The NBA has seen some amazing teams assembled throughout its history. More recently, many franchises have put some very strong rosters together, in an attempt to win a championship. Sometimes these combinations of superstars are able to reach the pinnacle of the game, while other times they simply come up short, despite the immense talent on the team. As we analyzed the greatest dream teams in NBA history, these were the four teams that stood out more than the rest.
1995-1996 Chicago Bulls
The more modern era of dream teams includes a lot of big name superstars that came together to win. But the 1996 Chicago Bulls didn’t need to force anything to be the greatest team of all time. It just so happens that their roster includes some all-time greats. Michael Jordan is the most obvious, as he is widely considered the greatest basketball player to ever step on the court. And how could we make a list like this, without having MJ on it?
However, Jordan got a lot of help from his teammates, with Scottie Pippen being the main catalyst aside from Air Jordan. This team also had Dennis Rodman, Robert Parrish, Toni Kukoc, and Steve Kerr. Together, they were able to win an astounding 72 games in the regular season, before cruising to their fourth NBA championship.
2001-2002 Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have perhaps the most glorified history of any franchise in the NBA. Some of the greatest players of all time made L.A. their home over the decades. But the squad that won the championship in 2002 was as dominant as any that came before them. The combination of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal was simply too much for anyone to contain. The one-two punch of these elite superstars made Laker basketball must-watch TV. And together, they were able to claim their place at the top of the basketball universe.
2017-2018 Golden State Warriors
Just when people thought it couldn’t get any better in the Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors proved them all wrong. For years, the Splash Brothers, which included Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, took the NBA by storm. Their shooting ability was something the NBA had never seen before. They were able to make shots from insane distances on a consistent basis.
When they added Kevin Durant into the mix, there wasn’t much their opponents could do to stop them. In the modern NBA, this was as dominant as a dream team could be. Draymond Green was a big contributor in his own right, and the Warriors had four All-Stars on their team that year. Winning an NBA title is no easy feat. But when you combine so many great players on a roster, there really isn’t much that can be done to stop them.
Miami Heat’s Big Three
When LeBron James announced he was “taking his talents to South Beach,” he came off a little arrogant. But the move itself was actually a good decision. After years of stumbling in Cleveland, LeBron realized he needed to make a change. So he decided to join his long-time friend Dwayne Wayne in South Florida, in a quest to win his first championship. But another friend in Chris Bosh decided they all needed to play together, making them a true dream team that other teams would be unable to contain.
The three friends all came into the NBA in the same year, and they each made their marks on the league. They were all top five draft picks in 2003, linking them even closer together as they developed their respective careers. While each led his own team in scoring over the years, they knew that combining their talents and abilities would create a force that other teams wouldn’t be able to match. They were able to win two championships together, proving that their decision to play together made them one of the greatest dream teams the NBA has ever seen.