Every NBA fan has a team they live, breathe, and some would go as far as to say die for. They also have the teams that they despise simply because they are a division rival or a team that has historically had their number on the court. Then there are the basketball teams from certain seasons that every basketball fan holds in high regard. These are the teams that captured our basketball hearts and have given us a lifetime of memories and stories to pass on to the next generation and our children.
- 10. 1972-73 New York Knicks
- 9. 1993-94 Houston Rockets
- 8. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers
- 7. 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks
- 6. 2005-06 Miami Heat
- 5. 1985-86 Boston Celtics
- 4. 2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers
- 3. 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers
- 2. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
- 1. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls
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There are many different reasons why a team would become so beloved. Perhaps that particular team made an improbable run to a championship. Maybe that particular team accomplished things as a team that no team has accomplished before or since. Maybe the members of the team were a bunch of scrappy two-way players who drew energy from their city to win a championship. There are a million reasons why specific teams from specific seasons are remembered more than others and looked at glamorously by NBA fans. Today, we take a look at the ones who are the most beloved and examine why that may be.
These are the 10 most loved teams in NBA history.
10. 1972-73 New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have been looked at as a less-than-glamorous franchise for close to 3 decades now. Once looked at as the measuring stick for being an NBA franchise, the Knicks have been cursed for the last 25 years, whether it be falling just short of winning an NBA championship or just being outright bad. Things weren’t always this grim at Madison Square Garden, but you have to go back 50 years to revisit the last truly successful New York Knicks team. The 1972-73 New York Knicks were the last team to deliver a championship to New York basketball, and for that, they are still the most beloved squad in their history.
Coming off of a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, the Knicks set out for revenge. Willis Reed seemed to be well past his prime this season, even though he played 69 games after playing just 11 the season before. The Knicks were led by Walt Frazier, who was their leading scorer at 21.9 PPG and leading assist man at 6.2 APG. He had a solid supporting cast of Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Earl Monroe. The Knicks would advance to the NBA Finals for a rematch with the Lakers. The Knicks disposed of L.A. in 5 games, with Redd grabbing an unlikely Finals MVP award for the 2nd time. This Knicks squad showed heart, grit, and tenacity on the way to this title and embodied the true spirit of New York.
9. 1993-94 Houston Rockets
The 1993-94 NBA season was one of uncertainty and mystery with the unexpected and sudden retirement of their biggest star, Michael Jordan. Fans were eager to anoint their next superstar and follow the next best storyline after the Chicago Bulls without their leading man. This is where the 1993-94 Houston Rockets come in. Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets to 58 wins while he claimed the MVP award averaging 27.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.6 SPG, and 3.7 BPG.
The Rockets were by no means supposed to accomplish the things they accomplished in 1994. There was virtually no star power outside of Olajuwon, and there were clearly better teams that were sure to thwart their efforts. That was not the case, as every single member of Houston Stepped up to earn the franchise’s first championship. Players like Otis Thorpe, Kenny Smith, and Vernon Maxwell played their roles perfectly and supported Hakeem to the fullest, while Coach Rudy Tomjanovich came off as a genius. The Rockets captured the attention of fans everywhere that season and are still considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history.
8. 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers
Imagine being a sports city without a professional championship to its name. Now imagine that the city’s basketball team had the best player in the world and was considered to be one of the greatest players of all-time fighting for his legacy. That is precisely the storyline of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James at the head of the table. He was surrounded by teammates and All-Stars like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, yet in 2015, they couldn’t get the job done. The Cavs found themselves right back in the NBA Finals in 2016 and set up one of the greatest 4-game stretches in NBA history.
The Golden State Warriors had just won 73 games in the regular season and looked geared to win their 2nd straight championship. The Warriors battled to a 3-1 series lead, a deficit no team had ever come back from in NBA Finals history. This is when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving reached deep inside themselves and rallied the Cavaliers to the most epic Finals conclusion in NBA history. The Cavs would win 3 straight games to shock the 73-win Warriors, and LeBron finally delivered on his promise to bring Cleveland a championship.
7. 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks during the 2000s and 2010s were well-known for shrinking in big playoff moments. Dirk Nowitzki had been criticized heavily for being just a regular season player and unable to be a No. 1 option on a championship team. They had blown a lead in the NBA Finals in 2006, and they had been upset as the heavy favorites in the first round of the 2007 NBA playoffs. This season, the Mavs won 57 games and, led by Nowitzki, took down the most villainized teams in the league en route to a historic NBA championship.
The Mavericks met Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2nd round of the playoffs, who were defending back-to-back champions at the time. Led by Nowitzki’s 25.3 PPG, the Mavs swept them and were on to a showdown with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavs made quick work of them in 5 games to set up a date with the newly formed Big 3 in Miami. The Heat were heavily favored, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Nowitzki paid no mind to the favorites and put Dallas on his back. He averaged26.0 PPG, claimed the Finals MVP award, and delivered the Mavs their first title in franchise history. Nowitzki’s run is still looked at as a Top 3 playoff run ever for a player and has the 2011 Mavs as one of the most beloved teams ever.
6. 2005-06 Miami Heat
The Miami Heat have only been around since 1998 but already have such a deep and rich basketball history. In the 90s and early 2000s, the Heat had many great teams and great players come through their arena, but all fell short of delivering the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance and win. That is until a certain shooting guard from Marquette came along and took the league by storm in just his 3rd season.
