FanPost

Which is the Greatest Team of All Time?

This list will be very similar to my list of who the greatest PLAYER of all time is. If you have not checked that out yet, please go to my profile and check it out. It is very good. Anyways, I was thinking about this earlier. With all the teams in the NBA’s history and all the champions that have been crowned, I wondered who had the greatest team ever assembled.

Now, I’m going to lay down some rules and criteria for this list.

  1. All teams had to win the NBA championship at least once.
  2. They had to beat a great team (will be up for debate)
  3. They had to have made another Finals appearance in the span of four years (two before and/or two after)

So, without further adieu, let’s make the list.

15. 1995 Houston Rockets

Record: 47-35 (6th in the West)

Finals MVP: Hakeem Olajuwon

Hall of Famers: Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler

Notable Players: Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, and Kenny Smith

Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich

Who They Beat: Orlando Magic in 4 (Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant, and Coach Brian Hill)

Other Appearances: 1994 NBA Finals (Beat New York Knicks in 7)

Why They Are Not #14

First off, the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers were going to be on this list originally. You know, the one with Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks, and all of those guys. But, I forgot about the Houston Rockets in all of this. This 1995 Rockets team has the lowest record of any team on this list, which only makes their championship that much more credible. The Rockets had one of the top five greatest centers of all time (Hakeem Olajuwon) and one of the top ten greatest shooting guards of all time (Clyde Drexler). So, why aren’t they higher?

For one thing, their record is terrible compared to the other teams on this list. Also, their supporting cast wasn’t that incredible. Lastly, Clyde was exiting his prime and that means he wouldn’t be able to defend against the other two-guards in their prime. Hell, I don’t know if he could defend against the star of the next team.

14. 2009 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 57-25 (1st in the West)

Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant

Soon-to-be Hall of Famer: Kobe Bryant

Notable Players: Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest

Coach: Phil Jackson

Who They Beat: Boston Celtics in 7 (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Coach Doc Rivers)

Other Appearances: 2008 NBA Finals (Lost to Boston Celtics in 6) and 2009 NBA Finals (Beat Orlando Magic in 5)

Why They Are Not #13

Trust me, this is DEFINITELY not the last Lakers team on this list. I just needed to get this over with to keep all of those Kobe fanboys happy (And here comes the hate mail LOL). Anyway, as repeating champions, the 2010 Lakers had a great core of guys pretty much all around. From Jordan Farmar to Shannon Brown to Lamar Odom, their bench was pretty solid. Also, Ron Artest provided a great defensive presence. Derek Fisher provided leadership, Andrew Bynum started to blossom as a pretty good center, and Pau Gasol became the best second option the Lakers could hope for. Oh yeah, and the Kobe did everything.

Did you know that Kobe led the Lakers in points, assists, steals, and minutes played throughout the whole season? Yeah, its great for him but it means he basically carried his team to the Finals. Other than Bryant and Gasol, they had no great consistent options on the offensive side. Which means that both those guys are using a lot of energy on offense, leaving them a little bit out of breath on defense. Lastly, I just don’t see them being able to match up with the better teams on this list.

13. 1970 New York Knicks

Record: 60-22 (1st in the East)

Finals MVP: Willis Reed

Hall of Famers: Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley

Notable Player: Dick Barnett

Coach: Red Holzman

Who They Beat: Los Angeles Lakers in 7 (Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Coach Joe Mullaney)

Other Appearances: 1972 NBA Finals (Lost to Los Angeles Lakers in 5)

Why They Are Not #12

There ya go Knick fans. Are you happy? Sorry, I got a little pessimistic. This was a great team. Hell, its pretty much the same teams as their 1973 Knicks who also won the title, just that they were older and added new additions in Jerry Lucas and Earl Monroe. Anyway, this was one of the top ten greatest teams of all time in 1996. That has to mean something, right?

Well, the Knicks were put together with an incredible amount of talent. But their bench was pretty bad. They had a then-record 18 consecutive wins. But that record was broken just a couple years later by the 1972 Lakers. Willis Reed was the MVP at the time and was one of the better centers of the era. But he was 6-10 and couldn’t really match up against guys like Russell or Wilt or Shaq. Let’s move on before I get anymore death threats.

12. 2003 San Antonio Spurs

Record: 60-22 (1st in the West)

Finals MVP: Tim Duncan

Hall of Famer: David Robinson

Soon-to-be Hall of Famers: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili

Notable Player: Bruce Bowen

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Who They Beat: New Jersey Nets in 6 (Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, and Coach Byron Scott)

Other Appearances: 2005 NBA Finals (Beat Detroit Pistons in 7)

Why They Are Not #11

You know I had to put a Spurs team on this list, especially one with Tim Duncan in his prime. This was definitely a transition team for the Spurs, between guys like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (GINOBILI!) emerging and guys retiring like David Robinson and Steve Kerr. Also, this was a major step for Duncan and Popovich’s legacies as they won MVP and Coach of the Year Awards, respectfully. But, and there’s always a but, they aren’t really THAT great.

