🏀 1991 Rewritten: Legends Rise, Dynasties Fall 👑 — and a Cinderella👠Crashes the Party 🎉
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Finally, we arrive at the year Michael Jordan took over the league — at least in reality. The real-life 1990–91 season ended with Jordan hoisting his first championship trophy. But in this Jordan-less universe, the landscape looks very different.
It all began at the 1984 NBA Draft, where Jordan’s absence caused a massive ripple effect. With draft boards reshuffled, the Dallas Mavericks landed both Charles Barkley and John Stockton — a pairing that would alter the course of NBA history.
Every draft since has sent players down new paths. In 1989, for example, Tim Hardaway was drafted by the Boston Celtics, thanks to a rough season in which their MVP, Larry Bird, missed the entire year.
There were plenty of other moves, but those two shifts have shaped the league the most so far. The Celtics won back-to-back titles (’86, ’87) even without Hardaway. Then, as a rookie last year — and with the return of Bird — the Celtics made it back to the Finals.
Their opponent? The back-to-back champion Dallas Mavericks. Barkley and Stockton made history by capturing their third title in a row — a feat matched only by the Bill Russell-led Celtics of the 1960s.
As we enter Season 7, the NBA looks drastically different. Instead of a league ruled by the Lakers and Pistons, it’s now the Celtics and Mavericks battling for supremacy — with history on the line.
Let’s begin where it all starts: the 1990 NBA Draft, which belonged to the Atlanta Hawks — they owned the Warriors' pick, and that pick landed at #1 overall.
Derrick Coleman goes to a team that, in our universe, was just in the Finals a couple of years ago. At #2, the pick fell to the Los Angeles Lakers, a franchise that had been slowly declining in recent seasons.
Gary Payton now joins an aging Lakers squad still led by Magic Johnson, who is nearing retirement. With Payton in place, the team may have found its point guard of the future — but the rookie wasn’t able to lead them back to the playoffs just yet.
Other notable rookies made their mark in new places. Kendall Gill landed in Denver, helping the Nuggets return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. Felton Spencer joined the Charlotte Hornets, filling a critical hole in their frontcourt rotation.
But perhaps no rookie made a bigger impact than Lionel Simmons, who was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and became an All-Star in his debut season.
There were plenty of other first-year players who contributed, but these were the names that stood out most during the 1990–91 campaign.
As for the 1990–91 season, we begin in the Eastern Conference, where the Boston Celtics (63–19) are back on top. Larry Bird now has another All-Star running mate in Tim Hardaway, and in this alternate timeline, that makes it four seasons as the East’s #1 seed.
Though Boston’s original Big Three are now in the twilight of their careers, Bird remains a force, and Robert Parish continues to contribute in key moments.
At #2, we find the Atlanta Hawks (55–27). With rookie Derrick Coleman now in the fold, not only do they win their division again, but they improve their win total. Brad Daugherty also has a bounce-back year, returning to All-Star form and giving the Hawks a serious frontcourt presence.
The New York Knicks (52–30) slip a bit from last season — dropping from the top seed to #3 — but they still boast an elite frontcourt duo in Patrick Ewing and Roy Tarpley, both of whom remain All-Star-caliber players.
Rounding out the East’s top tier are the Cleveland Cavaliers (51–31). While the improvement is modest, they maintain a strong position with the #4 seed. This is Year 2 without Ron Harper, who continues to thrive with the Clippers, but Larry Nance steps up, joining Mark Price as a repeat All-Star.
Seeds 5 through 8 in the East belong to the Washington Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and New Jersey Nets. The Bullets continue to be a model of stability, consistently making the playoffs despite roster turnover. Meanwhile, the 76ers are now led by All-Star Hersey Hawkins, who is emerging as one of the East’s top scorers.
The Milwaukee Bucks, much like the Bullets, have yet to miss the playoffs in this timeline, continuing to succeed despite significant roster turnover.
Finally, the New Jersey Nets round out the East playoff field, thanks to a promising young core featuring Reggie Miller and Vlade Divac — two foundational pieces acquired in alternate-draft fashion.
Notably absent from the playoff picture are the Indiana Pacers, who were a postseason team in real life. But in this universe, they missed out on all of their foundational picks: Rik Smits, Reggie Miller, Vern Fleming, and Chuck Person all ended up on different teams. Without any cornerstone players, the Pacers have remained stuck in rebuild mode.
In the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks (64–18) once again reign supreme, earning the best record in the NBA for the fifth consecutive year. While both Charles Barkley and John Stockton saw slight individual declines, the supporting cast has more than made up the difference.
Reggie Lewis and Derek Harper are now playing at near All-Star levels, and the offseason addition of Rodney McCray — replacing former starter Rolando Blackman — has proven to be an underrated upgrade. The result is a Mavericks team with elite depth, unmatched chemistry, and championship poise. They're not just good — they're built to make history.
