During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s. 

This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?

The Conference Finals, the Final 4 of the NBA, have gifted us fans with some of the most iconic and enduring moments in league history. Signature teams and players have indelibly left their mark on us through unforgettable series and games. Join Josh has he takes the time machine through each decade and each conference to retroactively highlight some of the most remarkable, high-pressure playoff performances from yesteryear. Which NBA legends deserve to have their performances backed by a Conference Finals MVP?

Today we continue in the 1970s with the Western Conference! Part 2 of a 10 part series.

Today we embark on part 1 of a brand new, 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s. 

This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?

The Conference Finals, the Final 4 of the NBA, have gifted us fans with some of the most iconic and enduring moments in league history. Signature teams and players have indelibly left their mark on us through unforgettable series and games. Join Josh has he takes the time machine through each decade and each conference to retroactively highlight some of the most remarkable, high-pressure playoff performances from yesteryear. Which NBA legends deserve to have their performances backed by a Conference Finals MVP?

Today we start in the 1970s with the Eastern Conference! Part 1 of a 10 part series.

At some point within the 2022-23 NBA season, LeBron James will become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. In a paramount career, LeBron has established himself as an undisputed top 3 player ever, and in the opinion of many, the Greatest Of All Time.

But even GOATs have to take their lumps.

Today, Josh and Calvan take the NBA time machine back to June 2007, when LeBron led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first ever Finals appearance only to fall horrendously to Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs. 

What went so wrong? 

Find out as Once Upon A Dribble reviews how the Spurs showed the world how to kill a king!

In the annals of NBA lore, former 76ers and Nets center Darryl Dawkins stands out as perhaps the most boisterous and active in perpetuating his own mythology. 

He was funny, confident, playful, clever, and articulate. Long before the NBA had seen the likes Shaquille O’Neal or even Charles Barkley, Dawkins was THE one-man quote machine. Not many players would name each of their dunks, let alone claim to be from the planet "Lovetron, a place where love is the only currency".

Join Once Upon The Dribble as we dissect the man, the myth and the legend with a heart of gold, Chocolate Thunder. 

In Part 1 of a two-part podcast, join Calvan and Josh as they make their picks for the 2023 regular season win totals in the Eastern Conference as well as give their picks for the conference finals!

Calvan and I collaborated on a research piece about the lost-to-history 2002 Sacramento Kings, a team that came a single Game 7 away from playing in the NBA Finals and defeating the dynasty Lakers.

In this piece we look at the story of the early 2000s Kings, and more specifically, the 2002 Western Conference Finals between Sacramento and Los Angeles.

Game winners, inconsistent officiating, poisoned room service, the road to the last Laker three-peat, this story has it all. Join us as we cover the final chapter in one of the greatest rivalries in recent NBA history.

The Celtics are recognized as one of the premier brands in the NBA. They are amongst the most iconic franchises in the sport alongside the Lakers, Bulls, Sixers, Knicks and so on. They have 17 championships to their name, tied with the Lakers for most in league history.

Yet for all the success, they’ve only won 1 championship since 1986. What happened in the post-Bird era that led to a relatively dry run of success for a franchise so accustomed to winning and winning again?

It was poor drafting, bad coaches, natural league expansion and above all some tragedy and bad luck.

Ironic for a team whose logo is the shamrock.

Join us as we look into those important events and why the Celtics found out that it’s not so easy being green. This is Once Upon a Dribble!

History smiles warmly upon the champions who have etched themselves in legend, those who conquered the league by achieving the ultimate goal, winning an NBA title. 

Unfortunately, for every winner, there is a loser. Throughout NBA history we find embryos of potential dynasties, champions that never came to be, players and teams that were special if not elite for a time in their own right, but couldn't quite get over that final hump. 

Join Calvan and Josh as they look back specifically at the 1980-87 Bucks, 1991-96 Sonics and the 2011-15 Bulls as a few of the teams who were a couple bounces away from a different ending... teams who were "so close, but no cigar".

Part 1 of a continuing series.