Top 10 Best NBA Teams of the Last Decade
You’re sitting at your favorite sports bar, nursing a cold beer while debating with your buddies about which NBA teams truly dominated the last decade.
The conversation gets heated—someone’s shouting about the Warriors dynasty, another person’s defending LeBron’s championship runs, and that one Lakers fan is still bringing up Kobe’s final years. Sound familiar?
Welcome to the ultimate decade breakdown, where we settle the score once and for all. From 2015 to 2025, the NBA served up some of the most electrifying basketball we’ve ever witnessed.
We’re talking about superteams that redefined the game, underdog champions that shocked the world, and dynasties that crumbled just as fast as they rose.
Top 10 Best NBA Teams of the Last Decade
Here’s how we’re ranking greatness: Championship wins carry the most weight (obviously), but we’re also factoring in regular season dominance, playoff performances, star power, cultural impact, and those “holy crap, did you see that?” moments that had us all jumping off our couches. This isn’t just about rings—it’s about teams that left their fingerprints all over the league.
Top 10 Teams at a Glance
| Rank | Team (Year) | Season Record | Key Players | Championship Status | Notable Achievements |
| 1 | Golden State Warriors (2016-17) | 67-15 | Durant, Curry, Thompson, Green | Won Championship | 16-1 playoff record, best team ever assembled |
| 2 | Golden State Warriors (2015-16) | 73-9 | Curry, Thompson, Green, Iguodala | Lost in Finals | Historic 73-win season, unanimous MVP |
| 3 | Boston Celtics (2023-24) | 64-18 | Tatum, Brown, Holiday, Porzingis | Won Championship | Record 18th title, 16-3 playoff record |
| 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-16) | 57-25 | LeBron, Irving, Love | Won Championship | Historic 3-1 Finals comeback vs 73-win Warriors |
| 5 | Golden State Warriors (2017-18) | 58-24 | Durant, Curry, Thompson, Green | Won Championship | Swept LeBron’s Cavs in Finals |
| 6 | Los Angeles Lakers (2019-20) | 52-19 | LeBron, Davis, Howard | Won Championship | Bubble champions, LeBron’s 4th title |
| 7 | Toronto Raptors (2018-19) | 58-24 | Leonard, Lowry, Siakam, Gasol | Won Championship | First non-US champion, ended Warriors dynasty |
| 8 | Milwaukee Bucks (2020-21) | 46-26 | Giannis, Middleton, Holiday | Won Championship | Giannis’ 50-point Finals performance |
| 9 | Cleveland Cavaliers (2016-17) | 51-31 | LeBron, Irving, Love | Lost in Finals | 12-1 Eastern Conference run |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors (2021-22) | 53-29 | Curry, Thompson, Green, Wiggins | Won Championship | Curry’s first Finals MVP |
Breaking Down Each Dynasty
#1: 2016-17 Golden State Warriors – The Ultimate Superteam
Let’s be real—this might be the greatest basketball team ever assembled, and I’m not just saying that because I’m still traumatized by their dominance. After blowing a 3-1 lead the year before (we’ll get to that), the Warriors went out and signed Kevin freaking Durant. The basketball gods wept.
The 2016-17 Golden State Warriors were hands down the most talented and best team of the decade and, in my opinion, the best basketball team ever assembled. They had everything: two of the best three players in the NBA (Kevin Durant and Steph Curry); two more All-NBA-level players (Klay Thompson and Draymond Green), both of whom fit perfectly alongside Durant and Curry.
Their playoff run was absolutely bonkers—16-1 in the playoffs with their only loss coming against LeBron’s vengeful Cavaliers in Game 4. That’s not just dominance; that’s basketball violence. The team went 67-15 in the regular season and set the then-NBA record for best offensive rating and had a +11.6 point differential during the season.
Fun fact: This was the team that finally made LeBron say “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”—except he couldn’t join them, so he just complained about super teams instead.
#2: 2015-16 Golden State Warriors – The Record Breakers
Here’s the thing about the 73-9 Warriors: they’re simultaneously one of the greatest teams ever and one of the biggest chokers in Finals history. It’s like being the smartest person in the room who forgot to wear pants.
In addition to setting a thought-to-be-unbreakable record by going 73-9 in the regular season, this Warriors team won its first 24 games — a record in its own right and the third-longest winning streak in NBA history. Steph Curry was basically playing a different sport, setting the record for three-pointers in a season (402) and becoming the first-ever unanimous MVP Award winner.
