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Honourable Mention: 1982/1983 Philadelphia 76ers
PG Maurice Cheeks SG Andrew Toney SF Julius Erving PF Bobby Jones C Moses Malone
Key Reserves: Clint Richardson, Marc Iavaroni
Combined All-Star Selections: 22 Combined All-NBA/ABA Selections: 15
Regular Season: 65-17
1st Round: N/A - Bye Conference Semi-Finals: Won (4-0) vs New York Knicks Conference Finals: Won (4-1) vs Milwaukee Bucks NBA Finlas: Won (4-0) vs Los Angeles Lakers
Fo', fo', fo'! That was the prediction Moses Malone made when he was acquired by the Philadelphia 76ers - and it almost came true, if only the Bucks hadn't stole game three in Milwaukee. Before 1983, the Sixers had squared off against the Lakers twice in the previous three NBA Finals, with the Lakers winning both meetings. The problem was Philly did not have an answer to Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This pushed the Sixers to trade for one of the greatest centers in NBA history, Moses Malone, and add him to their existing core of Julius Erving, Mo Cheeks, Andrew Toney and Bobby Jones. The result? The Sixers swept the Lakers in the 1983 Finals.
5. 2007/2008 Boston Celtics
PG Rajon Rondo SG Ray Allen SF Paul Pierce PF Kevin Garnett
C Kendrick Perkins
Key Reserves: Eddie House, Sam Cassell, Tony Allen, James Posey
Combined All-Star Selections: 23 Combined All-NBA Selections: 13
Regular Season: 66-16
1st Round: Won (4-3) vs Atlanta Hawks Conference Semi-Finals: Won (4-3) vs Cleveland Cavaliers Conference Finals: Won (4-2) vs Detroit Pistons NBA Finals: Won (4-2) vs Los Angeles Lakers
In 2007, the Boston Celtics were a disaster. Their roster was starving for talent and even resident all-star, Paul Pierce, missed 35 games. That all changed during the 2007 off-season when the Celtics swung two trades to bring in both Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Dubbed 'The Big 3', the Celtics superstar collection instantly made Boston a championship contender. After a blazing 8-0 start to the regular season, the Celtics went on to win the 2008 NBA championship and, if not for a few injuries, could have won a couple more. Perhaps, however, the lasting legacy of these Celtics is not what happened in Boston, but how the rest of the league reacted to try and compete with them.
4. 1986/1987 Los Angeles Lakers
PG Magic Johnson SG Byron Scott
SF James Worthy
PF AC Green C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Key Reserves: Michael Cooper, Mychal Thompson, Kurt Rambis
Combined All-Star Selections: 23 Combined All-NBA Selections: 20
Regular Season: 65-17
1st Round: Won (3-0) vs Denver Nuggets
Conference Semi-Finals: Won (4-1) vs Golden State Warriors Conference Finals: Won (4-0) vs Seattle Super Sonics NBA Finals: Won (4-2) vs Boston Celtics
The 1987 Los Angeles Lakers boasted arguably the most explosive offense in NBA history, with an astounding seven players averaging double-digit scoring during the regular season. Furthermore, the team had three of the 50 greatest players in NBA history on their roster at the same time. Losing one game en-route to the NBA Finals, the Lakers arrived on the big stage to face heated rivals, Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. Johnson, Worthy and Abdul-Jabbar all averaged 20+ points per game to defeat the Celtics in six games in one of the highest scoring NBA Finals of all-time. The Lakers would appear in three out of the next four NBA Finals, but were only able to win one more thanks to teams led by Isiah Thomas (1989) and Michael Jordan (1991).
3. 2012/2013 Miami Heat
PG Mario Chalmers
SG Dwyane Wade
SF Shane Battier
PF LeBron James
C Chris Bosh
Key Reserves: Ray Allen, Mike Miller, Rashard Lewis Combined All-Star Selections: 35 Combined All-NBA Selections: 18
Regular Season: 66-16
1st Round: Won (4-0) vs Milwaukee Bucks
Conference Semi-Finals: Won (4-1) vs Chicago Bulls
Conference Finals: Won (4-3) vs Indiana Pacers NBA Finals: Won (4-3) vs San Antonio Spurs After deciding to join forces in 2010, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and reigning back-to-back league MVP LeBron James instantly became championship contenders and title favorites. After two straight finals appearances and an NBA Championship in 2012, the Heat were able to add Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to a roster that was already oozing with talent. After putting together the second longest winning streak in NBA history for a single regular season, the Heat went on to win a second straight championship in dramatic fashion, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in seven games. After losing to the Spurs in the following season, LeBron James decided to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, abruptly ending Miami's dominance over the Eastern Conference. Although short-lived, 'The Heatles' prolific run would completely change the landscape of the NBA.
2. 1995/1996 Chicago Bulls
PG Ron Harper
SG Michael Jordan
SF Scottie Pippen
PF Dennis Rodman
C Luc Longley
Key Reserves: Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington Combined All-Star Selections: 16 Combined All-NBA Selections: 14
Regular Season: 72-10
1st Round: Won (3-0) vs Miami Heat
Conference Semi-Finals: Won (4-1) vs New York Knicks Conference Finals: Won (4-0) vs Orlando Magic NBA Finals: Won (4-2) vs Seattle Super Sonics
Until the 2017 season, the '96 Chicago Bulls were (for the most part) unanimously considered the greatest basketball team of all-time. The Bulls were finally getting Michael Jordan back in his first full season since his initial retirement, and this time the dynamic duo of Jordan and Scottie Pippen were going to work with Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc and Ron Harper - a much improved supporting cast from the three-peat Bulls of the early 90s. The Bulls won a record setting (at the time) 72 wins during the regular season, and faced little resistance en-route to the franchise's four NBA championship in six seasons. The Bulls would go on to win the following two NBA Championships before the team would split up. Rodman left for the Lakers, Pippen joined the Rockets and Jordan retired from the NBA for a second time.
1. 2016/2017 Golden State Warriors
PG Stephen Curry
SG Klay Thompson
SF Kevin Durant
PF Draymond Green
C Zaza Pachulia
Key Reserves: Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, David West, Matt Barnes, JaVale McGee Combined All-Star Selections: 16 Combined All-NBA Selections: 12
Regular Season: 67-15
1st Round: Won (4-0) vs Portland Trailblazers Conference Semi-Finals: Won (4-0) vs Utah Jazz Conference Finals: Won (4-0) vs San Antonio Spurs NBA Finals: Won (4-1) vs Cleveland Cavaliers
After winning an NBA record 73 games during the season, the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors pulled off the unthinkable in the following off-season. Thanks to a few economically friendly contracts on their payroll, the Dubs were able to sign Kevin Durant away from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Golden State now had each of the previous three league MVPs and four All-NBA players from the previous season, on the same roster. Durant fit like a glove in Oakland and the Warriors were able to rattle-off 67 wins during the regular season and sweep their way through the first three rounds of the playoffs. In the Finals, the reigning champion Cleveland Cavaliers didn't fair much better and were eliminated in five games. The Golden State Warriors now have the entire NBA Scrambling to find a way to compete with them in a seven-game series.
