5 Best NBA Regular Season Records Of All Time – Hoop Heads Podcast (2024)

Throughout the NBA, there have been numerous amazing moments worth noting. Some teams have displayed more of these gripping moments than others, pretty much stealing the spotlight for an entire season, sometimes through difficulties like team injuries and more.

Every now and again, you’ll see a season from a team that’s truly spectacular and is really something for the history books. Before you head to the NBA betting lines, we’re going to take a trip down memory lane recapping some of these glorious season records from some of the best teams that the NBA has to offer.

  1. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers had a fantastic season in 1971. It started with hiring one of the best coaches that the team has had to date, Bill Sharman. NBA records were set when the Lakers won a massive 33 games in one season throughout the course of this year. The team was led by Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West at the time, and we bet they were pleased with being part of such a historical moment! Their successes only continued as time went on.

When the team made it to the playoffs, they lost a mere three games in total and eventually went on to win the first championship in their name since they originally relocated to Los Angeles in 1960. The team even managed to score the NBA title later on in 1972 after the historic season, and they ended up beating the New York Nicks in 5 different games. It was certainly an impressive season, and one that fans of the Lakers are sure to recount even to this day. Only the Chicago Bulls would eventually beat their record over 25 years later.

  1. Philadelphia 76ers

Heading back to the 1966-67 season, the Philadelphia 76ers had a season that people won’t soon forget. The season was so magnificent that the team is known to this day as one of the best to have participated in the NBA. At the beginning of the season they began with a 46-4 victory – fans already knew from that moment on that the team would have a season to remember.

It’s not difficult to see why the team had such an impressive season. They had some big names along for the ride, including coach Alex Hunnam and star player Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain is known as one of the biggest names and the best talents to ever grace the NBA, even to this day. Chamberlain himself managed to get roughly 24 points and 8 assists per game during this season. Alongside other players like Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham, the 76ers ended up getting an average of 125 points for each season. Let’s put it this way – you would not want to be the team going up against the 76ers during this season!

The season ultimately ended for them with a spectacular victory against the Boston Celtics and a well deserved NBA title win. Unsurprisingly, Chamberlain also managed to win MVP for the season. You really can’t have a list about the best regular seasons in the NBA without mentioning this season from the Philadelphia 76ers.

  1. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls had a tough season to beat in 1996-97 following their epic NBA title win in the 1995-96 season. Everyone was itching to see what kind of performance they’d get from superstars Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Once again, the team delivered a spectacular season.

They had a record of 69-13 during this season, and still managed to deliver an excellent performance despite two major injuries to two key players, Luc Longley and Toni Kukoc, and even a suspension of Dennis Rodman. Playing against Michael Jordan served to essentially be a death sentence for any team that would dare go up against the Bulls this season – he was a force to be reckoned with. He even managed to make his place on the All NBA Defensive First Time thanks to this season.

Unsurprisingly the Bulls ended up winning their season, following a spectacular play off against Utah Jazz in the finals. They won several championships in the years to follow, so it’s unsurprising that the team is often thought to be one of the most efficient in NBA history.

  1. Boston Celtics

If you want to talk about a great season, the 1972-73 season was just that for the Boston Celtics. Featuring huge names like Dave Cowens and JoJo White, the team was an unstoppable force this season. They ended up winning a massive 68 games and just lost 14. Dave Cowens even went on to win MVP, while Tom Heinsohn won Coach of the Year. The only reason they didn’t win the season the year after was because of injuries on the team.

  1. Golden State Warriors

The 2015-16 season from the Golden State Warriors is certainly something worth praising. They managed to set a 73-9 record for themselves during this season. They won 34 games throughout the course of the season. They ultimately lost the season to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but otherwise this was a perfect season for the team.

5 Best NBA Regular Season Records Of All Time – Hoop Heads Podcast (2024)

FAQs

What is the best regular season record in NBA history? ›

The Celtics won 9 of their matchups while the Lakers have only won 3. The best single regular season record was recorded by the Golden State Warriors in the 2015–16 season. In that season, the Warriors recorded 73 wins and 9 losses with a winning percentage of .

