A superteam in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is a team that is viewed as significantly more talented than the rest of the teams in the league. There is no official distinction, but it is generally viewed as a team that has at least 2 Hall of Fame, All-Star, and/or All-NBA caliber players that join forces via Free Agency to pursue an NBA championship.^[1]

Notable superteams[edit]

1968–1973: Los Angeles Lakers[edit]

The earliest example of a superteam without it naturally being developed (such as the case with the Minneapolis Lakers when they first entered the NBA from 1949 until 1954 with George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Vern Mikkelsen, and Slater Martin or the Boston Celtics' dynasty era from the late 1950s until the 1960s with Bill Russell, K. C. Jones, Sam Jones, and a litany of other star-caliber players) is when Philadelphia-born superstar Wilt Chamberlain joined fellow superstar players Jerry West and Elgin Baylor on the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1968 offseason. This trio reached the NBA Finals on two separate occasions, both times losing in a game seven, first to the Boston Celtics in 1969 and then to the New York Knicks in 1970. The Lakers would end up being successful by winning the NBA Finals championship in 1972 while recording what was at the time the best regular season record ever at 69–13 (including the best winning streak in NBA history to this day with 33 straight victories), but Baylor retired early in the season due to injuries. Nevertheless, Baylor still earned a championship ring for his services to the team during that season. Meanwhile, the Lakers reacquired Gail Goodrich from the Phoenix Suns in 1970 after previously losing him to Phoenix in the 1968 NBA expansion draft, who went on to become a four-time All-Star while with the Lakers himself.^[2][3][4] Wilt Chamberlain later retired in 1973, ending what can be considered the first superteam in NBA history; West later retired himself as a player in 1974, while Goodrich ended up leaving the Lakers again (this time in free agency) in 1976.

1979–1989: Los Angeles Lakers[edit]

The Lakers would once again create a new superteam of their own by the end of the 1970's. The makings of it first began when the Lakers traded with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1975, back when Gail Goodrich was still with the Lakers, after multiple negative remarks relating to the city of Milwaukee happened during the 1974–75 season. Then, in 1977, the Lakers acquired former Golden State Warriors All-Star and champion Jamaal Wilkes in free agency after the Warriors declined to match the Lakers' offer for him. However, it wasn't until 1979 where the superteam rub first began for the Lakers when they were not only purchased by Jerry Buss from owner Jack Kent Cooke, but also drafted Earvin "Magic" Johnson with the #1 pick they acquired via trade with the New Orleans Jazz before the 1979 NBA draft began and then acquired former ABA MVP and All-Star Spencer Haywood from the recently rebranded Utah Jazz in exchange for Adrian Dantley. Despite needing to replace coach Jack McKinney with Paul Westhead only 13 games into the 1979–80 season due to health concerns, the Lakers saw immediate success that season by not only creating a basketball phenomenon for the 1980's decade called the Showtime Lakers, but also by winning the 1980 NBA Finals over the Philadelphia 76ers, with rookie Magic Johnson winning Finals MVP honors that year. The 1979–80 Lakers season became the focal point for the first season of HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty".

After that season, Haywood was kicked off the team for cocaine problems, Johnson had injury problems in his left knee, and the Lakers were knocked out of the first round the following season to the eventual Western Conference champion Houston Rockets. However, the Lakers bounced back by not only firing coach Paul Westhead and replacing him with former champion Lakers player Pat Riley as head coach for the rest of the 1980's, but also by acquiring former All-Star and MVP Bob McAdoo from the New Jersey Nets on a Christmas Eve trade in 1981. This led to the Lakers getting their second NBA Finals championship in 1982 during the Showtime era, as well as later acquiring star forward James Worthy as the #1 pick in the 1982 NBA draft thanks to a previous trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers under Ted Stepien's ownership. With Worthy on their roster, the Lakers managed to make it at least to the NBA Finals in every season (later winning another NBA Finals championship in 1985) before losing the Western Conference Finals to the Houston Rockets in 1986 after both Jamaal Wilkes and Bob McAdoo left the Lakers in 1985. However, due to consistently good roster building despite the departures of Wilkes and McAdoo, the Lakers still managed to return to the NBA Finals in their next three seasons, winning it all again in 1987 and 1988 to cement their status as the best NBA team of the 1980's, before their superteam era of sorts ended with the announcement of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's retirement in 1989 after losing the 1989 NBA Finals to the "Bad Boys" era Detroit Pistons. Their Showtime era would try to continue onward in the early 1990's without Kareem, including an NBA Finals appearance in 1991 under new head coach Mike Dunleavy Sr., but they could never recapture the magic of the 1980's while using their own key players, especially after Magic Johnson retired from the sport during the 1991 preseason by force after he tested positive for HIV. The last key piece of the Showtime Lakers era, James Worthy, ultimately retired in 1994 while Magic Johnson briefly tried his hand as a head coach for the Lakers, though Johnson ultimately retired for good as a Lakers player in 1996 following a brief unretirement.

