It’s been 195 days since the 2020-21 NBA season tipped off and the Suns and Bucks are taking the center stage in the NBA Finals.
Who Has Previous Championship Experience?
Fun fact: every single player on either roster will win their first-ever ring in this season’s Finals’ matchup. On top of that only player that has played on the big stage on either team is Suns’ Jae Crowder, who was a member of the Eastern Conference Champs, Miami Heat during last season’s bubble run that fell short in six games to the Lakers.
How Would Adding Title Elevate Each Organization?
Phoenix seeks its first NBA title in franchise history while Milwaukee will be looking for its second title (1971). Despite how talented both these squads are, both teams are in uncharted territory.
Ten NBA franchises have won at least two titles, which is where Milwaukee wants to find itself by the end of July. Another nine have taken home just one championship, which leaves the Suns as just one of 11 current NBA organizations to never have won a title.
NBA Championships
- Los Angeles Lakers: 17
- Boston Celtics: 17
- Golden State Warriors: 6
- Chicago Bulls: 6
- San Antonio Spurs: 5
- Philadelphia 76ers: 3
- Detroit Pistons: 3
- Miami Heat: 3
- New York Knicks: 2
- Houston Rockets: 2
- Milwaukee Bucks: 1
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 1
- Atlanta Hawks: 1
- Washington Wizards (as Washington Bullets): 1
- Oklahoma City Thunder (as Seattle Supersonics): 1
- Dallas Mavericks: 1
- Portland Trail Blazers: 1
- Sacramento Kings: 1
- Toronto Raptors: 1
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Examining Player Legacies
When it comes to legacies on the line, all eyes will likely be on Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Suns’ Chris Paul. Both players are a mere championship away from cementing themselves among all-time NBA greats.
There is nothing tougher than coming to a conclusion on who wins this year’s NBA championship. Both of these squads have so much going for them and both have storylines worth rooting for that it seems too good to be true. Through 16 seasons, Paul is among one of the greatest players in NBA history and is playing in his first career NBA finals, hoping for it to end in a ring that would be the cherry on top of an illustrious career. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo went from being a teenager in Greece with a dream to play in the NBA to absolute stardom that has included a most improved player award (2017), two MVP trophies (2019, 2020), and a defensive player of the year trophy (2020) to name a few…
Meanwhile, several star players like Suns’ Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton are among the younger studs in the series and quite frankly should have another crack at another championship run with or without Chris Paul down the stretch.
As for the Bucks’ Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, the clock is ticking as the “Greek Freak: is the youngest of the trio, so best believe Milwaukee is certainly under more pressure to win a title not just for the Antetokounmpo’s sake, but for some of these seasoned veterans as well…
