OT: - Greatest BB Team of All Time - 1985-86 Celtics | The Boneyard

OT: Greatest BB Team of All Time - 1985-86 Celtics

How about the !966-67 Philadelphia 76ers, 68-13 and World Champions. Maybe the 1971-72 LA Lakers, 69-13 and World Champions. Did I mention 33 straight wins.
 
They were certainly the greatest BB team of all time for that year.
 
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I’m going with the 07/08 Celtics.

That team could’ve won 75 games if it wanted to.
 
chrissaran said:
How about the !966-67 Philadelphia 76ers, 68-13 and World Champions. Maybe the 1971-72 LA Lakers, 69-13 and World Champions. Did I mention 33 straight wins.
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95-96 Chicago Bulls. Big three Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
Season Record: 72-10


Postseason Record: 15-3


Achievements: Second most number of wins in a regular season, First NBA team to win 70 games in the regular season, started 37-0 at home, Recorded a 44-game winning streak, Second most number of road wins (33), Only team to win 70 games in a season and win the championship, Eastern Conference champions, Defeated the Seattle Supersonics 4-2 in the NBA Finals,
 
The Warriors number 1.

I'd say the Celts of 85-86 either 2 or 3 and the Bulls 95-96 either 2 or 3.
 
These lists are just a reminder of how great the NBA was in the 80s in the 90s.
 
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1971 nba champions, ahem;
'In winning the World Championship in only their third season, the Bucks went further, faster, than any expansion team in the history of major professional sports.'
'The Bucks dispatched San Francisco and Los Angeles in five games and blasted Baltimore in four straight for the NBA Championship, marking only the second time in league history that the title series ended in a sweep.'
'From Feb. 6-March 8, 1971, the Bucks won 20 straight games, an NBA record (since broken)'
'In the first season of the NBA’s four-division alignment, the Bucks ran away with the Midwest division, setting an NBA record (since broken) of 66 wins. The Bucks also set NBA records for home wins (34), road wins (28), field goal percentage (.509), field goals made (3,972) and assists (2,249).'
and so on, and so on, including a 50 point playoff win.
kareem put up like 32 and 16 during the season, and Mr Triple Double, Oscar, chipped in mightily. they absolutely shredded everyone, including then recent 'names' like the lakers, knicks, and anyone else unlucky enuf to set foot on the court.
averaged 118 ppg without the 3 ball. 118!
six future hof'ers played in the finals. 3 on each side.

and, oh, disallowed by rule from being on the varsity, freshman kareem led his team to a blowout victory over the two-time defending national champs varsity at the inaugural game for pauley. not around to see any of this, but u tube is our friend. no wonder that they changed the rules of cbb bcuz of this guy. they were all very, very, afraid of him. noice.
the only six time nba mvp. yeah, this team is my vote for best ever.
 
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My mistake. It should have been 1967. My answer is an opinion like everyone else. Thirty-three games in a row is massive. There were fewer teams then, and the centers were so much better. The two facts tying the 76ers and Lakers is Wilt Chamberlain was the center on both teams. The elite centers were: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Dave Cowens, Bob Lanier, Nate Thurmond, and Elvin Hayes.
 
That Celtic team WAS a good one! During that era, I saw many of their games in Boston and Hartford.
I believe that one player who was not given enough credit during time was Danny Ainge. He was a point guard, a shooting guard, and in most games he was the only player who would guard his man full court, as his other 4 team members dropped back on defense.
 
on a separate, but connected note, well, it speaks for itself as a commentary on 'pro' athletes of the past say, decades. im sure that plenty? most? all? on this leaderboard had injuries that today would demand immediate surgery/mri's/ newsconferences, etc, but they played. strong like bull. i guess 'here, have a kleenex, take a couple of days/weeks/months off' is the 21st century mantra.
NBA & ABA Single Season Leaders and Records for Minutes Per Game | Basketball-Reference.com
 
chrissaran said:
My mistake. It should have been 1967. My answer is an opinion like everyone else. Thirty-three games in a row is massive. There were fewer teams then, and the centers were so much better. The two facts tying the 76ers and Lakers is Wilt Chamberlain was the center on both teams. The elite centers were: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Dave Cowens, Bob Lanier, Nate Thurmond, and Elvin Hayes.
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No Bill Russell?
 
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chrissaran said:
My mistake. It should have been 1967. My answer is an opinion like everyone else. Thirty-three games in a row is massive. There were fewer teams then, and the centers were so much better. The two facts tying the 76ers and Lakers is Wilt Chamberlain was the center on both teams. The elite centers were: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Dave Cowens, Bob Lanier, Nate Thurmond, and Elvin Hayes.
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Great Championship in 1967. Some of the most intriguing players that few talk about. Billy Cunningham was an unstoppable small forward for the 76ers. At 6'5", he averaged over 20 pts and 12 rebounds, getting 27 one game. Later on, coached the 76ers and reached 300 and 400 wins faster than anyone in history. Once he won the NBA Championship, he quit and have not heard about him since.
Rick Barry player for the Warriors and was a neighbor of mine in Colorado Springs. Great stories. Great player.
All that being said, while I grew up in Phila. and would watch 10+ 76er games in person a year, several of the Bill Russell Celtic teams would be on top of my list. Must be an age thing.
 
