For those that missed it, last night the Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers and became the first team in NBA history to win their first 16 games of the season.
As a result, questions are already being asked as to whether the Warriors class of ’15-16 are up there with the best teams in the history of sport.
In light of this, we asked around the office to find out who people think the greatest team of all time is. Manchester United treble winners, the All Blacks current team, Arsenal’s invincibles: each of them are great teams, but who is the greatest of them all? Here’s what they had to say:
Louisa Fyans – Director
Arsenal Invincibles 2003-04: It has to be in Invincibles. They are the only team to have gone unbeaten in Premier League history. It was a privilege to watch the quality of football they produced week in week out. I’ll never forget it.
Alessandro Sansica – Account Assistant
USA Men’s Olympic Basketball Team 1992: With some of the best players to ever play the game, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the team absolutely dominated that tournament with 8 wins and 0 defeats. Plus, of the twelve players on the team, ten were named in 1996 amongst the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Matt Hocken – Senior Account Manager
New Zealand All Blacks 2011-15: Virtually the same team stayed together, won two World Cups back to back (the first time ever) and only lost three games.
Steve Munachen – Creative Director
Brisbane Lions 2001-2003: The Lions won the AFL Grand Final 3 years in a row and had six of the best to ever play the game. The team included my personal favourite Michael Voss – one of the greatest footballers of all-time.
Stephen Duffy – Account Assistant
Barcelona 2008-12: Under Pep Guardiola the team won 14 out of 19 of the tournaments they participated in. They managed to create their own style of football: ‘tiki-taka’ which tore teams apart and helped Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest footballer ever, reach his full potential.
Stefan Popovic – Senior Account Executive
1970 Brazil World Cup winning team: They beat an Italian side in the final 4-1 and had the world’s best ever player playing that day, Pele.
Tom Rubashow – Senior Account Manager
The Australian cricket team at the turn of the millennium was so dominant and I hated it. Between 1999 and 2007 they won 53 of their 73 test matches. They had two of the greatest bowlers of all-time in Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and a formidable batting line-up. All this made that 2005 Ashes win so much sweeter.
Penny Maltby – Account Manager
New Zealand All Blacks: Rugby World Cup winners in both the Northern and Southern hemisphere who have won 76% of their test matches. They are the leading test match points scorers of all time and are the only national side with a winning record against every country they have played. Dan Carter is highest point scorer in test match rugby and Richie McCaw is most capped test match rugby player of all time.
Chris Allen – Account Director
Man United treble winning team 1999: First English team to win the Champions League in modern history (thus stopping Liverpool whining on about when they won it 4 decades ago) – putting an end to the barren years for English teams in the competition. The manner in which they won the Champions League that year, beating some of Europe’s greatest teams on the way (Inter, Bayern, Barcelona, Juventus) make it all the better, and they of course bossed the FA Cup and Premier League that same season.
Rebecca Lewin – Account Executive
Arsenal Invincibles 2003-04: Playing 38 games with a league record of 26 wins, 12 draws and 0 losses puts them in a league of their own.
Dan Tunna – Account Director
Liverpool FC 1977-1984: This team enjoyed unprecedented success home and abroad over several seasons. They also won more European Cups in that period than any other British team has in their history.
Jack Kenney-Herbert – Senior Account Executive
Arsenal Invincibles 2003-04: To go through a Premier League campaign at a time when it was arguably the strongest league in Europe is a ridiculous feat. I am a firm believer that this will not happen again in my lifetime.
Alex King – Graphic Designer
Chelsea FC 2011/12: The return of Roberto Di Matteo. The Man City comeback, and beating Liverpool in the FA Cup Final. The defensive resilience in Champions League and or Didier Drogba’s penalty!
Gavin Forbes – Account Executive
Man United treble winning team 1999: They won the Premier league, Champions League and FA Cup and became the first English side to achieve this, beating some of the best teams in Europe and only losing 5 games along the way. A team including a host of home grown talent, including Beckham, Scholes, Giggs, Butt and the Neville brothers with a never say die attitude and backed by arguably the best manager in history.
Nick Meakin – Senior Account Director
New Zealand All Blacks: It has to be the All Blacks. Their winning record is just unbelievable and unmatched in world sport. 76% historical win ratio, only ever been defeated by five rugby nations, first back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions and they’ve won 93% of their matches in the past four years.
