Not long ago, NBA fans frequently voiced complaints about the league`s lack of competitive balance. The consistent dominance of the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, who faced off in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, led to widespread discussions about whether the league had become too predictable.
That era, however, appears to be firmly in the past.
The elimination of the Boston Celtics from the 2025 playoffs on Friday night, following a 119-81 loss to the New York Knicks, extends a notable trend: no defending NBA champion has managed to advance beyond the second round since the Golden State Warriors made the Finals in 2019. While the difficulty of winning back-to-back titles is understandable given the uncertainties of health and circumstances in the postseason, it is quite surprising for a reigning champion to fail to even reach the conference finals.
Here`s a look at how the recent title-holders have performed in the playoffs immediately following their championship seasons:
Recent Champions` Early Playoff Exits
- 2020: Golden State Warriors (Missed playoffs with a 16-49 record)
- 2021: Los Angeles Lakers (Lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns)
- 2022: Milwaukee Bucks (Lost in the second round to the Boston Celtics)
- 2023: Golden State Warriors (Lost in the second round to the Los Angeles Lakers)
- 2024: Denver Nuggets (Lost in the second round to the Minnesota Timberwolves)
- 2025: Boston Celtics (Lost in the second round to the New York Knicks)
While some of these teams encountered significant injury issues, including this year`s Celtics who lost Jayson Tatum to an Achilles injury late in Game 4 against the Knicks, others simply proved unable to overcome the constantly improving competition in consecutive seasons.
With the Knicks, Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, and either the Denver Nuggets or Oklahoma City Thunder heading to the conference finals, it is clear that the championship field is wide open. Based on how teams entered the postseason, any team lifting the trophy other than the Thunder – who finished with the league`s best record and are considered favorites – would likely be viewed as an upset.
Consider the unexpected paths of some of these conference finalists: the Wolves were in 10th place in the Western Conference standings on March 1st; the Pacers had a losing record (16-18) heading into the new year; the Nuggets reportedly made significant front office changes just days before the end of the regular season; and the Knicks went 0-10 against the league`s top three teams during the regular season.
This season guarantees a new NBA champion for the seventh consecutive year. Looking ahead, the financial restrictions facing teams with high payrolls will make it increasingly difficult to maintain rosters featuring both superstars and quality role players. Therefore, this trend of champion turnover could realistically continue for the foreseeable future.
Jasper Hawthorne