Who has the best record in the NBA all time? ›

The San Antonio Spurs have the highest win–loss record percentage, with 2,305–1,562 (. 596). Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves have the lowest win–loss record percentage, with 1,147–1,647 (. 411).

What is the highest win total in NBA history? ›

The Celtics led the league with 64 wins last season, the first time they surpassed 58.5 wins since 2009. They are one of eight teams with a win total of more than 50 games. In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the highest number at 55.5 wins.

Has a NBA team ever gone 0-82? ›

No, no NBA team has ever achieved a record of 82-0.

Who is better, LeBron or Jordan? ›

If you look at certain numbers, Jordan may have a slight edge. He's won slightly more championships, more MVPs and more All-Defensive Team honors. On the other hand, James has scored more points than Jordan—or anybody else who ever played in the NBA.

What's the worst record in NBA history? ›

Considered to be the worst NBA team of all time, the Bobcats failed to improve on their 34–48 record from the previous season and set the record for the worst winning percentage in a season with a .106 winning percentage, "surpassing" the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers (.110) for the lowest winning percentage in NBA ...

What is the biggest NBA blowout ever? ›

73 Points – Memphis Grizzlies 152, Oklahoma City Thunder 79 (Dec. 2, 2021) In the biggest blowout in NBA history, the surprising Grizzlies set franchise records for most points in a game and highest shooting percentage (62.5%) … and they were missing star point guard Ja Morant.

What's the biggest loss in NBA history? ›

The Thunder's 62-point win wasn't enough to rid the franchise of holding the record for the most-lopsided loss in league history, which was a 152-79 rout by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021.

What's the longest win streak in NBA history? ›

On Nov. 5, 1971, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Baltimore Bullets 110-106, starting an epic winning streak that lasted more than two months, and culminated with 33 consecutive victories, still an NBA record, and the longest winning streak in American pro sports. Win No.

Who went 8 0 in the NBA? ›

During his career with the Celtics, Havlicek won eight NBA championships, and he is also one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8-0 record in NBA Finals series. He is known for stealing the ball to save the game–and the Celtics' playoff hopes–near the end of Game Seven in the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals.

What NBA team has 0 losses? ›

No NBA franchise has ever gone undefeated through a regular season. 82 games is way too long a slate for a team to keep winning from starting line to tape - even the best (such as the Jordan-led Bulls on the 1990s) will have the odd off night and lose occasionally.

What is the biggest 0 run in NBA history? ›

DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks' 30-0 run Saturday night was good enough for NBA history, just not for a victory. The Mavericks' run in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma City was the longest without allowing a basket in the play-by-play era, which dates to 1996-97.

What is the highest regular-season game in NBA history? ›

Summary. The highest-scoring regular-season game in NBA history is the triple-overtime game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets on December 13, 1983. The two teams combined to score 370 points, with the Pistons defeating the Nuggets 186–184.

Has any NBA team gone 16 0 in playoffs? ›

In the climax season of the Warriors' dynasty, they won their fifth NBA championship, and second in three seasons, setting the best postseason record in NBA history by going 16–1 . This Warriors team is widely considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history.

Who has the most 82 game seasons in the NBA? ›

Interpreted as:
NAMESEAS
1J. Stockton12
2K. Malone10
3G. Payton8
4O. Thorpe8
10 more rows

Which NBA player has the most regular-season wins? ›

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the most career wins, with 1,074 wins.
NAMEGP
12K. Garnett1,462
13S. Perkins1,286
14J. Havlicek1,270
15G. Payton1,335
11 more rows

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Horacio Brakus JD

Last Updated:

Views: 5327

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Horacio Brakus JD

Birthday: 1999-08-21

Address: Apt. 524 43384 Minnie Prairie, South Edda, MA 62804

Phone: +5931039998219

Job: Sales Strategist

Hobby: Sculling, Kitesurfing, Orienteering, Painting, Computer programming, Creative writing, Scuba diving

Introduction: My name is Horacio Brakus JD, I am a lively, splendid, jolly, vivacious, vast, cheerful, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.