When it comes to basketball, it’s hard to pin down which the best NBA team of all-time is. Fill an entire room with a hundred fans, and you’d get a hundred different answers.
There is no exact formula when it comes to ranking the best basketball teams in NBA history. That’s 72 years of history and counting!
Good thing, some stats can make the process of determining who the best NBA team is. While at it, while the winning teams’ strategy revolved around outstanding players who work together to win a championship.
Winning an NBA championship is the culmination of the hard work and dedication of each team and player.
Below are the best performing NBA teams.
Runner-up – 2016-17 Golden State Warriors
Record: 67-15
Playoffs: 16-1
The Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors is composed of talented basketball players today.
The 2016-17 season was the Warriors’ best year so far. The team broke several records including the 16-1 playoff record, the highest winning percentage in NBA history. It was one of the teams to enter the finals the earliest (February 25).
#3 – 1895-86 Boston Celtics
Record: 67-15
Playoffs: 15-3
In the 1984-85 season, Boston Celtics lost the NBA championship to Los Angeles Lakers. Larry Bird and his team were motivated to win against its archnemesis.
The Celtics won the regular season with 67 games. They were able to beat Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, and Chicago Bulls in the playoffs (Eastern Conference).
The Celtics beat Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals of that season, with an 82 combined wins at the regular season and playoffs.
From the franchise’s best, five players went to be included in the Hall of Famers.
#2 – 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 65-17
Playoffs: 12-3
The year before their banner year was a failure for the Los Angeles Lakers. The team did not make it to the NBA Finals. Boston Celtics won the championship then.
The 1986-87 season was an opportunity for the Lakers to reclaim their throne. Magic Johnson led the team, along with equally great scorers James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Not only they made it into the Finals but also defeated the Boston Celtics after a historic six games season-ender.
#1 – 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
Record: 72-10
Playoffs: 15-3
The trio of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls was the epitome of NBA greatness. Theirs was an extraordinary display of offence and defence combined. Such a claim was made evident by their 1995-96 championship.
The year prior was not at all stellar especially that Jordan had already left to focus on baseball. He made a surprise comeback, but Orlando Magic halted their championship bid. The Bulls lost in the second round of the playoffs.
Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman played as they did in the past in the next year. The Bulls finished the season with not just a championship, but an NBA record of 72 wins – the highest in a single season. It is also the first team to have three players in the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
