Best All-Time NBA Basketball Team

When attempting to determine which was the best all-time NBA basketball team, it may be easy to merely look at the team that won the most games in a single season and stop there. The 1995 Chicago Bulls would be the easy answer. But, it isn't that simple because there are other factors to consider.

For example, what about the 1964 Boston Celtics? The team only went 62-18 (10 fewer wins than he 1995 Bulls), but few would argue that the NBA was a far different game than it is today. Home court advantage used to mean a lot more. And, particularly in 1964, a .775 winning percentage, in an extremely competitive NBA, would probably translate to an .875 winning percentage in today's game.

Or perhaps the remarkable 1971 Lakers, which formed the perfect junction point of the old and the new, bringing together aging veterans like Wilt Chamberlain and a new supporting cast en the road to greatness. The 1966 Philadelphia 76ers should also not be overlooked. The team's 68-13 record was provided by stellar play from the aforementioned Chamberlain and a supporting case that included Hal Greer and Bully Cunningham.

On the other hand, why make this harder than it has to be? Analysis is fine, but common sense should reign supreme, and the fact is, the 1995 - 1996 Chicago Bulls were the best team in the history of the NBA.

The 1995 Bulls featured the return of Michael Jordan, who following the death of his father, had officially retired in 1993. During the 1 ½ years away from the NBA, he tried his hand at professional baseball, where he played for a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. However, shortly before the 1995 season, Jordan realized that the hunger to compete in the NBA had returned, and with that, he rejoined the Chicago Bulls, who were still a highly successful team even in the years without him. The Bulls were led in the Jordan-less years by Scottie Pippen, and while he was a very good #1 option for a team, he was an all-time great #2.

As good as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were, and as critical to the team's success as they may have been, when push came to shove, it was the depth and arrangement of the remainder of the roster that got this team to its spectacular 72-10 record. The balance of the roster consisted of a number of stars and former stars, sharpshooters, role players, muscle. The bench was deep and it was strong.

Dennis Rodman, acquired just prior to the 1995 season, proved to be a superb addition to the team providing a defensive and rebounding presence that the team had not had since Horace Grant had left. Recent European arrival Toni Kukoc provided the team with a tall shooter who was unafraid to take the outside shot, yet also was a body able to play both sides of the ball. Veteran Ron Harper provided a strong stabilizing presence at the guard position, often coming off the bench to provide Jordan with a break. The team also had on its roster one of the best 3 point shooters in the league in Steve Kerr, who shot a sizzling .515 from beyond the 3 point arc. And even Luc Longley, over the duration of his career considered a marginal player, performed at a high level, providing a presence underneath and on the boards.

Of course, the Bulls' coach at the time, Phil Jackson, has now tied Red Auerbach with 9 NBA Championships and become one of the greatest NBA coaches in history.

In the process of compiling their 72-10 record, the '95 - '96 Bulls also compiled a number of additionally gaudy statistics. For one thing, they had an 18 game winning streak over the course of that season. They also amassed a 12.2 point per game scoring differential, extremely high in the modern NBA where usually, offensive teams try to outscore you and defensive teams typically are not big time offensive squads. So, even among the greatest basketball teams of all-time, the Bulls were unique in that they were strong both offensively and defensively.

Finally, the Bulls only lost one playoff game before reaching the NBA Finals, where they beat the Seattle Supersonics 4 games to 2 to win the NBA Championship.

No doubt, Michael Jordan was the best player in basketball history. Find out why at Best All-Time NBA Basketball Player. Another interesting NBA article is at Best All-Time NBA Rivalry.

Other "geat team" stories are at:

• Best All-Time Pro-Football-Team
• Best All-Time NCAA-College-Football Team
• Best All-Time SEC-Football Team
• Best All-Time SEC-Basketball Team
• Best All-Time Major-League-Baseball Team
• Best All-Time SEC-Baseball Team
• Best All-Time American Gymnastics Team

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