When was the last time the NBA's Eastern Conference was better than the West?

[mastermind]

I was thinking about this yesterday while reading something about conference powers this year. I am an old man and have been watching the NBA for a long time. It took me a long time, but the year I pinpointed was the 1992-1993 NBA season.

The Mavericks won 11 games and were the worst team in the NBA. A 39-43 Lakers team made the playoffs.

I think the conferences were fairly even until Jordan retired in 1998. At that point, the old eastern powers had fallen off. Duncan and Shaq were entering their primes out west and most of the big time players were in the West. It has been that way since the 98-99 lockout.

 

[jaguar paw]

Make a thread and then answer your own question articulately, thought-out, and researched correctly brehs.

:durag:

 

[OG_StankBrefs]

2012 & 2013

 

[Rekkapryde]

I was thinking about this yesterday while reading something about conference powers this year. I am an old man and have been watching the NBA for a long time. It took me a long time, but the year I pinpointed was the 1992-1993 NBA season.

The Mavericks won 11 games and were the worst team in the NBA. A 39-43 Lakers team made the playoffs.

I think the conferences were fairly even until Jordan retired in 1998. At that point, the old eastern powers had fallen off. Duncan and Shaq were entering their primes out west and most of the big time players were in the West. It has been that way since the 98-99 lockout.

West has been better than the East for a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnng time. Even though the best teams from the East were still competitive and championship caliber, the gulf between the good and bad east teams has been BAD for a long time now.

 

[mastermind]

Make a thread and then answer your own question articulately, thought-out, and researched correctly brehs.

:durag:

I could be wrong.

Its called my belief.

2012 & 2013

 

[OG_StankBrefs]

 

[jaguar paw]

I could be wrong.

Its called my belief.

Id guess the measurement is that it's based on a conference win/loss total.

Or you could look at the 6-8 seeds every year and look at their records.

You've already done that.

 

[mastermind]

Id guess the measurement is that it's based on a conference win/loss total.

Or you could look at the 6-8 seeds every year and look at their records.

You've already done that.

for the year I chose

thats my belief. You could say it was earlier or later.

 

[Jplaya2023]

1997

East had 6 50 win teams West had 4

*shrugs*

 

[El Guapo]

The strike shortened 2012 season they were pretty close to my surprise in records from the 1 to 8 seeds

Although we could also maybe measure by legit contenders instead of just 1 to 8 seeding, but that kind of goes subjective vs. objective. Like the '08 Nuggets were the 8th seed with 50 wins, but I never really thought of them as a legit contender.

 

[Absolut da poet ®]

Make a thread and then answer your own question articulately, thought-out, and researched correctly brehs.

:durag:

grand opening

grand closing

 

[SchoolboyC]

1998-99 was the last time the East had a better winning percentage in inter-conference games

 

[mastermind]

1998-99 was the last time the East had a better winning percentage in inter-conference games

damn, i didnt know

50 game season tho