NBA Power Rankings: Top 5 NBA franchises since the year 2000

Kobe Bryant (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the Larry O'Brian trophy as teammate Shaquille O'Neal (L) hold the MVP trophy after winning the NBA Championship against Indiana Pacers 19 June, 2000, after game six of the NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The Lakers won the game 116-111 to take the NBA title 4-2 in the best-of-seven series. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the Larry O'Brian trophy as teammate Shaquille O'Neal (L) hold the MVP trophy after winning the NBA Championship against Indiana Pacers 19 June, 2000, after game six of the NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The Lakers won the game 116-111 to take the NBA title 4-2 in the best-of-seven series. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images) /
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NBA Power Rankings: Top 5 NBA franchises since the year 2000
SACRAMENTO, CA – DECEMBER 27: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat dunks the ball during their game against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena on December 27, 2013 in Sacramento, California, NBA Power Rankings: Top 5 NBA franchises since the year 2000, NBA Power Rankings: Top 5 NBA franchises since the year 2000. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

When it comes to trying to decide who the most successful franchise of any given NBA era is, everybody has their own opinions and tinted glasses with which to approach the subject. If we’re talking about winning titles straight up, then it is the team with the most championships.

Oh, there is a tie? Then how many era-defining players, or greats of all time, were on a roster at that particular time. Better yet, a championship in New York (sorry Knicks fans…) or Cleveland has to count for more than Los Angeles, where it is a foregone conclusion, right? How about the improbability of a dynasty and the ability of an organization to draft properly? All of which is to say, there is no right way to approach ranking the five best teams of the last 22 years.

NBA Power Rankings: Top 5 NBA franchises since the year 2000

But because this writer just contracted Covid for the first time, and is clearly up for the punishment sure to come his way on social media, he sat down to give it a try. To try and decipher who should sit atop the mountain. You know what? For four of these spots, it wasn’t actually that hard. Picking the fifth team to add to the list was the toughest part of all.

Beyond that, deciding which franchise sat in third and which in second came down to making a call on two top-10 players that is going to be unpopular with many, many fans. So without further ado, here it is, the top five teams since the year 2000. Honorable mention goes to the Boston Celtics, who just missed the cut. Yeah… maybe this list won’t be for you.