 'I feel like we got matched. He got down going right. Pulled up from middie. Knocked down the shot. 'I don't know, it didn't feel like anything crazy. He just made a play with the time winding down. Made a good play.' Advertisement That's exactly how Indiana wants it. 'It's part of a formula. I think that when you get to this time of year, you don't switch up what you do,' Turner said of the impact of the wear-down effect. 'We know this is a younger team. It's a team that kind of has the same philosophy as us. In the fourth quarter, when you get picked up full court or you get worn down a bit, the shots are a lot harder to hit. Those 3s that you've been hitting all game are a little bit different in the last three minutes when you're a little more tired. 'I think that it's an overall philosophy thing, but at the end of the day, you gotta continue to keep running it up.' (Photo of Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
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Gardiner Relishing Opportunity To Play Professionally In Home Province
Oshkosh North head coach Brad Weber is "not surprised one bit" by Haliburton's success Back in August when Tyrese Haliburton said the one goal he had was helping the Indiana Pacers win their first NBA title. Fast forward 10 months and he has the Pacers 4 wins away from doing so. 2:15 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
