Phil Jackson assistant Jim Cleamons said about the ’95-96 Bulls, “That team refused to lose. It was like, ‘Hey, we’re not supposed to lose.’ It hurt them every time they lost a game. That 72-10 record was their stamp on their quality of work and what they thought of each other.”
The NBA champion 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, a team that won a record 33 straight games on the backs of Jerry West, Gail Goodrich and Wilt Chamberlain, are No. 2. The 1986-87 Lakers championship team, featuring No. 1 overall draft picks Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mychal Thompson and James Worthy, is No. 3. Led by Larry Bird and four other future Hall of Famers, the 1985-86 Boston Celtics were NBA champions and make the list at No. 4. Anchored by Bill Russell, the NBA champion 1964-65 Celtics featured eight future Hall of Famers and ranks No. 5.
Coming in at No. 6 through 10: the 1966-67 76ers, 1982-83 76ers, 1970-71 Bucks, 1991-92 Bulls and 1988-89 Pistons.
The June 20 issue of Sporting News Magazine features Michael Jordan on the cover and is available on newsstands now. In addition to the NBA’s greatest teams, it also includes an NBA draft preview, a look into MLB’s fiercest rivalry, Reds vs. Cardinals, and a coaches survey about college football’s biggest issues.
For more information about Sporting News’ 125th anniversary, please visit www.sportingnews.com/125.
Ten Greatest NBA Teams of All Time
1. 1995-96 CHICAGO BULLS2. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers3. 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers4. 1985-86 Boston Celtics5. 1964-65 Boston Celtics6. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers7. 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers8. 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks9. 1991-92 CHICAGO BULLS10. 1988-89 Detroit Pistons