They aren’t that great of a team. This was their plan of attack: Feed the ball to Tim. If not, feed it to David. If they get doubled, pass it out to the shooters. Boy, that’s some impressive philosophical schematic there Pop. "But he’s such a genius and he’s the best coach ever," says the dumb Spurs fan. I should probably stop now before I get any more death threats. Anyway, it took them six games to beat a team coached by Byron Scott, they didn’t repeat as champions, and would beat a Detroit team in two years that had one of the worst offenses among NBA champions. And, yes, it took them seven freaking boring games. Don’t worry Spurs fans, you still have another team left.

11. 2008 Boston Celtics

Record: 66-16 (1st in the East)

Finals MVP: Paul Pierce

Soon-to-be Hall of Famers: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen

Notable Players: Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins

Coach: Doc Rivers

Who They Beat: Los Angeles Lakers in 6 (Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Coach Phil Jackson)

Other Appearances: 2010 NBA Finals (Lost to Los Angeles Lakers in 7)

Why They Are Not #10

KG!!!! WOO! The Big Ticket!! What? Ya gotta love ‘em! Anyway, the team that made the single greatest turnaround in NBA history, possibly the greatest turnaround in pro sports, is ranked #11. A team boasting an incredible trifecta of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen along with a supporting cast that included a few young pieces (Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis), some mid-tier veterans (Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen), and a good amount of seasoned guys (Sam Cassell and James Posey). So, why aren’t they higher?

Well, they didn’t repeat (first thing). Their only appearance was a loss (second thing). Lastly, they just didn’t stand out to me as an incredibly good team. Again, it’s my list. Look at it this way, they’re better than the Knicks. Don’t get your panties up in a bunch, Celtics fans. You’ll have more of your teams on this list.

10. 2014 San Antonio Spurs

Record: 62-20 (1st in the West)

Finals MVP: Kawhi Leonard

Soon-to-be Hall of Famers: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili

Notable Players: Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Who They Beat: Miami Heat in 5 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Coach Erik Spoelstra)

Other Appearances: 2013 NBA Finals (Lost to Miami Heat in 7)

Why They Are Not #9

GO SPURS GO! GO SPURS GO! Man, did that chant get annoying during the Finals, holy shit. But, anyway yeah. The Spurs did beat my beloved Heat and, in doing so, sent LeBron James packing. These Spurs played incredible basketball, the kind you could only see while playing 2K. Kawhi’s defensive ability was on display as he was able to limit what LeBron could do, Tim Duncan proved (once a-freaking-gain) that Father Time will have to wait on him, guys like Boris Diaw and Patty Mills electrified their offense, and all of that went on while Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili did ok. All of that is good, but could still be better.

Like some of the other previous teams, these Spurs did not repeat. Their advanced age at certain positions could be taken advantage of, especially with faster and younger teams. Tony Parker’s lack of defensive ability could be exploited, especially with a guy like Magic Johnson on him. And finally, no matter what people in the media say, the Spurs DID NOT DOMINATE THE HEAT! Why? Because They Won The Series In FIVE GAMES And Not FOUR! Sorry. Just had to get that out there.

9. 1992 Chicago Bulls

Record: 67-15 (1st in the East)

Finals MVP: Michael Jordan

Hall of Famers: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen

Notable Players: Horace Grant, John Paxson, and Bill Cartwright

Coach: Phil Jackson

Who They Beat: Portland Trail Blazers in 6 (Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, and Coach Rick Adelman)

Other Appearances: 1991 NBA Finals (Beat Los Angeles Lakers in 5) and 1993 NBA Finals (Beat Phoenix Suns in 6)

Why They Are Not #8

Now, here’s when I need to start watching myself. I need to start tip-toeing around certain things. Because if I say the wrong thing like, "Phil Jackson is only a great coach because he had the greatest players around him," BAM! I get shot by some sniper looking for me. Nah, I’m just kidding. No one cares because they won’t read this article. Thank you, one guy who is reading this article. If a girl is reading this, hit me up on Twitter. My handle is @BrandonCela. Well, that’s enough of me desperately trying to get a girl’s number. Let’s move on to what matters: basketball.

