Do the Big Three Miami Heat belong among the 10 greatest teams ever?

When thinking about the best NBA teams of all time, there’s many directions one could take. Many will naturally point to the 1996 Chicago Bulls, winning a then-record 72 games and seizing the championship, and it’s a worthy choice. That team had Michael Jordan during the tail end of his prime, and it surrounded him with perfect synchronicity plus All-Star talent.

It takes serious horsepower to be one of the top 10 teams of all time, and some of the others include:

1967 Philadelphia 76ers - Wilt Chamberlain at his physical peak, plus two other scorers logging between 21 and 27 points per game in the playoffs (Chet Walker and Hal Greer,) and they had one of the great coaches in NBA history, Alex Hannum.

1972 Los Angeles Lakers- Chamberlain, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich plus Jim McMillian were the main forces on that team, and they won 33 consecutive regular-season games, which is still a record. Need I say more?

The 1973 New York Knicks - They were loaded with hall of famers and their ball movement was special.

1986 Boston Celtics- Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish is the greatest frontline ever, plus they had Bill Walton off the bench.

1985 and 1987 Lakers- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his second Finals MVP 14 years after his first, at age 38. That was one of the most talented squads in NBA history around him, and they were also on revenge tour after losing the previous Finals in seven. Two years later, he had slowed down significantly defensively, but he was still a weapon — what made up for everything was Earvin “Magic” Johnson reaching his top four with James Worthy still on the rise. Klay Thompson’s father, Mychal, was a key sixth man who helped them play fast.

1989 Detroit Pistons- Forget them being mean for a moment — they defended like their lives depends on it, and there’s a reason they call Isiah Thomas “pocket Magic.”

2000 or 2001 Lakers - Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Enough said.

2017 Golden State Warriors- They had the greatest shooting trifecta ever in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.

Perhaps one that doesn’t get credit enough were the Big-Three Miami Heat at their best. It’s fair to say the 2012-13 squad was their best because Ray Allen was there and they won a record 27-straight regular-season games, but the previous year’s team was superior. Dwyane Wade couldn't be the same guy who dropped 41 points and 10 rebounds as often the year they beat the San Antonio Spurs, and in 2011-12, LeBron James was the hungriest he ever was for a title and at his physical peak.

Who cares that it was a lockout season or that the team was second in the Eastern Conference behind the Chicago Bulls? As soon as things got serious in the playoffs, they were like a tsunami destroying everything in its path while seeking atonement for the 2011 Finals blunder against Dallas.

Chris Bosh and LeBron James — Mar 28, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) guard Toney Douglas (0) center Chris Bosh (1) sits on the bench against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Adversity hit them when Chris Bosh suffered an abdominal strain that kept him out after Game 1 of round two against the Indiana Pacers until the ECF’s Game 5. Keep in mind that playing small with Bosh was their identity, so this placed a greater load on James and Wade’s shoulders. Don’t forget that the Indiana Pacers had a rugged front court with David West and Roy Hibbert.

Eventually, Bosh came back and that was the night Boston took a 3-2 lead in the ECF. James’ most dominant form saved the Heat, powering them to a blowout win two nights later, and they eventually won Game 7 at home plus subsequently eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five in the championship round. Notably, Mike Miller, who was a top-shelf role player before injuries zapped his powers, drilled seven 3-pointers in the closeout Game 5.

Favored against just about everyone

In those days when the Heat played, it was a surprise if they didn’t win. Whenever they had a setback, it wouldn't carry over long because they were mentally strong, and Erik Spoelstra was already one of the best coaches in the league.

Many of the other great teams in history had a quality big man bigger than Bosh, so in a hypothetical matchup between them and the Heat, James’ versatility as a frontline or perimeter player is what allows the 2012 squad to stand up to them. To boot, Udonis Haslem was still a quality piece who always played up, and Mario Chalmers was a gamer and one of the great role players in Heat history.

So grand scheme, it's reasonable to say the 2012 Heat belong on the lower end of the 10 greatest teams ever. They were rare and plenty of people loved to root against them, similar to Floyd Mayweather Jr. during his career. Being there in the Heat's time was like watching rockstars in their prime -- they left their mark on the game as every legendary eock-and-roll band did.

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