It finally happened. Seven years into his career, Michael Jordan and the New Orleans Hornets climbed the mountain and captured their first NBA title.
It had been Jordan’s third playoff run, and each year he and the Hornets had pushed further. In his debut postseason (3 years ago), they took a very good Blazers team to seven games as a 6-seed.
The following year, again as a 6-seed, they stunned the league by upsetting the No. 3 Suns and advancing to the second round. Then came last season—Jordan’s breakout coronation—when the Hornets earned the No. 1 seed, stormed through the West, and defeated LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
For James, the loss was crushing. He had entered the season looking to repeat as champion, but instead fell to one of his two legendary contemporaries again.
Back in 2010, while with the Celtics, he lost to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Now he had fallen to MJ, dropping him to 0–2 in playoff showdowns against his generational rivals.
And so the 2012–13 season arrived full of questions. Could MJ repeat? Could James bounce back? Or would Kobe and the Lakers reclaim their throne?
Before any of that could unfold, attention shifted to the new rookie class. Anthony Davis, the No. 1 overall pick, delivered with a Rookie of the Year campaign, though he couldn’t lift the Charlotte Bobcats into the postseason.
At No. 2, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist landed in Detroit, but the Pistons finished dead last in the East for the fourth straight year. Third pick Bradley Beal joined the Raptors, but they too remained in the lottery.
Dion Waiters, drafted fourth, headed to the Warriors, while Damian Lillard—selected sixth—finished second in ROY voting yet couldn’t push his Kings into the playoffs.
Ninth pick Andre Drummond made the biggest immediate impact, helping Dwyane Wade and the Wizards return to the postseason. Meanwhile, No. 17 pick Tyler Zeller, traded to the Cavs, became the starting center for a team that also reached the playoffs.
These were the rookies who truly shifted the league’s landscape in Year 1, setting the stage for an unpredictable new season.
What a season it was. The 2012–13 campaign reshaped the league in unexpected ways, as both conferences crowned new kings at the top of the standings.
In the East, the stunning rise of the Orlando Magic (60–22) shocked the league. Just a year removed from a 7th-place finish, Orlando surged to the #1 seed behind Josh Smith, who finally had all-star support in Nikola Vučević and a deep, quietly elite supporting cast.
Out West, an even bigger shift took place: the Los Angeles Lakers (64–18) rocketed from 11th to 1st, powered by the arrival of Dwight Howard, whose pairing with Pau Gasol gave Kobe Bryant arguably the strongest roster in the entire NBA.
But like last year, the West once again proved to be the dominant conference. In fact, five Western teams finished with better records than the New York Knicks (52–30), who slid to #2 in the East after topping the conference the previous two seasons.
Carmelo Anthony, a two-time Timberwolves champion (2008, 2009), continued his quest to bring the Knicks their first championship since Allen Iverson’s run in 2004.
Behind the Lakers, the Western standings read like a murderer’s row. The #2 Thunder (63–19) built their entire roster through the draft, anchored by their powerful young big men, Greg Monroe and DeMarcus Cousins.
The #3 Rockets (56–26) returned to the postseason for the first time since 2006—back when Paul Pierce played alongside Tracy McGrady. Now, with James Harden arriving from the Bucks, Houston finally had a one-two punch worthy of its ambitions.
The #4 Clippers (54–28) remained dangerous behind their explosive backcourt of Chris Paul (2× Timberwolves champion) and Russell Westbrook, while the #5 defending champion Hornets (54–28)—even after losing Jarrett Jack, Trevor Ariza, and Chris Kaman—still held strong around Michael Jordan.
Rounding out the group were the #6 Utah Jazz (53–29), extending their playoff streak to 16 straight years, even as Tim Duncan and the franchise continued their decade-long struggle to escape the first round, a task they hadn’t completed since 2002.
The contrast with the East couldn’t have been clearer. Only Orlando and New York would have qualified if they played in the West. Even the #3 Miami Heat (48–34)—with LeBron James pursuing a third straight Finals appearance—would have finished 9th in the brutal Western landscape.
