Top 5 greatest NBA teams of all-time

3. 1986-1987 Los Angeles Lakers

In the 1980’s, whenever the Celtics didn’t rule the NBA, that’s when the Los Angeles Lakers ruled it. They dominated during the 1986-1987 season as they finished with a 65-17 record. However, dominating the regular season wasn’t enough for the motivated Lakers. They went 15-3 in the playoffs and stopped their rival Celtics from winning back-to-back titles.

The Lakers were led by three Hall of Famers. Point guard Magic Johnson was a utility player in that he guarded whoever the opposition’s best player was. Didn’t matter if it was a guard or a forward, coach Pat Riley always put Magic on the other team’s best player because he knew that Magic would shut them down. Johnson kept everyone happy on offense, which was quite the task considering how talented they were. Magic averaged 23.9 points per game, 12.2 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game, and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Forward James Worthy averaged 19.4 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game, providing Johnson with a sharp shooter who could score from anywhere on the court. He took over in the playoffs, as he led the team with 23.6 points per game in the postseason. Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, despite being 39 years old at the time, was still a machine. He averaged 17.5 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game during the regular season.

A.C. Green was the quintessential role player, doing whatever it took to help his team win. He led the team in rebounds with 7.8 rebounds per game and added 10.8 points per game.

Next: Who's Number Two?