3. Good. Log In Sign Up. Duncan defined one of basketball's most successful franchises for almost 20 years. hide. Kobe Bryant gives his thoughts on the GOAT Debate. He was the driving force behind some of the greatest defenses in history. If Durant wins a ring (or, more likely, multiple rings), will people forgive him for helping to form one of the NBA's most egregious superteam? Winning a ring is difficult and takes a team effort. 3. Do Not Sell my Personal Info, 85001-85046+85048+85050-85051+85053-85055+85060-85076+85078-85080+85082+85083+85085-85086+85097-85098. Bonus points to the Mailman for being one of the few NBA players to fix his free-throw shooting over his career. Bottom line: One of the greatest NBA coaches of all time also is one of the game's greatest executives. Now, get ready to yell and scream about these rankings. Led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Byron Scott, L.A. cruised through the regular season and ended up winning 65 games in total. They were certainly a worthy adversary, as Seattle won 64 games under George Karl, but they were not at the Bulls’ level. LeBRON JAMES. In … Hate on him if you want, but only one player can claim to be greater. In fact, considering there was once a legitimate debate around if you’d rather have Magic or Michael Jordan, it was an easy inclusion on our list of best NBA teams ever. He was a fantastic playmaker and all-around player as well. Not us, though. Olajuwon had kind of an odd career, peaking as an all-around player in his 30s. But Baylor was so outstanding with the Lakers that it's impossible to hold his era against him. One of the greatest shooters and scorers ever -- and a guy who's overrated thanks to a couple of high-profile playoff moments against the Knicks. Enough with the caveats, prefaces and hedges. For a look at the 60 greatest defenders of all-time… 1. After the 73-win team lost in the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers the year prior, they added Kevin Durant and from there it was clear that this team could be something special — and they were. The 1995–96 Chicago Bulls had, at the moment, the best single-season record in … All rights reserved Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Copyright © ClutchPoints. English (US) Español; Français (France) Got it? The greatest of all time. Vote. Dwyane Wade's recent comments that LeBron James can never surpass Michael Jordan as the NBA's greatest player of all-time got us thinking. Help | Viewer Feedback | Press | Advertise With Us | Jobs | FOX Cincy | RSS | Site Map Kareem is no.5 on the list of the greatest nba players of all time. After their hated rivals, the Boston Celtics, took home the 1986 title, the Los Angeles Lakers were determined to reclaim the NBA championship hardware. If you want to claim he's a top-three player, though, I'm down with that. 36,928. Close. Considering only three teams will qualify for this list, a number of legendary squads did not make the cut. Not for nothing, but Bill Laimbeer might fit in the modern NBA better than some think. Karl Malone. That season, the Philadelphia Warriors, led by Joe Fulks, won the title. If everything else is equal, dominance matters to me above everything else. Chicago finished off the Sonics in six games after gaining an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the series, with Jordan winning Finals MVP. The NBA has seen a fair share of dominant teams over the course of its existence. Author: SI Staff Publish date: Feb 8, 2016. Bird is a bit lower in my book than he might be in others because of the injuries -- and because he didn't revolutionize the game the way Steph Curry is these days. No one outside of LeBron James can touch Pippen's versatility, and his defense was second-to-none. Next comes defense, because it wins championships. In a list about best NBA teams ever, did you truly think this was going to end any other way than with the GOAT’s best team ever assembled? Over 20 seasons in the NBA, he became the top scorer in the history of the Association (38,387 points), six-time MVP (a record), six-time All-American with the Bucks and Lakers, and has been called up to the All-Star Game (19 times). 500 Players. If you've ever asked, "Who's the greatest basketball player of all time? The 1981 Eastern Conference Finals is arguably the greatest series of all-time, NBA Finals included. Dynasties formed and disbanded and countless legends have come and gone since the league’s inception in 1946. Magic Johnson. They suffered only one defeat prior to the NBA Finals, and it came in overtime against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 34,597. That’s why this post is dedicated to the greatest NBA teams of all-time. People love championships. If you were able to do it all, you'll rank higher on this list. In a game that's often decided by the sum of your errors, Duncan rarely made mistakes. Vote. No one has ever come close to combining his dominance, versatility, and intelligence into one package. 50. After losing only one game combined in the opening three rounds of the playoffs, the Lakers got their chance at revenge against the Celtics. #1: Michael Jordan is a ten-time scoring champ, six-time NBA champion, and we could go on-and-on about his accolades. DWYANE WADE: Recognized as one of the greatest shooting guards of all-time, Wade was the fifth-overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. OrlandoMagic.com's Josh Cohen ranks the 10 best defenders in NBA history. share. If he played today, he'd give LeBron a run for his money as the best player in the game. Gary Payton was one of the fiercest defenders in NBA history, earning him the nickname “The Glove” and a spot in the Hall of Fame. Ranked by votes from thousands of fans, this list features the all time NBA GOATs, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird. The greatest of all time. In fact, only four series (all NBA Finals) — … Partner of iOne Digital / Cassius Network. FACEBOOK WATCH. I understand the arguments against Shaq being even a top-10 player. 50 … The five MVPs is also something to note. Deal with it. Chicago’s NBA Finals opponent, the Seattle SuperSonics, were an exciting squad that featured the dynamic duo of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. The 10 best boxers of all time 4. Press J to jump to the feed. The list excludes players who played fewer than five seasons in the NBA. Most … The very best NBA teams the league has ever had the chance to offer a loving fanbase that lives and dies on great moments. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29105801/ranking-top-74-nba-players- Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Accolades: 4 NBA titles, 3 Finals MVPs, 1 reg. Wilt was undoubtedly one of the three most dominant players ever, but he played in a weaker era -- and he couldn't overcome his nemesis. The latter is rather prominent in the league’s history, but a singular great team/season shouldn’t be compared the sustained greatness that came with a dynasty. Curry and Klay Thompson manned the backcourt, while Draymond Green anchored what was an elite defense. Sure, in theory, a couple could make it out of the game; though that would feel closer to connecting them as a dynasty once again rather than looking at each team in NBA history individually. A man who sacrificed glory for the sake of the team. save. He was rarely in shape after he won his first championships. The 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time. Without further ado, we look at top 10 NBA players of all time who have elevated the standard of the game for years to come. If for no other reason than leading the Mavs to their title over LeBron's Heat, Dirk has to be in the top 25. It's not enough to have reached your peak for just a season or two, but a decent stretch of destroying the competition means more to me than maintaining an elite level of play that never quite reached that next stratosphere. The NBA (or BAA, as it was originally known) has been around since the 1946-47 campaign. Chuck was a logical paradox -- a "6-foot-6" power forward with a taste for McDonald's who actually stood just 6-foot-4 yet somehow gobbled up boards to the point that he earned the nickname "The Round Mound of Rebound.". As such, an NBA franchise often enjoys clothing lines and online casino games, to celebrate the greatness of the team and appeal to those fans who are devoted. Basically, there can only be one of the six Chicago Bulls title teams featured in this post about the best NBA teams of all time. I'll explain my criteria here. The Bulls concluded the campaign with a then-NBA record 72 wins, and Jordan was awarded the NBA MVP trophy. In what is rather funny when you think about it, it should be noted that this list of the greatest NBA teams shouldn’t be confused with all-time league dynasties. The four highest all-time NBA single-season scoring averages all belong to Chamberlain…in his first four professional seasons. "Longevity without dominance or rings": the John Stockton story. When you're that good around the rim, though, that's what people remember. We think not. He was the definition of unstoppable. Combine that with a supporting cast that included Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, and Luc Longley, and the 1995-96 Chicago group was destined for greatness. Nothing I can say here will change your mind about where Kobe stands as an all-timer. report. Had Magic not retired early, he'd be the second-best player ever. Inside access. They then enjoyed a historically successful postseason run that saw them earn a 16-1 playoff record en route to the Larry O’Brien Trophy. King James as he is nicknamed has won the NBA three times and has been named NBA MVP four times. Prime Olajuwon was a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor. Also read: Top 5 Greatest Point Guards of all time … Without further adieu, here are the three greatest NBA teams of all time. His ability to pulverize the opposition makes him one of the very, very best in my book. Inside the top 10, we're really splitting hairs. Yeah, probably. The greatest point guard of all-time, the man who paved the way for so many others. Get Up posted an episode of a series. Dr. J made his reputation as a scorer and high-flyer, which is kind of a shame. Click through this slideshow for full rankings and analysis. Getting somewhat lost in time, especially since Magic Johnson is now a considered a running joke on social media, this version of the Showtime Lakers is certainly one of the greatest NBA teams of all-time. And while most people won't associate Timmy with dominance, that's only because we're looking at the wrong end of the floor. Johnson led the squad in points (23.9) and assists (12.2), while Worthy and Scott proved to be reliable scoring options. Coincidentally enough, rings fall in line behind defense. With the caveat that I never watched Wilt Chamberlain, however, Shaq was the single most dominant player I've seen.