Ranking the 10 greatest teams in recent NBA history including Stephen Curry's 73-9 Golden State Warriors

On April 13, 2016, the Golden State Warriors whipped the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. They became the first and only team to win 73 NBA regular season games, breaking the old record of 72 set by the 1996 Chicago Bulls.

However, what had been a dream regular season ended in a nightmare finale to the Warriors' playoff journey, as they became the first team to lose the NBA Finals after taking a 3-1 lead.

The Warriors were almost eliminated earlier, as they trailed 3-1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals before pulling off the comeback.

With everything that transpired during the Warriors' campaign, was it still enough to list them among the greatest NBA teams assembled in recent history? Let's check out the Top 10.

#10, 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

Simply put, the Warriors' loss during that NBA Finals was the Cleveland Cavaliers' gain.

Cleveland was led by hometown hero LeBron James, spark plug point guard Kyrie Irving, and stretch-5 Kevin Love. They were on the right side of the historic 1-3 Finals comeback that also gave the city a pro sports title after 50 years.

#9, 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs

Nine years before the Cavaliers won it all, they got their first NBA finals crack in 2007. However, they ran into a dominant force in the San Antonio Spurs, who featured Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.

San Antonio swept Cleveland to win its fourth chip, but the biggest winner was Parker, who won Finals MVP honors.

#8, 2003-04 Detroit Pistons

The LA Lakers had Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton pitting against a bunch of virtual unknowns. Guess who won?

That's basically the story of the 2004 NBA Finals. The Detroit Pistons shocked the basketball world when they defeated a "Big 4" Lakers team in five games (the only Lakers win went overtime with Bryant saving the day for them).

Behind a solid defense reminiscent of Detroit's original "Bad Boys" of the late 80s, the '04 Pistons is a reminder that defense wins championships.

#7, 2005-06 Miami Heat

O'Neal and Payton finally got their dues two years later when they took their talents to South Beach. However, the show belonged to Dwyane Wade, who proved he was the Miami Heat's main man.

Also getting their first chips for Miami in 2006 were Jason Williams and Antoine Walker.

#6, 2007-08 Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are among the most fabled teams in the NBA in terms of championships. However, prior to the start of the 2007-08 season, they had not won the title nor even made the finals since the late 80s. Worse, they were fresh from arguably their worst season ever.

They could have just used their fifth overall pick to start a rebuild if in case Paul Pierce's numbers begin to decline, but the management wanted to go all-in. They traded the said lottery pick to the then-Seattle Supersonics as part of a package for Ray Allen. Boston then traded for Kevin Garnett.

The result: banner number 17 for the Celtics. More fittingly, they beat their arch-rivals the Lakers, who had Bryant and Pau Gasol leading the charge.

#5, 2008-09 LA Lakers

The 2008 Finals loss to the Celtics cast more doubts on whether Bryant was just lucky to have O'Neal with him in his first three titles. The following year, however, Bryant showed that he can win as well as the leader.

The Lakers beat the Orlando Magic, whose finals appearance came as a surprise for many after stunning the heavily-favored Cavs in the East Finals.

#4, 2009-10 LA Lakers

The Lakers' next championship conquest, however, was greater in terms of context. First, they got back at the Celtics, but the most memorable of all is the heroics of Ron Artest, who nailed the dagger three in Game 7 and eventually sealed the deal.

That clutch shot slayed the ghost of his 2004-05 self that had tainted his career.

#3, 2000-01 LA Lakers

While the three-peat Lakers of Shaq and Kobe were very dominant, LA's 2001 win against the Philadelphia 76ers was huge.

The series became known for Allen Iverson's infamous walk past Tyronn Lue at the start of the series as the Sixers stole homecourt from the Lakers.

The Lakers, however, won the next four, including all three games in Philly, to take the title. Let's say Lue got the perfect revenge on Iverson.

#2, 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

While they're the only team to lose the NBA Finals on this list, no one can deny that the 73-9 Golden State Warriors still displayed greatness.

Not to mention that a crucial Game 5 suspension on Draymond Green impacted the Warriors' entire series against the Cavs.

The 3-1 comeback against the Thunder was awesome in itself, but being on the wrong side of another 3-1 comeback blocked the Warriors from being the greatest team in the past 30 or so years.

#1, 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

That honor still belongs to the 72-10 Chicago Bulls. Needless to say, 73-9 ain't a thing without a ring.

The Bulls' domination proved how valuable of a player Dennis Rodman is in his prime. He showed that he can connive with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen pretty well.

Of course, Jordan and Pippen need no further introduction.