HopJim said:
Great Championship in 1967. Some of the most intriguing players that few talk about. Billy Cunningham was an unstoppable small forward for the 76ers. At 6'5", he averaged over 20 pts and 12 rebounds, getting 27 one game. Later on, coached the 76ers and reached 300 and 400 wins faster than anyone in history. Once he won the NBA Championship, he quit and have not heard about him since.
Rick Barry player for the Warriors and was a neighbor of mine in Colorado Springs. Great stories. Great player.
All that being said, while I grew up in Phila. and would watch 10+ 76er games in person a year, several of the Bill Russell Celtic teams would be on top of my list. Must be an age thing.
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He was an NBA Color Commentator for a few years after he won title as a coach. One year before being the coach too.

And he was a minority owner for the Miami Heat for a while.
 
Have a best of 7 series on what if sports and find out.
 
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I wasn't alive in the 70s. Does anyone know why NBA guys never talk about the 70s? Seemed like traditional powers like the Lakers, Celtics, and Sixers were in decline and rose up a bunch of unfamiliar faces that nobody wanted to watch anymore. Don't hear anyone talk about the championships that the Sonics, Warriors, or Trailblazers won in the 70s. Add the rise in drug use and the disco culture at the time gave NBA a bad look?

I was 5 when Bird won that epic series vs the Lakers in '84, and I was a Bird and Celtics fan first. Just wondering because after Jordan retired, the NBA was full of those strange, unfamiliar new faces and it didn't feel the same anymore. I liked O'Neal, but I preferred him in Orlando and this Kobe Bryant dude seemed like a Jordan copycat. Kinda fell asleep from the NBA ever since 1998. I watched it, liked a few teams but I was never able to regain the type of interest I had during the 15 year stretch from the peak of Bird thru Jordan. (84-98)
 
SimpleDawg said:
I wasn't alive in the 70s. Does anyone know why NBA guys never talk about the 70s? Seemed like traditional powers like the Lakers, Celtics, and Sixers were in decline and rose up a bunch of unfamiliar faces that nobody wanted to watch anymore. Don't hear anyone talk about the championships that the Sonics, Warriors, or Trailblazers won in the 70s. Add the rise in drug use and the disco culture at the time gave NBA a bad look?

I was 5 when Bird won that epic series vs the Lakers in '84, and I was a Bird and Celtics fan first. Just wondering because after Jordan retired, the NBA was full of those strange, unfamiliar new faces and it didn't feel the same anymore. I liked O'Neal, but I preferred him in Orlando and this Kobe Bryant dude seemed like a Jordan copycat. Kinda fell asleep from the NBA ever since 1998. I watched it, liked a few teams but I was never able to regain the type of interest I had during the 15 year stretch from the peak of Bird thru Jordan. (84-98)
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In regards to the 70's-

IMO Bird and Magic brought back the NBA. I don't think it was thought of as being that popular (or declining popularity) before they came aboard. And Magic and Bird didn't come in until 79-80. Don't think those champions other than Alcindor/Jabbar had a prime top 10 type of super elite players after 72-73 until Bird and Magic came. Bill Walton should've been the next big multi-year superstar. The prime NBA potential multi-year superstar to lead NBA against Jabbar so we could get classic matchups year over year - but Walton got hurt at the time he started becoming super from the 1 prior year.

Also- because the ABA also had some damn good talent and as a result took away from potential great NBA teams.. Two guys in particular - Julius Erving and Rick Barry.. Rick Barry at 22 years old was the lead player for the NBA -Golden State Warriors averaging over 35 per game and led his team in finals only to lose to the awesome 66-67 Sixers led by Wilt. After that Barry went to ABA.

And as for DR J he was off-the-charts in the mid-70's in ABA. The in his 1st year in NBA he got his team to finals. The problem was his secondary player- George McGinnis fell apart in the playoffs for 2 straight years.
 
hoophuskee said:
In regards to the 70's-

IMO Bird and Magic brought back the NBA. I don't think it was thought of as being that popular (or declining popularity) before they came aboard. And Magic and Bird didn't come in until 79-80. Don't think those champions other than Alcindor/Jabbar had a prime top 10 type of super elite players after 72-73 until Bird and Magic came. Bill Walton should've been the next big multi-year superstar. The prime NBA potential multi-year superstar to lead NBA against Jabbar so we could get classic matchups year over year - but Walton got hurt at the time he started becoming super from the 1 prior year.

Also- because the ABA also had some damn good talent and as a result took away from potential great NBA teams.. Two guys in particular - Julius Erving and Rick Barry.. Rick Barry at 22 years old was the lead player for the NBA -Golden State Warriors averaging over 35 per game and led his team in finals only to lose to the awesome 66-67 Sixers led by Wilt. After that Barry went to ABA.

And as for DR J he was off-the-charts in the mid-70's in ABA. The in his 1st year in NBA he got his team to finals. The problem was his secondary player- George McGinnis fell apart in the playoffs for 2 straight years.
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Good stuff. And yeah.... superstars might've made a difference, as the NBA is historically hinged on superstars. ABA... lol sounds a lot like ABBA.... who by coincidence must've been popular at the same time.

And when Wilt and Oscar retired (two of the faces the NBA must've marketed off the most), a lot of NBA fans probably retired with them.

Magic and Bird really did revolutionize the new NBA among young people. Jordan was on the rise but of course his team was not that good, got better later, but only became championship caliber in the 90s.
 
re: 70s. It didn't help tv ratings that not the biggest market teams like Washington and Seattle faced off in the finals in 1978 and 1979.

Back then ratings became so poor that CBS broadcast the finals on a tape delay basis starting at 11:30PM EST.
 
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