The NBA’s parity era continued when the New York Knicks became the eighth different team to win the championship in the past eight years, according to getmoresports.com. New York’s title — its first since 1973 after long stretches of losing seasons — has renewed hope across fanbases that a wide range of franchises can reach the summit.
Those past eight champions shared common ingredients, the analysis noted: each roster featured a Hall of Fame-level leader, supporting star power and meaningful postseason experience. Six of the eight title teams ranked among the top five in offense, and seven finished among the league’s top 10 defenses. The path to a ring, however, has not been uniform: the Toronto Raptors won in 2019 after trading for Kawhi Leonard, the Denver Nuggets prevailed in 2022 despite a middling defense, and the Oklahoma City Thunder captured a title in 2025 with a remarkably young roster.
Getmoresports.com examined the 22 teams that have not won since the 2019 parity stretch began to gauge who is best positioned to become the ninth different champion in nine years as the 2027 title chase takes shape.
San Antonio sits alone in a ‘championship-ready’ tier. The Spurs, whose last title came in 2014, feature Victor Wembanyama alongside multiple co-stars and a deep bench and finished among the top three in both offense and defense last season, according to the report. San Antonio reached the Finals but suffered late-game collapses against the Knicks; the piece notes that the 2025 Thunder showed exceptional young teams can learn quickly from postseason failures. The Spurs added veteran forward Tobias Harris in the offseason and project to be capable of another 60-win campaign that could see Wembanyama win his first MVP, while coach Mitch Johnson’s inexperience is tempered by the observation that seven of the past eight champions were led by coaches without prior titles.
The new-look Philadelphia 76ers were listed among serious contenders. Getmoresports.com noted that additions including LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, along with coach Nick Nurse and executives Bob Myers and Mike Gansey, have supplied championship experience at every level. The analysis also highlighted Joel Embiid’s history of physical limitations in the playoffs, saying that without a reliable superstar leader Philadelphia has struggled to be taken seriously in past runs.
