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The easiest paths to an NBA title ever
With the Boston Celtics officially sealing the 2023-24 NBA championship for the franchise’s record 18th title, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers once more for the most championships won by a single team, much was made about the path Boston had to the title.
The East, even by its own standards, was weak this season, and that’s before considering all of the injuries to Boston’s playoff counterparts in the East, including former league MVP Joel Embiid suffering through various physical issues in the postseason, Jimmy Butler missing for the Miami Heat due to injury, OG Anunoby being hobbled and Julius Randle being out for the Knicks, and so on.
Oh, and the team that made it out of the West, the Dallas Mavericks, wasn’t injured but wasn’t exactly a powerhouse, finishing the season 50-32 with a +2.1 net rating, the No. 15 mark in the NBA this year.
Regardless, after doing the research, the 2023-24 Celtics had merely the 20th-easiest path to a championship in NBA history based on opponent regular-season win percentage (58.23 percent), so it wasn’t the most difficult path but it wasn’t a complete cakewalk, either.
The 2022-23 Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, had the fifth-easiest path to a championship ever, with an opponent combined regular-season win percentage of 53.05 percent.
(If you’re really looking for a way to downplay this Celtics title run besides opponent injuries in the playoffs, you can just say Boston had the fourth-easiest path to a championship of the 2000s.)
Below, check out the full list of the 25 easiest paths to a championship in NBA history based on opponent combined win percentage in the regular season.
Opponents: Royals (42-38) and Lakers (53-27)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 59.38%
MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images
Opponents: Timberwolves (25-25), Lakers (31-19), Blazers (35-15) and Knicks (27-23)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 59.00%
Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images
Opponents: Royals (39-42), Celtics (60-21) and Warriors (44-37)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 58.85%
Andy Hayt/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Opponents: Suns (36-46), Blazers (42-40), Nuggets (52-30) and Celtics (63-19)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 58.84%
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Opponents: Heat (46-36), Cavaliers (48-34), Pacers (47-35) and Mavericks (50-32)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 58.23%
TIZIANA SORGE/AFP via Getty Images
Opponents: Knicks (39-43), Sixers (44-38), Pistons (50-32) and Lakers (58-24)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 58.23%
Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
Opponents: Bucks (38-44), Bulls (45-37), Pacers (49-32) and Spurs (58-24)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 58.10%
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Opponents: Blazers (35-39), Rockets (44-28), Nuggets (46-27) and Heat (44-29)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 57.88%
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Opponents: Bulls (30-52), Hawks (50-32), Bucks (57-25) and Rockets (51-31)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 57.32%
NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images
Opponents: Pistons (33-39) and Celtics (49-23)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 56.94%
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Opponents: Bullets (35-47), Knicks (47-35), Bucks (50-32) and Lakers (54-28)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 56.71%
Opponents: Olympians (34-32), Royals (41-25) and Knicks (37-29)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 56.57%
Tim Defrisco/Getty Images
Opponents: Spurs (31-51), Jazz (47-35), Mavericks (53-29) and Pistons (54-28)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 56.40%
Charles Hoff/NY Daily News via Getty Images
Opponents: Nationals (38-41) and Hawks (51-28)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 56.33%
Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images
Opponents: Braves (46-36), Cavaliers (49-33) and Suns (42-40)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 55.69%
Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Opponents: Sixers (40-40) and Lakers (49-31)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 55.63%
NBAE Photos/NBAE/Getty Images
Opponents: Pistons (32-36), Lakers (44-24) and Knicks (36-30)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 55.45%
Opponents: Celtics (36-36) and Pistons (43-29)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 54.86%
Michael Edwards/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Opponents: Nuggets (37-45), Warriors (42-40), SuperSonics (39-43) and Celtics (59-23)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 53.96%
Vernon Biever/NBAE via Getty Images
Opponents: Warriors (41-41), Lakers (48-34) and Bullets (42-40)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 53.25%
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Opponents: Timberwolves (42-40), Suns (45-37), Lakers (43-39) and Heat (44-38)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 53.05%
NBAE Photos/ NBAE/ Getty Images
Opponents: Olympians (28-43), Pistons (36-33) and Knicks (47-23)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 52.86%
Opponents: Nationals (38-44) and Pistons (34-38)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 50.00%
Charles T. Higgins/NBAE via Getty Images
Opponents: Nationals (35-37) and Pistons (37-35)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 50.00%
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Opponents: Nationals (35-37) and Lakers (33-39)
Combined regular season winning percentage: 47.22%
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