Best NBA Teams of All Time: Fan-Voted Rankings

Quick question before we start. If every great team in NBA history got put in one giant tournament, who would win? Take a second. Think of a team. Got one in your head? Good. 

Now get ready to argue, because we're about to rank the best NBA teams of all time, and your favorite team's fans are probably not going to like where it lands.

This list is not based on feelings. It is based on wins, championships, and pure domination on the court. 

Some of these teams destroyed everyone in their path for an entire season. Some of them changed the way basketball is played, even today. Every single team on this list earned its spot the hard way.

What Actually Makes A Team "The Best"?

Before we jump into the list, let's keep it simple. A great team is not just one superstar carrying four other guys. It is a full package. Here is what actually matters when judging the greatest NBA team ever:

•     How many games they won in the regular season

•     How they performed once the playoffs got tough

•     How many championships they actually walked away with

•     Star power, but also bench depth

•     How long the team stayed on top of the league

Keep these five points in mind. They explain why some teams rank higher than others, even if your gut says something different.

The Best NBA Teams of All Time, Ranked

1. The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

Michael Jordan came back from playing baseball and basically broke the league. This Bulls team finished the regular season with 72 wins and only 10 losses, a record that stood for 20 years. 

They didn't just win games, they made it look easy. Most fans and experts still call this the greatest NBA team ever assembled.

2. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors

This is the team that finally broke the Bulls' record. Steph Curry and this Warriors squad turned three-pointers into a weapon nobody had really seen used like this before. They finished with 73 wins, 9 losses. The only thing missing was the championship, since they lost the Finals after leading 3-1.

But the regular season alone puts them near the top of any best NBA teams of all time.

3. The 1985-86 Boston Celtics

Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish made up one of the deepest starting lineups basketball has ever seen. 

This Celtics team lost only one game at home the entire season. When people talk about a truly complete roster, this is the team they usually mean.

4. The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers

This Lakers squad won 33 games in a row. Thirty three. That record still stands today, and nobody has come close since. 

Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West led a team that simply refused to lose for almost three straight months.

5. The 2016-17 Golden State Warriors

After the heartbreak of blowing a 3-1 lead the year before, the Warriors added Kevin Durant, and it became almost unfair. 

This squad lost just one single game the entire playoffs. One game. That is one of the most dominant playoff runs in league history.

6. The 2012-13 Miami Heat

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh,put together a 27-game win streak this season. Add in Ray Allen's clutch three-pointer in the Finals, and this team cemented itself as one of the most talked-about NBA champions of the last twenty years.

7. The 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers

Moses Malone famously predicted his team would sweep the entire playoffs in "Fo, Fo, Fo" fashion. They almost did it exactly like that, losing only one single game across the whole postseason.

8. The 1969-70 New York Knicks

This team gave basketball one of its most emotional moments ever. Captain Willis Reed, injured and barely able to walk, limped onto the court before Game 7 of the Finals and scored the Knicks' first two baskets. 

The crowd went wild, and the Knicks rode that energy to the championship.

Honorable Mentions

A few more squads deserve a shoutout, even if they didn't crack the main list. These teams are still part of any real conversation about NBA history:

•     1989-90 Detroit Pistons — the "Bad Boys" who made defense look terrifying

•     2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers — Shaq and Kobe steamrolling through the playoffs

•     1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers — the Showtime era at its peak

•     2003-04 Detroit Pistons — proof that teamwork beats star power

Why Do Fans Never Agree On This List?

Here's the fun part. Show this list to ten different fans, and you'll get ten different arguments. Bulls fans will say nothing beats 72-10. 

Warriors fans will bring up the three-point revolution. Lakers fans will just mention the number of championship banners hanging in the arena. That's basketball. 

That's why we still talk about a game played almost 30 years ago like it happened last week.

At Ultimate Rankings, we believe every fan should get a say. That's why our rankings pages let real fans vote on where their favorite teams belong, instead of just accepting one writer's opinion.

FAQs

1. Which NBA team has the best record ever?

The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors hold the best regular season record in NBA history at 73 wins and 9 losses.

1. What is considered the greatest NBA team of all time?

Most experts and fans point to the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. They combined a record-breaking regular season with an actual championship, which is why they usually top any best NBA teams of all time.

1. Has any NBA team ever gone undefeated?

No. No team in NBA history has ever finished a full season without a single loss. The closest anyone has gotten is the 33-game win streak by the 1971-72 Lakers.

1. How many games did the 1971-72 Lakers win in a row?

They won 33 consecutive games, a record that still stands more than 50 years later.

1. Do championships matter more than regular season wins when ranking greatness?

Yes, mostly. A team can win a lot of regular season games and still fall apart in the playoffs. The teams remembered as truly great almost always backed up their regular season success with an actual championship.

So... Who Actually Deserves The Crown?

Here's the truth nobody wants to hear: ranking the greatest NBA team ever will never have one final answer. And honestly? That's exactly why we love it. 

New teams keep showing up, old records keep getting chased, and diehard fans keep defending their era like it's a personal insult to say otherwise. 

One thing is certain though. Every single team on this list changed the game in its own way, and that's exactly what earns a spot in basketball history.

So now it's your turn. Who gets your vote for the top spot? The 72-10 Bulls? The 73-win Warriors? Or are you still riding for your hometown team no matter what the stats say? 

Drop your pick, tag a friend who'll fight you over it, and head over to our fan voting page to see exactly where your favorite team really lands.

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