1981–1992: Boston Celtics[edit]

With the sixth pick of the 1978 NBA draft, the Celtics selected Larry Bird, who returned to school at Indiana State University for another season instead playing professionally. A trade for former All-Star Nate "Tiny" Archibald did little to improve the team, and they finished with a 29-53 record. Bird joined the team for the 1979–80 NBA season and led the team to a 32 win improvement, finishing with a 61-21 record and winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. The team bolstered their roster the in the following offseason, trading the #1 and #13 picks in the NBA draft to the Golden State Warriors to acquire center Robert Parish and the #3 pick of the draft, which they used to select power forward Kevin McHale.^[5] These players combined with Bird for what some pundits and analysts consider to be one of the best frontcourts in NBA history. The Celtics further improved upon their previous season, winning 62 games in the regular season and the 1981 NBA Finals over the upstart Houston Rockets led by Moses Malone.

After failing to reach the NBA Finals in the next two seasons, the Celtics made a trade with the Phoenix Suns by to acquire All-Star guard and former NBA Finals MVP winner Dennis Johnson.^[6] The Celtics made an immediate return to their postseason success, winning the 1984 NBA Finals 4–3 over the longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers. On September 6, 1985, the team traded for former All-Star, NBA champion, and MVP Bill Walton, who would win the 1986 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.^[7] The Celtics completed one of the most impressive seasons in NBA history, winning 67 games in the regular season and a 15-3 run in the playoffs that culminated with a win in the 1986 NBA Finals against a newly formed Houston Rockets led by the "Twin Towers" center duo of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. As a result of their historic dominance and overwhelming star power, the 1985–86 Boston Celtics are widely considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history.^[8][9][10]

Despite the emotional weight of losing #2 pick Len Bias days after the 1986 NBA draft and drug scandal involving Dennis Johnson,^[11] the Celtics returned to the NBA Finals once again in 1987, this time falling to the Lakers 4-2. The Celtics were unable to recreate their championship success in the following seasons, losing in the Eastern Conference playoffs to "Bad Boys" era Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. Afterwards, the team slowly came apart, with Dennis Johnson retiring first after failing to acquire a new contract with Boston in 1990, followed by Larry Bird retiring in 1992 after years of battling injuries, McHale retiring in 1993, and Robert Parish signing with the Charlotte Hornets in 1994.

1982–1986: Philadelphia 76ers[edit]

The beginnings of the Philadelphia 76ers superteam occurred after the NBA-ABA merger, when the 76ers obtained the player rights for Julius Erving from the New York Nets by paying Erving's initial salary of $6 million, reaching the 1977 NBA Finals in his first year with the team. The following year, the 76ers traded with the Denver Nuggets to acquire Bobby Jones and Ralph Simpson in exchange for George McGinnis and drafted point guard Maurice Cheeks in the second round. In 1980, the 76ers drafted Andrew Toney as their first round pick, and made both the 1980 and 1982 NBA Finals. The 76ers became an undisputed superteam on September 15, 1982, when restricted free agent Moses Malone was acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Houston Rockets.^[12] The team achieved a 65–17 record in the regular season, and when asked how they would fare in the playoffs, Malone answered "four, four, four", predicting a sweep in each series.^[13] The Sixers nearly achieved Malone's boast, sweeping the New York Knicks, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, and winning the third NBA championship in franchise history with a four-game sweep of the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals.^[14]

The following season, the 76ers only managed a 52–30 record and were upset in the First Round by the New Jersey Nets. In the 1984 NBA draft, the 76ers drafted Charles Barkley with the 5th overall pick. With the inclusion of Barkley, the 76ers improved to a 58–24 record and reached the Conference Finals, where they were eliminated by the defending champions Boston Celtics in 5 games. The following season, the 76ers had a 54–28 record and were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks in 7 games. In the offseason, Bobby Jones announced his retirement and the 76ers traded Moses Malone alongside Terry Catledge and picks to the Washington Bullets for Cliff Robinson and Jeff Ruland,^[15] ending the superteam era of the Philadelphia 76ers with the sole 1983 championship. Julius Erving later retired in 1987 and other notable players slowly leftover the following years.