Meanwhile, the last two West playoff spots belonged to franchises with recent brushes with dominance. The #7 Grizzlies (51–31), once atop the conference behind Blake Griffin, entered this postseason without former star Rudy Gay, who had moved to Toronto.
And the #8 Timberwolves (50–32), the dynasty of the late 2000s powered by Paul and Anthony, now leaned on Kevin Love, who had grown from rookie role player on the 2009 title team into Minnesota’s new franchise centerpiece.
The East’s lower seeds brought their own mix of promise and renewal. The #4 Pacers (47–35) returned behind rising star John Wall, while the #5 Cavaliers (45–37), led by Kyrie Irving, remained steady in the Central Division.
The #6 Bucks (45–37) reached the postseason for the first time since 2003, led by Monta Ellis and Larry Sanders. The #7 Wizards (43–39) returned after a one-year absence with Dwyane Wade still guiding the franchise.
And finally, the #8 76ers (37–45)—the only playoff team under .500—barely hung on after losing Elton Brand, leaving Kevin Durant to shoulder the load for a roster that had regressed around him.
Meanwhile, several familiar faces disappeared from the playoff picture. In the East, the Nets, Celtics, and Hawks all fell out—New Jersey now in Brooklyn suffered a steep decline, Boston weakened by the departure of Ray Allen, and Atlanta collapsing after losing both Andre Iguodala and Joe Johnson.
Out West, the Blazers and Suns were replaced by the surging Lakers and Timberwolves; Portland lost all-star Andrew Bynum to injury, while Phoenix watched Steve Nash leave for purple and gold.
The league had reshuffled itself. New contenders rose, old giants fell, and the path to the postseason was more unpredictable than ever. Everything was set for a playoff gauntlet no one could fully anticipate.
The Eastern Conference didn’t just deliver drama in 2013—it delivered mayhem. The #1 Orlando Magic opened their postseason by trading punches with the #8 Philadelphia 76ers, a series defined by home-court dominance.
Through five games, neither team had cracked the other’s arena. With the Magic holding a 3–2 lead heading into Game 6 in Philly, the Sixers needed a star performance to survive, and Kevin Durant delivered with 42 points.
Still, Orlando refused to fold. Down two with twenty seconds left, the Magic set up for what looked like a tying attempt. Jameer Nelson fed Glen Davis in the post, but instead of forcing it inside, Davis kicked it out to Josh Smith, left wide open beyond the arc. With only seconds remaining, he had to choose—drive or shoot. He shot. Banked it in. Game over. Series over. Orlando survived their first war.
But nothing compared to what the #2 New York Knicks were dragged through. Dwyane Wade and the #7 Wizards won all three of their home games, while Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks did the same.
After six games it was 3–3, and Game 7 at Madison Square Garden was a street fight. Up three with 27 seconds left, New York held the ball and clock control.
Washington chose not to foul. The ball found its way to Anthony with ten seconds left, went up for the shot, blocked by rookie Andre Drummond. The loose ball kicked out to Jordan Crawford. Three seconds. Two. Instead of calling timeout, he hit Wade for a buzzer-beating three to tie it. Missed. The Knicks advanced—but just barely.
And the chaos kept escalating. The #3 Miami Heat, two-time defending Eastern Conference champions, found themselves in a brutal seven-game struggle against the #6 Milwaukee Bucks, a franchise returning to the postseason after a decade-long absence.
Once again, every home was won by the home team. In Game 7 in Miami, LeBron James dropped 38, but Monta Ellis answered with 40, and Milwaukee found itself down two with possession in the final seconds.
Ellis pulled up from deep—rimmed out—but Tristan Thompson was there, tipping the rebound as the whistle blew. Serge Ibaka had fouled him. Thompson stepped to the line with the season in his hands. Swish. For the first time in three years, the East would crown a champion not led by LeBron James.
The #4 Pacers and #5 Cavaliers produced yet another seven-game brawl. In the final minute, breakout all-star Anderson Varejão grabbed a crucial offensive board that kicked out to Kyrie Irving for a dagger three.
