| However, the , under coach , defeated the Lakers in 5 games | The finished the regular season 72—10, attaining, at the time, the best regular season record in NBA history |
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| For the rest of the series, Pippen guarded Johnson, allowing Jordan to primarily focus on scoring, and Chicago won the next four games | Johnson was named Finals MVP for the third time |
Bird had actually been drafted the year before, but later decided to stay an additional year, and the two superstars both entered the league in 1979, leading their respective teams to dazzling heights.
29| The Lakers would win again in to become the first team to | Jerami Grant Detroit 10 7 7 8 |
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| The Bulls returned to the Finals the next year, pitted against and the | However, only 300 of them have earned multiple selections to the game |
| The Cavs won the East, but they lost both Love and Irving to injuries during their playoff run | Following Jordan's departure, the , led by , won the 1994 and 1995 NBA titles |
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| Neither Cleveland nor Golden State earned the top playoff seed in the 2017—18 season, and both teams fell to 3—2 deficits in the Conference Finals, but both came back to win the series and ensure a fourth consecutive Finals matchup in | Fans may vote using a variety of online platforms, and account for 50% of the vote, with the media and current players each accounting for 25% |