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a quarter of a century later … others are knocking on the door

In the wonderful world of the NBA, most of the debate revolves around the individual level of players. Who is the GOAT? And he is Top 5? What do you mean, you put so and so on top of that one? However, we should not forget that basketball remains a team sport, and that it’s also cool to talk about the best teams in history for a change. That’s good, that’s what we’re going to do.

On January 8, 1997, a few weeks after the announcement of the 50 best players in history for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the NBA, the top ten all-time teams were also revealed. In the lot? We obviously found the Celtics and the Lakers, but also the Sixers, the Knicks, the Pistons and the Bulls.

  • Boston Celtics 1964-65 : 62-18 record in regular season, 8-4 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • Philadelphia 76ers 1966-67 : 68-13 record in regular season, 11-4 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • New York Knicks 1969-70 : 60-22 record in regular season, 12-7 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • Los Angeles Lakers 1971-72 : 69-13 record in regular season, 12-3 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • Philadelphia 76ers 1982-83 : 65-17 record in regular season, 12-1 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • Boston Celtics 1985-86 : 67-15 regular season record, 15-3 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • Los Angeles Lakers 1986-87 : 65-17 record in regular season, 15-3 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • Detroit Pistons 1988-89 : 63-19 record in regular season, 15-2 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • Chicago Bulls 1991-92 : 67-15 regular season record, 15-7 in Playoffs, NBA Champions
  • Chicago Bulls 1995-96 : 72-10 record in regular season, 15-3 in Playoffs, NBA Champions

Sacred teams, who each won the ring after a huge regular season (at least 60 wins for everyone). But since 1997, other winning machines have made history and thus have strong arguments allowing them to participate in the debate of the best all-time teams. Based on the same criteria, who knocks on the door to potentially take a seat on one of the ten chairs around the table?

Chicago Bulls 1996-97

Regular season results: 69-13
Bilan in Playoffs: 15-4
Champion NBA
Big names: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman (coach : Phil Jackson)

After making history in 1996 (best all-time regular season at the time) in Michael Jordan’s first full season post-baseball, the Bulls left no chance for competition when it came to defending their title. 69 wins in the regular season, domination in the Playoffs, no complaints, the Bulls are collectively untouchable. Karl Malone certainly stole the MVP from Jojo in 1997, but the backlash was terrible in the NBA Finals, where MJ carried his own to a success in six innings. Even the flu, or a poisoned pizza – it depends on the version – failed to slow Jordan down. Back-to-back, yeah!

Los Angeles Lakers 1999-00

Regular season results: 67-15
Bilan in Playoffs: 15-8
Champion NBA
Big names: Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant (coach : Phil Jackson)

The first title of the Shaq and Kobe dynasty. In 2000, in the first season on the bench for Phil Jackson, who transferred his triangle attack from Chicago to Los Angeles, the Lakers finally managed to defeat their demons in the Playoffs after several consecutive failures. O’Neal crushed everything in his path that season (MVP, All-Star Game MVP, NBA top scorer), while the youngster with the afro cut was gaining strength, all in the middle of a well-oiled collective . It was too much for opponents in LA, even as the Blazers came close to taking out the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Spurred on by a huge Shaq and a well-clutched Kobe, the Lakers took over the Pacers in the NBA Finals. The following year, the duo of superstars broke everyone in the Playoffs, before making the treble in 2002.

Boston Celtics 2007-08

Regular season results: 66-16
Bilan in Playoffs: 16-10
Champion NBA
Big names: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen (coach : Doc Rivers)

More than two decades after their last title in 1986, the Celtics returned to the top in 2008, the very first year of the Big Three Paul Pierce – Kevin Garnett – Ray Allen, the latter two having been recruited in the summer of 2007 by Danny Ainge to support the Truth. Based in particular on a very big defense guided by KG (Defender of the Year in 2008) and a nice sharing of responsibilities, the Celtics wasted no time in stringing wins, collecting 66 victories in total on a regular basis, i.e. 42 more than the previous season (NBA record). In playoffs? The path was more complicated. Seven games to get rid of the Hawks in the first round, seven to take over the Cavaliers from King LeBron James, but a final victory over the great rival of the Lakers, with a Paul Pierce MVP of the series. Anything is possible !

