Nowitzki and the NBA Secret

Bill Simmons in his Book of Basketball wrote of something called the secret. I am not exactly sure what it was about but in the NBA there is a secret. The secret in the NBA is that about 10-15 players control all of the championships in the history of the NBA. The NBA is a little like Tennis where a very few dominant at a time.

Beginning in 1948-49 here are the names of those key players on the NBA Champions.

49 Mikan

50 Mikan

51 Risen

52 Mikan

53 Mikan

54 Mikan

55 Schayes

56 Arizin

57 Russell

58 Pettit

59 Russell

60 Russell

61 Russell

62 Russell

63 Russell

64 Russell

65 Russell

66 Russell

67 Chamberlain

68 Russell

69 Russell

70 Reed

71 Jabbar

72 Chamberlain

73 Reed

74 Cowens

75 Barry

76 Cowens

77 Walton

78 Hayes

79 Sikma

80 Jabbar/Magic

81 Bird

82 Jabbar/Magic

83 Erving/Malone

84 Bird

85 Jabbar/Magic

86 Bird

87 Jabbar/Magic

88 Jabbar/Magic

89 Thomas

90 Thomas

91 Jordan

92 Jordan

93 Jordan

94 Olajuwon

95 Olajuwon

96 Jordan

97 Jordan

98 Jordan

99 Duncan

00 Shaq/Kobe

01 Shaq/Kobe

02 Shaq/Kobe

03 Duncan

04 Billups

05 Duncan

06 Shaq/Wade

07 Duncan

08 Garnett

09 Kobe

10 Kobe

11 Nowitzki

These 14  players (Mikan, Russell, Chamberlain, Reed, Cowens, Jabbar, Magic, Bird, Thomas, Jordan, Olajuwon, Duncan, Kobe, Shaq  account for 51 of the 63 championships. There were 12 one player champion wonders with Billups, Garnett and Nowitzki coming in the last 10 years.  In all likely hood Dirk will be a one year wonder while I think Dwayne Wade will get another championship.  However, just getting your name on this list is great.