The Celtics Complete the Impossible?

Welcome to the GOAT Era

If we were to divide our saga into two timelines, everything before this season would be known as the pre-GOAT era. Everything from now until the end of our journey would be known as the GOAT era, as one of our possible GOATs is finally entering the league. That’s not to say the players who came before him wouldn’t be in the conversation.

Take Len Bias, for example. He is the only player in our simulation to win five league MVP awards. But with only one championship to show for all those accomplishments, is that enough to put him behind someone like Magic Johnson, who won four MVPs and three titles in our world?

Can LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan accomplish as much or even more when they finally arrive? Their stories will unfold in the years ahead, but one of them begins now with the arrival of King James. His arrival, however, comes at a time when the league is under attack by a green monster.

The Boston Celtics finished the 2003 season on top for the fourth consecutive year, thanks to their Fantastic Five: Manu Ginobili, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Chris Webber, and Kevin Garnett. If these five can stay together, who is going to stop them from winning a fifth straight championship?

Welcome to Rewritten Rings, an alternate NBA history created through NBA 2K26's NBA Eras mode. The journey begins with the 1983-84 season, and every season builds on the one before it, creating a completely different NBA history along the way.

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant do not enter the league until the mid-2000s, fundamentally changing the landscape of the NBA before their arrival.

There are no predetermined outcomes or custom rules designed to force specific results. The simulation determines what happens, while I document the seasons, follow the careers of the players and franchises, and analyze the unexpected history that unfolds. And after nearly two decades of watching this universe develop, some of the results still manage to surprise me.

Let’s start with the retirements, draft lottery, and offseason moves that will shape the new season.

Retirements: The Passing of the Torch?

How fitting is it that Len Bias retires in the same year LeBron James enters the league? Is it a coincidence, or are we witnessing a passing of the torch? Only time will tell.

The five-time MVP and 11-time All-Star won all his individual awards before finally winning a championship. For a while, it looked like Bias might go down as the greatest player never to win a title. That all changed in 1998, when he won his fifth MVP and took the Golden State Warriors from nobodies to champions.

Horace Grant also retires, but not as a four-time champion alongside Michael Jordan from 1991 to 1993 and Shaquille O’Neal in 2001. Instead, he leaves the league as a one-time champion with David Robinson and the 1993 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway also retire, both with multiple All-Star selections but neither with a championship ring. The same cannot be said for your favorite NBA analyst, Tim Legler, who won a championship with Shaq’s 1996 Magic team.

Lionel Simmons was both a Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year in this world, but he never won a ring either. Randy White, on the other hand, was part of the Clippers championship teams led by Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994 and 1995. Marcus Liberty also rode a great organization to two championships with the Houston Rockets in 1991 and 1992.

Bias makes the Hall of Fame, which comes as no surprise. I should be putting together a player page for him soon. He also has his number retired by both the Seattle SuperSonics and Detroit Pistons. Richmond receives the same honor from the Sacramento Kings after spending more than a decade with the franchise.

The 2003 NBA Draft: The LeBron Sweepstakes

Next up is the draft lottery, where the New York Knicks, who already have Tracy McGrady, have the best shot at landing the No. 1 pick. Imagine adding LeBron James to that lineup! Unfortunately for New York, a 6% chance is all the New Jersey Nets need to win the LeBron James sweepstakes.

After losing their generational star, Reggie Miller, to free agency a few years ago, the Nets now begin a new era with James. Can the King help bring the franchise back to prominence?

The Orlando Magic pick second, using a Clippers selection to draft Dwyane Wade. That means Wade and Shaq team up in Orlando a year earlier than they would have in real life, when they joined forces in Miami.

The Dallas Mavericks select Carmelo Anthony at No. 3, giving him the chance to play alongside Dirk Nowitzki and Gary Payton. The Knicks have to settle for the fourth pick and Chris Bosh. If you ask me, that’s not a bad consolation prize!

Free Agency: New Homes for Familiar Faces

Michael Finley is the biggest name to change teams in free agency. After spending his entire career in Cleveland alongside David Robinson, he moves to Detroit to join another legend, Reggie Miller.

Lamar Odom leaves cold Vancouver, where he helped Rasheed Wallace lead the franchise to its best finish in history last year, to join Shaq, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Dwyane Wade in Orlando. Can this Magic big four give Boston’s Fantastic Five a run for their money in the East?

Steve Smith, like Finley, leaves the team that drafted him, the Atlanta Hawks, to join the Sacramento Kings. Can he fill Mitch Richmond’s shoes? Richard Hamilton leaves Sacramento to join Allen Iverson in Toronto. Can he become the second option the Raptors need?

LeBron gets some help in New Jersey with the signing of Corey Maggette, while Jalen Rose leaves Toronto to become the No. 1 option in Golden State. Eric Murdock joins Miami, a team that already has Steve Nash and Andre Miller. I’m not entirely sure why the Heat felt they needed him, but we’ll see how it plays out.