Los Angeles Lakers 2008-09

Regular season results: 65-17
Bilan in Playoffs: 16-7
Champion NBA
Big names: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol (coach : Phil Jackson)

On a mission after the humiliation in the NBA Finals against the Celtics (131-92 loss in Game 6), the Lakers of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol largely dominated the Western Conference during the 2008-09 regular season, before confirming their superiority in Playoffs. The Jazz goes by the wayside, the Rockets resist until Game 7 before cracking, the Nuggets of Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Gérard also fall, then the men of Phil Jackson finish the work against the Magic, finalist in the East after beating a private Boston team from injured Kevin Garnett. First Lakers title since 2002, first Finals MVP for Kobe, mouth shut for those who said he couldn’t win without Shaq.

Miami Heat 2012-13

Regular season results: 66-16
Bilan in Playoffs: 16-7
Champion NBA
Big names: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh (coach : Erik Spoelstra)

It is often said that the hardest part is to confirm but for the Heat version Big Three, the back-to-back season was the most memorable. After winning their first title in 2012, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh followed with a 66-game regular, in which they notably won 27 consecutive wins, the second longest streak in history in a season after the Lakers. 1971-72 (33). Between a LeBron at the top of his game and MVP for the fourth time in his career, a D-Wade as a perfect lieutenant, and a formidable mix of aggressive defense, total attack and speed, the Heat left nothing but crumbs for their opponents. However, with Wade’s playoffs ailments, the road to the title was strewn with pitfalls. A series in seven games against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, before going to two fingers and a legendary shot signed Ray Allen of a loss in the NBA Finals against the Spurs. Miami eventually finished at the top, securing its place among the best teams in history.

San Antonio Spurs 2013-14

Regular season results: 62-20
Bilan in Playoffs: 16-7
Champion NBA
Big names: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard (coach : Gregg Popovich)

When you lose an NBA Finals when the trophy seemed intended for you and the yellow rope was already out, two scenarios are possible. Either the team never gets over it, or they transcend themselves the following season. The 2013-14 Spurs are part of the second category, at the same time transcending basketball through a marvel of collective play. Not for nothing that we speak of “Beautiful Game” with these Spurs, who quite simply atomized the Heat during the 2014 Finals, thus taking their revenge after the terrible defeat of the previous year. 4-1 final score, 14 points difference on average between the two teams over the series (NBA Finals record), a Kawhi Leonard who ends up MVP, a Big Three Duncan-Ginobili-TP who wins a new title, all that with our national Boris Diaw who discovers the drunkenness of victory. Unforgettable.

Golden State Warriors 2016-17

Regular season results: 67-15
Bilan in Playoffs: 16-1
Champion NBA
Big names: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green (coach : Steve Kerr)

If the Warriors version 73 wins had not choke in 2016 against the Cavaliers, they would also find themselves in this list but it is ultimately the team of the following year that we will talk about here. The team in which we had Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, a veritable armada which – as expected – blew it all up. KD’s arrival in the summer of 2016 shattered all suspense, with the Warriors initially winning 67 regular-season games (similar to two years before with the first title) before posting the best record in Playoff history, with 16 wins in 17 games (ahead of the 2001 Lakers, 15-1). For some, this is the most unstoppable team in history, with three of the best all-time snipers and formidable chemistry, not to mention one of the most effective defenses in the League at the time (with Draymond in DPOY). In short, a steamroller, far superior to any other team in the NBA. A Superteam that you could lose against even making the perfect match.

So who belongs among the top ten teams in history? When we see for example the domination of the Warriors in 2017, difficult not to integrate them into the lot. In the end, we can chat for hours on the subject and even if it is obviously complicated to compare across the ages, this is the kind of discussion we would like to see more often, because the player-oriented debates are starting to take place. old. Now is the time or never.

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