The last eighteen NBA championships have been won by eight NBA teams.

The Philadelphia 76ers won the title in 1983.  The Los Angeles Lakers won the title five times in the 1980?s and three more times to begin this decade.  The Boston Celtics won the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986.  The Detroit Pistons won back-to-back championships in 1988 and 1989 and again in 2004.

The Chicago Bulls 3-peated twice ? once from 1991 to 1993 ? and again from 1996 to 1998.  The Houston Rockets captured the two titles between Chicago 3-peat?s.

The Miami Heat won their rings in 2006.

Magic Johnson?s Lakers, Isiah Thomas? Pistons, Michael Jordan?s Bulls, Hakeem Olajuwon?s Rockets, and Shaquille O?Neal?s Lakers won the NBA championship in consecutive seasons.

Larry Bird?s Celtics never did and neither have Tim Duncan?s Spurs.  

But with three NBA championships within a decade, both teams should be considered dynasties.

San Antonio won the NBA championship in 1999, 2003, 2005, and again last season.

Facing a 3-2 deficit to the upstart Hornets, is the end of the line for the Spurs and if so, are there any indicators that can be taken from the end of the previous dynasties?

Bird?s Celtics

Larry Bird?s Celtics won their last NBA championship in 1986.  Boston had a 67-15 record that year and finished 3rd in points scored per 100 possessions and 1st in points allowed per 100 possessions.

The Celtics had eight players register at least 15 minutes per game during the regular season.  

1985-86 Boston Celtics
Larry Bird:  29 years old, 38.0 minutes per game.
Kevin McHale:  28 years old, 35.3 minutes per game.
Robert Parish:  32 years old, 31.7 minutes per game.
Dennis Johnson:  31 years old, 35.0 minutes per game.
Danny Ainge:  26 years old, 30.1 minutes per game.
Scott Wedman:  33 years old, 17.7 minutes per game
Bill Walton:  33 years old, 9.3 minutes per game.
Jerry Sichting:  29 years old, 19.5 minutes per game.

Average age: 30

Magic?s Lakers

Magic Johnson?s Lakers won their last NBA championship in 1988.  Los Angeles had a 62-20 record that year and finished 2nd in points scored per 100 possessions and 9th in points allowed per 100 possessions.

1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers
Byron Scott:  26 years old, 37.6 minutes per game.
James Worthy:  26 years old, 35.4 minutes per game.
Magic Johnson:  28 years old, 36.6 minutes per game.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:  40 years old, 28.9 minutes per game.
Mychal Thompson:  33 years old, 25.1 minutes per game.
A.C. Green:  24 years old, 32.1 minutes per game.
Tony Campbell:  25 years old, 18.6 minutes per game.
Michael Cooper:  31 years old, 29.4 minutes per game.

Average age: 29

Jordan?s Bulls

Michael Jordan?s Bulls won the last of their three consecutive NBA championships in 1993 and 1998.  Chicago was 57-25 in 1993 and 62-20 in 1998.  The Bulls were 2nd in points scored per 100 possession and 7th in points allowed per 100 possessions in 1993.  They were 8th in points scored per 100 possessions and 3rd in points allowed per 100 possessions in 1998.

1992-93 Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan:  29 years old, 39.3 minutes per game.
Scottie Pippen:  27 years old, 38.6 minutes per game.
Horace Grant:  27 years old, 35.6 minutes per game.
B.J. Armstrong:  25 years old, 30.4 minutes per game.
Scott Williams:  24 years old, 19.3 minutes per game.
Bill Cartwright:  35 years old, 9.9 minutes per game.
John Paxson:  32 years old, 17.5 minutes per game.
Rodney McCray:  31 years old, 15.9 minutes per game.

Average age: 29

1997-98 Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan:  34 years old, 38.8 minutes per game.
Scottie Pippen: 32 years old, 37.5 minutes per game.
Toni Kukoc: 29 years old, 30.2 minutes per game.
Luc Longley: 29 years old, 29.4 minutes per game.
Ron Harper:  34 years old, 27.9 minutes per game.
Steve Kerr: 32 years old, 22.4 minutes per game.
Dennis Rodman: 36 years old, 35.7 minutes per game.
Randy Brown: 29 years old, 16.2 minutes per game.

