NBA's Greatest Teams
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This is a list of the all-time best regular season records in the NBA. It is worth noting that of the eleven teams in NBA history to reach 65 wins, all of them have gone on to win that season's NBA championship, while winning teams hitting short of the mark have usually suffered bad luck and poor postseason performance and results. 65 wins appears to be a magical goal.
| Record (W-L) | Team | Season | Postseason Results | Postseason record | Home | Away | Average Margin of Victory | Notes | Starting Lineup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72-10 | Chicago Bulls | 1995-96 | Won NBA Championship | 15-3 | 39-2 | 33-8 | 12.3 | All-time best road record; All-time #2 home record; started 37-0 at home (all-time best); part of all-time best 44 home game win streak; two losses at home were one point margins; All-time best start of 41-3; undefeated January; 18 game win streak; only team to be #1 in league in both defense and offense | Scottie Pippen (sf), Dennis Rodman (pf), Luc Longley (c), Ron Harper (pg), Michael Jordan (sg) |
| 69-13 | Chicago Bulls | 1996-97 | Won NBA Championship | 15-4 | 39-2 | 30-11 | 10.8 | Scottie Pippen (sf), Dennis Rodman (pf), Luc Longley (c), Ron Harper (pg), Michael Jordan (sg) | |
| 69-13 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1971-72 | Won NBA Championship | 12-3 | 37-5 | 32-8 | 12.3 | All-time best 33 game win streak; played one more home game (42) and one less road game (40) | Jerry West (pg), Gail Goodrich (sg), Jim McMillan (sf), Happy Hairston (pf), Wilt Chamberlain (c) |
| 68-13 | Philadelphia 76ers | 1966-67 | Won NBA Championship | 11-4 | 40-3 | 28-10 | 9.4 | Played 81 games | Wali Jones (pg), Hal Greer (sg), Chet Walker (sf), Lucious Jackson (pf), Wilt Chamberlain (c) |
| 68-14 | Boston Celtics | 1972-73 | Won NBA Championship | 8-5 | 35-6 | 33-8 | 8.2 | Jo Jo White (pg), Don Chaney (sg), John Havlicek (sf), Paul Silas (pf), Dave Cowens (c) | |
| 67-15 | Boston Celtics | 1985-86 | Won NBA Championship | 15-3 | 40-1 | 27-14 | 9.4 | All-time best home record; one loss at home was a blowout; 14 game win streak | Dennis Johnson (pg), Danny Ainge (sg), Larry Bird (sf), Kevin McHale (pf), Robert Parish (c) |
| 67-15 | Chicago Bulls | 1991-92 | Won NBA Championship | 15-7 | 36-5 | 31-10 | 10.4 | Scottie Pippen (sf), Horace Grant (pf), Bill Cartwright (c), B.J. Armstrong (pg), Michael Jordan (sg) | |
| 67-15 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1999-00 | Won NBA Championship | 15-7 | 36-5 | 31-10 | 9.0 | 19 game win streak; 16 game win streak | Ron Harper (pg), Kobe Bryant (sg), Rick Fox (sf), Glen Rice (pf), Shaquille O'Neal (c) |
| 66-16 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1970-71 | Won NBA Championship | 12-2 | 42-3 | 24-13 | 12.2 | Oscar Robertson (pg), Jon McGlocklin (sg), Greg Smith (sf), Bob Dandridge (pf), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (c) | |
| 65-17 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1986-87 | Won NBA Championship | 15-3 | 37-4 | 28-13 | 9.3 | Magic Johnson (pg), Byron Scott (sg), A.C. Green (sf), James Worthy (pf), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (c) | |
| 65-17 | Philadelphia 76ers | 1982-83 | Won NBA Championship | 12-1 | 35-6 | 30-11 | 8.7 | Maurice Cheeks (pg), Andrew Toney (sg), Julius Erving (sf), Marc Iavaroni (pf), Moses Malone (c) | |
| 64-18 | Seattle Supersonics | 1995-96 | Lost NBA Finals | 13-8 | 38-3 | 26-15 | 7.8 | Gary Payton (pg), Hersey Hawkins (sg), Detlef Schrempf (sf), Shawn Kemp (pf), Sam Perkins (c) | |
| 64-18 | Utah Jazz | 1996-97 | Lost NBA Finals | 13-7 | 38-3 | 26-15 | 8.9 | John Stockton (pg), Jeff Hornacek (sg), Bryon Russell (sf), Karl Malone (pf), Greg Ostertag (c) | |
| 64-18 | Detroit Pistons | 2005-06 | Lost Eastern Conference Finals | 10-8 | 37-4 | 27-14 | 6.6 | Chauncey Billups (pg), Richard Hamilton (sg), Tayshaun Prince (sf), Rasheed Wallace (pf), Ben Wallace (c) | |
| 63-19 | Detroit Pistons | 1988-89 | Won NBA Championship | 15-2 | 37-4 | 26-15 | 5.8 | Isiah Thomas (pg), Joe Dumars (sg), Mark Aguirre (sf), Dennis Rodman (pf), Bill Laimbeer (c) | |
