Rivals aim to stop Miami Heat threepeat
As the NBA season begins, the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets are among the teams eager to stop LeBron James and the Heat from making it three championships in a row
LeBron James and the Miami Heat have their sights on a “threepeat” as the NBA season tips off on Tuesday, but Derrick Rose’s Chicago and free-spending Brooklyn have other ideas.
“King” James and the Heat are trying to become just the third team of the modern era to win three straight titles, a feat accomplished by the Los Angeles Lakers of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2000, 2001 and 2002, and the Chicago Bulls of Michael Jordan – who did it twice from 1991-93 and 1996-98.
The Heat captured their second straight title in an NBA Finals thriller over San Antonio in June. Along the way to the title they put together an astonishing 27-game regular-season winning streak and James was a near-unanimous choice for a second straight Most Valuable Player award.
But the Bulls, with former NBA MVP Rose back in action after missing all of last season rehabbing a knee injury, have designs on the Eastern Conference title.
The Brooklyn Nets have also armed themselves for battle in the East, thanks to the deep pockets of Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
The Nets brought in future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from the Boston Celtics to join All-Stars Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez.