Magic Johnson said DJ played some of the best defense he's ever seen on him during the 1980s, and Bird said that DJ is the best player he ever played with. Recent Hall-of-Fame inductee Dennis Johnson was the starting point guard and an excellent defender and great clutch player. Larry Bird won his third consecutive NBA MVP award by averaging 25 points, 9.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists while playing with many Hall of Famers alongside, and he won the Finals MVP too.Īfter sweeping through the East playoffs losing just once, the Celtics beat the Houston Rockets in six games in the Finals with a devastating rout in Game 6 at the Boston Garden.īird had a triple-double in the clincher, leading the Celtics to their 16th NBA title. The Celtics won 67 regular season games, taking basketball to an art form with their nightly clinics, regardless of who they played. The 1986 Boston Celtics were the best basketball team of all-time, led by a video game-like frontcourt with four of the NBA's 50 greatest players ever: Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Bill Walton. The 76ers were a great offensive and defensive team and can match up with any style of basketball, whether it be a half-court, physical style or a fast-paced one. Julius Erving put in a great Game 4 performance in the Finals, putting the team on his back and carrying the load offensively in the series-deciding game. The 76ers boldly predicted they would sweep every playoff series saying "fo-fo-fo!" In the end, Philadelphia lost just one game in the playoffs and dismantled the defending champion Lakers in the NBA Finals, sweeping them and finally winning the title that eluded them for many years. He made Philly a very good scoring and excellent rebounding team. Malone gave the 76ers the bruising force they had craved for several years. J as an athletic swingman, guard Andrew Toney as a lethal scorer and Bobby Jones as a lockdown defender coming off the bench. The squad was an all-around nightmare to defend with Dr. Malone was a dominant player for Billy Cunningham's team, helping Philly to a 65-16 record. After failing time and time again to win an NBA Finals series, the 76ers acquired defending league MVP Moses Malone to shore up the paint. The 1983 76ers were one of the most well-rounded teams ever. There's still no denying that the 1996 Bulls were a great team, and it's very possible that no team will ever win 72 games again. The lack of a solid center and a limited bench is also a reason I cannot put these Bulls any higher. Out West, the Jazz, SuperSonics and Rockets were not contenders to be afraid of either. The Magic, led by Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal, were a good team but not ready to win an NBA Finals series. The NBA was very weak in the mid-1990s, and the real competitors from the West were not close to what the West was in the 1980s. Why are they not higher on this list? Lack of real competition. The Bulls led the NBA in both offensive and defensive efficiency, with Michael Jordan winning the league's MVP award.Ĭhicago also outscored opponents by an average of 12.2 points per game. This is the best Bulls team ever, led by Michael Jordan in his full comeback season after playing minor league baseball. The '96 Bulls won 72 games, won the NBA Finals and gave opponents almost no hope of beating them every single night. Magic Johnson's winning hook shot in Game 4 of the Finals is one of the most memorable moments in playoff history and it was the turning point in the series as the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead. The Lakers were healthy and much quicker than the aging-and-hurt Celtics and made the plays they needed to in order to win the title. The Celtics played a very competitive series with Kevin McHale playing the final three rounds on a broken foot, Robert Parish playing the East and NBA Finals with a severely sprained ankle and Bill Walton with a foot injury that would eventually end his career. The fact is (don't call me a homer.just think about what I am going to say) the Celtics team they beat was so banged up it was an embarrassment that Los Angeles didn't beat them in four games. On almost every one I see, they are in the top three, but I cannot put them there. What I mean is that they were amazing champions, but should not be so high on all these "greatest team ever" lists. The 1987 Lakers are the most overrated all-time team ever.
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