data-mm-id=”_0zrbmaanx”>One of the points The Last Dance has really hammered home for basketball fans is how hard it is to win championships in consecutive seasons. Playing at least 98 games two or three years in a row, and being rewarded with only three and a half months to recover, takes an immense physical toll. There's the mental weight of being defending championships, dealing with the expectations and the fact that the team has a target on its back every night they take the floor. Then there's the issues that naturally arise with teammates, who are people as well as basketball players. Most people don't get along with their coworkers all the time, much less if they have to work with the same two dozen people, day in and day out, for years at a time– and most people don't work with some of the most maniacally competitive characters in the world. That's how it was for Jordan's Bulls back in both 1993 and 1998: it's really freaking hard to win back-to-back-to-back titles. It may not even be that much fun, either. ESPN's Nick Friedall penned an article published today about the weight the Golden State Warriors felt in the second leg of their attempted three-peat, and general manager Bob Myers said there wasn't joy in their 2018 title run. “”The second time with Kevin [in 2018] it felt like, ‘Well, we just did what we were supposed to do, and great job,'” Warriors president and general manager Bob Myers said of the last time the Warriors won a title. “It wasn’t joy. I’m sure a lot of people felt differently. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. I think there’s just a weight to everything. And so I’m sure [the Bulls] felt that weight of everything, weight of relationships.””- ESPN In retrospect, 2017-2018 was the first full season that the general discourse among fans towards the Warriors was filled with vitriol. Nobody outside of the Bay Area was rooting for Golden State back in 2016-2017, but there was still a chance they could fail, that Kevin Durant's addition would somehow backfire. Their stroll to a championship that season proved a team with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Durant resulted in the inevitable. The cracks didn't start to show within the Warriors until the 2018-19 season, and the tax of playing into June several years in a row resulted in a torn Achilles for Durant and a torn ACL for Thompson. It's all just a lot. You could see similar consequences affecting the Miami Heat in the last season of their run; LeBron James and Co. looked simply exhausted by the final game of the 2014 Finals. The Los Angeles Lakers tried to trade Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant's valuable sidekick, after two championships and ultimately couldn't secure the third for the three-peat. Kobe and Shaq's personal issues dissolved the early 2000s Lakers dynasty after three rings. NBA teams can be a very fragile ecosystem, and championship contention pushes everyone to the brink. It's remarkable to know all that and still see repeat champions. The final two episodes of The Last Dance should portray that better than anything.
Related Posts
According to a recent report from Sport, Ilkay Gundogan has admitted to holding talks with Barcelona over a move to the Nou Camp.
The 32-year-old has been with Manchester City since back in 2016. In that time, he’s been able to establish himself as one of the club’s most effective players.
He’s won countless trophies and this season, he’s on the verge of helping them win the treble with City being the favourites to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
Financially speaking, Barcelona have been in a spot of bother over the course of the last few years. That s probably an understatement, too, and with a move for Lionel Messi being on the cards this summer, you have to wonder where they re going to find the money to bring in someone like Gund…
Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson contacted Liverpool to congratulate the Reds on their drought-ending Premier League title, Kenny Dalglish revealed.
Liverpool claimed their first English top-flight crown since 1990 thanks to Manchester City s 2-1 Premier League loss to Chelsea on Thursday.
The Reds celebrated a 19th English league title with seven games to spare in 2019-20, moving one adrift of United s record after Ferguson led the Manchester giants to 13 Premier League honours during a trophy-laden 26-year tenure.
Ferguson, though, put rivalries aside as the United legend congratulated fierce foes Liverpool.
How are we all feeling this morning, Reds?
— Liverpool FC (Premier League Champions ) (@LFC)
He contacted us to…
Prediction: Both Teams to Score Liverpool to Win
Odds:
Bookmaker:
The UEFA Champions League final gets underway on Saturday night as Premier League rivals, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, clash on Saturday evening.
The match itself, the first all-English European Cup final since 2008, sees the two teams aiming to end their respective waits for European glory at the home of Atletico Madrid, the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano.
Tottenham Hotspur
It is scarcely believable that the North Londoners now have a genuine chance of winning the Champions League considering their troubles in the competition so far this season. Mauricio Pochettino s troops have twice been on the verge of elimination; first notching an excellent draw at the Nou Camp in their f…
Liverpool provided a huge boost to their hopes of Champions League football next season as they claimed a thrilling 4-2 win over rivals Manchester United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s side took the lead early through Bruno Fernandes, but were pegged back before half-time as Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino got on the scoresheet.