The Portland Trail Blazers (46–36) capture the Pacific Division crown, which earns them the #2 seed by default, despite having just the fifth-best record in the West.
Clyde Drexler remains an All-Star force, but the rest of the roster has regressed from the days when they were perennial Conference Finalists. This isn’t the same fearsome Portland team of a few seasons ago, but they still know how to win.
At #3 are the Minnesota Timberwolves (54–28) — the surprise of the West. In just their second season as a franchise, the Timberwolves finish with the second-best record in the conference.
This is a well-rounded team, not reliant on a single superstar, but instead built on depth, balance, and consistency. Their rapid rise has turned heads across the league.
At #4, the Houston Rockets (48–34) return to the top half of the bracket for the first time since 1986, when they reached the NBA Finals as the top seed. Though no longer the league's Most Valuable Player, Hakeem Olajuwon remains one of the most dominant big men in basketball.
However, ever since that Finals run, the Rockets have failed to land a legitimate second star. Otis Thorpe has developed into a strong contributor, but he’s not quite the running mate Hakeem needs to truly compete with the league’s elite. Still, this team is always dangerous in the playoffs.
Seeds 5 through 8 belong to the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Clippers:
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The San Antonio Spurs, led by Karl Malone, continue to search for their first playoff series victory. Malone remains one of the league’s best power forwards, but postseason success has eluded him year after year.
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The Denver Nuggets, despite losing franchise staples Fat Lever and Alex English, have retooled effectively. They’ve built around the dynamic All-Star guard Michael Adams and a revamped frontcourt, returning to the playoffs after a brief absence.
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The Utah Jazz enter Year 2 of the David Robinson era, and he’s officially broken through — capturing the 1991 NBA MVP. Robinson is a force on both ends, but like Olajuwon, he’s burdened by a lack of support. His rise is undeniable, but the question remains: can one man carry a team in the playoffs?
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Finally, the Los Angeles Clippers, fresh off a Conference Finals appearance last season, return to the playoffs, but just barely — slipping in at the #8 seed. With Ron Harper, Gary Grant, and Charles Smith, the talent is still there, but their consistency hasn't been. A potential rematch with the Mavericks looms.
In terms of reality, only four Western Conference teams from this timeline mirror the actual 1991 NBA Playoffs: the Jazz, Rockets, Spurs, and Blazers.
Meanwhile, teams like the Sonics, Suns, Warriors, and Lakers — all playoff squads in real life — are absent here. Seattle and Golden State were robbed of their cornerstone draft picks in this alternate universe, which set their rebuilds back significantly. As for the Lakers and Suns, despite having talented rosters, they simply couldn’t keep pace in a loaded Western Conference.
Now onto the playoffs, where the #1 Boston Celtics faced the #8 New Jersey Nets. This was just the second time these teams met in the postseason — the first being the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals, where Larry Bird’s Celtics won in five.
Only Bird and Robert Parish remain from that ‘85 Celtics squad, while the Nets have a completely new identity, now built around Reggie Miller and Vlade Divac. But despite the changes, the result remains the same: Boston is simply more talented and more experienced. The Nets manage to steal a game, but the Celtics close it out comfortably in four games (3–1).
The #2 Hawks vs. #7 Bucks matchup brings us a playoff rivalry renewed — their fifth postseason meeting in this timeline. The Bucks won the first two clashes in the early years, while the Hawks claimed the next two, including a thrilling seven-game series in 1989.
Now, in 1991, they square off once again — and just like two years prior, the series goes the distance. Again Game 5 is held in Atlanta, and the result echoes history: the Hawks win another nail-biter to advance.
The #3 New York Knicks took on the #6 Philadelphia 76ers — surprisingly, the first-ever playoff meeting between these two storied franchises in this alternate timeline.
You’d think these two would have clashed more often, but timing hasn’t aligned. The last time both teams made the postseason in the same year was 1987, when a young Patrick Ewing led the Knicks to their playoff debut as an 8-seed, while the aging Julius Erving took the Sixers to the dance one final time.
Since then, their paths have diverged. The Sixers fell into lottery obscurity, only now resurfacing with All-Star guard Hersey Hawkins leading the charge. Meanwhile, the Knicks have steadily improved, finally breaking through with their first series win last year, and now looking to go deeper.
But Philly didn’t back down. The Sixers pushed New York to the limit, forcing a decisive Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. That’s when the Knicks’ powerful frontcourt of Ewing and Roy Tarpley took over. With the home crowd behind them, they sealed the series and moved on, winning 3–2.
The #4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Washington Bullets series brought a bit of playoff déjà vu. These two met back in 1986 — when the Bullets were the #1 seed and beat the then-young Cavs in four. But this time, things are vastly different. None of the players from that ‘86 series remain, and the dynamics have completely flipped.
