1. 1975 Golden State Warriors
Prior to this year, a Warriors team hadn’t reached the NBA Finals since this squad did it in unusual fashion. They battled both Seattle and Chicago in order to get to the Finals, then swept the now-Washington Bullets.
Rick Barry was the leader on this team, averaging almost 31 points per game, with his main cohorts being Jamaal Wilkes at forward and Clifford Ray at center. However, neither of them could provide anywhere near the scoring punch that Barry did, and other assets like Charles Johnson and former Cavalier Butch Beard would not have been enough to give Golden State its first title since moving to the Bay Area.
Given these rankings, it’s somewhat ironic that James has to lead his team against another Golden State squad to win the Cavaliers’ first title. It appears evident, though, that if he’s somehow able to pull it off, his legend will take another giant leap that will put him alongside, and maybe even atop, his hero, Michael Jordan.
