NBA Champions With The Best Regular Season Records: 1995-96 Chicago Bulls Are Still Unbeatable With 72-10

Being the best in the regular season does not always mean that a championship is awaiting the horizon. Ask the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors about how that played out for them. The team won an NBA-record 73 games during the regular season only to lose a seven-game series in the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers. That finish will always haunt the Warriors for being named the greatest overall team in NBA history.

Recently, we have seen teams like the Suns and Jazz finish the regular season with the best record and fail to win a title. With that said, some teams have claimed the top seed and gone on to win the title. Some of these teams were better than others and won a lot more games. On our list, the minimum number of wins to make this cut was 66 wins. Only a handful of teams in the last 20 years have made an appearance on this list.

These are the best regular season records by NBA champions.

10T. 2007-08 Boston Celtics

Regular Season Record: 66-16

Playoff Record: 16-10

In the offseason, the Celtics lost out on the lottery and missed out on their chances of drafting Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Instead, the team completed a trade using the No. 5 pick, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West in exchange for Ray Allen. A few months later, the team sent the largest trade package with players to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Garnett. With Allen, Garnett, and Paul Pierce, the Celtics had a big three that vaulted them to the top of the favorites to win the NBA championship.

The Celtics posted the best single-season turnaround in NBA history after winning 66 games during the regular season. It was the third-most win in franchise history. Garnett won the Defensive Player of the Year Award as the Celtics had the best defensive rating in the NBA. For his ability to reshape the roster, Danny Ainge was awarded Executive of the Year.

After two years away from the playoffs, the Celtics were favorites to win the championship. The team cruised through the playoffs to make the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987. The Celtics brought back the storied rivalry when the team faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics won the series in six games to win their 17th title in franchise history. Pierce was named Finals MVP despite a stellar series from Garnett.

10T. 2012-13 Miami Heat

Regular Season Record: 66-16

Playoff Record: 17-7

After winning his first championship, LeBron James was on a mission to defend his title. He won his fourth MVP Award of his career and his second straight MVP after winning in 2012. The Heat set numerous records during the season which ended in a title. The Heat embarked on a 27-game winning streak and went 17-1 in March to become the first team to win 17 games in a single calendar month in NBA history.

James, Wade, and Bosh were all named All-Stars, while James was just one vote away from winning the MVP Award unanimously. The road in the playoffs began with a four-game sweep over the Bucks. Then, the team defeated the Bulls in five games in the second round. That set up back-to-back seven-game series wins. The Heat made the NBA Finals after going back and forth with the Pacers. No team won two games consecutively.

That setup a matchup with the Spurs where the team held a 3-2 series lead going into Game 6. That historic moment was when the Heat came down to their final shot in regulation. Trailing by three points, Bosh scooped up an offensive rebound and found an open Ray Allen who hit the tying three-point shot. Then, the Heat won the game 103-100 in overtime. In Game 7, James recorded a double-double of 37 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Heat to a 95-88 victory. He won the NBA Finals MVP Award and proved once again why he was the best player in the world.

10T. 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks

Regular Season Record: 66-16

Playoff Record: 12-2

It was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s second season in the NBA. He led the league in scoring with 31.7 points per game. He also added the second-best field-goal percentage at 57.7% and was fourth in rebounding with 16.0 rebounds per game. Abdul-Jabbar’s running mate was Oscar Robertson, who had spent years trying to get the Cincinnati Royals over the hump. While Robertson was past his prime, he was 32 years old and provided plenty of skills and leadership to help the Bucks win 66 games during the regular season.

With 19.4 points and 8.3 assists from Robertson, the Bucks had one of the best one-two punches in the NBA. The team had some other featured role players with Bob Dandridge averaging 18.4 points, Jon McGlocklin averaging 15.8 points, and Greg Smith, Bob Boozer, and Dick Cunningham rounding out the roster. The Bucks won 20 straight games during the regular season, which remains the fifth-best regular season winning streak of all time.

In the playoffs, the Bucks defeated the Warriors in five games and then beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals by the same amount. It was the first time the Bucks made the NBA Finals and were just their third year in existence. The Bucks defeated the Baltimore Bullets in four games and Abdul-Jabbar won Finals MVP.

5T. 1999-00 Los Angeles Lakers

Regular Season Record: 67-15

Playoff Record: 15-7

The first season of the Staples Center was rewarded with a championship and a sensational season from the Lakers. In the offseason, the team acquired Ron Harper, Brian Shaw, and John Salley, while the team was able to lure six-time championship head coach Phil Jackson. The Lakers held a 37-11 record at the All-Star break. Shaquille O’Neal had a breakout season and won the league MVP and the team clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

With 21-year-old Kobe Bryant by his side, the Lakers rode the wave of their MVP to the NBA Finals. The team was nearly eliminated from the playoffs by the Sacramento Kings in the first round. The Kings pushed the Lakers to five games, but the Lakers won the decisive Game 5. In the second round, the Lakers beat the Suns and then held off a Trail Blazers squad, led by Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, and Steve Smith, in seven games.

