Which team has the best NBA regular-season record? Can a current team break the existing record?
At this point in time, the team with the best NBA regular-season record is the Boston Celtics. Since the beginning of the year, they've arguably been the best team in the association.
Through 57 games, the Celtics sit with an impressive record of 41-16. Not far behind them are the Milwaukee Bucks (39-17) and the Denver Nuggets (39-18).
What's more, Boston was 25-25 at the end of January a year ago. They closed on a 26-6 run. So, the Celtics are effectively 67-12 since a nine-game winning streak on Jan. 29, 2022.
To post the best record in the league over this long of a stretch, a team needs to be effective on both sides of the floor.
Thanks to their balanced roster, the Celtics have been able to be among the league leaders in offense and defense this season. They have the third-highest offensive rating (116.8), fourth-highest defensive rating (110.5) and lead the league in net rating (6.3). Boston is the only team this season to be top five in all three of these categories.
There are two key reasons why Boston has the best regular-season record.
The first is their incredible play at home. At 23-7, the Celtics have one of the best home records in the league. Their ability to consistently take care of business on their home floor is a driving factor in why they've been atop the Eastern Conference for the majority of the season.
The other standout factor is Jayson Tatum's play. In his sixth season, the four-time All-Star has cemented himself as one of the top stars in the league. In 54 games this year, he is averaging 30.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Can a current team break the all-time NBA regular season record?
For over 20 years, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls held the NBA regular-season record after going 72-10. That changed in 2015-16, when Steph Curry led the Golden State Warriors to an astonishing 73-9 record.
At this point, no current team has a chance of coming close to this record. As great as the Boston Celtics have been this season, they've already lost seven more games than the Warriors did in all of 2015-16.
There are countless records in NBA history that many agree will never be touched, and this is among them. Due to all the factors involved, it would take a miracle run from a group to lose less than nine games across an entire season.
What Steph Curry and the Warriors did in 2015-16 was spectacular, and will likely never be recreated. They had a great system, a roster full of stars and contributing veterans, and got lucky from a health standpoint.