1995–1998: Chicago Bulls[edit]

At the beginning of the decade, the Chicago Bulls had won three straight championships from 1991 to 1993 with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen leading a team coached by Phil Jackson. Following this three-peat, Jordan shockingly retired from the NBA following the 1993 championship, choosing to pursue professional baseball in honor of his recently deceased father's memory.^[16] Before the end of the 1994-1995 NBA season, Jordan announced his return to the team and the league with a famous fax carrying the statement "I'm back",^[17] but the Bulls were unable to repeat their former championship success and fell to the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Playoffs. During the following offseason, the Bulls traded for the eccentric multi-time champion, All-Star, and All-NBA player Dennis Rodman. The Bulls finished their first season together with a 72–10 regular season record, setting NBA records for the most wins, highest winning percentage, and highest net rating in a single season, the latter of which still stands.^[18][19] Their dominance continued in the playoffs, posting a 15–3 playoff record and winning their fourth championship in six years. The 1995–96 Chicago Bulls have since been widely regarded as the greatest team in NBA history.^{[20][21][22][23]}

Following this triumphant season, the Bulls repeated their success in the following year with a 69–13 regular season record and a 15–4 playoff record for the team's fifth championship win in franchise history. The series win in the 1997 NBA Finals in six games over the Utah Jazz was highlighted by Jordan's "Flu Game", during which Jordan was purportedly ill from food poisoning.^[24] The 1997–98 NBA season proved more challenging for the Bulls, as tension in the front office, an aging roster, and injuries to key players threatened to derail the team.^[25][26] Despite these struggles, detailed in the 2020 documentary series The Last Dance, Jordan still managed to lead the team to a 62-20 regular season record.^[27] Pushed to seven games by Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls emerged victorious and reached their third NBA Finals in a row, and their sixth in eight years. The team completed their second three-peat by beating the Jazz 4–2 in a rematch of the previous season, with Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals famously ending with Jordan's last shot in a Bulls uniform, a play now considered one of the greatest moments in NBA history.^[28] The Bulls' dynasty disbanded the following offseason during which Phil Jackson was relieved as head coach, Michael Jordan announced his retirement from the NBA for the second time, and many of the team's key players were traded or signed to new teams in free agency.^[29]

2007–2012: Boston Celtics[edit]

Following a lackluster 2006–2007 season, finishing 24–58, the Celtics sought a new move to propel them to the top of the league.^[30] Following the end of the season, during the summer of 2007, Danny Ainge made two different blockbuster moves. First, on the night of the 2007 NBA draft, he traded No. 5 pick Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to Seattle for perennial all-star Ray Allen and Seattle's second-round pick (which the team used to select LSU's Glen "Big Baby" Davis). The Celtics then traded Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, and a first-round draft pick to the Timberwolves in exchange for superstar power forward Kevin Garnett on July 31, 2007. These moves created a new "Big Three" of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett."^[31] This new "Big Three" created the most drastic record changes in NBA history seeing them finish 66-16 for the season en route to the 2008 NBA Finals Championship.^[32][33] The Celtics later returned to the NBA Finals in 2010 under a new "Big Four" with Rajon Rondo starting to become established as a star player for the Celtics himself, but they ultimately fell in 7 games to the rivaling Lakers, eventually breaking up with only one championship under their name together once Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were traded to the newly established Brooklyn Nets and Ray Allen left to join the Miami Heat.

2010–2014: Miami Heat[edit]

In the 2010 offseason, LeBron James entered free agency with free choice of his next team. He had just come off one of the best statistical seasons of his career, been voted All-Star six times, and won back-to-back MVP awards with the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[34][35] Although there was much speculation and hype surrounding James and his choice, it was kept hidden for many weeks until he announced his plans on a live ESPN broadcast, The Decision.^[36] He chose to join the Miami Heat and fellow draft class member and good friend, Dwyane Wade.

