NBA 2K20 Tournament of Champions: First round simulation

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(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Ground rules

Given that each of these teams are champions and that should stand on its own to validate their claims for best ever, we won’t stringently seed by the quality of team or era. Instead of firm seeding, I made an effort to seed the oldest champions available against the most recent champions.

Considering the advancement of the game and size and skill of players, some of the older champions found themselves to be in a world of hurt (apologies to the 1964-65 Boston Celtics who were drawing dead against LeBron James and the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers), but if they want to get to the end they’re going to have to get through a gauntlet anyway.

No mercy for the older school teams, as a policy.

Teams

The teams invited to our big dance are as follows, as are their matchups (remember seed numbers are arbitrary):

Western Conference

1 1964-65 Boston Celtics
8 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

4 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks
5 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

3 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers
6 2012-13 Miami Heat

2 1988-89 Detroit Pistons
7 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks

Eastern Conference

1 2007-08 Boston Celtics
8 1990-91 Chicago Bulls

4 2005-06 Miami Heat
5 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

3 2004-05 San Antonio Spurs
6 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers

2 2003-04 Detroit Pistons
7 1997-98 Chicago Bulls

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You’ll note that there are no Golden State Warriors entries. Because the Warriors were defeated in 2015-16 by the Cavs and that was the only entry of the recent dynasty, they somehow found a way to miss this tournament.

Perhaps that calls into question the legitimacy of these proceedings, but alas, you’ll have to take that up with NBA 2K.