Today we continue in part 9 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.

This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history? Find out today as Josh tackles the Eastern Conference in the 2010s!

2010: Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic - Paul Pierce (03:10)

2011: Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls - LeBron James (11:35)

2012: Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics - LeBron James (20:03)

2013: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers- LeBron James (28:33)

2014: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers- LeBron James (36:04)

2015: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks- LeBron James (42:35)

2016: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors- LeBron James (49:28)

2017: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics- LeBron James (54:39)

2018: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics- LeBron James (01:00:22)

2019: Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks- Kawhi Leonard (01:11:11)

2020: Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics- Bam Adebayo (01:19:35)

2021: Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks- Khris Middleton (01:28:16)

Recap/Outro: (01:37:04)

(04:48) What led to the Decision? The Breaking Point in Cleveland

(26:00) The Villain Season - 2010-11

(53:48) Redemption, "It's About Damn Time" - 2011-12(01:10:54) Supernova, Back-To-Back - 2012-13

(01:32:00) The Burnout - 2013-14

July 8th, 2010. A 25-year-old phenom sat across from Jim Gray… and set the basketball world on fire.
"'I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.'"

Seven words that shattered Cleveland... united superstars... and turned a beloved MVP into the NBA's greatest villain overnight.
This is the story of The Heatles. Of dominance. Of legacy. And of how one decision changed the course of basketball history.
But before the championships, before the 27-game win streak, before the redemption...
There was heartbreak.
There was pressure.
And there was a reason he had to leave.

From Cleveland’s collapse… to South Beach’s rise… to the fall in 2014—this is the LeBron Miami saga, as you've never heard it before.

(04:50) Background on basketball in Philadelphia and on Wilt

(23:18) Let's meet the 1966-67 Sixers and look at their regular season

(46:05) The Sixers finally overcome Boston

(55:05) The 1967 Finals

When it comes to the NBA’s all-time greatest players, few can match the raw statistical dominance of Wilt Chamberlain.

From the iconic 100-point game, to the 50 points per game season, to 12 straight seasons averaging over 20 rebounds, Chamberlain’s numbers are simply unbelievable.

But despite statistical dominance, Wilt the Stilt struggled for years to carry his teams over the final hurdle, as year after year, championships eluded him.

While Bill Russell was winning 11 rings in 13 years, Chamberlain was often left watching and waiting .

Finally, in 1967, 9 years into his NBA career, Wilt finally earned his ring, and delivered the first ever NBA championship to the city of Philadelphia .

The story of how Chamberlain and the Sixers got there, however, is one few people know.

In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back nearly 60 years, and learn how the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers managed to defeat the nearly-undefeatable dynasty of the Boston Celtics.

This is once upon a dribble!