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The NBA has seen many great teams in the past that have decimated the competition in the regular season with utmost authority. The regular season consists of 82 games spread over 7 months from October to April. It is nearly impossible for teams to maintain peak performance throughout the regular season. Even the best teams suffer from slumps during the regular season, mainly due to injury, fatigue or complacency. However, every once in a while there are teams that have the physical and mental strength to win consistently.
The most definite indicator of dominance in the regular season is the team's record at the end of 82 games.
Here is a list of the teams with the best NBA regular season records.
#5 - 1972-73 Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics in the 1972-73 season were loaded. Powered by their center Dave Cowens and point guard JoJo White, the Celtics were a nightmare. In addition to this they had the experienced John Havlicek, who is considered to be the greatest sixth man in the NBA history. They ended their regular season with a franchise record of 68 wins to 14 losses.
Dave Cowens won the Most Valuable Player award that year and averaged over 20 points and 15 rebounds throughout the season. Boston Celtics' coach Tom Heinsohn also bagged the Coach of the year award that season.
The Bostn Celtics were primed to win the title in 1973 but an injury to Havlicek in the Eastern Conference Finals, led to their loss to the New York Knicks who eventually won the title that year. The team came back strong to win the title the following year but Havlicek's injury remains a great 'what if?' question for older generation of Boston Celtics fans.
#4 - 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers
The 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers are hailed as one of the greatest teams to have ever played in the NBA. Led by Wilt Chamberlain, the 76ers swept the field with a 46-4 start to their season, which is still a record for the first 50 games in an NBA season. In total, they went on to win 68 games and suffered just 13 losses.
Their roster was filled with giants, old and young. They had a competent coach in Alex Hannum. But their biggest strength was their superstar Wilt Chamberlain, who is still considered to be the most dominant player to have ever played the game.
Wilt Chamberlain averaged 24 points and 8 assists a game while leading the league with over 24 rebounds a game. But he was not alone. Hal Greer, Chet Walker and Billy Cunningham averaged nearly 20 points a game each. The 76ers averaged 125 points a game that season and were an absolutely unstoppable offense.
They ended their fairytale season by defeating their bitter rivals, the Boston Celtics in the playoffs and finally winning the NBA title. This was the first championship for Wilt Chamberlain in his illustrious career. He won the MVP for his record shattering season.
This team is still considered to be one of the greatest teams of all time by NBA historians. While teams from the past tend to be left out of conversations regarding the best teams in history, the Philadelphia 76ers 1966-67 squad definitely deserves a place among the greatest basketball units in the history of humankind.
#3 - 1996-1997 Chicago Bulls
1971-1972 LA Lakers
The Chicago Bulls had just won an NBA title after a record breaking 1995-96 season. Expectations from their superstar duo of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were high. The defending champions did not disappoint.
The Bulls started off their season with a 12-0 run and were 42-6 by the All Star break. With a record of 69-13, they dominated the league despite injuries to Toni Kukoc and Luc Longley and suspensions to the ever controversial Dennis Rodman.
Michael Jordan in particular was lethal. Leading the league in scoring with 29.6 points, he also dominated on the defensive end, earning himself a spot on the All NBA defensive First Team.
The Chicago Bulls went on to win the championship once again, defeating the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals. This was their fifth championship in seven years. This series featured one of the greatest games in Michael Jordan's career: The Flu game.
This team won back to back championships and later went on to three-peat. While most historians look at the 1995-96 Bulls team as the greatest, their 1996-97 season was just as magnificent.
Also Read: NBA Playoffs 2020: Could Romeo Langford be Boston Celtics' contingency plan?
The 1971-72 LA Lakers were loaded with superstars. Led by Wilt Chamerlain and Jerry West, they were one of the most powerful teams in the NBA in the early 1970s.
The Lakers were written off at the beginning of the 1971-72 season, having failed to win the 1971 Western Conference Finals and because of the health concerns to their aging stars. However, with a new fast break oriented offense centered around Chamberlain's rebounding abilities and point guard Jerry West, the Lakers were by far the best team in the NBA.
During this historic season, the Lakers went on a 33 game winning streak and ended up with a 69-13 NBA regular season record. It is unsurprising that this team is considered to be one of the most dominant teams of all time.
The Lakers later went on to win the NBA title in 1972, beating the New York Knicks in 5 games. The team's monstrous regular season record of 69-13 remained the best record for 25 years before Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls came along.
#2 - 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
Perhaps the greatest team of all time, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls were an unstoppable force during the regular season. Led by a refreshed Michael Jordan, who had just returned from a 2 year hiatus from basketball, the Bulls conquered the league. With his sidekick Scottie Pippen and the great rebounder Dennis Rodman, the Bulls executed their triangle offense to perfection.
During this remarkable season, the Bulls won 37 straight home games and were undefeated through the month of January. They ended up with a record of 72 wins and 10 losses, becoming the first team to win 70 games in an NBA regular season.
The dominance of the 1995-96 Bulls is evident in the number of postseason awards they collected with Jordan winning the MVP, the All Star MVP and the scoring title with 30.4 points per game. Scottie Pippen had an amazing season as well with 19.4 points and 6.4 rebounds a game. Dennis Rodman won the rebounding title with 14.9 rebounds a game. All three of them were on the NBA's All Defensive team. Toni Kukoc bagged the sixth man of the year award.
The Chicago Bulls regular season record of 72-10 remained unbroken for the next two decades.
#1 2015-16 Golden State Warriors
The team which is credited with having the best NBA regular season record ever is the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors. The Golden State Warriors led by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, had a historic NBA regular season run, decimating the league setting multiple records on their way to a 73-9 record.
They Golden State Warriors began with a 24-0 start to the 2015-16 NBA regular season. They set a record for 54 straight home wins starting from January 2015. They ended the 2015-2016 season with a record breaking tally of 34 away game victories.
Stephen Curry was unstoppable throughout the regular season. Averaging 30.1 points and 2.1 steals a game, he blew through defenses that were unable to deal with his seemingly infinite range. He had a 50-40-90 season that won him the first unanimous MVP in NBA history.
The Warriors went on to the NBA Finals where they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James. This is the only blemish on an otherwise immaculate season.
The Warriors dominated every team that they faced with their efficient shooting, elite defense and mental strength. Their regular season was near perfect, with just 9 losses. This team rivals some of the best teams in the history of the NBA for the title of the greatest team of all time.
