The 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers accomplished something that hadn't been done in 20 years: They became the first NBA Finals runner-up since the 1988-89 Detroit Pistons to win a championship the following season.
If you were to look at the 20 championships won in the years between, you'd realize how big a part experience plays.
Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls managed to repeat four times en route to six titles. The Shaq/Kobe Lakers did it twice on their way to a three-peat, and Olajuwon's Houston Rockets did it once in winning consecutive rings in 1994 and 1995.
Even the Tim Duncan-led Spurs, who never won a back-to-back titles, could cull from their experiences of previous championships in winning three more titles between 2003 and 2007.
It also didn't hurt that the Spurs won their first titl ...
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Article written by Andrew Ungvari
Lakers Prove Experience Still Matters in Victory over Thunder
Posted: 28th April 2010 by Andrew Ungvari in NBAComments Off on Lakers Prove Experience Still Matters in Victory over Thunder