Number 10
1961-62 Boston Celtics (65.3%)
The best of Russell’s teams, the 1961-62 Celtics, took seven games to get past Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers en route to the franchise’s fourth straight championship. Bill Russell was named league MVP despite scoring just 18.9 points a game. He averaged an astounding 23.6 rebounds a contest that year.
Actual record: 60-20
NBA Finals opponent: Los Angeles Lakers (won in seven games)
Starting five: Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, Tom Sanders, Tommy Heinsohn, Bill Russell
Number 9
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (66.3%)
A dream team of sorts with Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain, the team actually had to overcome the loss of Baylor after just nine games on its way to winning 69 games, 18 games better than second place in the division.
Actual record: 69-13
NBA Finals opponent: New York Knicks (won in five games)
Starting five: Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Jim McMillan, Happy Hairston, Wilt Chamberlain
Number 8
1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers (66.8%)
“Fo, Fo, Fo” was actually four, five, four in the playoffs, but the team dominated nonetheless.
Actual record: 65-17
NBA Finals opponent: Los Angeles Lakers (won in four games)
Starting five: Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Julius Erving, Mark Iavaroni, Moses Malone
Number 7
1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers (68.2%)
“Showtime’s” best champion according to the analysis included Magic Johnson in his first MVP season; he set a career high in scoring with 23.7 points a game.
Actual record: 65-17
NBA Finals opponent: Boston Celtics (won in six games)
Starting five: Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, James Worthy, A.C. Green, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Number 6
1991-92 Chicago Bulls (69.3%)
The only pre-“retirement” Bulls team in the top 10, this Bulls team created the prototype for the post-“retirement” champions.
Actual record: 67-15
NBA Finals opponent: Portland Trailblazers (won in six games)
Starting five: John Paxson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright
Number 5
1996-97 Chicago Bulls (72.1%)
We will see this starting five again. Is losing three more games than the year before, despite having almost the same roster, a letdown? The difference between No. 5 and No. 1 on this list is clearly John Salley.
Actual record: 69-13
NBA Finals opponent: Utah Jazz (won in six games)
Starting five: Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley
Actual record: 67-15
NBA Finals opponent: Houston Rockets (won in six games)
Starting five: Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish
Actual record: 66-16
NBA Finals opponent: Los Angeles Lakers (won in six games)
Starting five: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins
Actual record: 68-13
NBA Finals opponent: San Francisco Warriors (won in six games)
Starting five: Wali Jones, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham, Wilt Chamberlain
Actual record: 72-10
NBA Finals opponent: Seattle Supersonics (won in six games)
Starting five: Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley
1961-62 Boston Celtics (65.3%)
The best of Russell’s teams, the 1961-62 Celtics, took seven games to get past Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers en route to the franchise’s fourth straight championship. Bill Russell was named league MVP despite scoring just 18.9 points a game. He averaged an astounding 23.6 rebounds a contest that year.
Actual record: 60-20
NBA Finals opponent: Los Angeles Lakers (won in seven games)
Starting five: Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, Tom Sanders, Tommy Heinsohn, Bill Russell
Number 9
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (66.3%)
A dream team of sorts with Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain, the team actually had to overcome the loss of Baylor after just nine games on its way to winning 69 games, 18 games better than second place in the division.
Actual record: 69-13
NBA Finals opponent: New York Knicks (won in five games)
Starting five: Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Jim McMillan, Happy Hairston, Wilt Chamberlain
Number 8
1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers (66.8%)
“Fo, Fo, Fo” was actually four, five, four in the playoffs, but the team dominated nonetheless.
Actual record: 65-17
NBA Finals opponent: Los Angeles Lakers (won in four games)
Starting five: Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Julius Erving, Mark Iavaroni, Moses Malone
Number 7
1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers (68.2%)
“Showtime’s” best champion according to the analysis included Magic Johnson in his first MVP season; he set a career high in scoring with 23.7 points a game.
Actual record: 65-17
NBA Finals opponent: Boston Celtics (won in six games)
Starting five: Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, James Worthy, A.C. Green, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Number 6
1991-92 Chicago Bulls (69.3%)
The only pre-“retirement” Bulls team in the top 10, this Bulls team created the prototype for the post-“retirement” champions.
Actual record: 67-15
NBA Finals opponent: Portland Trailblazers (won in six games)
Starting five: John Paxson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright
Number 5
1996-97 Chicago Bulls (72.1%)
We will see this starting five again. Is losing three more games than the year before, despite having almost the same roster, a letdown? The difference between No. 5 and No. 1 on this list is clearly John Salley.
Actual record: 69-13
NBA Finals opponent: Utah Jazz (won in six games)
Starting five: Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley
Number 4
1985-86 Boston Celtics (73.6%)
Some Celtics’ fans may actually be surprised at how low this team is, as this was a dominant team with every type of offensive weapon. 1985-86 may be best known as the year Bill Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year award as the best towel-waver in the league.Actual record: 67-15
NBA Finals opponent: Houston Rockets (won in six games)
Starting five: Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish
Number 3
2007-08 Boston Celtics (73.7%)
Yep. Not only is this year’s champion the greatest Celtics team of all time, it is one of the top three teams in NBA history. They played suffocating defense, could score from anywhere on the court and constructed a bench that had a little bit of everything. With 10 teams at .500 or above, the 2007-08 Western Conference was the greatest conference in NBA history. The Celtics went 29-7 against the West, including 6-2 facing the conference champion Lakers.Actual record: 66-16
NBA Finals opponent: Los Angeles Lakers (won in six games)
Starting five: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins
Number 2
1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers (74.0%)
This was not the year that Wilt Chamberlain went for 50-plus points a game like in 1961-62 -- he went for just 24 points and 24 rebounds a contest in 1966-67 -- but it was apparently Wilt’s best, most-complete team. Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham are also in the Hall of Fame.Actual record: 68-13
NBA Finals opponent: San Francisco Warriors (won in six games)
Starting five: Wali Jones, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham, Wilt Chamberlain
Number 1
1995-96 Chicago Bulls (77.9%)
The 1995-96 Bulls won the division by 20 games, outscored opponents by 12.3 points a game, had the league leaders by wide margins in scoring and rebounding, and placed three players on the first team NBA All-Defensive Team.Actual record: 72-10
NBA Finals opponent: Seattle Supersonics (won in six games)
Starting five: Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley
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