Any discussion of the Greatest NBA Championship teams, for the sake of the even larger job of dissecting the dynasties, has a right to begin with special anomalies such as the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers.
Also known as the unstoppable squad with an immovable force in Wilt Chamberlain, this smooth wrecking crew steamrolled its way to a 68-13 record, which, at that moment stood as the best of all-time.
Now this 76ers squad didn't just win because of the Big Dipper's ridiculous 20-point, 20-rebound season, nor by any freakish eight-month string of luck; it won from the depth of having two other future Hall of Famers in Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham, and some of the greatest bench minds in head coach Alex Hannum and coach-in-training Matt Guokas.
Hannum came into this season having already won 1964 NBA Coach of the Year honors, partly for discovering the delicate formula that honed in Chamberlain's towering talents and molding them to create a group that finished first in the NBA Western Division.
Heading into the '67 season, though, the team was completely revamped; the Warriors were now in the Bay Area and Philly's team was now the 76ers, and the look and feel was team, team, Chamberlain, team.
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Chamberlain was undeniably integral due to the fact that the baskets, even if he didn't score them, still ran through him on nearly every play. Hard not to do if you're grabbing 24-plus boards, eight assists, and 24-plus points.
But as Hannum had discovered in '64, Chamberlain needed a supporting cast that knew how to use him, and vice-versa.
Greer and Cunningham were perfect for this.
Both of them stood as solid shooters with good hops and deft touches around the basket. This pliable guard combo, in which both men could run the point, were deadly from 10-to-15 feet, the best spots for a post-passing Chamberlain with a newfound love for dishing it out.
And this type of center-centered post play became the template for future passing big men like Bill Walton and Tim Duncan. Even the legendary Bill Russell was more of an instigator of the Cousy-led fast breaks and less a progenitor of the the slow-down half-court spot-ups of Chamberlain's Sixers.
As a playing style, many could compare this offense to the Spurs dynasty of the early 2000s, or the early-to-mid-'70s Bucks and Lakers with Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
But the '67 Sixers were so much more in that their guard play created matchup problems for nearly every team in the league. Meaning no one else had the one-two punch of athleticism and shooting touch as Philly. The pair combined for nearly 20 rips a game for God's sake!
With all this ball control, and Chamberlain rarely sitting out, the Sixers shot 48 percent from the floor and averaged 125 points per contest.
Then, in the playoffs, the real surprises began, as Greer exploded for 28 points per game and they rolled through the Royals, Celtics, and Warriors, also known as Robertson, Russell, and Thurmond, in seemingly invincible fashion.
The only knock on this team was that much of the competition it faced had been racked with injuries, and thus lost that certain chemistry which the abnormally healthy 76ers had maintained much of the season.
For Chamberlain and his team, it was the one year when everything clicked, something he would experience again really soon
But were they the best?
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2 months ago
Now this is a very interesting question that you raise, most Phillies would say, yes and I'd follow suit as when I last talked to one of my close friends from my time there, they'd bat for the 76ers even now - but 1967 though before my time looks to be one of their best teams.
2 months ago
No way! They weren't even the best 76ers team of all time, the '83 squad was with Doc, Moses, Mo Cheeks, Bobby Jones, and Toney. Fo-Fo-Fo baby!
However, the best team ever (just for one season) is the 75 Warriors who swept the Bullets, when many expected the opposite. Forget regular season records, they became a different team in POs and would have beaten the Bullets 10 outta 10. Too bad it didn't last...
2 months ago
1971 Milwaukee Bucks. Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 32 points per game, 57% shooter, and 16 rebounds per game. Oscar Robinson had 20 points per and 8 assists per and they went 66-16 during the regular season and 12-2 in the playoffs.
2 months ago
Don't forget the 72 (I think, too lazy to check) Lakers, with Chamberlain, West, Happy Hairson, and Gail Goodrich.
2 months ago
also dont forget the 08/09 raptors: oneal bosh caledron moon parker bargnani
from 2 months ago
Haven'y shown anything yet but I don't see them doing much
2 months ago
Da 95-96 Bulls went 72-10 on their way to the 'ship....MJ, Scottie, Rodman, Kukoc, Harper, Kerr, unstoppable. I swear it seemed like every game they would be down by 15 to 20 in the 4th just to come roaring back for the win. And we ALL knew it.
2 months ago
I'm with LALALA and Chef. I think either of those teams were a little better and in a 7 game series would win out.
2 months ago
Those Bulls were great. Their only flaw was a lack of a big man, Rodman couldn't guard Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (whose LA teams should also be mentioned).
2 months ago
LALALA, It would be mostly Longley & Wennigton at C, with Rodman coming in for a change-up, crunch time defense. He could guard Shaq (better than pretty much anyone not named Zo or Olajuwon...or Floppy Divac lol)so i think pussy ass Kareem and an aging Chamberlain would be very susceptible to Rodman's mind games. And both weren't especially know for their defense (Kareem more weak side blocks) so who would stop Mike? Especially with Wennington and Longley, who would open up the middle for drivers and slashers. While both too soft and slow, were perfect for the Bulls' triangle offense. Both were adept passers and good to very good mid-range shooters. Scottie, Mike and Harp can suffocate and create turnovers leading to fast breaks. Plus Kerr and Kukoc spreading the floor. Bulls in 6 or 7
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