Wally Szczerbiak signs with Cleveland as the Cavaliers look to replace Finley. Scottie Pippen is on the move again, signing with the Houston Rockets. 

He did play for Houston in real life, but he won’t be joining a superteam with Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley here. Neither player ever played in Houston in our simulation, and both have retired by this point.

Glenn Rice joins Finley and Smith in leaving the team that drafted him, the Orlando Magic. With Rice gone, Shaq is the only remaining member of the 1996 and 1997 championship squads. 

Finally, Steve Francis becomes the fourth player this offseason to leave the team that drafted him, the Portland Trail Blazers, as he signs with the Washington Wizards.

Trades Before the Season

Before the season begins, we have even more player movement in the form of trades. Lamond Murray and Damon Jones are both traded away from the defending champion Celtics in exchange for Sam Cassell and Kareem Rush.

Zach Randolph and Cuttino Mobley are involved in a four-player trade between the Wizards and Pistons. Al Harrington and Rodney Rogers are also part of a four-player swap, this time between the Bulls and Cavaliers.

Larry Hughes, who spent his entire career with Boston as a backup, finally gets a chance to start after being traded for Derek McKey. The Nets continue adding pieces around James, but will this move be enough to make a positive impact during the King’s rookie season?

Last year’s Rookie of the Year is also involved in a four-player trade between the Blazers and Pacers, as John Salmons heads east and Samuel Dalembert goes west. Rashard Lewis helped the Bulls end their long-standing playoff-series drought last season. His reward? Chicago ships him off to Los Angeles in exchange for Jerry Stackhouse.

Finally, Kenny Anderson helped the Phoenix Suns reach the NBA Finals in 1999 as a sixth seed. Before this season begins, Phoenix sends him to Atlanta for LaPhonso Ellis as the Suns look to replace Bison Dele, who left in free agency.

Midseason Moves and Injuries

As we simulate the first half of the season, a few signings could have an impact on the league’s balance of power. Joe Smith joins the Cavaliers, while Wang Zhi Zhi signs with the Spurs. Both players find starting roles with their new teams.

Before the trade deadline, several more players are on the move. It takes the Magic only two months to bring Glenn Rice back as they deal with injuries. Sean Elliott is traded to a team he played for in real life, the San Antonio Spurs.

Miami realizes it may have made a mistake signing Murdock and ships him back to Indiana in a four-player trade that also involves Salmons. With Shaq injured, Rice is moved again, this time in a four-player deal between the Heat and Magic that brings Gheorghe Mureșan to Orlando.

The Cavaliers look to upgrade their backcourt by trading for Jeff McInnis and sending Harrington to the Sixers. The Nets remain active, trading for Shawn Bradley to strengthen their frontcourt. In return, the Lakers receive Bobby Simmons. After also trading for Jamal Crawford, the purple and gold have put together a solid lineup around Tim Duncan.

Quentin Richardson is shipped to Dallas as the Mavericks look to fill a hole in their lineup. When Vin Baker goes down with an injury, the Kings trade for Joel Przybilla. Seattle responds to an injury of its own, with Ben Wallace sidelined, by trading for Mehmet Okur.

The injury list is growing, and there are no bigger blows than those suffered by Rashard Lewis and Jerry Stackhouse. The two were traded for each other before the season even began, and now both are out for the season.

Larry Hughes, Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Joe Smith, and Shaq are among the other players dealing with injuries that will keep them sidelined for four to six weeks. Jay Williams and Jason Williams are among those expected to miss two to four weeks, along with Dirk Nowitzki.

Jalen Rose, Jamal Crawford, Jermaine O’Neal, Samuel Dalembert, Marcus Camby, and Richard Hamilton are all expected to miss one to two weeks. With so many important players dealing with injuries, how will these moves and absences affect the landscape of the league?

All-Star Break: The Celtics Are Still Dominating

Despite the injuries around the league including their own, the defending champion Celtics head into the All-Star break with only three losses, doing so for the third consecutive year. They finished each of the previous two seasons with a 73-9 record. Could they break their own record this time?

Despite losing Steve Smith, Gilbert Arenas has the Hawks sitting in second place, even though they are only two games above .500. The addition of Chris Bosh has the Knicks sitting in fourth. Maybe they didn’t need LeBron after all, because their neighbors in New Jersey are three games under .500, with King James currently outside the playoff picture.

The Pacers, who haven’t reached the playoffs since the mid-1990s, are sitting in sixth place. Indiana and Atlanta are tied, but a tiebreaker has the Hawks in second and Indiana in sixth. The Pistons currently hold the eighth spot as they look to return to the playoffs after missing out for two years.

Besides the Nets, the Raptors and Bulls are the other surprises in the East, with both currently outside the playoff picture. In fact, Chauncey Billups and the Bulls sit at the bottom of the standings after reaching the semifinals last season.

Out West, the top of the standings looks much different from a year ago. The Spurs, who finished fourth last season, are the only team from last year’s top group currently holding a top spot, and they are now in first place. 

