TOP 10 NBA Teams Of All Time

There is often a debate about the best NBA team of all time. In the past, the Bulls and the Lakers have been mentioned, and the Golden State Warriors, who lost just 9 times during the entire 2015-16 regular season and broke the Bulls’ previous record, have been included in this discussion.

However, the Warriors fell just short of a fantastic season, squandering a 3-1 lead against the Cavaliers in the Finals. So, let’s take a closer look at the Top 10 NBA teams of all time.

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This list must start with the Bulls’ historic season. 72 wins and 10 losses has long been the NBA regular season record, and the cherry on the cake is winning the NBA title. It was Michael Jordan’s fourth championship ring out of six, then he got two more in 1997 and 1998.

In the 1995-96 season, the Bulls were the league’s top offensive and defensive team. Michael Jordan was the brightest star and the MVP, with Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper and Dennis Rodman also in the line-up.

Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine the level of the 1971-72 Lakers, but you can’t help but admire the team’s achievements.

Wilt Chamberlain led the Lakers to defeat the New York Knicks 4-1 in the Finals. Although the organisation had played in the Finals many times since moving to Los Angeles, this was the first NBA title.

Chamberlain was the Finals MVP then, but he was only fourth on the team in points scored. Gail Goodrich, Jerry West, and Jim McMillian were the highlights. Happy Hairston, Elgin Baylor, Flynn Robinson, and Pat Riley were also on the team.

Many would agree that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and the then-Warriors changed the NBA’s style. The Warriors, who dominated the game based on three-pointers, shone in the 2015-16 season with 73 wins.

However, it wasn’t enough, and the following season, Kevin Durant, one of the NBA’s all-time leading scorers, was brought in.

In the 2016-17 regular season, the Warriors had 67 wins and ranked number one in offence and number two in defence. In the Finals, the Cavaliers were defeated 4-1. The team’s offence has been built around three players this season: Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.

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Three players scored 72.7 points per game. Only Draymond Green had double-digit scoring (10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7 assists). The forward was named the best defensive player.

See also our article on the greatest NBA scorers in history.

In the 1998-99 season, the Bulls missed the playoffs, which meant the league would have new champions. The Knicks had been close to the title for years but have yet to get it.

However, they were up against none other than the Gregg Popovich-coached Spurs, who had the best defence rating in the league. They won the final 4:1, with Tim Duncan, who was in his second year in the league, named Finals MVP.

The Spurs then had Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, and veteran Steve Kerr as team leaders.

Another Lakers line-up is battling it out for the title of best NBA team of all time.

While the 1971-72 season saw the legendary Chamberlain and West, the 1986-87 saw a new generation led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott, A.C. Green, Michael Cooper, and 39-year-old veteran Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

This team was led by Johnson, who was the regular-season and Finals MVP, had the best offensive rating, and beat the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the Finals. This season perfectly sums up the Pat Riley era of the Lakers. He has played in the Finals seven times in eight seasons, winning three of them.

LeBron James’ move from the Cavaliers to the Heat brought the Big Three together, and this arrangement later influenced other players’ decisions. They did not win the title the first year together but later enjoyed two consecutive winning seasons.

In 2012-13, we saw one of the best versions of James of all time – the MVP-winning forward scored 26.8 points with an impressive 56.5% shooting percentage (40.60% on three-pointers), 8.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists.

In the final, the Lakers beat the Spurs 4:3 after a fantastic Ray Allen three-pointer. James was joined by Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, Chris Andersen, and Udonis Haslem.

In 1981-82, the Lakers won the NBA title, Magic Johnson was the Finals MVP, and the Pat Riley era began. However, the 76ers avenged the previous season’s defeat 4-0 the following year. The team that played a great season deserves to be called one of the best NBA teams ever.

Moses Malone was the team’s MVP then, and the line-up included Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Bobby Jones, Clint Richardson, and Marc Iavaroni.

In the 1970s, the Lakers dominated the West, but the 76ers, Celtics, and later the Pistons kept the Finals at bay. In the 1989-99 season, the Pistons defeated the Lakers 4-0 in the Finals, avenging the previous season’s 3-4 loss and winning the first NBA title in the organisation’s history.

Joe Dumars was the Finals MVP, and Isiah Thomas, Adrian Dantley, Mark Aquirre, Vinnie Johnson, and Bill Laimbeer led the team. Dennis Rodman, James Edwards, Rick Mahorn, and John Salley also played on the team.

It is not clear what the NBA level was at that time, but Bill Russell and his teammates’ work is worthy of respect. The Celtics, coached by Red Auerbach, won eight titles in a row and, during the stretch from 1957 to 1969, 11 titles in 13 years.

The most notable players on the Celtics team at the time were Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Tom Sanders, Willie Naulls, and K.C. Jones.

In the 1970-71 season, the Bucks played in the Western Conference and were the first team to end 12 years of Eastern Conference dominance. The Bucks defeated the Baltimore Bullets 4-0 in the finals, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named Finals MVP.

The Bucks had the season’s first offensive and defensive rating, and everything revolved around Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was only 23 then. The center forward had 31.7 points and 16 rebounds. Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge, Jon McGlocklin, Greg Smith, and Bob Boozer were also on the team.