Since that early matchup, the Cavs have risen, making a Conference Finals appearance in 1989, while the Bullets have struggled to break through, only reaching the second round once in 1988.
Despite being a 4–5 matchup on paper, the talent gap was real — Cleveland finished 10 games ahead in the regular season. Led by Mark Price and Larry Nance, the Cavs took care of business efficiently, winning the series in four games (3–1) and advancing to the second round with confidence.
Now to the Western Conference, where we witnessed perhaps the most intriguing 1–8 matchup in our alternate timeline to date — a rematch of last year’s Conference Finals.
Just one season ago, the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks battled the #2 seed Los Angeles Clippers for the right to represent the West in the NBA Finals.
Dallas emerged victorious in six games. Fast forward to this season, and while the Mavericks remain the #1 seed, the Clippers slipped all the way to #8. So what happened?
On paper, not much has changed. Last season’s Clippers were powered by All-Stars Gary Grant and Ron Harper, and this year, Harper returned to All-Star form, joined this time by Charles Smith instead. So why the drop-off?
The answer lies in the regression of key role players. While Smith elevated his play to All-Star level, Gary Grant took a step back, and more significantly, center Benoit Benjamin — who played a critical role last year — is now in Seattle. Without his interior presence, the Clippers lost their edge in the frontcourt.
Despite their slide in the standings, this was largely the same squad that pushed the Mavericks deep into the playoffs just a year ago. And for the Mavericks — defending three-time champions — this was their first real first-round test since they debuted in 1986.
The Clippers didn’t go quietly. They pushed Dallas to the limit, forcing a decisive Game 5. But when the pressure was highest, the championship DNA of Charles Barkley and John Stockton rose to the surface. On their home court, the Mavericks held firm and closed out the series, advancing once again.
The mission is clear: a fourth straight title — a feat only Bill Russell’s Celtics have accomplished. The dynasty is intact… for now.
In the 2–7 matchup, the Portland Trail Blazers squared off with the Utah Jazz. While Portland held the #2 seed, their 46–36 record was only fifth-best in the West, a product of winning a weaker Pacific Division. That meant this wasn’t your typical 2 vs. 7 affair.
Why? Because standing across from them was this year’s MVP — David Robinson.
The Admiral had made his playoff debut last year, but this time, he came in ready to dominate. Portland, led by veteran Clyde Drexler, still had playoff pedigree, but lacked the depth and explosiveness of years past.
Robinson smelled opportunity.
He took over the series, and in a winner-take-all Game 5 in Portland, Robinson put on a clinic — dominating both ends of the floor and single-handedly lifting the Jazz into the second round. The MVP wasn’t satisfied with just hardware — he wanted wins.
Meanwhile, in the 3–6 series, we had a milestone matchup: the Minnesota Timberwolves, the first expansion team in this timeline to reach the playoffs, hosting the Denver Nuggets, a team that had completely retooled after losing longtime cornerstones Fat Lever and Alex English.
The Nuggets were now led by All-Star Michael Adams, whose electric pace and shot-making gave them a fighting chance against the deeper Timberwolves.
While Denver had more postseason experience historically, neither of these squads had made the playoffs the year before — and both were hungry to prove themselves.
The series was competitive from the jump, trading blows all the way to Game 5.
But when it mattered most, Minnesota’s balance and execution carried them to a historic win — not just their first playoff series victory, but the first for any expansion team in our alternate NBA universe.
If this team is locked in, watch out — they have the pieces to make a real run.
Lastly, the 4–5 matchup delivered a showdown between two franchises desperate to rewrite their playoff legacies. The Houston Rockets, finishing with their highest seed since their 1986 Finals run, were again built around Hakeem Olajuwon, still one of the best players in the league.
Facing them were the San Antonio Spurs, a team built around perennial All-NBA forward Karl Malone, but still searching for their first playoff series win. In four previous tries, they’d come up short — twice as the higher seed. Would 1991 finally be the breakthrough?
After splitting the first two games in Houston, San Antonio took care of business at home in Game 3, grabbing a 2–1 series lead. Game 4 was a battle — Malone delivered as always, but it was Rod Strickland who tipped the scales. His timely playmaking and scoring gave the Spurs the edge they needed.
And with that, history was made. The Spurs finally won a playoff series — and they did it against a former MVP and one of the game’s most dominant centers.
We head into the Conference Semifinals, starting in the East with the top-seeded Boston Celtics taking on the hungry #4 Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs were aiming to return to the Conference Finals, but ultimately, they were outmatched by the experienced Celtics and fell in 5 games.
On the other side of the East bracket, the #2 Atlanta Hawks faced off against the #3 New York Knicks — a clash between a team with two recent Conference Finals appearances and a Knicks squad hungry to break through.