That eight-point lead sealed it, sending Cleveland to the semis. Next up Cavs battled the Magic to a seventh game, but in the final minutes, a massive Glen Davis rebound set up a Nikola Vučević three that finally put Cleveland away.
After four straight postseason runs, this was the first time the Cavaliers hadn’t been swept out, a small but meaningful sign of progress. The Magic, however, were heading to their first Eastern Conference Finals.
On the other side of the bracket, the Knicks attempted to reach their third straight East Finals—but ran into a Milwaukee team overflowing with belief.
The #2 Knicks expected a clear path with Miami eliminated, but the Cinderella Bucks didn’t care about reputations or history. They forced yet another Game 7.
In the final seconds in Madison Square Garden, New York led by two with Raymond Felton at the line and only five seconds remaining. Make both, and the series ends.
Felton made… neither. Thompson secured the rebound, fired the outlet to Mike Dunleavy, and at the buzzer—swish 3. Milwaukee, after shocking the Heat, shocked the Knicks too, advancing to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 1987.
Six playoff series. Five went the distance. One needed six. We had just witnessed 6 of the most intense series. The East Finals, would bring more of the same, right?
And then—almost anticlimactically—the Magic crushed the Bucks’ fairytale. In Game 5 in Orlando, the Magic stormed through Milwaukee, ending the Cinderella run and punching their ticket to the first NBA Finals in franchise history.
The Dwight Howard + Kobe Bryant duo had officially brought the Lakers back, but their road wasn’t easy. Just like the Magic in the East, the Lakers found themselves tied 2–2 after four games against the #8 seed Timberwolves, a 50-win underdog built on grit and heart.
After dropping a close Game 4—largely thanks to Kevin Love’s monstrous 40 points and 21 rebounds—Game 5 in Los Angeles was all Lakers.
Kobe and company steamrolled Minnesota by 25, restoring momentum. But back in Minneapolis, Love once again put the Wolves on his shoulders with 42 points and 17 boards, and the game was tight once again in the final minute.
In Game 4, it had been Andrei Kirilenko’s late steal and Luke Ridnour’s dagger three that sealed the Wolves’ win. This time, the roles reversed: Kobe came up with the clutch steal, and Steve Nash knocked down the game-clinching three, sending the Lakers to Round 2.
On the other side of the Western bracket, the young, electric Thunder demolished the Grizzlies in five games. Blake Griffin battled, but he simply didn’t have enough help to overcome what might be the deepest starting five in basketball.
Meanwhile, the Rockets and Jazz delivered a dramatic seven-game epic, with the home team winning the first six. Game 7 in Houston was everything fans hoped: Tim Duncan and Al Jefferson dominated inside with matching 21, 12 and 24, 13 respectfully.
Houston’s stars responded—James Harden posted a triple-double, and Paul Pierce erupted for 30 heading into the final minute. The Jazz took a four-point lead after a Duncan post bucket.
Paul Millsap stole the ball with 44 seconds left, Utah looked ready to finally break the 11-year postseason curse. Mo Williams fired a three to seal it, but it rimmed out, and Ömer Aşık grabbed the rebound, firing it ahead to Pierce.
Bang—Pierce from deep! The lead was down to one. After Mo Williams split his free throws, Houston ran a final play—Harden was denied, so Jeremy Lin fed Pierce, who rose up with Derrick Favors draped all over him.
The buzzer sounded… the ball bounced high… and dropped straight through. The Rockets survived, and the Jazz heartbreak extended to 11 straight years.
Then came a rematch of last season’s semis: Hornets vs Clippers, where the #1-seed Hornets had crushed L.A. in five en route to the title. This time, the Clippers held home-court advantage, and revenge was on their minds.
But with the series tied 2–2, Michael Jordan erupted for 55 points in L.A., scoring the last eight to steal Game 5. Facing elimination, the Clippers headed to New Orleans—only to be met with 40 more from Jordan, plus 25 from Thaddeus Young, including a huge late steal and put-back that iced the game. The defending champs moved on, and for the first time ever in this universe, we had MJ vs. Kobe.