Dwyane Wade is the greatest player in franchise history and the 2005-06 season was just the beginning. It was Wade’s 3rd season in the NBA and he was supported by an aging Shaq, Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, and Gary Payton. Wade was clearly the team’s leader and best player as he led them to 52 wins in the regular season. Wade put the team on his back in the postseason as well and led them to the NBA Finals. Wade and co. would fall down in the series 2-0 to the Mavericks but would not be denied. The Heat came back to win 4 straight games with Wade claiming the Finals MVP award. From there on out, the Heat had a new identity with Wade as the face of the franchise and a new era was ushered in on South Beach.
5. 1985-86 Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have always been a franchise that fans either love or hate. There is no in-between when it comes to the NBA’s most historic franchise and the 80s were no different. You couldn’t help but love the rivalry between Magic Johnson from the Lakers and Larry Bird from the Celtics, as they met many times on the NBA’s biggest stage. The rivalry seemed to save the NBA as the Lakers and Celtics rivalry from the 60s was revised with the two teams constantly battling it out, physically and mentally. The 1986 Celtics were a different story, but one for the history books.
The Celtics had an incredibly solid core with the likes of Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. This season, Bird would win his 3rd straight MVP award and lead the Celtics to 67 wins as a team. They were to meet Hakeem Olajuwon, Ralph Sampson, and the young Houston Rockets. Bird would go crazy in the NBA Finals and take home the Finals MVP with 24.0 PPG, 9.7 RPGH, and 9.5 APG as the Celtics won their 3rd championship in 6 seasons. The team had staked their claim as the team of the 80s, but wouldn’t hold on to the title for long.
4. 2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers
The 2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers are an interesting story. Kobe Bryant and company were coming off of their first championships in 7 years as they defeated the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals in 2009. Many claimed that the Lakers didn’t earn that title because they didn’t face off against the East’s best team, who many claimed were the Boston Celtics who had defeated Bryant and the Lakers in the Finals in 2008. With this, the Lakers weren’t satisfied and Kobe Bryant definitely wasn’t satisfied, setting up one of the best Finals series of the last 25 years.
Bryant led the way in the regular season, averaging 27.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 5.0 APG while leading the Lakers to 57 wins. Bryant and the Lakers first took down a very young and inexperienced Thunder team in the first round in 6 games. They would go on to sweep the Jazz led by Deron Williams in the second round and defeat the Suns in 6 games in the Western Conference Finals. Once again, the chatter started with Bryant and the Lakers couldn’t beat the Celtics in the Finals and they hadn’t earned their spot in the Finals due to their “easy schedule”. The Celtics and Lakers battled to a decisive 7th game and Kobe Bryant shined to lift the Lakers to their 2nd straight championship and his 2nd straight Finals MVP.
3. 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers
Let’s be honest for a minute, I have never met anyone who didn’t love the 1980s Showtime Lakers. Led by Magic Johnson, the Lakers were the main attraction in basketball with their flashy and fast-paced style of play. Magic and the Lakers had disappointed the previous season, falling to the Rockets in 5 games in the Western Conference Finals. This allowed their rival, the Boston Celtics, to win a championship, while the Lakers had to sit home and watch it all unfold. The following season would be their revenge tour.
With a year under their belts to stew about the events of the season prior, Magic and the Lakers exploded for 65 wins in the 1987 season and Magic claimed the MVP award. The Lakers stormed their way back to the NBA Finals for a date with the team they had been salivating over for the past 365 days. The Lakers wasted no time as they took a 3-1 series lead in a rather decisive fashion. After a Game 5 loss, the Lakers wrapped things up for the championship in 6 games with Magic Johnson claiming a Finals MVP and bragging rights over his bitter rival, Larry Bird. The Showtime Lakers were back on top as the team of the 80s, a title they would never relinquish.
2. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are undoubtedly the team of the 90s and one of the best dynasties in NBA history. Questions were raised headed into the 1995-96 season with Michael Jordan’s return and if they could even win again or if they were getting to be over the hill. Jordan had just come back for 17 games the previous season, only to lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Orlando Magic. How Jordan and the Bulls responded in 1996 is the greatest season by a team in NBA history.
Jordan and the Bulls destroyed the competition en route to an NBA record of 72 wins. Jordan would win the NBA’s scoring title with 30.4 PPG and was named MVP for the season, his 4th such award. Aside from Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman poured in ALl-Defensive efforts as well and the team could not be stopped. They met the same Magic team in the Eastern Conference Finals and promptly swept them as revenge for the previous season. In the Finals, Jordan and the Bulls capped off a historic season with a 6-game Finals win over the SuperSonics and Jordan’s 4th Finals MVP award. The win solidified them as the greatest team of all time, a title that they still hold today.
1. 1997-98 Chicago Bulls
Headed into the 1997-98 season, the Chicago Bulls dynasty was supposed to be over. It was their last dance with the core of Phil Jackson as a coach and the duo of Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Jerry Krause had already made his decisions, and the team was going in a different direction, moving forward. Many teams could have phoned it in that season and just collected a paycheck. Jordan and the Bulls decided to take one last stand and show Krause that this core was one he would never get back, and it was a mistake to break them apart.
Jordan and the Bulls would win 62 games in the 1997-98 season and once again, Michael Jordan won the scoring title and MVP award. After a rather simple first 2 rounds, Chicago was tested but emerged victorious in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Bulls would meet up with a familiar foe in the Finals in the Utah Jazz, who the Bulls had defeated a year earlier in the Finals. Experts and media heads everywhere were picking Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz to finally be the team to take down Jordan and the Bulls in the Finals and blemish their perfect record. Things would not play out that way as Jordan averaged 33.5 PPG in the Finals, including the series-clinching shot in Game 6 to claim his 6th championship and 6th Finals MVP. The dynasty may have been over, but they went out as any team would want to, as champions of the NBA.
