Please, not again...

[celtics792244]

Forget the Chicago Bulls in 1996. Best team in history of the NBA?! Watered down league if you ask me. Teams only had to be 6 deep to be a championship team. Fortunately, for now atleast, it seems that the talent pool has increased (thanks to international players, partially) and teams need to be 8-9 players deep to win it all. Which brings us to...

I consider the 1986 Boston Celtics to be the best team ever assembled. Everything fit perfectly. Twelve players deep. Yes, even Greg Kite played a role. Of course our 'friends' would point to the 1987 LA Lakers as the best team (2cd best team in my biased opinion). The sad part is these two great teams missed each other by JUST 1 SEASON robbing us all of possibly the greatest NBA Final in the history of the league.

On paper, it looks as this years versions of the NBA's 2 most storied franchise have made improvements to their proven championship caliber teams. This years Celtics bench looks to be stronger than the 2008 bench and the addition of Ron Artest seems to 'one up' the team LA put on the court last year.

Please let the basketball Gods let these 2 teams meet in June for all the marbles. I don't want to see the Spurs anymore than LA fans want to see the Cavs. Not out of fear of these 2 respectful teams, but to revisit this rivalry that started 5 decades ago. I don't want a shoulda, coulda, why couldn't they meet each other like in 1986 and 1987 after key additions (Walton and Thompson).

[GuyClinch]

The 85-86 team was 12 deep? I'd give you 10 but our recent championship team was that deep as well.
David Thirdkill and Rick Carsile(sp?) were scrub players.

Rosters have expanded but..the bench of House, Posey, Powe, BBD, and PJ Brown were not scrubs. I think that's not too far off from Wedman, Sitching, Kite, Walton and Vincent..Of course Walton was an absolute superstar player when healthy so thats kind of an X factor with that bench.

[Spadez23]

Man the '86 Celtics wasnt the best team assembled... It was either the '87 Lakers or the '96 Bulls... Damn thats why I dislike most Celtics fans because yall are so arrogant... Damn can yall ever show anyone respect- but what do I expect from pussies and when the Magic beat the overconfident and arrogant Celtics with a healthy KG- I dont wanna hear ****...

[Kefa461]

Man the '86 Celtics wasnt the best team assembled... It was either the '87 Lakers or the '96 Bulls... Damn thats why I dislike most Celtics fans because yall are so arrogant... Damn can yall ever show anyone respect- but what do I expect from pussies and when the Magic beat the overconfident and arrogant Celtics with a healthy KG- I dont wanna hear ****...

That's what makes us sooooo loveable..........

[greenbeans]

Man the '86 Celtics wasnt the best team assembled... It was either the '87 Lakers or the '96 Bulls... Damn thats why I dislike most Celtics fans because yall are so arrogant... Damn can yall ever show anyone respect- but what do I expect from pussies and when the Magic beat the overconfident and arrogant Celtics with a healthy KG- I dont wanna hear ****...

go choke on a sawed off

[celtics792244]

I'll defend my position on the 86 roster...

4 HOF... should be 5 soon... (Bird, McHale,Parish, Walton, and soon to be DJ)
7 All-Stars (Bird, McHale, Parish, DJ, Ainge, Walton, and Wedman)
3 GM's (Bird, McHale, and Ainge)
5 Head Coaches (Bird, McHale, Ainge, Carlise, Vincent)
2 Assistant Head Coaches (Sitching and DJ)

That is 10 (count them, ummm) 10 different individuals that know the intimacies of the game and their roles. Is Tony Allen a better player than, say, Carlise... yes. But, ask yourself, who would you have rather had in a tight game with seconds to go... I go with the brains everyday, give me Carlise. The thing is you can't go player against player, but 5 of 5. That 86 2cd unit played as one on the court. It is about tempo and great decision making. Even Kite. Who would you rather have on this team right now? Kite, who you know will give 6 hard fouls on a Shaq or a Williams that we just picked up that is going to play kinda passive. Thought so.

