The NBA has had some legendary dynasties throughout its 79-year history. Many of the greatest players of all time have cemented their legacies during iconic reigns of dominance, making the public question during their peaks if and when they will ever lose.
And with several of these dynasties comes a team that is usually is considered among the best ever. In a way, the history of the entire league can be told through these teams.
The Boston Celtics ran through the '60s, while it was open season in the '70s. Then, in the '80s, the L.A. Lakers and Celtics added several new chapters to their eternal rivalry.
The '90s belonged to Michael Jordan, then the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs took over the early 2000s.
LeBron James subsequently reigned supreme over the Eastern Conference for what felt like a century, and then the Golden State Warriors drowned opponents from deep in the mid-to-late 2010s.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will now look to pick up where these teams left off, but it's going to be harder than ever in this new era of salary cap restrictions and parity.
Since we've already ranked the greatest dynasties in NBA history, we figured we'd give ChatGPT a shot at this topic. The results were shocking.
To be fair to AI, it's hard to argue that there have been ten dynastic runs since 1946. But, looking at which teams, ChatGPT included, and considering its jaw-dropping exclusion, it's fair to question whether this tool truly knows ball.
Ranking factors
Dominance
NBA Championships
Longevity
Overall impact on the league
10 Cleveland Cavaliers (2015–2018)
After four long years of jersey burning and ridicule from his home state, LeBron James finally returned home. The kid from Akron once again donned the jersey of his hometown team, hoping to finally bring the Cleveland Cavaliers their first-ever NBA championship.
The rest is history, with the most remarkable series comeback in Finals history being the peak of this four-year run. James didn't do it alone, with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love alongside him as well as an experienced supporting cast coming up huge in the major moments.
Especially Irving, who clinched Game 7 against the 73-win Golden State Warriors in one of the most clutch shots in NBA history. LeBron ended up making it out of the Eastern Conference eight straight years from 2011 to 2018, winning three titles in that span.
So even though this period probably doesn't fit the definition of a dynasty, the 21-time All-Star definitely put together a run for the ages in the 2010s.
Titles: 1 championship, 4 straight Finals
Core: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love
Coach: Tyronn Lue
Impact: Beat the 73–9 Warriors in 2016; key rivalry in a high-stakes, modern NBA.
9 Detroit Pistons (1988–1990)
Are the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons considered a dynasty? Maybe, maybe not. Was this team a dominant force in an era that it seemingly had no right to be in? Absolutely. Detroit wasn't supposed to win back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990.
Isiah Thomas and company were supposed to play second-fiddle to the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers throughout the '80s and then make way for Michael Jordan when the '90s began.
But the Pistons had other plans, scratching and clawing and even kicking their way to the top. Whether or not this team was truly a dynasty is up for debate, but they are definitely an iconic piece of basketball history.
Titles: 2 championships, 3 straight Finals
Core: Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer
Coach: Chuck Daly
Impact: “Bad Boys” identity; physical, gritty style that disrupted the Celtics and Bulls.
8 Miami Heat (2011–2014)
The first half of the LeBron James Eastern Conference dynasty came in South Beach, where the King shocked the world when he decided to take his talents there.
The all-time great small forward ushered in a new era of player mobility in his decision to join the Miami Heat, which some said was empowering and others claimed was him simply ring chasing.
No matter, this Hall of Fame Big 3 of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh under their legendary, but young head coach Erik Spoelstra did not get off to an ideal start. In the early days, every loss felt like the sky was falling in Miami.
That feeling was only exascerberated after a disastrous Finals loss to an inspiring Dallas Mavericks' team.
But the Heat bounced-back like the championship organization they are, and LeBron really found himself evolve into one of the clutchest players ever during this tenure.
Miami's win over the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder was somewhat of a surprise considering how routine it was. The following year, the Heat played in one of the greatest NBA Finals ever in 2013 against a surefire dynasty that ChatGPT included higher on this list.
Had James stayed longer who knows whether another championship was in the pipeline? But without this move to Miami, there's a chance LeBron would've never evolved into the player that's neck-and-neck with Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate.
Titles: 2 championships in 4 straight Finals appearances
Core: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh
Coach: Erik Spoelstra
Impact: Superteam era begins; star-driven success and high-efficiency basketball.
