1. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
The greatest team in NBA history was the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. The Chicago Bulls reached the epitome of their greatness. However, later in the season, Jordan made a surprise comeback. Chicago Bulls continued to play as a team through the playoffs and beat Gary Payton’s Seattle SuperSonics to win another NBA title.
Jordan carried the team in close games, hitting clutch shots consistently. In the end, the Chicago Bulls finished the regular season with an NBA record of 72 wins. This team was Widely regarded as the greatest team in NBA history. The 1995–96 Bulls were named one of the Top Teams in NBA History. During the celebration of the league’s 50th anniversary, everyone appreciated their team.
2. 1985-86 Boston Celtics
The season prior, the Celtics fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The regular season was full of success for the Celtics. ‘Dennis Johnson’ and ‘Danny Ainge’ brought intensity to the team’s backcourt, while ‘Robert Parish’ acted as a defensive machine. The Celtics went on to win 67 games in the regular season before dominating the ‘Chicago Bulls’, ‘Atlanta Hawks’ and ‘Milwaukee Bucks’ in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Later the Boston Celtics defeated Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals to bring the title back to Beantown. This team is generally considered to be the best of Larry Bird’s career. Under head coach “K. C. Jones” the 1985–86 Boston Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 67–15. Larry Bird won his third consecutive MVP award and Bill Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
The team was anchored by the “Big Three” frontcourt of Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, which is frequently ranked among the best frontcourts in NBA history. It’s vital to understand that winning a championship is difficult, no matter the competition, and the fact that Boston Celtics were able to win on such a consistent basis.
3. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers put together the longest regular season winning streak in major professional sports history with 33 consecutive victories. During the 1971–72 season, the Los Angeles Lakers won their first National Basketball Association (NBA) title.
The Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls in 4 games in the Western Conference Semifinals. The team then defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in a 6-game Western Conference Finals. The Lakers then got to the NBA Finals once again for the 14th time in league history.
As a result, the team dominated opponents and even won 33 games in a row from November to January, a record that still stands today. The Lakers ended the season with a league-high 69 wins and later defeated the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
4. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons
The 1988-89 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons’ 41st season in the NBA and the 32nd season in the Detroit metropolitan area.
The Pistons posted a nine-game winning streak in March and won eight consecutive games between March and April. Then won their final five games, finishing with a league-best record of 63–19. In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Pistons swept the Boston Celtics in three straight games. Dumars and Rodman were both named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. While Rodman finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Thomas led the team with 18.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, and was selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game. Thomas was a great penetrator and passer. Dumars was an excellent clutch and perimeter scorer. Laimbeer was an excellent three-point shooter, while Mark Aguirre also contributed a fair number of points.
5. 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks
The 1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks season was the third season for the Bucks. Milwaukee posted a 66–16 record in only its third year of existence, and its second since drafting ‘Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’.
This season included a 20-game winning streak, the NBA’s longest at the time, and still ranked fifth all-time. The Bucks became the first team from the Midwest Division to win the NBA title. In the 1971 NBA Playoffs, the Bucks defeated the 4th-seeded Warriors in 5 games.
They faced off against the Baltimore Bullets and swept them in four games. The team had an equally impressive playoff run, as it defeated Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West’s Lakers in the Western Conference finals.