I would go to war with that 86 team 1st, then 87 Lakers, then the 84 team.

[TonyMontana]

Forget the Chicago Bulls in 1996. Best team in history of the NBA?! Watered down league if you ask me. Teams only had to be 6 deep to be a championship team. Fortunately, for now atleast, it seems that the talent pool has increased (thanks to international players, partially) and teams need to be 8-9 players deep to win it all. Which brings us to...

I consider the 1986 Boston Celtics to be the best team ever assembled. Everything fit perfectly. Twelve players deep. Yes, even Greg Kite played a role. Of course our 'friends' would point to the 1987 LA Lakers as the best team (2cd best team in my biased opinion). The sad part is these two great teams missed each other by JUST 1 SEASON robbing us all of possibly the greatest NBA Final in the history of the league.

On paper, it looks as this years versions of the NBA's 2 most storied franchise have made improvements to their proven championship caliber teams. This years Celtics bench looks to be stronger than the 2008 bench and the addition of Ron Artest seems to 'one up' the team LA put on the court last year.

Please let the basketball Gods let these 2 teams meet in June for all the marbles. I don't want to see the Spurs anymore than LA fans want to see the Cavs. Not out of fear of these 2 respectful teams, but to revisit this rivalry that started 5 decades ago. I don't want a shoulda, coulda, why couldn't they meet each other like in 1986 and 1987 after key additions (Walton and Thompson).

You know what you have to be a total homer (not you in general) to sit there and give props to JUST one of these teams, no matter which team you are a fan of. Whether its the players that were on these teams or their stats or whatever you want to compare, no matter what you look at no one will ever agree with you unless your a fan of that team.

Post this same thread in the Bulls board or the Lakers board you will get the same response as you would on this board by those fans.

Me as a Basketball fan first and a Laker fan second, all I can say is my Lakers are on that list and Im very proud of them, and I give props to both the Cs as well as the Bulls team for this historical achievement. To be on that list is a great achievment by itself. Who cares if one is better than the other. You can never argue or debate history no matter how you look at it.

If anything you should proud of being in that list and be in the same conversation as the great Bulls or the Lakers or the Celtics.

[Bad-Thoma]

Man the '86 Celtics wasnt the best team assembled... It was either the '87 Lakers or the '96 Bulls... Damn thats why I dislike most Celtics fans because yall are so arrogant... Damn can yall ever show anyone respect- but what do I expect from pussies and when the Magic beat the overconfident and arrogant Celtics with a healthy KG- I dont wanna hear ****...

Whatever you believe the 86 C's are in the running along with the teams you've mentioned, therefore C's fans believing the 86 team was the best is far from arrogant. To come and and claim it was arrogant and then call everyone pussies and claim your team is going to beat ours is the dictionary definition of the word hypocrasy.. if you can stop licking the windows on the short bus for long enough look it up and you'll see what I mean.

[Hemingway]

I htink in 10-20 years the Celtics and Lakers teams of the last few years will be in talks of all time greats. Its hard to say. I think they will unless LBJ teams up with someone great and makes everything else this decade a footnote, that could happen too.

[sully00]

Man the '86 Celtics wasnt the best team assembled... It was either the '87 Lakers or the '96 Bulls... Damn thats why I dislike most Celtics fans because yall are so arrogant... Damn can yall ever show anyone respect- but what do I expect from pussies and when the Magic beat the overconfident and arrogant Celtics with a healthy KG- I dont wanna hear ****...

Not to agree with this first losers point but I have to. I have never really grasped the whole "best team ever" in relation to the '86 team, best starting 5 sure at least in the discussion but the '84 team beat the Lakers. The evidence as far as the record especially at home have all been equaled by teams that would not be confused with the best of all time.