The showdown lived up to the hype. Jordan stole Game 1 in L.A., but Kobe and the Lakers punched back, winning the next two—including a huge Game 3 on the road.
Jordan responded by tying the series in Game 4. Game 5 in Los Angeles was an all-time classic: MJ dropped 53, Kobe countered with 51, and heading into the final minute the score was nearly even.
That’s when Jordan took over, scoring the final seven points and finishing with 60, giving the Hornets a 3–2 lead. Now back in New Orleans for Game 6, the Lakers fought like champions.
The game was tied in the final 10 seconds, Lakers ball, and the world got Kobe vs. Jordan in the clutch. With five seconds left, Kobe made his move—but Jordan stripped him clean.
Greivis Vásquez scooped it up, pushed ahead to Young, and Young’s jumper at the horn banked in. The Hornets had upset the #1 seed, and Jordan improved to 2–0 against his legendary counterparts, having beaten LeBron the year before in the Finals.
After breezing through the first round, the Thunder were pushed to the limit by Harden, Pierce, and the Rockets. Game 7 in Oklahoma City would decide it, and the young Thunder rose to the occasion.
Greg Monroe and DeMarcus Cousins both posted 20-and-10 games, but it was a clutch three from Jrue Holiday, who finished with 28, that sealed the series.
That set up a West Finals showdown: the young, stacked Thunder against the defending champion Hornets led by Michael Jordan. It turned into yet another seven-game war.
In the end, it was one player who made the difference—Kemba Walker, in only his second year, was responsible for his team’s final 10 points, including two assists for threes by Holiday (31 points).
Even Gerald Henderson recorded a crucial late steal that set up one of those threes. Jordan poured in 45, but it wasn’t enough. The Hornets were outmatched, falling by five.
For the first time since 2009 (Nets vs. Wolves), the NBA Finals would not feature any of our three legends. Instead, two franchises that had never reached the Finals in this alternate universe would now battle for the crown.
The Thunder hadn’t seen the NBA Finals since 1979, five years before this alternate universe even began—back when they were the Seattle SuperSonics, led by the late, great Dennis Johnson.
The Orlando Magic, meanwhile, had never reached the Finals in their entire 25-year history. But now, after decades of waiting, both franchises stood on the league’s biggest stage, one of them destined to capture a championship that had eluded them for generations.
From the opening tip, the Thunder looked every bit like the second-best team in the league and perhaps the most talented young core the NBA had ever seen.
After dropping Game 3 in Orlando, they stormed back to take Game 4 on the road, grabbing a commanding 3–1 series lead. With the title within reach, all signs pointed toward the crowning of a new powerhouse.
But the Magic weren’t ready to step aside quietly. In Game 5, behind Josh Smith and a fired-up home crowd, Orlando closed the night on a 10–2 run, snatching a four-point victory and denying Oklahoma City the chance to celebrate in the Magic Kingdom. The series shifted back to OKC, the pressure mounting, the moment growing heavier.
And then came Game 6—the night the Thunder made their statement. The young squad erupted out of the gate, blasting open a 30-point lead by the second quarter, suffocating the Magic on both ends.
The game was never in doubt. The Thunder rolled to a 22-point victory, and as the final buzzer echoed through Chesapeake Energy Arena, confetti fell on a franchise reborn.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were NBA champions.
What made the moment even more electric was the realization of how young this team truly was. Kemba Walker, the hero of the Western Conference Finals, was only in Year 2.
Greg Monroe and DeMarcus Cousins were just beginning to scratch their potential in Year 3. And Jrue Holiday, the stabilizing force and elite two-way guard, was only in Year 4. They were champions now—but could they become the next dynasty?
As we turn the page toward 2013–14, our 30th season in this alternate universe, the questions begin to build. Can this young Thunder squad repeat?
Will a dethroned Michael Jordan return hungry? Can Kobe Bryant rise again? Will LeBron James reclaim his place atop the East? The chessboard is reset. The pieces are moving.
Stay tuned. The story is far from over.
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