The end of the off season is nearly here! Tomorrow night we’ll see the Boston Celtics awarded their NBA championship rings before they face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers. So, I figured why not devote this week’s top five list to the five best championship teams of all time.
5. Los Angeles Lakers, 2001
The best regular season with the Kobe & Shaq pairing was probably in 2000. Though, I just have to go with their second championship season. The Lakers’ regular season record wasn’t all that astounding in 2001, but no one can knock their record in that year’s playoffs. The Lakers went on to win the NBA Championship by sweeping their first three series and then only dropping one game to the 76ers in the Finals. 16-1 still stands as the best playoff record in NBA history.
4. Los Angeles Lakers, 1988
We all will never forget Pat Riley’s “Next year, we’re going to do it again!” statement in the 1987 NBA Championship rally for his then team of the Showtime Lakers. The Lakers did “do it again” the following year in 1988 and in doing so they became the first NBA team to repeat as NBA Champions since the #2 selection, nearly 20 years earlier. I could almost pick any of the Magic-Kareem championship teams, but I like this one the best.
3. Boston Celtics, 1986
Boston in 1986 may have been the toughest city in history for any team to win in. The most famous moment of Larry Bird’s best season may actually have been Michael Jordan going off for 63 in the Garden, setting a still-standing playoff record. Still, the Celtics only lost three games in their quest for their 16th NBA championship. This was the best of the Larry Bird era. How could one not put it on the list?
2. Boston Celtics, 1969
The Bill Russell era Boston Celtics will probably always remain as the NBA’s greatest dynasty. They won eleven championships! It’s nearly impossible to not include one of those years on the list. We all know the story of the game seven fliers in which the Wilt Chamberlain Lakers were literally guaranteeing victory. Just as famous is Bill Russell’s response to seeing the fliers. “There are a lot of things that can happen, but them winning this game isn’t one of them.” Bill Russell led his team to its eleventh championship and then walked off into the sunset.
1. Chicago Bulls, 1996
Okay, I know this is really the obvious choice. It’s Michael Jordan, baby! How could his 72 win season not be the #1 choice? Many will decry about the lack of competition, but there’s one fact that always brings me back to the point that this was the best single season in NBA history. The 1996 Chicago Bulls dominated the NBA with a strength that no other NBA team has ever done. Nothing else needs to be said!
You may have noticed that in a top five list for the best NBA champions of all time I only have three teams listed. Well, when you realize that the Celtics and the Lakers have divided up about half of all the NBA titles that have been won, what can you do?
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