The Suns, Lakers, and Kings occupy the second, third, and fourth positions. Two of those three teams barely made the playoffs last year, while the Lakers missed them entirely.

Two surprise teams are sitting outside the playoff picture: the Minnesota Timberwolves, currently in ninth, and last year’s Western Conference champion Trail Blazers, who are nine games under .500. Can Jason Kidd turn Portland’s season around?

The Regular Season Ends: A Historic Celtics Record

The regular season is over, and for a record sixth consecutive time, the MVP goes to a member of the Boston Celtics. This year, it’s Kevin Garnett, who wins the award for the second straight season and the third time in four years. His teammate Chris Webber won it in the other three seasons, giving Boston an incredible six consecutive MVP awards.

There’s no surprise in the Rookie of the Year race, as King James takes home the award. Last year’s Rookie of the Year, John Salmons, wins Sixth Man of the Year with the Heat.

 

Tim Duncan is named Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in rebounding and finishing in the top five in scoring. Garnett, meanwhile, didn’t finish in the top five in any of the five major statistical categories, so maybe 2K got it wrong!

The season-ending injury list grows to include four more major players: Dirk Nowitzki, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Shawn Marion, and Lorenzen Wright. Mehmet Okur and Steve Nash will miss the postseason, as both are out for six to eight weeks. Larry Hughes is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks. If the Nets make the playoffs, he is unlikely to suit up.

Tyson Chandler and Joe Smith are out for two to four weeks, meaning their teams would need to make deep playoff runs for them to return. Jalen Rose and Manu Ginobili are dealing with shorter-term injuries and should be available soon if needed.

And now, the moment we’ve been waiting for: the Celtics have done it! Boston shatters the league’s previous record by four games, finishing the regular season with an incredible 77-5 record. 

This means the championship goes through Boston, can anyone stop them? Perhaps that’s why Garnett won MVP. He is the best player on what may be the most dominant team in NBA history.

The Eastern Conference Playoff Picture

The Pacers, who haven’t reached the playoffs since 1995, win the Central Division with a 44-38 record. The Knicks finish nine games better than Indiana, but because they play in the Atlantic Division, they have to settle for the third seed. Despite all their injuries, the Heat finish fourth and will face a healthy Sixers team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 1992.

LeBron James and the Nets finish sixth, meaning the King has reached the playoffs in his very first season. His reward is a matchup against his draft classmate Chris Bosh and the Knicks, led by Tracy McGrady. Not a bad challenge for the rookie!

Penny Hardaway and the Bucks are once again the seventh seed. Last season, they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, beating two unproven teams, the Hawks and Bulls, along the way. Now they face a team that has spent nearly a decade in the lottery.

Finally, the New Orleans Hornets make the playoffs. This is only the second time in the franchise’s history that they have reached the postseason. The other appearance came in 1994, when the team was still based in Charlotte. Now they face the greatest regular-season team the league has ever seen.

The Orlando Magic, who looked so promising with their big four, finish tied with the Hornets but missed the playoffs, because of a tiebreaker. What a series it could have been between Orlando’s four stars and Boston’s Fantastic Five!

The Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors all miss the playoffs by just one game, while the Wizards fall short by two. Three of those four teams made the postseason last year, with Toronto reaching the semifinals. Another semifinalist from last season, the Bulls, finish dead last in the East.

The Western Conference Playoff Picture

In the West, the top four teams maintain their positions through the second half of the season. The Spurs stay atop the conference, while the Kings win the Pacific Division ahead of the Lakers and Suns, who finish as the third and fourth seeds.

The Suns face the Rockets, who fall from first place last season to fifth this year. The Jazz are back in the playoffs and will face the Lakers, who also return after missing out last season. The Clippers are back in the postseason for the first time since 2000, earning the seventh seed.

Finally, the Nuggets claim the eighth spot once again. That means Allan Houston, who was injured during last season’s historic return to the playoffs, will finally get to play for the first time in the postseason during his career. The last time the Spurs were a No. 1 seed, they were upset. Can it happen again?

The Mavericks miss the playoffs again, but this time by only one game. If Nowitzki had stayed healthy, things might have turned out differently. The aging Timberwolves, with their famous frontcourt, miss the postseason by two games, ending a streak that began in the 1990s.

And for the second year in a row, the defending Western Conference champions won’t be in the playoffs to defend their title. Last year, it was the Jazz, who lost Jason Kidd to free agency. This time, it’s the Trail Blazers, with Kidd still on the roster but unable to lead them back to the postseason. Portland finishes 33-49 in 13th place.

The Playoffs Are Here!

The regular season has delivered a historic Celtics record, a new generation of stars, and plenty of unexpected playoff teams. LeBron James has arrived, and his rookie campaign has been better than expected for the Nets. Meanwhile, Boston has been more dominant than ever, finishing with a record that may never be matched.

Can anyone stop the Celtics from winning their fifth consecutive championship? Or will the GOAT era begin with another green-and-white celebration?

The playoffs are next, and we’re about to find out.