Average age of 32

Shaq?s Lakers

Shaquille O?Neal?s Lakers won their last NBA championship in 2002.  Los Angeles had a 58-24 record that year and finished 2nd in points scored per 100 possessions and 7th in points allowed per 100 possessions.

2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers
Lindsey Hunter:  31 years old, 19.7 minutes per game.
Samaki Walker:  25 years old, 24.0 minutes per game.
Robert Horry:  32 years old, 26.4 minutes per game.
Devean George:  24 years old. 21.5 minutes per game.
Rick Fox:  32 years old, 27.9 minutes per game.
Derek Fisher:  27 years old, 28.2 minutes per game.
Kobe Bryant:  23 years old, 38.3 minutes per game.
Shaquille O'Neal:  29 years old, 36.1 minutes per game.

Average age:  28

Duncan?s Spurs

Tim Duncan?s Spurs won 56 games this season.  They were 15th in points scored per 100 possessions and 3rd in points allowed per 100 possessions.

2007-08 San Spurs
Manu Ginobili:  30 years old, 31.1 minutes per game.
Tim Duncan:  31 years old, 34.0 minutes per game.
Tony Parker:  25 years old, 33.5 minutes per game.
Michael Finley:  34 years old, 26.9 minutes per game.
Brent Barry:  36 years old, 17.9 minutes per game.
Bruce Bowen:  36 years old, 30.2 minutes per game.
Ime Udoka:  30 years old, 18.0 minutes per game.
Fabricio Oberto:  32 years old, 20.1 minutes per game.
Kurt Thomas:  35 years old, 18.7 minutes per game.
Jacque Vaughn:  32 years old, 15.4 minutes per game.

Average age:  32

If Duncan?s Spurs come back after initially trailing the New Orleans Hornets 0-2 they will join MJ?s Bulls as the only dynasty to have come back from an 0-2 deficit in the playoffs.  In 1993, Chicago was down 0-2 to the New York Knicks before winning the series? next four games in route to their 3rd consecutive championship.

The 1998 Chicago Bulls had an average age of 32.  The same average age as this year?s Spurs.

Each of the teams above was ranked in the top three in points scored or points allowed per 100 possessions.  

San Antonio?s defense has been impressive this season (3rd in points allowed per 100 possessions) but they?ve had difficulty containing the younger, more athletic Hornets in the semifinals.  

San Antonio?s age is beginning to show.  Michael Finley, Brent Barry, Kurt Thomas, and Bruce Bowen are over the age of 35.  Robert Horry (37) hasn?t been a factor in this series, in large part because age and injury have taken their toll over his 18 seasons in the league.  Horry, Barry, and Bowen were instrumental in the Spurs? last three championships.

Bird?s Celtics returned to the NBA Finals a year after their last NBA championship but lost to Magic?s Lakers.  Magic?s Lakers returned to the NBA Finals three year?s after their last NBA championship but lost to MJ?s Bulls.  MJ?s first dynasty was interrupted because of his premature retirement.  His second dynasty ended at the hands of Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf and General Manager Jerry Krause.

Shaq?s Lakers returned to the NBA Finals two years after their last NBA championship but lost to the Pistons.  That dynasty would end over the off-season when O?Neal was dealt to Miami.

Even if the Spurs accomplish the seemingly impossible and win their 5th NBA championship in 10 seasons ? the writing is on the wall ? their dynasty as we?ve known it the past few seasons is coming to an end.

San Antonio still has Tony Parker (24), Manu Ginobili (30), and Tim Duncan (31) as their centerpieces but coach Greg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford will have to reassemble their roster quickly to continue to compete for NBA championships in the Tim Duncan era.

The Spurs have won 50 games every season (except the lockout shortened year) since they drafted Duncan.  His first championship team featured six key players over the age of 30 (David Robinson, Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, Sean Elliot, Jerome Kersey, Steve Kerr).

It took San Antonio four years to rebuild and win another championship.

This year?s team has nine guys over 30, including both Duncan and Ginobili.

With Duncan now 31 years of age, the Spurs don?t have another four seasons to reload to a championship level ? delay and another dynasty will take their place.

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