When it comes to the greatest teams in NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers have multiple entries into the discussion. The 1972 team still holds the record for longest winning streak while the 1985 and ’87 squads came right at the peak of the Showtime era.
Of the more recent teams starring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, however, there is no doubt that the 2001 squad stands above the rest. This wasn’t because of their regular season accolades, as they actually had the fewest wins of any of the Lakers five championships in the 2000s.
Once the playoffs started this team flipped the switch and reached a level that few have ever matched.