7 Minneapolis Lakers (1949–1954)
Here's the first dynasty on this list that unquestionably fits the definition. And coincidentally, this was the first dynasty in NBA history.
While it may come to many Boston Celtics fans' dismay that the Los Angeles Lakers count these titles toward their championship count, George Mikan and company deserve their due respect.
The legendary center struck fear in his opponents with his imposing size and aggressive play. Of course, there were significantly less teams to match up against and the player pool was severely limited for many unfortunate and oppressive reasons at the time.
But five titles in six years is certainly a dynasty.
Titles: 5 championships in 6 seasons
Core: George Mikan
Coach: John Kundla
Impact: The NBA's first true dynasty, establishing the league's early dominance.
6 Los Angeles Lakers (2000–2002)
ChatGPT could've extend this iconic iteration of the Lakers an extra two years just to show that this group made it to four NBA Finals in five years. But no matter, a three-peat is definitely a dynastic, and it was built around one of the greatest duos ever.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal had their differences and those discrepancies caused this team to dispell sooner than they should've.
But when the two were clicking, specifically with Shaq as the best player in the league, and Bryant as the bright, young upstart with a ruthless work ethic, they were inevitable.
The NBA found that out the hard way in 2001 playoffs, where the Lakers dropped one game in 16 postseason clashes. And that one loss came at the hands of one of the greatest NBA Finals performances ever by Allen Iverson in Game 1.
In addition, this team had Phil Jackson, who was the master of balancing egos among the greats. It eventually fell apart, but No. 6 is a very reasonable spot for this dynasty to come in at.
Titles: 3 championships in 3 seasons (three-peat)
Core: Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant
Coach: Phil Jackson
Impact: Dominant interior offense and playoff performances; Kobe–Shaq tandem was nearly unstoppable.
5 San Antonio Spurs (1999–2014)
ChatGPT insinuates it in the quote down below, but the longevity of the league's most underappreciated dynasty was extraordinary. Going back to 1997 all the way to 2019, the San Antonio Spurs never missed the postseason.
Even more unique about this group's dominance is the fact that every title was separated by at least a year.
The Spurs, led by the greatest power forward ever, Tim Duncan were the ones that ended Shaq and Kobe's reign of dominance in the West to win their second title in franchise history.
There was very little flashy about this team. After all, the face of the franchise was nicknamed The Big Fundamental.
But the Spurs played a disciplined, Eurocentric style of basketball that emphasized the team above all else, which is easier said than done in this league.
It certainly didn't hurt that there were so many players that either grew up or played in Europe that made up this dynasty, like star point guard Tony Parker or fellow Hall of Fame backcourt player Manu Ginobili.
Ginobili really represents everything right with this organization as he could've gone to almost any other team and averaged 25+ points per game.
But the Argentinian native, who had a lightning-quick first step, was perfectly willing to come off the bench whenever his all-time great head coach Gregg Popovich wanted him to.
The 2014 championship was very much the cherry on top for this core as San Antonio rebounded from a heartbreaking 2013 NBA Finals loss to the Miami Heat, to embarrass the Heatles the following year.
The style of basketball that the Spurs team played was enough to get this writer teary-eyed when simply bringing it up. There might never be a group as cohesive as this one.
Titles: 5 championships in 15 seasons
Core: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, Kawhi Leonard (2014)
Coach: Gregg Popovich
Impact: Known for longevity, consistency, and selfless team basketball.
4 Golden State Warriors (2015–2022)
The most recently dynasty that consistently ran through a vaunted Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors reinvented the game of basketball with their transcendent approach on offense.
And it was all led by the greatest shooting backcourt of all time, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The two broke the age-old rationale that teams could not heavily rely on efficient three-point shooting as the main weapon of their offense.
In addition, the Warriors took the model of positionless basketball that the LeBron James-Heat ran in the early 2010s and increased it tenfold with their "Death Lineup". Draymond Green played a huge role in that pivot with his ability to guard one through five.
That unit became even more lethal when the franchise made the shocking, blockbuster move to sign Kevin Durant in free agency. Adding KD subsequently formed a team that many believe to be among the best in NBA history: the 2017 Warriors.