But here’s the kicker—they blew a 3-1 lead of its own in the Finals. As the document puts it perfectly: “don’t mean a thing, if without a ring.” Still, this team essentially broke basketball and changed how the game is played forever.
#3: 2023-24 Boston Celtics – The Banner 18 Squad
Fresh off their championship run, these Celtics deserve massive respect. Record: 64-18, Finished 1st in NBA Eastern Conference and absolutely demolished everyone in their path. With a playoff record of 16–3, the Celtics were second only to the 2016–17 Golden State Warriors for the best postseason record since all four NBA playoff rounds became best-of-seven contests in 2003.
Led by the “Jays” (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown), this team was the first team to have the best regular-season record and win the title since the Golden State Warriors in 2017. They had the #1 offensive rating (123.2) and #3 defensive rating (111.6), making them basically unstoppable on both ends.
The championship gave them their record-setting 18th championship and breaking the tie with the Lakers (who have 17). Plus, they’re the only team ever to win three games by 50 or more points in one season. That’s not basketball—that’s a public execution.
#4: 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers – The Block, The Shot, The Stop
No other championship in NBA history carries the emotional weight of Cleveland’s 2016 title. This wasn’t just basketball—this was 52 years of Cleveland sports futility dying in real time.
Trailing 3-1 to the greatest regular-season team in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving went supernova and then some in Games 5 though 7 and ended the 52-year championship drought for the city of Cleveland. The iconic moments are etched in NBA folklore: LeBron with The Block, Kyrie with The Shot and Kevin Love with The Stop.
This Cavs team was pure chaos energy. This Cavs team thrived in chaos, winning the title despite a somewhat tumultuous regular season that saw them fire David Blatt despite having the top record in the East (30-11). Sometimes the best teams aren’t the most perfect—they’re the ones that figure it out when it matters most.
#5: 2017-18 Golden State Warriors – The Sweep Squad
Year 2 of the KD era was basically the Warriors playing with cheat codes activated. Year 2 of the Kevin Durant era in Golden State was an absolute sleep walk of a championship run that peaked in the conference finals when the Warriors had to beat the Rockets in a Game 7 on the road.
After surviving that legendary Rockets series (you know, the one where Houston missed 27 straight threes), they proceeded to sweep the final iteration of LeBron’s Cavaliers. In the playoffs, the Durant and Curry were spectacular, combining to score 55 points per game.
The only knock? The 2017-18 team didn’t have the same drive as the 2016-17 team as seen by its winning only 58 games and not even cracking the top 10 in regular-season defensive rating. When you’re this good, winning becomes routine—which is both a blessing and a curse.
#6: 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers – The Bubble Champions
The Lakers’ championship will forever be tied to one of the strangest circumstances in sports history—the COVID bubble. But don’t let that diminish what this team accomplished. The Lakers finished the shortened season 52–19, with a winning percentage roughly equivalent to 60 wins in a full season.
LeBron and AD formed one of the most dominant duos we’ve seen, and The Lakers also became the first and only team in NBA history to be undefeated in a season when leading entering the fourth quarter, going a combined 57–0 record in the regular season and playoffs. That’s the kind of clutch gene that wins championships.
LeBron James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the fourth time in his career. He became the first and only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP with three different franchises. At 35, the King proved he was still the King.
#7: 2018-19 Toronto Raptors – The Kawhi Show
Nobody saw this coming. The Raptors traded their franchise cornerstone (DeMar DeRozan) for a one-year rental (Kawhi Leonard) and somehow pulled off one of the most shocking championship runs ever.
This Raptors team was even more random of a winner because of its one-year shelf life — a shelf life that was known to every member of the team and organization after they traded for Kawhi Leonard, a superstar on the final year of his contract and the stated desire to play in Los Angeles.
Leonard’s dominance throughout the playoffs was otherworldly, especially that shot over Joel Embiid that bounced four times before dropping. Leonard’s dominance, combined with Pascal Siakam’s emergence and Kyle Lowry’s timely performances in the Finals, allowed them to end the Warriors destiny that defined the latter half of the decade.
Sure, the Warriors were injured, but this Raptors team earned this championship all the same. They beat a 73-win Warriors core—injuries or not, that’s legendary.
#8: 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks – The Greek Freak’s Moment
After two disappointing playoff exits as the #1 seed, Giannis and the Bucks finally broke through in spectacular fashion. Record: 46-26, Finished 3rd in NBA Eastern Conference, this wasn’t their best regular season, but they peaked at the perfect time.