| 63-19 | Boston Celtics | 1981-82 | Lost Eastern Conference Finals | 7-5 | 35-6 | 28-13 | 6.4 | 18 game win streak | Nate Archibald (pg), Larry Bird (sg), Cedric Maxwell (sf), Kevin McHale (pf), Robert Parish (c) |
| 63-19 | Boston Celtics | 1984-85 | Lost NBA Finals | 13-8 | 35-6 | 28-13 | 6.7 | Dennis Johnson (pg), Danny Ainge (sg), Larry Bird (sf), Kevin McHale (pf), Robert Parish (c) | |
| 63-19 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1989-90 | Lost NBA Finals | 4-5 | 37-4 | 26-15 | 6.8 | Magic Johnson (pg), Byron Scott (sg), A.C. Green (sf), James Worthy (pf), Mychal Thompson (c) | |
| 63-19 | Portland Trailblazers | 1990-91 | Lost Western Conference Finals | 9-7 | 36-5 | 27-14 | 8.7 | Terry Porter (pg), Clyde Drexler (sg), Jerome Kersey (sf), Clifford Robinson (pf), Kevin Duckworth (c) | |
| 63-19 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1971-72 | Lost Western Conference Finals | 6-5 | 34-7 | 29-12 | 11.1 | Oscar Robertson (pg), Jon McGlocklin (sg), Greg Smith (sf), Bob Dandridge (pf), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (c) | |
| 63-19 | San Antonio Spurs | 2005-06 | Lost Western Conference Finals | 34-7 | 29-12 | 6.8 | Tony Parker (pg), Emanuel Ginobili (sg), Bruce Bowen (sf), Tim Duncan (pf), Nazr Mohammed (c) | ||
| 63-19 | Seattle Supersonics | 1993-94 | Lost Western Conference 1st Round | 37-4 | 26-15 | 9.0 | Gary Payton (pg), Kendall Gill (sg), Detlef Schrempf (sf), Shawn Kemp (pf), Sam Perkins (c) | ||
| 62-18 | Boston Celtics | 1964-65 | Won NBA Championship | 8-4 | 35-3 | 27-15 | 8.3 | K.C. Jones (pg), Sam Jones (sg), Tom "Satch" Sanders (sf), Tom Heinsohn (pf), Bill Russell (c) | |
| 62-20 | Chicago Bulls | 1997-98 | Won NBA Championship | 37-4 | 25-16 | 7.1 | Scottie Pippen (sf), Dennis Rodman (pf), Luc Longley (c), Ron Harper (pg), Michael Jordan (sg) | ||
| 62-20 | Utah Jazz | 1997-98 | Lost NBA Finals | 36-5 | 26-15 | 6.6 | John Stockton (pg), Jeff Hornacek (sg), Bryon Russell (sf), Karl Malone (pf), Greg Foster (c) | ||
| 62-20 | Boston Celtics | 1983-84 | Won NBA Championship | 33-8 | 29-12 | 6.5 | Dennis Johnson (pg), Larry Bird (sg), Cedric Maxwell (sf), Kevin McHale (pf), Robert Parish (c) | ||
| 62-20 | Boston Celtics | 1980-81 | Won NBA Championship | 35-6 | 27-14 | 5.9 | Won 25 of 26 games in midseason | Nate Archibald (pg), Larry Bird (sg), Cedric Maxwell (sf), Kevin McHale (pf), Robert Parish (c) | |
| 62-20 | Philadelphia 76ers | 1967-68 | Lost Eastern Conference Finals | 35-8 | 27-12 | 8.6 | Wali Jones (pg), Hal Greer (sg), Chet Walker (sf), Lucious Jackson (pf), Wilt Chamberlain (c) | ||
| 62-20 | Philadelphia 76ers | 1980-81 | Lost Eastern Conference Finals | 37-4 | 25-16 | 7.9 | Maurice Cheeks (pg), Lionel Hollins (sg), Julius Erving (sf), Bobby Jones (pf), Caldwell Jones (c) | ||
| 62-20 | San Antonio Spurs | 1994-95 | Lost Western Conference Finals | 33-8 | 29-12 | 6.0 | Avery Johnson (pg), Vinny Del Negro (sg), Sean Elliott (sf), Dennis Rodman (pf), David Robinson (c) | ||
| 62-20 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1984-85 | Won NBA Championship | 36-5 | 26-15 | 7.3 | Magic Johnson (pg), Byron Scott (sg), Mike McGee (sf), James Worthy (pf), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (c) | ||
| 62-20 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1985-86 | Lost Western Conference Finals | 35-6 | 27-14 | 7.8 | Magic Johnson (pg), Byron Scott (sg), Maurice Lucas (sf), James Worthy (pf), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (c) | ||
| 62-20 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1987-88 | Won NBA Championship | 36-5 | 26-15 | 5.8 | 15 game win streak | Magic Johnson (pg), Byron Scott (sg), A.C. Green (sf), James Worthy (pf), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (c) | |
| 62-20 | Phoenix Suns | 1992-93 | Lost NBA Finals | 35-6 | 27-14 | 6.7 | Undefeated December; 14 game win streak | Kevin Johnson (pg), Dan Majerle (sg), Richard Dumas (sf), Charles Barkley (pf), Mark West (c) | |
| 62-20 | Phoenix Suns | 2004-05 | Lost Western Conference Finals | 31-10 | 31-10 | 7.1 | Followed a series of winning 17 of 18 with a 6 game loss streak | Steve Nash (pg), Joe Johnson (sg), Shawn Marion (sf), Amare Stoudemire (pf), Steven Hunter (c) |
