Era · 2000s

Dynasty and Parity

2000–2010

Two separate stories run through this decade. The Lakers and Spurs trade off in the West and win most of the decade's titles between them. In the East, Detroit, Boston, and a one-man Cleveland compete for the right to lose to the West's best. Meanwhile a new generation that was drafted in the second half of the 1990s, including Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett, begins to hit its peak.

The hand-check rule was loosened in 2004, which began to open up the perimeter and would eventually, over a decade, reshape how wings and guards were used. The 2004 Pistons won a title without a top-tier superstar and briefly made the league's executives wonder if the age of team basketball had returned. It had not.