The defining moment? Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a playoff career-high 50 points and added 14 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Bucks to a 105–98 victory to win the series in six games. The 50 points tied a Finals record for the most scored by a player in a series-clinching game.
After his dominant performance in the series, including his third game with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds, Antetokounmpo was named the Finals MVP, the youngest winner at age 26 since Kawhi Leonard (22) in 2014. This was a championship 50 years in the making, and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving superstar.
#9: 2016-17 Cleveland Cavaliers – The Eastern Conference Buzzsaw
The year after their historic championship, LeBron’s Cavs came back with a vengeance in the Eastern Conference. Before falling to the Warriors in a closer-than-it-seemed, competitive Finals, the Cavs nearly swept the Eastern Conference, going 12-1 and absolutely eviscerating teams like the Celtics in the conference finals — recall when they beat the Celtics 130-86 in Boston?
This team had an all-time great offense with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving at the peak of their offensive powers. They were one of the best “But For” teams in NBA history. In other words, but for the Warriors, who were easily the best team of the decade, this Cavs team would have been remembered as one of the best teams in recent memory.
The tragic part? This was LeBron and Kyrie’s last together before Kyrie’s infamous trade request. What could have been…
#10: 2021-22 Golden State Warriors – The Redemption Tour
After two years of missing the playoffs and watching their dynasty crumble, the Warriors reminded everyone who they were. Finals: Golden State Warriors def. Boston Celtics 4-2 in what was essentially a changing of the guard series.
Steph Curry finally got his Finals MVP—the one missing piece in his legendary resume. Klay Thompson returned from devastating injuries, and the Warriors proved that reports of their death were greatly exaggerated.
This championship was special because it came after adversity. The 2017-18 Warriors were inevitable; these Warriors had to fight for every win and proved that great teams find ways to reinvent themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What NBA team had the best single-season record in the last decade?
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors with their historic 73-9 record. Though they didn’t win the championship, this team essentially broke basketball and set a standard that may never be matched again.
Did the 2016 Warriors make the list even without a ring?
Absolutely. That 73-win season was too dominant to ignore, and they won their first 24 games — a record in its own right. Sometimes greatness isn’t just about the final result—it’s about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
How do you compare teams from different seasons fairly?
We looked at context, competition, and impact. A 52-win team in 2020 (Lakers) might be equivalent to a 60-win team in a normal season due to COVID. Similarly, we considered the strength of opposition and how teams performed when it mattered most.
Which team had the most star-studded roster?
The 2016-17 Warriors had two of the best three players in the NBA (Kevin Durant and Steph Curry); two more All-NBA-level players (Klay Thompson and Draymond Green), plus a Finals MVP in Andre Iguodala coming off the bench. That’s video game levels of talent.
Are there any underrated teams from the last decade?
The 2017-18 Houston Rockets deserve a shoutout. They had the Warriors on the ropes and set a then-NBA record by attempting 3,470 three-pointers on their way to the then-11th best offensive rating in NBA history. If Chris Paul doesn’t get hurt, we might be talking about them as champions.
Why isn’t the 2023 Denver Nuggets higher on the list?
While Nikola Jokic’s championship was incredible and well-deserved, their regular season record (53-29) and overall dominance didn’t quite match the other teams on this list. They were great when it mattered, but this list favors sustained excellence throughout an entire season.
Looking Back on a Wild Decade
What a ride the last decade has been. We witnessed the rise and fall of the Warriors dynasty, LeBron’s championship chase across three different teams, Giannis’s ascension from unknown prospect to Finals MVP, and the Celtics reclaiming their throne with a record 18th title.
The NBA evolved dramatically from 2015 to 2025—from the birth of small-ball and pace-and-space offenses to the three-point revolution that changed everything.
We saw superteams form and crumble, underdogs shock the world, and legends cement their legacies in the most dramatic fashion possible.
The beauty of this list? Every team earned their spot through different paths. Some dominated from wire to wire, others peaked at the perfect moment, and a few overcame impossible odds.
That’s what makes basketball beautiful—there’s no single formula for greatness.
Want to relive every moment of greatness — shot by shot, game by game? Scorecard Stream is your all-access pass to real-time NBA scores, stats, and stories.
Whether you agree with these rankings or think I’m completely wrong (looking at you, Lakers fans), one thing’s certain: the last decade gave us basketball memories that will last forever.
Here’s to the next ten years of debate-worthy greatness.
