Which Teams Finished With the Best Records in NBA History? (2024)

Things seem better in the cold winter months when your city’s basketball team is a contender.

And if you’re fan of one of the best NBA teams of all time, you won’t soon forget the eight months of joy that season brought from October to June.

That’s because over the course of their magical campaign, the clubs that took a run at the best single-season win-loss record in league history often looked as though they might never lose. The Los Angeles Lakers, who won 69 games in 1971-72, set the NBA record with 33 straight victories, the Golden State Warriors won 28 in a row en route to 67 wins in 2015-16.

The Chicago Bulls had quite a few of those years after Michael Jordan reached his prime in the 1990s. The franchise went 203-43 (.825) during the regular season from 1995-96 to ’97-98. It was the best winning percentage by any team in a three-season span in NBA history before the Warriors went 207-39 (.841) from 2014-15 to ’16-17.

Here are the teams that had the best regular seasons in NBA history:

1. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors: 73-9, .890

It didn’t take long to realize something special was happening when the defending champs set an NBA record by opening the 2015-16 season 24-0. And with a 48-4 record at the All-Star break, it was clear that the Warriors would have a shot at the regular-season record for wins.

Needing a victory on the final night of the season, Golden State beat the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104 to finish an all-time best 73-9. Stephen Curry won his second NBA MVP and Steve Kerr, who played on the 1995-96 Bulls team that won 72 games, was named NBA Coach of the Year.

But it wasn’t all seashells and balloons for the Warriors, who got past the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and future Warrior Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder (barely) in the Western Conference finals but couldn’t close out a 3-1 series lead against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Which Teams Finished With the Best Records in NBA History? (1)

2. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls: 72-10, .878

With Jordan back for his first full season after stepping away for the 1993-94 and most of the 1994-95 seasons, the 1995-96 Bulls seemed to be on a mission. Jordan was dominant in taking home NBA MVP honors, Phil Jackson was named Coach of the Year and Toni Kukoc was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.

In the postseason, the Bulls swept the Miami Heat in the first round, took out the rival New York Knicks in five games in the second round, swept the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals and beat the Seattle SuperSonics in six games for their fourth NBA title in six seasons.

T-3. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls: 69-13, .841

Chicago picked up where it left off a year after winning 72 games, opening the 1996-97 NBA season with a 17-1 record. At 68-10 in the final week, the Bulls had a chance to match their record from the year before but lost three of their last four games.

They weren’t quite as dominant in the postseason either, going 15-4 but winning the first of back-to-back Finals matchups with the Utah Jazz. Chicago won in six games to become NBA champions for the fifth time in seven years. And Jordan was named Finals MVP for the fifth time.

T-3. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers: 69-13, .841

The Lakers’ 69 wins stood as the most in NBA regular-season history until Jordan’s Chicago Bulls went 72-10 in 1995-96. Los Angeles’ roster was one of the best in franchise history and included Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Gail Goodrich and future coaches Pat Riley and Jim Cleamons.

The team’s run included the previously mentioned historic 33-game winning streak that began on Nov. 5 and ended on Jan. 9 whenKareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 39 to help the Milwaukee Bucks finally beat the Lakers. The Lakers went 12-3 in the playoffs and won the title in five games over the Knicks.

5. 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers: 68-13, .840

The great Wilt Chamberlain averaged 24.1 points, 24.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists, while Hal Greer (22.1 points per game), Chet Walker (19.3) and Billy Cunningham (18.5) also played key roles for the 68-win Sixers. Philadelphia won 46 of its first 50 games and took the Eastern Division by eight games over the mighty Boston Celtics.

In the playoffs, the 76ers beat Oscar Robertson’s Cincinnati Royals, Bill Russell’s Celtics and Rick Barry’s San Francisco Warriors in the NBA Finals. It was the franchise’s first NBA championship in Philadelphia after moving from Syracuse four years earlier. In 1980, the 1966-67 Sixers were chosen as the greatest individual team for the NBA’s 35th anniversary.

