The Best in Basketball, Decade-by-Decade

Basketball Digest, Nov, 2001 by David Friedman

Although the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have dominated, some other squads should be spotlighted

EACH DECADE IMMEDIATELY conjures up specific images for basketball fans: George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers of the '50s, Wilt Chamberlain vs. Bill Russell in the '60s, Dr. J.'s skywalking in the 70s, Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson in the '80s and Air Jordan soaring above everyone in the '90s. In most cases these stars played for the signature teams of each decade. The raw numbers (wins, championships, and Finals appearances) confirm the status of these teams, but they also bring to light some fine teams that should not be forgotten.

In 1949-50 the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League (NBL) merged to form the NBA. That season the league consisted of 17 teams in three divisions. Logistical problems led to an unbalanced schedule in which most teams played 68 games, while others played only 64 or 62. The NBA went through many changes in the '50s, one of the most notable being the introduction of the 24-second clock in the 1954-55 season.

By the end of the decade the league had eight teams in two divisions and all teams played a 72-game schedule. The unstoppable Mikan and his Minneapolis Lakers (the franchise relocated to Los Angeles before the 1960-61 season) were the main drawing cards during the NBA's struggling formative years. Mikan partnered with three Hall of Fame teammates (Vern Mikkelson, Jim Pollard, and Slater Martin) and a Hall of Fame coach (John Kundla) to lead the Lakers to four championships in the early '50s. The Lakers declined dramatically after Mikan retired after the 1955-56 season and then made it back to the Finals in the 1958-59 season behind the stellar play of rookie Elgin Baylor.

While the Lakers claimed the most titles and most Finals appearances in the '50s, they did not win the most games, finishing the decade with 388 wins. The Boston Celtics won 408 games, although they did not became a championship team until after Russell arrived, winning two titles toward the end of the '50s. Amazingly, the Celtics did not have a single losing season from the hiring of Red Auerbach as coach in 1950-51 until 1969-70, the first season after Russell retired as player-coach.

Dolph Schayes' Syracuse Nationals (which became the Philadelphia 76ers in 1963-64) won 404 games and appeared in three Finals, winning the championship in 1954-55. The Knicks won 388 games and made it to three straight Finals (1950-51 to 1952-53) behind bruising rebounders Harry Gallatin and Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton and star guards Carl Braun and Dick McGuire.

The NBA began the '60s with eight teams in two divisions playing a 75-game schedule, but by 1969 the league had expanded to 14 teams and adopted the current 82-game schedule. The rival American Basketball Association was founded in 1967-68 with 11 teams in two divisions, a 78-game schedule (later expanded to 84), and a freewheeling style of play highlighted by the three-point shot (first used in the short-lived ABL in 1961-62), 30-second shot clock, and red, white, and blue ball.

The Celtics dominated the NBA in the '60s, winning nine championships and 571 games. Celtics Hall of Famers from those teams include Russell, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones, Frank Ramsey, and John Havlicek. The next-best team, the Nats/76ers, won 486 games and one championship. It is worth noting that the 1966-67 76ers team that prevented the Celtics from making a clean sweep of the decade won a then-record 68 games. It's still considered one of the best single-season squads in league history, boasting Hall-of-Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, and Billy Cunningham. The Baylor-Jerry West Lakers posted the third-best record in the '60s, winning 447 games and losing to the Celtics in the Finals six times.

Pro Basketball Teams of the Decade

                1950s                   1960s

Wins            Boston Celtics, 408     Boston Celtics, 571
Titles          Minneapolis Lakers, 4   Boston Celtics, 9
Finals
  Appearances   Minneapolis Lakers, 5   Boston Celtics, 9

                1970s                   1980s

Wins            Milwaukee Bucks, 492    Boston Celtics, 592
Titles          Indiana Pacers, 3       Los Angeles Lakers, 5
Finals
  Appearances   Washington Bullets/     Los Angeles Lakers, 8
                  Indiana Pacers, 4

                1990s

Wins            Chicago Bulls, 558
Titles          Chicago Bulls, 6
Finals
  Appearances   Chicago Bulls, 6

In the '70s the rivalry between the NBA and ABA led to a salary explosion as the two leagues battled fiercely for the services of star players such as Rick Barry and Cunningham. The movement of players between leagues and the influx of young talent into the sport made it much more difficult for teams to maintain elite status. No NBA team won repeat championships from 1969-70 until 1988-89 (the Indiana Pacers captured consecutive titles in 1971-72 and 1972-73 in the ABA).

Eight franchises won NBA rifles in the '70s, the most in any decade in NBA history, while four teams claimed championships in the seven ABA seasons during the decade. The Knicks and Celtics both won two NBA titles, while the Milwaukee Bucks, Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Bullets, and Seattle SuperSonics captured one apiece; the Pacers led the ABA with three championships, followed by the New York Nets (two), Utah Stars (one), and Kentucky Colonels (one). While the NFL and AFL champions squared off in four Super Bowls before the leagues merged, the NBA and ABA never staged an ultimate championship series, leaving basketball fans to wonder if ABA stars Roger Brown, Artis Gilmore or Dr. J could have fit the shoes of AFL legend Joe Namath.