So, this is the first team on my list who three-peated and it sure won’t be the last one. This is probably the best season for Michael Jordan, as he won MVP, Finals MVP, and Gold Medal later that summer. Scottie Pippen started to really emerge as the Robin to Jordan’s Batman. While Bill Cartwright did decline, pretty much everyone else on the Bulls improved greatly. Now, here’s where I draw the line.

The Triangle offense works only when all the pieces are in play. What happens if Scottie Pippen gets injured? They would have to bring in someone with little Triangle experience or move Jordan to SF, which could create problems. Horace Grant wasn’t that good of a defender, which means Duncan, Karl Malone, KG, and a bunch of other power forwards could do some damage. Oh yeah, and they have not defense whatsoever when it comes to centers. Who would match up against Hakeem or Shaq or Wilt? Bill Cartwright? Will Perdue? And even if they play good team defense, I don’t think it would do that much against some of the great centers and guys like Hakeem could just dish it out to shooters who are open. Lastly, these Bulls didn’t really defeat a truly great team. Sure, early on, they beat a Lakers team with a final-season Magic and no Kareem. Sure, they beat a Portland team who only had true offensive options in the backcourt. Sure, they beat Phoenix who kinda had a good core of guys. Compared to teams like the Pistons, Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Heat, the Bulls didn’t defeat anyone THAT great. Moving on.

8. 1989 Detroit Pistons

Record: 63-19 (1st in the East)

Finals MVP: Joe Dumars

Hall of Famers: Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman

Notable Players: Bill Laimbeer and Mark Aguirre

Coach: Chuck Daly

Who They Beat: Los Angeles Lakers in 4 (Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Coach Pat Riley)

Other Appearances: 1988 NBA Finals (Lost to Los Angeles Lakers in 7) and 1990 NBA Finals (Beat Portland Trail Blazers in 5)

Why They Are Not #7

BAAAAAD BOYS! BAAAAAD BOYS! The Detroit Pistons made the cut. Why you ask? Look at who they had to beat just to win one title. Between Larry Bird’s Celtics, Michael Jordan’s Bulls, and Magic Johnson’s Lakers, the Pistons basically beat everyone from the 1980s on their way to a title. Also, they dominated the game like no one else playing tough defense and had two star guards instead of the typical guard and center set up. Lastly, they repeated as champions and almost got a three-peat. Now the unfortunate parts of this team.

No member of the Pistons averaged more than 19 points a game, meaning they have no primary scorer. Now, you say Isiah Thomas could be that option. Well, Isiah led the Pistons in minutes played, assists, and steals throughout the regular season and led the team in all three of those categories plus points during the playoffs. That tells me he carried the team so much that I don’t think he would be able to be a dominant offensive option. One other thing, the whole thing about the Pistons beating all of these teams is misleading. Jordan was still young, Magic was becoming more of a dick rather than a team player, and Bird’s back was just about to decompose after carrying his team for so long. So, yeah there ya go Detroit.

7. 2001 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 56-26 (2nd in the West)

Finals MVP: Shaquille O’Neal

Soon-to-be Hall of Famers: Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant

Notable Players: Horace Grant, Rick Fox, and Robert Horry

Coach: Phil Jackson

Who They Beat: Philadelphia 76ers in 5 (Allen Iverson, Dikembe Mutombo, Tyrone Hill, and Coach Larry Brown)

Other Appearances: 2000 NBA Finals (Beat Indiana Pacers in 6) and 2002 NBA Finals (Beat New Jersey Nets in 4)

Why They Are Not #6

The team with Frobe and The Diesel make the #7 spot on the list. They three-peated as champions, re-established the Lakers as the top franchise in the NBA, and were recognized as the top dogs of the NBA for half a decade. They had a supporting cast of former champions and great teammates. They battled through injuries and Kobe-Shaq beef on their way to winning titles. On top of all of that, they hold the record for best record in the postseason with 15 wins and just one loss. Now, why aren’t they higher?

The best player they faced in the Finals was Allen Iverson, which, compared to who other teams on this list had to face, is a bit of a downer. In their best season, 2000-01 season, they had the 2nd best record in the West, which means they were not able to secure wins on different opponents in the regular season. That means that, if faced with a different opponent than usual, they fail. Also, they had no true third option on offense. What happens in Shaq and/or Kobe go down with injuries? Who comes in? Horace Grant I guess? Robert Horry? That’s about it. This team was really good, it’s just that as the list goes up people get knocked down. Once again, not the last Laker team on this list.

