10 most impactful moments from the 2017-18 NBA season

1. Warriors repeat as NBA champions

Even though many NBA fans felt as though they knew this was going to be the end result of the season, it’s still incredibly impactful.

Despite finishing second in the Western Conference and being down 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals to the team that was supposedly built to beat them, they ended up winning that series in seven games and would go on to sweep the Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Finals.

Game 3 was the game that essentially buried the Cavs. Durant was basically unstoppable, erupting for 43 points, including the dagger 3.

With roughly 50 seconds left, the Warriors were up by three points and with time winding down on the shot clock, Durant pulled up behind the screen and launched a ridiculous 3 from the parking lot. Naturally, it went in and the series was basically over.

The Warriors would go on to win their third championship in four years and Kevin Durant would get his second consecutive Finals MVP award. This puts the Warriors dynasty up with the best teams in history.

Only seven teams have managed to win three championships in a four-year span. Even though they seemed to coast through the regular season, maintaining that level of focus in the playoffs for four years straight is pretty incredible.

After all, they were a couple jaw-dropping plays from Kyrie Irving and LeBron James away from this being their fourth consecutive NBA championship. Now all they can do is look to the future to make history like that. If they win another championship next year, they’ll be the first team to three-peat since the 2000-02 Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

They’re already in elite company, but if they can manage to do that, it would catapult them into the top tier of NBA franchises. Can you imagine winning four championships in five years?

Next year will be even tougher for the Warriors as the rest of the NBA continues to tool up to beat them. When you’re the team making history, you’re the team with the target on your back.

Next: Ranking the 5 favorites to win the 2019 NBA Finals

You can hate the Warriors, but the one thing you can’t do is ignore their greatness. Regardless of how much you or I like or dislike it, they’re insanely good and this year only proved that even more.