Ethical NBA Championships, Ranked

- The article ranks NBA championships on an "ethical" scale — i.e., which titles were won most "fairly" (strong competition, no asterisks, no superteams, etc.) vs. which were tarnished by lockouts, shortened seasons, weak opponents, or luck. - "Ethical" here is ironic/sports-fan jargon: it plays off debates about whether certain titles should "count" less (e.g., the 2020 bubble title, the 1999 lockout season, or rings won by superteams like the 2017 Warriors). - The piece draws on a tradition of sports barbershop arguments about "rings culture" — the idea that fans and media obsess over championship totals but disagree wildly on which titles are legit. - The Pudding is a digital publication known for data-driven, visual essays on pop culture and sports, often using stats to settle (or complicate) silly but passionate debates.