Image Credits: Marca
For the past few years, the modern NBA has seen teams experimenting with the concept
of a super team. The super team was when 3 or more stars played on the same team.
The idea is that if 3 stars play on the same team, they can get more wins and
potentially a championship.
After the 2000s, we have seen many superteams
1. Lakers: 2003 - 2004: Kobe Bryant, Shaq, Karl Malone and Gary Payton
2. Boston Celtics 2007 - 2012: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo
3. Miami Heat: 2010 - 2014: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Ray Allen, and Chris Bosh
4. Lakers: 2012 - 2013: Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash
5. Golden State: 2016 - 2019: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant
6. Nets: 2021 - 2023: Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving
7. Lakers: 2021 - 2023: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook
8. Suns: 2022 - Present: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul (formerly), and Bradley Beal
9. Bucks: 2023 - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kris Middleton, and Damian Lillard
10. Clippers: 2023 - Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and James Harden
As seen above, only 3 out of the 10 superteams won at least 1 championship (bolded) during
their time. The most successful were the Golden State Warriors super team and the
Miami Heat super team.
There are many potential reasons why a majority of super teams struggle to meet their
potential and win championships.
1. Usage rates
Most of the top players in the NBA have high usage rates because they are relied on to score.
However, in a super team, because there are many top players in one team, each of their
usage rates decline as they have to share the basketball, which can hurt their number of
points scored and their efficiency.
2. Injuries
Many of these top players are also old. Players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry,
Kevin Durant and others are well-established but old and thus injury-prone. As such,
these players can often get injured, which makes it harder to win games
3. Egos
Due to their high level of play, these players tend to have bigger egos than other players
not as known/established in the league. Due to their egos, they are sometimes unwilling
to go to the bench even if it improves the team. In addition, due to their egos, it can be
hard to create a solid foundation for the team.
4. Depth
Teams that have 3+ stars often find themselves without quality depth for 2 reasons.
First, stars generally have large contracts. Since NBA teams have a salary cap,
the large contracts prevent teams from signing quality players as those players
can find other teams willing to pay them more. Second, if a team tries to acquire
a star through trade, they often have to give up many assets in return. They
trade many assets, often having to trade quality roleplayers and rookies.
Overall, unless the superstars in a super team are willing to take pay cuts and reduce their
egos, there is a likely chance that most super teams in the future will fail. Championship
teams have been able to have enough chemistry and depth to withstand other teams and
weather the damage of injuries. However, with superteams, their lack of depth and likelihood
of injuries make them an unlikely bet to win championships.
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