NBA fans never forget their favorite team’s championship-winning season. However, some NBA seasons are so iconic that the franchise fans and the basketball world can’t surpass the greatness. These influential seasons generated NBA legends who significantly impacted the game.
From the Golden State Warriors’ historic 2015-16 season to Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain’s dominance, here are the top five NBA teams with the best record in history.
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5. Philadelphia 76ers (1966-67): 68-13
The seven-time NBA scoring leader, Wilt Chamberlain, won his first championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967. The all-time leading scorer in a single game was named the NBA MVP for the third time and ended the season a rebounding leader for the sixth time.
The 76ers registered a 46-4 record in their first 50 games and ended the 1966-67 season with a then-record 68 wins. Chamberlain led the Sixers in average points, rebounds, and assists per game
4. Los Angeles Lakers (1971-72): 69-13
Before the Chicago Bulls’ 72-10 season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 69 wins in the 1971-72 season were the most in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain’s led Lakers included future Hall of Famers like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Gail Goodrich. While Goodrich led the Lakers in scoring with 25.9 points per game, Jerry West was the assist leader, and Chamberlain averaged 19.2 rebounds per game.
In his penultimate NBA season, Chamberlain won his second championship as the Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls, a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-led Milwaukee Bucks, and the New York Knicks in the Finals. During the regular season, the Lakers registered a 33-game winning streak.
3. Chicago Bulls (1996-97): 69-13
Following the success of the 1995-96 season, the Chicago Bulls continued their domination the next season. Robert Parish, who has the NBA record for most games with 1,611, played his last season with the Bulls before retiring in 1997 at age 43. After winning 72 games last season, Chicago opened the 1996-97 season with a 12-0 run.
With Michael Jordan leading the team as the scoring champion and Scottie Pippen’s all-around performance, the Bulls finished the regular season with a 69-13 record. They went on to successfully defend their NBA title while Jordan won his fifth NBA Finals MVP.
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2. Chicago Bulls (1995-96): 72-10
After winning an NBA championship hat-trick from 1991 to 1993, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s Chicago Bulls went titleless in the next two seasons. The Bulls traded for Dennis Rodman ahead of the 1995-96 season, which proved to be a master-stroke. On the other hand, Jordan played his first full season after the 1993 NBA Finals victory.
The Bulls won the first title of their second NBA championship hat-trick with a then-record 72-10 season. Michael Jordan swept away the NBA MVP awards, while Phil Jackson was named the Coach of the Year. In the Playoffs, the Bulls lost just three games, including two against the Seattle SuperSonics in the Finals.
1. Golden State Warriors (2015-16): 73-9
In 2015, Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors won their first NBA championship after a 40-year title drought in franchise history. Stepping in the 2015-16 season as defending champions, the Warriors dominated the league like no other team has ever done. Curry-led 2015-16 Warriors included Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, and Harrison Barnes.
After beating LeBron James’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals, the Warriors opened the 2015-16 season with an NBA record of 24-0. The Dubs nation was 48-4 at the All-Star break, the best record in the league’s history. Stephen Curry won his second MVP award that season, and the team recorded a 73-9 season, surpassing Michael Jordan’s 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.
NBA fans might wonder about their favorite players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James’ best-ever NBA seasons. The Black Mamba’s best-ever season with the Lakers (67-15) was the 1999-2000 season when they won the first of their three successive championships. On the other hand, LeBron, with a 66-16 record, has two best seasons in 2008-09 with the Cavaliers and 2012-13 with the Heat.