The Next Best:

  • 6. 1972-73 Boston Celtics: 68-14, .829
  • T-7. 1985-86 Boston Celtics: 67-15, .817
  • T-7. 1991-92 Chicago Bulls: 67-15, .817
  • T-7. 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks: 67-15, .817
  • T-7. 2014-15 Golden State Warriors: 67-15, .817
  • T-7. 2016-17 Golden State Warriors: 67-15, .817
  • T-7. 1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers: 67-15, .817
  • T-7. 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs: 67-15, .817
  • 14. 1946-47 Washington Capitols 49-11, .817
  • T-15. 2007-08 Boston Celtics 66-16, .805
  • T-15. 2008-09 Cleveland Cavaliers 66-16, .805
  • T-15. 2012-13 Miami Heat 66-16, .805
  • T-15. 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks 66-16, .805

Check out ourMLBandNBAcoverage, and ourNFLpicks andcollege basketballpredictions. Follow us onXandInstagramfor more!

Which Teams Finished With the Best Records in NBA History? (2024)

FAQs

Which Teams Finished With the Best Records in NBA History? ›

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 .

What team has the best record in NBA history? ›

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 most records in NBA history? ›

List of records and feats. Chamberlain holds 72 NBA records, 68 by himself.

Has any NBA team went 0-82? ›

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

Who has the best NBA history? ›

77 greatest NBA players ever: The HoopsHype list
  1. Michael Jordan. ...
  2. LeBron James. ...
  3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. ...
  4. Magic Johnson. ...
  5. Bill Russell. ...
  6. Wilt Chamberlain. ...
  7. Larry Bird. ...
  8. Kobe Bryant.
Sep 25, 2023

What is the best home record of all time NBA? ›

T-1. Boston Celtics – 1985-86 (40-1; . 976) Led on the court by Larry Bird – who won a third consecutive NBA MVP award – and more than ably joined by the likes of Bill Walton, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the Celtics put together an incredible run at Boston Garden.

Who has the best NBA stats of all time? ›

LeBRON JAMES

What's the worst NBA record in 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 (.

Who went 8 0 in the NBA Finals? ›

Below, we present a gallery of all the players who never lost in the NBA Finals, led by John Havlicek, KC Jones and Tom Sanders, who went 8-0 in the league's championship series.

Who went 6 0 in the NBA Finals? ›

Michael Jordan Finals 6-0 | StatMuse.

Has a NBA team scored 200 points? ›

Before the NBA All-Star game in Indianapolis, no team had ever scored more than 186 points. The Detroit Pistons achieved this record feat 41 years ago. The 2024 NBA All-Star Game was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was a high-scoring game, with the Eastern All-Stars defeating the West 211-186.

What is the most loved NBA team? ›

1. Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are synonymous with NBA success, boasting a storied history and a global fanbase.

What is the best NBA team of all time? ›

Here are the teams that had the best regular seasons in NBA history:
  • 2015-16 Golden State Warriors: 73-9, .890.
  • 2. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls: 72-10, . 878.
  • T-3. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls: 69-13, . 841.
  • T-3. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers: 69-13, . 841.
  • 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers: 68-13, . 840.
  • The Next Best:
Jan 23, 2024

Which NBA team has never won a championship? ›

Which teams have never won an NBA championship? There are 10 active NBA teams that have not yet won an NBA championship: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz.

Who is the #1 NBA team right now? ›

Eastern Conference
TeamwLAST10
1 Celtics - e647-3
2 Knicks - x506-4
3 Bucks - c493-7
4 Cavaliers - x484-6
11 more rows

Which team has the most wins in NBA history in a season? ›

The Golden State Warriors hold the record with 73. The Chicago Bulls is not far behind with 72.

Who is the top 1 in NBA history? ›

LeBRON JAMES

What NBA team went undefeated the longest? ›

The other list is made up of playoff games only. The Los Angeles Lakers own the longest winning streak in NBA history. They won 33 straight games in the 1971–72 season, compiling a season-best 69–13 record and went on to win the NBA Finals.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Last Updated:

Views: 5319

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (47 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mrs. Angelic Larkin

Birthday: 1992-06-28

Address: Apt. 413 8275 Mueller Overpass, South Magnolia, IA 99527-6023

Phone: +6824704719725

Job: District Real-Estate Facilitator

Hobby: Letterboxing, Vacation, Poi, Homebrewing, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.