1974 Boston Celtics

Tom Heinsohn's Celtics were quick and deep rather than tall. Cowens played center at an undersized height and made up for it with range, passing, and constant motion. Havlicek, now the captain, scored 22 a game and guarded the other team's best wing.

Jo Jo White ran the backcourt and Paul Silas did the dirty work on the boards. The roster also held a young Paul Westphal, still a reserve before his run of All-Star seasons in Phoenix.

The Finals against Milwaukee turned on Boston's choice to swarm Abdul-Jabbar with double and triple teams. He still scored, but Game 7 freed Cowens, who put up 28 points and 14 rebounds in a 102-87 win on the Bucks' floor. Game 6 had gone to Milwaukee in double overtime on a skyhook with three seconds left.

Havlicek's Finals MVP came in his second decade with the franchise. The title was the twelfth in Celtics history and the first since Russell walked away in 1969.