The Finals featured the Indiana Pacers with Reggie Miller finally getting past the mark. With Michael Jordan out of the league, Miller’s Pacers found their opening but were defeated in six games. O’Neal had the season sweep of league MVP to go with Finals MVP and this would be the start of a three-peat of the Lakers winning titles between 2000 to 2002.

5T. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls

Regular Season Record: 67-15

Playoff Record: 15-7

After winning their first NBA championship, the Bulls were on a mission to defend their title. The Bulls started the season 1-2 but won their next 14 games and never looked back. The team would post another long winning streak of 13 games in January. At one point, the team owned a 37-5 record. The Bulls would win the Central Division and claim the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Michael Jordan won the league MVP Award with 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Scottie Pippen added 21.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.9 steals. Pippen joined Jordan in the MVP race and was ninth in the voting. Horace Grant averaged a double-double of 14.2 points and 10.0 rebounds, while B.J. Armstrong averaged 9.9 points off of the bench. Jordan and Pippen finished tied for third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.

The playoffs saw the Bulls sweep the Heat in the first round. In the final game, Jordan scored 56 points. The Bulls lost their opener to the Knicks in the first game of the second round but responded to win the series in seven games. The Bulls lost by 26 points in Game 2 but claimed the series against the Cavaliers. In the Finals, the team held off Clyde Drexler and the Trail Blazers in six games as Jordan was named Finals MVP for a second season.

5T. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors

Regular Season Record 67-15

Playoff Record: 16-5

At the time, the Warriors set a franchise record for wins with 67 during the regular season. It came as a shock at the time because the Warriors came out of nowhere. The team had fired Mark Jackson during the offseason and then hired Steve Kerr to replace him. All Kerr did was unlock all of Curry’s potential as he became the league MVP. The combination of Curry, Thompson, and Green led the Warriors past their old franchise record of 59 wins and helped the team win their first title in 40 years. The 83 total wins for the season were the third-most for a team in NBA history.

In the regular season, the Warriors started hot by winning all five road games in November. It was the first time since 1978 that the team went undefeated on the road in a month. The team won a franchise-record 16 games in a row and started the season 21-2. The team eventually clinched the Pacific Division for the first time since 1976 and set a new home record of 17 straight home wins.

Curry became the first MVP to wear a Warriors jersey since Wilt Chamberlain in 1960. Curry set a new record for three-pointers in a season, while Klay Thompson set a record for most points in a quarter with 37. The combination of Curry and Thompson was dubbed the “Splash Bros,” where they broke a record for most three-pointers by a pair of teammates. In the playoffs, the Warriors outlasted LeBron James and the Cavaliers in six games and Andre Iguodala was named Finals MVP.

5T. 1985-86 Boston Celtics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg-KcjL3LHY

Regular Season Record: 67-15

Playoff Record: 15-3

The Celtics nearly set a record for wins in a season but came up one short of the 1972-73 team. The Celtics were coming off of a season where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Boston had the best player on the planet, though. With Larry Bird leading the way, the Celtics rattled off 67 wins and Bird won his third consecutive MVP Award.

The rest of the team was formidable. Bill Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award, while Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were longtime winners with the franchise. The combination of Bird, McHale and Parish is often considered one of the best frontcourts ever.

The playoffs featured a three-game sweep over the Bulls to get in. The Celtics then defeated the Hawks in five games to make the Conference Finals. A four-game sweep over the Bucks set up a matchup with the Houston Rockets. Led by a young Hakeem Olajuwon, the Celtics used their experience to win the series in six games. With 82 combined wins, the team set a record for most combined wins until it was later broken by the Bulls and Warriors in the future.

5T. 2016-17 Golden State Warriors

Regular Season Record: 67-15

Playoff Record: 16-1

The talk of the offseason was all about Kevin Durant. After the Oklahoma City Thunder had a 3-1 advantage over the 73-win Warriors in the playoffs, the Warriors came back to eliminate the team. It was there that some of the players recruited Durant to the team, where he ultimately signed. The “Fantastic Four” of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Durant were all All-Stars, while Green was the Defensive Player of the Year. This super team broke over 20 records during the season.

The Warriors claimed the top seed in the playoffs and easily swept the Trail Blazers in the first round, Jazz in the second round, and the Spurs in the Conference Finals. With a perfect 12-0 record heading into the NBA Finals, the team was a heavy favorite over the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors quickly got off to a 3-0 lead in the Finals and became the first team in NBA history to start a postseason 15-0. The Cavaliers won Game 4, but the Warriors capped off the postseason with a Game 5 win to win the championship and set an NBA record for the best postseason mark.