It looked like the visitors had things wrapped up early in the second period as Firmino headed in his second only for Marcus Rashford to set up a nervy finish as he pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining.
But the visitors rounded things off late on through Mohamed Salah to put pressure firmly back on Chelsea and Leicester City in the chase for top four.
2 Mo Salah is only the second player in Liverpool s history to score away to Man Ut…
David de Gea is no stranger to scrutiny at Old Trafford.
There were serious concerns over De Gea when he was lured to Manchester United by former boss Alex Ferguson as a lean 20-year-old goalkeeper in 2011.
De Gea, though, answered questions about his physique – the Spaniard repaying Ferguson s faith and going on to win a Premier League title, as well as FA Cup, Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield silverware.
He cemented himself as one of the world s best keepers. However, those concerns have emerged again and they are growing louder following his latest mistake in Sunday s 1-1 draw away to Everton.
The key moments from our clash against Everton
— Manchester United (@ManUtd)
De Gea s attempted clearance was blocked by Evert…
Real Madrid s Champions League defence came crashing down in a humiliating home defeat to Ajax on Tuesday, ending their three-year grip on the trophy.
The Eredivisie side triumphed 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu to prevail 5-3 on aggregate in the last-16 tie and pile further pressure on Madrid boss Santiago Solari.
Defeat marks the first time since 2009-10 that Madrid have been eliminated at this stage of the competition and comes on the back of consecutive Clasico losses to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey and LaLiga.
Here, with the help of Opta, we take a look at some of the key stats behind Madrid s shock exit from the competition.
Lasse Schöne
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)
Madrid are the first reigning Champio…
Paraguay will need to end a torrid run of form against Peru if they are to book a place in the semi-finals of the Copa America.
Eduardo Berizzo s side have failed to win any of their last seven games against Peru, with their last victory coming in a friendly in November 2014.
A 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in their final Group A game meant Paraguay finished third with six points from four games.
They suffered a blow in that clash when influential midfielder Miguel Almiron limped off.
A late decision will be made on the Newcastle United man s fitness ahead of the match at Estadio Olimpico Pedro Ludovico in Goiania, with Oscar Romero and Andres Cubas among the options to come into the starting XI.
Peru, meanwhile, wrapped up their Group B campaign…
Real Madrid are interested in signing Jonathan David from Lille, according to .
The LOSC Lille forward currently tops the Ligue 1 goalscoring chart with 13 strikes, which is pretty impressive given that he has the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to compete against. Nick Mavromaras, the 21-year-old s representative, has openly admitted he expects 2021-22 to be his last season with Lille.
Real will surely face fierce competition for a forward of such potential. Liverpool are said to be monitoring the situation as well, with all three of their long-serving star forwards set to turn 30 by next summer, when they ll also reach the final 12 months of their contracts.
David is bound to Lille until 2025, and the Ligue 1 club are expected to demand at leas…
Defending Copa Libertadores champions River Plate will face Cruzeiro in the last 16, while last season s runners-up Boca Juniors are set to meet Athletico Paranaense again.
River s quest for back-to-back titles will continue against Brazilian giants Cruzeiro in a two-legged round-of-16 clash starting in July.
After edging Argentine rivals Boca in a dramatic final last season, River advanced to the knockout stage as runners-up to Internacional in Group A.
Meanwhile, two-time champions Cruzeiro – who last won the competition in 1997 having reached the final in 2009 – finished six points clear atop Group B.
So here is the draw for the round of 16 in the !
— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@TheLibertadores)
Monday s draw in Paraguay also has …
Juliano Belletti believes Barcelona and Real Madrid can make memories to last for many years in Sunday s Clasico as he recalled being on the team that swept aside the famous Galacticos .
Brazilian full-back Belletti spent three seasons at Camp Nou between 2004 and 2007, winning two LaLiga titles and scoring the winner in the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal.
He featured in four games against Los Blancos for the Blaugrana, winning one, losing one and drawing two.
The 45-year-old, who is now assistant manager at Brazilian club Cruzeiro, reflected on the stature of the historic fixture and cast his mind back to his first Clasico after arriving in Catalonia.
Most of the best players in the world are [at Barcelona and Real Madrid], Belletti told…