Throughout the NBA's decades-long existence, certain teams have consistently outperformed the rest at various times.
Some of them are still among the strongest in the league today, while others have no choice but to look back on their glorious past. But even events from many years ago set these franchises apart from all others in the eyes of basketball fans. So which one is the strongest in NBA history? You choose!
Chicago Bulls
Titles: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
NBA Finals appearances: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)
Playoff appearances: 36
Chicago was fortunate to be home to the most outstanding player in basketball history, Michael Jordan. A few years after joining the NBA (and the Bulls in particular), he eclipsed the legacy of many great teams and players.
With His Airness, the team won six NBA trophies in eight years — and would have won all eight if Jordan hadn't taken a break from his career. With him, the Bulls had a winning percentage of over 65% in both the regular season and the playoffs, which is significantly higher than the franchise's average in his absence — 51% and 54%, respectively.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Titles: 17 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020)
NBA Finals appearances: 32 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2020)
Playoff appearances: 62
Now, the legendary Lakers franchise is, alas, in decline. And no, no one has forgotten that in 2020, the Lakers unexpectedly won their 17th championship, tying Boston in terms of total championships. It's just that in the last 10 years, they've missed the playoffs more often than in the 65 years before that.
However, this does not negate the fact that the team has an amazing history. In their 75 years of existence, the Lakers have reached the NBA Finals 32 times. That's almost half of all the seasons they've played. Not just the playoffs—the finals! Thanks to this, the team remains in first place in terms of the number of games won in the postseason, being the only one with a winning percentage above 60 (60.2%).
Boston Celtics
Titles: 17 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008)
NBA Finals appearances: 22 (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2008, 2010, 2022)
Playoff appearances: 59
Boston is rightly considered one of the best franchises in NBA history. With 17 championships, 22 NBA Finals appearances, 22 Eastern Conference titles, and a record 10 MVP awards, it's hard to compete with that track record.
The Celtics also boast an incredible number of great players: Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Paul Pierce, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Kevin McHale, Tom Heinsohn, Kevin Garnett, Nate Archibald, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Joe Joe White, Sam Jones, Dave Cowens, and the list goes on. It's no surprise that Boston is the most represented team in the Basketball Hall of Fame. It includes 41 players who have ever played for or coached the Celtics.
Golden State Warriors
Titles: 7 (1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022)
NBA Finals appearances: 12 (1947, 1948, 1956, 1964, 1967, 1975, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022)
Playoff appearances: 36
Unlike other teams in this ranking, the Golden State Warriors' heyday has come in the last eight years. Since 2015, the team has only missed two NBA Finals out of eight, winning four championships in the other six — one more than in the nearly 70 years before that. But the Warriors had their ups and downs even before Stephen Curry first donned the yellow and blue jersey and Steve Kerr took over as head coach.
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