Over the course of the past two decades, the term “superteam” has come up more more often in sports talks and analysis. While the term is not unique to the NBA, it seems to be most prevalent in this league. Often used to describe star-studded teams, the term is thrown around when referring to dominant top tier teams in the NBA.
There have been several mostly agreed-upon superteams like Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors, or Kevin Garnett’s Celtics along with many other teams. The common trait among these so-called superteams is that they have at least two superstar players, and a very strong supporting cast. On top of this, they often get the top seed in their conference and are a perennial Finals threat. Because of that, they’ve had an extreme impact on the league by taking out teams of lesser competition and guaranteeing themselves a deep playoff run.
NBA players, however, aren’t so unified on their opinions of superteams. Widely considered to be a top two player of all time, LeBron James denies the viewpoint that his 2010-2014 Miami Heat was a superteam. He says, “I don’t believe I’ve played for a superteam… I don’t believe we’re a superteam here.” The team won two championships in its four seasons, demonstrating dominance, and consistency.
Another NBA superstar and one of the NBA’s most dominant scorers, Kevin Durant (KD), didn’t believe his 2017-2018 Golden State Warriors were a superteam during his tenure. He states, “Superteam? No, we just work extremely well together. Coach [Steve Kerr] puts us in position to maximize our strengths.” The team also won two championships in its four years, similar to the previously mentioned Miami Heat.
Although the players deny the idea of them being on a superteam, fans have gone so far as to dub LeBron’s Heat, “The Big Three,” because of their other two stars, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Curry-Durant Warriors also had a “Big Three,” including legendary sharpshooter Klay Thompson.
While superteams remain a dominant force, there have been various super teams that failed in the eyes of many. One of these teams is the 2021 Brooklyn Nets who had Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and KD as their big three. On paper, this team would be a monster to be reckoned with, but in practice, it failed to live up to expectations.
One of the reasons this team didn’t deliver was because of injuries. Despite having their own big three, the Nets’ stars only played a grand total of 16 games together, including the postseason. To add insult to injury, all three of their stars were ball-dominant players, meaning that they needed to have the ball in their hands to optimize their performance. Combine this with Harden leaving after one season, and later Irving and Durant, and you have an absolute disaster.
Overall, what determines how good a superteam can be is the chemistry and availability of its players. The Curry-Durant Warriors for example worked only because how two of their main stars, Curry and Thompson had amazing off-ball movement, and their other star, Draymond Green, provided great defense, morale, and passes to set up the offense. A superteam needs to be a well-oiled machine, otherwise, it’s destined to fall short of high expectations.