Wade had already proven himself a superstar with the Miami Heat where he won the 2006 NBA Championship and Finals MVP. His other achievements included 6-time All-Star, 5-time All-NBA teamer, 2009 scoring champion, and 2010 All-Star MVP. Chris Bosh, another member of their draft class, would also join James and Wade, then a 5-time All-Star and franchise all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, and minutes played at the time he left the Toronto Raptors.

On July 11, 2012, the Heat signed Ray Allen, a former NBA champion, ten-time All-Star, and two-time All-NBA player. This signing was considered a significant move that added one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history to the Heat superteam while simultaneously weakening the superteam of their primary rival, the Boston Celtics.^[37]

The Heat made 4 straight NBA Finals from 2011–2014. They lost the 2011 NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks before winning two straight over the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs respectively. Allen was considered a key piece for the 2013 championship, hitting a key shot that ultimately helped them beat the Spurs in Game 6, eventually winning that series 4–3. During this time, they made NBA history with such feats as 27 straight victories from February 3 to March 25, 2013, the second-longest win streak in NBA history,^[38] as well as only the second time that three teammates had each scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a regulation match, which had last happened over 50 years prior.^[39]

In the 2014 Finals, the Heat lost to the Spurs in 5 games in a rematch of the previous Finals. Following the loss, LeBron James reentered free agency and returned to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, thus ending the run of the Miami Big Three.

Many other players and franchises would follow in the footsteps of the Big Three by joining other superstar-caliber players to form their own superteam in a quest to win a championship.^[40] However, it would be LeBron James himself who formed the next "big three" of the league, joining forces with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.^[41][42]

2014–2017: Cleveland Cavaliers[edit]

The Cleveland Cavaliers were awarded the #1 pick of the 2011 NBA draft when a draft pick acquired from a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers won the draft lottery. The team selected Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, who soon became an NBA All-Star.^[43] After the Miami Heat superteam lost in the 2014 NBA Finals, LeBron James signed as a free agent on July 12, 2014 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, reuniting with his former team.^[44] A month later, on August 23, Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love was acquired in a three-team trade that saw the Cavaliers send out Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins, who had been selected first overall by the Cavaliers in the 2013 and 2014 NBA Drafts, respectively.^[45] During their first season together, the team saw immediate success with a 53–29 record to finish second in Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time franchise history, their first appearance since 2007 during James’s initial stint with the team. However, untimely playoff injuries to Love and Irving played a part in the 4–2 series loss to the Golden State Warriors.^[46]

Despite starting the following season with a 30–11 record, the Cavaliers fired head coach David Blatt and replaced him with assistant coach Tyronn Lue for the remainder of the season.^[47] Despite a slightly worse second-half record (27–14) under Lue, the Cavaliers obtained the first seed in the Eastern Conference. The team swept both the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds before beating the Toronto Raptors 4–2 in the Eastern Conference championship series. In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers initially struggled in their Finals rematch with Golden State, going down 3–1 in the series against a Warriors team that set the mark for the best regular season record in NBA history at 73–9 (beating out a win total previously held by the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls). However, after winning Games 5 & 6, the Cavaliers triumphed in a low-scoring Game 7 that featured a timely block by LeBron James and a celebrated three-point shot by Kyrie Irving to bring the Cavaliers their first ever NBA Finals championship, completing the first 3-1 comeback in NBA Finals history.^[48] This is widely considered the end of the 52-year citywide Cleveland sports curse.

After their title success, the Cavaliers completed their first full season under Lue with a 51–31 record to win their third straight division championship. Despite a less successful regular season campaign, the Cavaliers still achieved a 12-1 record in the Eastern Conference Playoffs on the way to their third straight NBA Finals appearance. However, the Warriors new superteam, formed after the signing of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, allowed Golden State to take revenge in the 2017 NBA Finals with a 4–1 series victory. During the following offseason, Irving demanded a trade out of Cleveland and was later sent to the rival Boston Celtics.^[49] In the face of Irving's absence, the Cavaliers still managed their fourth straight NBA Finals appearance. Facing the Golden State Warriors in the Finals for the fourth year in row, the Cavaliers suffered their third defeat in four years, this time being swept 4–0. LeBron James subsequently left the Cavaliers to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018,^[50] ending his second run with Cleveland.