During the regular season, the Warriors became the second team in NBA history to win 30 road games in back-to-back seasons. It was the first time since the 1995-96 and 1996-97 Chicago Bulls. Stephen Curry set an NBA record for three-pointers in a game with 15 and then set a new single-season record. Durant was named the Finals MVP, while Curry, Durant, and Green were named to the All-NBA Team.

4. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

Regular Season Record: 68-13

Playoff Record: 11-4

The first championship in Philadelphia was enjoyed with 68 regular season wins. It came on the heels of massive change by the franchise. The team dismissed former 76ers legend Dolph Schayes as their head coach and hired former power forward Alex Hannum. The 43-year-old had the task of coaching one of the best players in the game Wilt Chamberlain. He was able to convince Chamberlain to focus more on his passing abilities. It worked as Chamberlain’s 8.0 assists set a record for centers.

Chamberlain led the league in rebounds and was third in scoring with 24 points per game. The team also relied on Hal Greer, Chet Walker, and Billy Cunningham as the 76ers set a league record (since broken) for wins in a season with 68. The team averaged 125 points per game and led all teams in field-goal percentage. Their 46-4 start to the season remains the best record for a franchise through 50 games.

In the playoffs, the 76ers defeated the Cincinnati Royals in three games and then defeated the Celtics in the Conference Finals. At the time, the group led by Bill Russell had won eight consecutive titles and nine of the last 10 championships. The 76ers won in five games and then defeated the Warriors in six games. This team is regarded as one of the top 10 teams in NBA history.

2T. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls

Regular Season: 69-13

Playoff Record: 15-4

One year after setting an NBA record for wins in a season, the Chicago Bulls were back for more. The team acquired 43-year-old Robert Parish in the offseason, who had won three titles with the Celtics. The core of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and rebounding champion Dennis Rodman was as good as it got. The trio also had Toni Kukoc and Steve Kerr shooting lights out. Altogether, this squad is a complete unit on paper.

The Bulls won their first 12 games of the season and raced out to a 42-6 record before the All-Star break. The team nearly made history by becoming the only team in league history to own back-to-back 70-win seasons. However, Pippen missed a game-winning three-point field goal attempt in the final game of the season against the Knicks.

Jordan led the league in scoring with 29.6 points per game and also contributed 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.7 steals, but he missed out on the MVP Award to Karl Malone. Rodman led the league in rebounding with 16.1 per game. The playoffs featured easy work of the Bullets, Hawks, and Heat on their way to the Finals. That is where Jordan got his revenge for losing out on the MVP Award by winning Finals MVP with his six-game series win over the Jazz.

2T. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers

Regular Season: 69-13

Playoff Record: 12-3

The Lakers would win their first championship since moving to Los Angeles. The Lakers were unstoppable this season. The team won 24 consecutive regular season games, which was a record for 24 seasons. The team also won a combined 81 games, which was a record that stood for 14 years until the Celtics matched it in 1986. This team is well-regarded as one of the top 10 teams in NBA history.

Going into the season, the Lakers owned a triple threat of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West in their 30s. However, the team faced adversity when Baylor retired nine games into the season due to knee injuries that cost him most of his previous season. Instead, head coach Bill Sharman helped Chamberlain turn into a rebounding/defensive force. He also focused more on Chamberlain’s passing to get outlet passes to West and Gail Goodrich. This style led the Lakers to an NBA-record 33-game winning streak.

In the playoffs, the Lakers beat the Bulls in four games and then ousted the defending champion Bucks in six games. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out of the playoff picture, the Lakers took on the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 1970 NBA Finals. The Lakers won the series in five games and Chamberlain was named Finals MVP.

1. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls

Regular Season Record: 72-10

Playoff Record: 15-3

Because the Chicago Bulls won 72 games during the regular season and won the NBA championship, this team is often regarded as the greatest overall team in NBA history. While the Warriors broke this record in 2015-16, the team failed to win the title, which is something fans allude to when the topic gets discussed. The Bulls brought in Dennis Rodman before the season began, while Michael Jordan was 100% ready to go after his brief retirement. The trifecta with Scottie Pippen helped the Bulls set a new winning streak record.

The Bulls started the season 37-0 at home, which was part of a then NBA record 44-game winning streak that included games from the previous season. Their 33 road wins were the most in NBA history before the 2015-16 Warriors won 34 road games. The Bulls began the season 41-3, which included an 18-game winning streak. The team went a perfect 14-0 in January and was 42-5 before the All-Star break.

It was the first time that any NBA team had won 70 games in the regular season. This team remains the only team in NBA history to win at least 70 games and a championship. In the playoffs, the Bulls swept the Heat and Magic, while defeating the Heat in five games. The Finals featured a matchup against the gritty Seattle SuperSonics where the Bulls won the title in six games with Jordan winning the Finals MVP Award. With 87 combined wins, the Bulls set the record for most regular season and playoff wins, which was later broken by the Warriors, who recorded 88. With that said, the Bulls will always have the deciding factor in winning the championship. 

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