The '84 team had a bench of McHale, Ainge, Wedman, Buckner, and Carr. The '86 team dominated but that had more to do with the competition than the team itself. I also think the early 90's Bulls teams that beat the Lakers, Blazers, and Suns were better than the 72 win team. Even the '87 Lakers it was all hype, is a fading Mychal Thompson really better than a fading Maurice Lucas or Bob McAdoo, especially because Kareem was better in '84 and '85.

But in the end I would rather be overconfident and arrogant than curled up on the floor and in the fetal position, hopefully Dwight and Co. have conquered their fear of Kobe. Your team got owned by Kobe, Pau, and Lamar it is not time to talk trash, same dudes were crawling for the exit against Boston and KG the year before. Your boys brought shame to the East.

I have been meaning to ask do you all hang Eastern Conference Championship banners?

[theman]

Give me the '64-'65 Celtics.

Bill Russell (Greatest player of all time), Sam Jones, KC Jones, Tom Sanders and Tom Heinsohn. John Havlicek was the sixth man! The bench included Willie Naulls, Larry Siegfried and John Thompson.

That team average 112.8 ppg and only gave up 104.5 ppg. The team finished the regular season 62-18 the next best record (the Lakers) were 49-31.

You want to talk about players that went on to be coaches?
Tom Heinsohn 2 NBA Championships
KC Jones 2 NBA Championships
Bill Russell 2 NBA Championships
Tom Sanders (sucked as a coach)
John Thompson 1 NCAA Championship

With all do respect to Bill Walton he did not go into the Hall for what he did with the Celtics. However the 64-65 team had the following hall of famers:
Sam Jones
K.C. Jones
John Havlicek
Tom Heinsohm
Bill Russell

[TonyMontana]

But in the end I would rather be overconfident and arrogant than curled up on the floor and in the fetal position, hopefully Dwight and Co. have conquered their fear of Kobe. Your team got owned by Kobe, Pau, and Lamar it is not time to talk trash,

Dammmmmm

same dudes were crawling for the exit against Boston and KG the year before.

We didnt crawl brah, we lost to a better team that year, and we can always argue about this, but I think that we have covered this part well over a million times. And the difference between us and other teams is we lost a battle and regrouped and came back even stronger and fought a war.

We are the defending champs and we prove that pretty impressively by beating the best teams with their team at full strenght during the regular season both at home and away which both happened to be the top two teams in the east, you guys and the Cavs.

Your boys brought shame to the East.
I have been meaning to ask do you all hang Eastern Conference Championship banners?

As far as this comment, well thats between you and your E/C neighbors.

[DEEP3CL]

Good post by the OP, you just have to hope both teams get there healthy.

[sully00]

Now Tony I wasn't referring to the entire series but game 6 and I will stand by my assessment. I am pretty sure there is video of Fisher dragging Sasha's limp body towards an exit. But you are right you licked your wounds and came back stronger for it and champioships talk and bull walks.

[TonyMontana]

Now Tony I wasn't referring to the entire series but game 6 and I will stand by my assessment. I am pretty sure there is video of Fisher dragging Sasha's limp body towards an exit. But you are right you licked your wounds and came back stronger for it and champioships talk and bull walks.

Sasha arse was limp when the finals began the same limpness that was in SORRY ARSE Vlad Radmanovic body that left him standing still while Ray and Paul had a field day doing cirlces around him. That I agree with you a 100%. Im so glad he's not on our team anymore, you dont believe me its like I couldnt believe we paid him so much money TO SUCK.

Same with Sasha, I think its fair enough to say that if he doesnt shape up and start playing his game and improving his game and Ammo doing well in the summer camp and in the preseason he might lose his min and get traded. I cant wait to get rid of Sasha. He's a joke.

[DumbyTheWizard]

I think that Philadelphia 83 also deserves recognition as one of the best teams ever. I would rank them like this:

1. Boston 86
2. Lakers 87
3. Philadelphia 83
4. Chicago 96

[sully00]

Absolutely, great call. That team that year could have beaten anyone. 12-1 in the postseason including sweeping the defending champion 58 win Lakers (always a bonus for beating the Lakers).