The Knicks’ frontcourt stars, Patrick Ewing and Roy Tarpley, outplayed the talented duo of All-Star Brad Daugherty and rookie Derrick Coleman, pushing the series to a thrilling Game 7. But in that decisive contest, it was the Hawks’ skilled backcourt that made the difference.
Doc Rivers turned back the clock with an All-Star-caliber performance reminiscent of his 1988 peak, dropping 25 points and dishing out 9 assists to help Atlanta advance.
Out West, the showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs featured Malone, fresh off his first playoff series win, going head-to-head with defending champions led by Charles Barkley.
Malone gave it everything he had, battling hard in a competitive series. The Spurs managed to even the series at 2–2 with a gritty Game 4 win. But the Mavericks were simply too talented and experienced, responding with a dominant blowout at home followed by a narrow road victory to close out the series.
The Mavericks were on their way to a sixth straight Conference Final appearance.
Finally, the #3 Minnesota Timberwolves faced off against the #7 Utah Jazz—both teams making their first appearance in the Conference Semifinals, meaning one was guaranteed a first-ever trip to the Conference Finals.
MVP David Robinson fought hard to keep his dream season alive, but the Timberwolves had too many weapons to overcome. The series went the distance once again, but this time the Admiral couldn’t carry the Jazz any further.
Lionel Simmons and Tony Campbell each delivered monster performances, scoring over 25 points apiece. Robinson put up solid numbers as well, but it was Pooh Richardson, who sealed the win with a clutch last-second shot while finishing with a double-double.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, two familiar foes clashed once again: the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. They had met twice before in the playoffs, with Boston coming out on top both times—each series culminating in a Game 7 at the Celtics’ home court.
The first meeting was in the 1988 Conference Finals, followed by a second-round battle last year. Once again, the series went the full seven games and once again, Game 7 was played in Boston.
Could the outcome finally be different?
Game 7 belonged to Tim Hardaway, who poured in 27 points and dished out 13 assists, feeding Bird whenever possible. The duo combined for 60 points, propelling the Celtics to their sixth Finals appearance in seven years.
Out West, it was the defending three-time champions facing off against the Cinderella story of the year — the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Only in their second season, the Timberwolves had no business being this deep in the playoffs. Yet, their magical campaign saw them finish with the second-best record in the West, giving them every right to be here on paper. What happened next shocked the entire basketball community.
The Mavericks boasted the two best players on the court in Charles Barkley and John Stockton, but like every other series, the Wolves proved to have the better overall team.
Minnesota had just one official All-Star in rookie Lionel Simmons, but three other players had All-Star caliber seasons. Stockton and Barkley were stifled by the tenacious defense of Pooh Richardson and Sam Mitchell.
Meanwhile, Simmons, Tony Campbell, and Tyrone Corbin exploited mismatches against Derek Harper, Rodney McCray, and Reggie Lewis. The Mavericks seemed caught off guard, as they found themselves down 3–1 heading into Game 5.
Though Barkley and Stockton rallied for a win at home, the damage was done. The Timberwolves closed out the series in Game 6 on their home floor, ending the Mavericks’ hopes of a historic four-peat.
🏆 The Finals: Celtics vs. Timberwolves – A Cinderella Season?
The Minnesota Timberwolves were the daring Cinderella story of the year, while the Boston Celtics had only missed one Finals appearance in our timeline — the year Bird was out in 1989.
Once again, the Wolves looked poised to shock the world as they took a 3-2 lead after Game 5, which was their final home game of the series. To win it all, they would now have to do the impossible — close it out on the Celtics’ home court in Boston.
Larry Legend had contained their best player, Lionel Simmons, for most of the series. Yet somehow, Minnesota held a series lead. With their season on the line, the two best players on the court — Larry Bird and Tim Hardaway — stepped up in a big way.
Game 6 belonged to Hardaway, who delivered a monster performance to tie the series and force a decisive Game 7.
In the final game, the Wolves gave everything they had. Both Bird and Hardaway came to play, but it wasn’t quite enough. Someone else had to rise to the occasion.
Enter Robert Parish — “The Chief” delivered the performance the Celtics needed, finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds, including a crucial offensive board late in the game and clutch free throws to seal the victory.
Bird earned Finals MVP honors, but Parish was the difference-maker down the stretch.
Meanwhile, in reality, Michael Jordan was busy lifting his first championship trophy. In this alternate universe, however, it was Bird and Parish hoisting their third Celtics title here — and their fifth overall together.
In real life, Bird and Parish won 3 titles, while the Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lakers won 5. But take Jordan out of the 1984 draft, and it’s the Mavericks who dominate the West, not the Lakers.
What will Season 8 bring? Can the Celtics maintain their dynasty, or is a new champion waiting to rise?
Stay tuned.
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