Fansided

Ranking every NBA Champion from No. 72 to No. 1 — The Definitive List

By Staff

TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors and Serge Ibaka #9 of the Toronto Raptors defend their positions during Game One of the NBA Finals on May 30, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 30: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors and Serge Ibaka #9 of the Toronto Raptors defend their positions during Game One of the NBA Finals on May 30, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – 1992: Kevin McHale #32, Robert Parish #00, and Larry Bird #33 stand on the court during a game played in 1992 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1992 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – 1992: Kevin McHale #32, Robert Parish #00, and Larry Bird #33 stand on the court during a game played in 1992 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1992 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4. 1985-86 Boston Celtics

Of all the great Celtics teams, this one jumps to the top as the greatest, surpassing all the teams of the 1960s under Bill Russell. The Celtics won 67 games in the regular season and won by an average of margin of 9.4 points per game. But that’s not really the story. The key to this squad was the overall balance of the lineup.

Larry Bird slightly reduced his offensive burden to 25.8 points per game, allowing power forward Kevin McHale to take a greater offensive role. McHale averaged more than 20 points for the first time in his career. More importantly, McHale started to become a more effective passer after annoying Bird earlier in their time together. Bird had nicknamed McHale the “black hole” early on because, as Bird would say, “The ball would go in and never come out.”

McHale bristled at that description, but it was accurate until this season. The Celtics starting lineup of Bird, McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge was dominant all season. The addition of center Bill Walton to the bench was a huge key. Walton played limited minutes because he feet were in such bad shape. But his quirky personality seemed to play well with the ultra-competitive group.

During the playoffs, the Celtics cruised all the way to the NBA Finals, winning 11 of 12 games before facing Houston for the title. The Rockets had upset the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, but were no match for Boston. Houston won two games in the series, but the Celtics really dominated. Three of Boston’s four victories were by more than 10 points and Houston was aided by the 2-3-2 format the NBA used at the time to determine home and road games.

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