6. 2013 Miami Heat

Record: 66-16 (1st in the East)

Finals MVP: LeBron James

Soon-to-be Hall of Famers: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh (maybe), and Ray Allen

Notable Player: Mario Chalmers

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Who They Beat: San Antonio Spurs in 7 (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Coach Gregg Popovich)

Other Appearances: 2011 NBA Finals (Lost to Dallas Mavericks in 6), 2012 NBA Finals (Beat Oklahoma City Thunder in 5), and 2014 NBA Finals (Lost to San Antonio Spurs in 5)

Why They Are Not #5

GO HEAT GO! GO HEAT GO! GO HEAT GO! (Heat fan alert) So, this list could be just a little bit biased. But, hear me out. This team went on a 27 game win streak during the regular season, the 2nd greatest win streak in the NBA (behind the 1972 Lakers who are up next). This team had a nucleus of some really solid guys. This team had freaking Ray Allen coming off the bench and making great shots. Oh yeah, and they had the Big Three with LeBron James in his prime. But…

…the Heat did not have a three-peat during this run. While they did reach the Finals four consecutive times, they lost the first and last match-ups to older teams. They could be exploited in about three ways: 1. Using a powerful center to dominate them throughout the game, 2. Shooting a ton of three pointers, and 3. Have an effective and powerful big men lineup (power forward and center). Either of those three ways will probably get you the win against the Heat. And that’s why they don’t break the top 5.

5. 1972 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 69-13 (1st in the West)

Finals MVP: Wilt Chamberlain

Hall of Famers: Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich

Notable Players: Jim McMillian and Keith Erickson

Coach: Bill Sharman

Who They Beat: New York Knicks in 5 (Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Jerry Lucas, and Coach Red Holtzman)

Other Appearances: 1970 NBA Finals (Lost to New York Knicks in 7) and 1973 NBA Finals (Lost to New York Knicks in 5)

Why They Are Not #4

Congrats, these Lakers made the top 5! Yay! So, from now on, every team on this list will have won at least two championships in the span of five years. Now, for these Lakers, they possessed a three-headed monster of two of the greatest players of all time (Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West) and a crafty Hall of Fame shooter (Gail Goodrich). You know how great this team was? Wilt and Jerry weren’t even the leading scorers! Gail Goodrich led the team in scoring, which is crazy to think that Wilt would allow that to happen because of his selfish past. But, they came together as a team and won a championship along with setting a record for the most consecutive wins by an NBA team with 33 wins. Wow. So, why aren’t they higher?

Well, these excuses are kind of lousy but whatever. Goodrich and West would have no answer against taller and more athletic backcourts like Magic Johnson and Byron Scott or Michael Jordan and (Insert Point Guard Here). Also, their bench isn’t as great as the teams further up on the list. Lastly, the 1972 Lakers did not win another championship until Magic Johnson got to LA. Oh well.

4. 1986 Boston Celtics

Record: 67-15 (1st in the East)

Finals MVP: Larry Bird

Hall of Famers: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, and Bill Walton

Coach: K.C. Jones

Who They Beat: Houston Rockets in 6 (Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Reid, and Coach Bill Fitch)

Other Appearances: 1984 NBA Finals (Beat Los Angeles Lakers in 7), 1985 NBA Finals (Lost to Los Angeles Lakers in 6), and 1987 NBA Finals (Lost to Los Angeles Lakers in 6)

Why They Are Not #3

Larry Legend! The 1986 Boston Celtics are considered by some to be the greatest team ever. Well I’m not any of those people. The Celtics finished the regular season with a home record of 40 wins and just one loss. Their newly acquired Hall of Fame center, Bill Walton, strengthened their bench and was awarded with the Sixth Man of the Year award. While Larry Bird did win MVP, the Celtics had a core of great role players, Hall of Famers, and a devastating trio of Bird, McHale, and Parish. Oh yeah, and they won a championship in 1984 which helps their case. Now, why not rank them higher?

For starters, Larry Bird’s lack of athleticism could be exploited if he went up against a very athletic small forward like LeBron James or Scottie Pippen. And that’s pretty much it. Sorry, it starts to get really tough afterwards. But, do you know a team better than the 1986 Celtics? How about the team that beat the 1986 Celtics?

3. 1987 Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 65-17 (1st in the West)

Finals MVP: Magic Johnson

Hall of Famers: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy

Notable Players: Byron Scott and Michael Cooper

Coach: Pat Riley

Who They Beat: Boston Celtics in 6 (Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Coach K.C. Jones)

Other Appearances: 1985 NBA Finals (Beat Boston Celtics in 6), 1988 NBA Finals (Beat Detroit Pistons in 7), and 1989 NBA Finals (Lost to Detroit Pistons in 4)

Why They Are Not #2

Ah, yes this team. The 1987 Lakers are this high on the list on the principal that they beat the #4 team on this list, the 1986 Celtics (I know it’s a year apart but they used pretty much the same rosters. Give me a break, the only other time this kind of thing happened was with the Heat and Spurs so yeah). Anyway, this team had a Hall of Fame trio of Magic, Kareem, and Worthy along with a pair of great shooting guards in Michael Cooper and Byron Scott. Oh yeah, they also had guys like A.C. Green, Kurt Rambis, and Mychal Thompson to complete the supporting cast. That’s a REALLY REALLY good pool of talent. On top of all of that, they had one of the top five greatest coaches of all time in Pat Riley. Now here’s why they are not the second greatest team of all time.

