To the victors go the spoils. That adage always rings true in the Most Valuable Player voting, and it certainly did so in the final tally for the 1976 NL MVP. The Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies were the National League’s best two teams, and they filled out the top five of the results. Here’s […]
The New York Yankees returned to prominence in 1976, capturing their first AL East title of the divisional play era that began in 1969. That success was reflected in the 1976 AL MVP ballot. Thurman Munson, catcher and team captain, won the award in a decisive vote. Here’s a look at the top 5 finishers, […]
The Cincinnati Reds had a dominating 108-win season in 1975, one that set the table for a breakthrough World Series championship in the postseason. Their regular season excellence was reflected in the 1975 NL MVP voting, and second baseman Joe Morgan was a landslide winner of the award. Here’s a look at the top 5 […]
The 1995 San Francisco 49ers were coming off a breakthrough Super Bowl championship for quarterback Steve Young. Big personnel losses and an injury to Young represented some significant adversity, but the 49ers reached the season’s stretch drive in prime position to repeat. But disappointing losses ended those hopes and ushered in an era where the […]
A trip to the conference finals in 2002 started a run of four straight playoff years for the Celtics during an otherwise dry period of professional basketball in Boston. But the Celts had been progressively moving backward—a second-round loss in 2003, and then first-round exits in 2004 and 2005. The 2006 Boston Celtics continued the […]
The 2006 NBA MVP award went to Steve Nash. It marked the second consecutive year the dynamic point guard from the Phoenix Suns brought home the honor. Who were the other contenders? Did the voters get it right? Here’s a look at the seasons produced by Nash, the rest of the top 5, and some […]
Change had come to the desert in 2005. The Suns signed point guard Steve Nash as a free agent. They hired Mike D’Antoni as a head coach. The creative point guard and the coach who believed in a fast-tempo offense made a perfect match. Nash won the MVP award, and Phoenix reached the conference finals. […]
The 2006 Dallas Mavericks were a team on the ascent. After drafting Dirk Nowitzki in 1999, the Mavericks had made the playoffs for five straight years. Head coach Don Nelson stepped down and handed the reins over to Avery Johnson. Dallas reached what was then their greatest heights, reaching the NBA Finals. Dirk had a […]
The 2006 Detroit Pistons came into the season as the power of the Eastern Conference. They had won the NBA title in 2004 and reached Game 7 of the Finals a year earlier. They had another fantastic season in ’06. But this was also the start of a three-year stretch where they consistently looked like […]
Shaquille O’Neal and Pat Riley had each been parts of dynasty runs with the Los Angeles Lakers. The center and the head coach got together for another championship run with the 2006 Miami Heat, but they needed young, fresh legs if they were to make it over the top and it was Dwayne Wade who lifted Shaq & Riles to another championship and the first in franchise history for the Miami Heat.
The Buffalo Braves moved west in 1977 and renamed themselves the Clippers. For three decades, and from San Diego to Los Angeles, they were marked by futility. They only made the playoffs three times and never advanced. The 2006 Los Angeles Clippers were the team that finally broke the drought. Los Angeles was built around […]
A new era in NBA history began in the summer of 2003 when LeBron James was drafted first overall out of high school by the Cleveland Cavaliers. In LeBron’s rookie year, the Cavs jumped from 17 wins to 35. In 2005, they went 42-40 and barely missed the playoffs. The franchise hired a new coach […]