This group went 67-15 and lost just one game in the playoffs, in this case, to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Golden State was already up 3-0 in this for-all-intents-and-purposes decided series.
In total, the Warriors made it to six Finals in eight years, winning four of them. Not bad for a franchise that was coming off a first round series exit when it decided to hire first-time head coach Steve Kerr.
Titles: 4 championships in 8 seasons
Core: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant (2017–2019)
Coach: Steve Kerr
Impact: Changed modern basketball with pace, space, and 3-point shooting dominance
3 Los Angeles Lakers (1980–1989)
The Showtime Lakers are one of the most critical dynasties in NBA history. Magic Johnson and company captivated millions of people, which significantly helped what was a struggling financial product at the time.
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are among the best duos ever and on paper there has never been two better players in their respective primes sharing the court with one another.
A young Pat Riley, who later became known for fielding tough, gritty defensive-minded teams, showed his versatility in the City of Angels, innovating a progressive, fast-paced style of offense that drew in so many new fans and got the best out of his generational point guard.
Not to mention having guys like James Worthy and Byron Scott as part of the supporting cast seems borderline unfair. The Lakers were a true titan in the '80s and built a rivalry with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics that was crucial toward the NBA's survival.
Titles: 5 championships in 9 Finals appearances
Core: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy
Coach: Pat Riley
Impact: "Showtime" Lakers revolutionized fast-break offense and were fixtures in the Finals.
2 Chicago Bulls (1991–1998)
There was a time when, like LeBron James, Michael Jordan was seen as an extraordinary player who could not get over that championship hump.
Where it was the dynastic Boston Celtics or the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons there was always a team in the way of the Chicago Bulls from taking that next step that they felt destined for.
But when Scottie Pippen finally hit his prime, and the Bulls ended the Pistons' three-year playoff series winning streak against them in brutal fashion in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, the NBA was never the same again.
Six championships in eight years. And those two seasons that the Bulls felt short of the Larry O'Brien Trophy, Jordan was playing baseball for one of them, and returned very late in the 1994-95 season.
No matter, though, because the 1995-1996 saw perhaps the greatest team ever assembled as Chicago went 72-10 and15-3 in the playoffs. The names on this squad are synonomous with basketball history.
Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Kukoc, Harper, Kerr, Longley. Even though some of the more recent dynasties have been extraordinary, there's a good chance the league will not seen a reign of dominance like this one ever again.
Titles: 6 championships in 8 seasons
Core: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman (2nd three-peat)
Coach: Phil Jackson
Impact: Undefeated in the Finals, globalized the NBA through Jordan’s superstardom.
1 Boston Celtics (1957–1969)
It had to be this team, from the most decorated franchise in NBA history. Bill Russell, in addition to being a civil rights icon, was the ultimate winner leading the bteam-oriented approached in Beantown.
It didn't matter, who scored, assisted, rebounded, or made the winning defensive play, the Celtics led by Russell and the immortal Red Auerbach, for much of this run, always found a way.
And while the competition was at times limited this core of players consistently had to go up against probably the greatest pure athlete this league has ever seen in Wilt Chamberlain.
While there's a good chance a run like the 90s Chicago Bulls will not be replicated, this kind of dominance will 100% never been seen again. No matter how hard the Oklahoma City Thunder try.
Titles: 11 championships in 13 seasons
Core: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Sam Jones
Coach: Red Auerbach
Impact: The most dominant dynasty in sports history; unparalleled ring count led by defensive juggernaut Bill Russell.
ChatGPT certainly did its best to put together a tricky list, but there's one glaring omission and there have been sprinkles of this team being mentioned throughout the article. Between the years of 1981 and 1987, the Eastern Conference and, at times, the NBA, ran through Boston.
Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals five times during this run, winning three championships. That included the 1986 team which, alongside the 1996 Bulls and 2017 Warriors, is considered to be among the best in league history.
While the '80s Celtics perhaps should not be at the top of this list, any slot in the middle is perfectly fair. Boston was certainly way more of a dynasty than the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat.
Boston Celtics 1981-1987
Titles
Core
Coach
Impact
While AI is being relied upon to take on more jobs and fix more issues throughout the world, it might be fair to justify that these tools still don't know with this omission.