First off, this team was one ghost foul away from not becoming back-to-back champions a year later when they faced the Detroit Pistons. Second, I think this Lakers team would not be as successful in today’s NBA because of things like floor spacing and three-point shooting. Lastly, they just can’t beat the next team.

2. 1965 Boston Celtics

Record: 62-18 (1st in the East)

Hall of Famers: Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones, and Tom Heinsohn

Coach: Red Auerbach

Who They Beat: Los Angeles Lakers in 5 (Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Don Nelson, and Coach Fred Schaus)

Other Appearances: 1963 NBA Finals (Beat Los Angeles Lakers in 6), 1964 NBA Finals (Beat San Francisco Warriors in 5), and 1966 NBA Finals (Beat Los Angeles Lakers in 7)

Why They Are Not the Greatest Team of All Time

Well, this is a sticky one. A team led by the greatest winner in NBA history and the greatest center of all time, Bill Russell, and coached by the greatest coach of all time, Red Auerbach. Oh yeah, and they had a nucleus of Hall of Famers that included the Boston Celtics all-time leading scorer, John Havlicek, a prolific scorer, Sam Jones, a great lockdown defender who would go on to coach a few Boston Celtics championship teams, K.C. Jones, and a prototype for a stretch-four who would win two titles in the 70’s as a coach for the Celtics, Tom Heinsohn. And they also had Tom "Satch" Sanders, who was pretty good as well.

So, I have really hyped these guys up for a reason. They are the second greatest team of all time for a reason. But, their lack of bench depth, inferior physical ability compared to other teams, and a lack of modern basketball ability led me to believe that a more modern team needed to be represented. This #2 spot will be used as a means of recognizing the eleven championships that the Celtics won in those years, not just one team. But, like I said, there needs to be a newer team at the top. A team that consists of a Hall of Fame trio, a Hall of Fame head coach, a great supporting cast, and one truly dominant superstar. (Drumroll please)

1. 1996 Chicago Bulls. Surprise! (That was sarcasm, of course)

Record: 72-10 (1st in the East)

Finals MVP: Michael Jordan

Hall of Famers: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman

Notable Players: Toni Kukoc and Ron Harper

Who They Beat: Seattle SuperSonics in 6 (Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf, and Coach George Karl)

Other Appearances: 1997 NBA Finals (Beat Utah Jazz in 6) and 1998 NBA Finals (Beat Utah Jazz in 6)

Why They Are the Greatest Team of All Time

Yay! We got to #1! No surprise, it’s the 1996 Chicago Bulls. In all honesty, if it wasn’t the Bulls or the Celtics at the #1 spot, I don’t know who else it would be. Now, why am I so sure of this? Let’s just talk about the team as a whole. This Chicago team won 72 games during the regular season at a time where some of the greatest centers of all time walked the Earth (Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing, etc.) and a great amount of other superstars (Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Gary Payton, Chris Mullin, etc.). Not only did the Bulls go on to complete a three-peat, but they also went undefeated in the NBA Finals through all of their appearances. Very impressive.

Now, moving on to the players. We all know about Michael Jordan, as he is the GOAT. Scottie Pippen is a Hall of Fame great with incredible defensive ability and played his role of sidekick to perfection. As for Dennis Rodman, he provided even more defensive intensity for this team as well as getting 14 rebounds a night for them. The Bulls also possessed a wealth of great role players who all provided a great contribution to this team. Whether it was the defense of Ron Harper, the shooting of Steve Kerr, the shot blocking of Luc Longley, or the offensive ability of Toni Kukoc, everyone played in sync and worked towards a great goal under the tutelage of Phil Jackson. With eleven championships and a system that was killer to any opposing team, Phil used his basketball IQ and helped mold a team of two superstar, one out-of-control character, and a roster of misfits into the greatest team of all time.

So, what do you guys think? Hit me up on Twitter or leave your comments down below about what you think of my list. Thanks for reading.

No cursing in title. No pirated material, such as links to online game streams. Do not cut/paste entire sections of content from other websites. Thanks.