2016–2019: Golden State Warriors[edit]

In the 2016 offseason, after blowing a 3–1 lead to the Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals, the Warriors made a move to re-assert their spot as the most dominant franchise in the league by acquiring Kevin Durant in free agency.^[51] Durant had been a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder and was part of the team that had led the Warriors 3–1 in the Western Conference Finals, but then blew the lead and missed out on their first conference championship since 2012.^[52] Durant joined the Warriors highly decorated and as one of the best players in the league with a resume of 2014 MVP, four-time NBA Scoring champion, seven-time All-Star, 2012 All-Star MVP, and six-time All-NBA teamer.^[53][54]

Before the playoffs, the Warriors had matched or broken several NBA records. They reclaimed the top seed with 67 wins along, won the most ever games by a 40-point-plus margin, and extended their run of most games without back-to-back losses in the regular season to 146 (spanning from April 9, 2015, to March 2, 2017).^[55][56] They tied the record for most players in the All-Star game with 4 (Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green). In the postseason, the Warriors broke the records for best start (15–0), longest win streak (15), and best overall record (16–1). They swept the Western Conference Playoffs 12–0 before eliminating the Cavaliers in the Finals in 5 games.^[57][58]

In 2018, the Warriors were unable to reclaim the league's best record after 3 straight years of doing so. They eliminated the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans each in 5 games before narrowly beating the 1st-seeded Houston Rockets in 7 games in the Western Conference Finals.^[59] They swept the 2018 Finals over Cleveland to win a second straight title, and 3 titles in 4 years.^[60][61]

In the 2018 offseason, the Warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins as a free agent. Although he was injured then, he was still considered a dominant "big man" with great skill and defensive tenacity, which had won him two All-NBA selections and four All-Star games before the signing. The Warriors became the first franchise in 42 years to be able to start five All-Stars (as they had all been the previous year), one in each floor position.^[62][63][64] The Warriors reclaimed the 1st seed in the Western Conference with a 57–25 record and made it to their 5th straight NBA Finals. However, they lost the 2019 Finals in 6 games to the Toronto Raptors (led by Kawhi Leonard).^[65] The Warriors were plagued by injuries, with Kevin Durant missing playoff games with a calf injury and an Achilles tear, and Klay Thompson suffering hamstring and ACL injuries in the Finals.

In the 2019 offseason, Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets in a sign-and-trade deal, officially ending the superteam era of the Warriors. However, the Warriors without Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins did win another NBA Finals championship in 2022 with their original Big 3 core of players drafted by them intact.

Notable failed superteams[edit]

1996–1999: Houston Rockets[edit]

On August 19, 1996, NBA superstar Charles Barkley was traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Rockets for Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant, Sam Cassell, and Robert Horry. This trade formed a superteam of Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Clyde Drexler. The Rockets achieved a 57–25 record in the 1996–97 NBA season and reached the Western Conference Finals, losing to the Utah Jazz in 6 games.^[66] Throughout the following season, injuries and an aging roster caused them to slip to 41–41 and a 3–2 first round defeat against the same Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Playoffs. During the lockout-shortened 1999 season, the Rockets sign-and-traded Chicago Bulls small forward Scottie Pippen in one last effort to win with Olajuwon and Barkley after Clyde Drexler retired in 1998.^[67] The Rockets did improve upon their previous season's record, finishing with a 31–19 record and a fifth seed slot. However, the Rockets fell in the first round once again, this time in a 3–1 series loss to the Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers. Pippen was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers the following season partially due issues between him and Barkley, and Barkley suffered a career-ending knee injury against the Philadelphia 76ers on December 8 of that year.

2003–2004: Los Angeles Lakers[edit]

The Lakers, with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, had won three consecutive titles from 2000 to 2002. However, they failed to win a fourth straight championship in 2003 after failing to defeat the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs (led by legendary coach Gregg Popovich and superstar players David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili) in the Western Conference Semifinals.^[68] The 2003–04 Lakers, which already featured O'Neal and Bryant, signed Gary Payton and Karl Malone, who were both on their quests for their first championship. Instead of improving significantly, the Lakers suffered through locker room troubles the entire season. O'Neal unsuccessfully demanded a pay rise,^[69] while Bryant missed several games due to a sexual assault trial in which he was eventually acquitted of the crime.^[70] Malone also caused off-court issues with the team when he tried to hit up on Bryant's wife, Vanessa Bryant, during the season.^[71] All three players also suffered injuries throughout the entire season,^[72] while Payton struggled to make due under coach Phil Jackson's famous triangle offense. Despite the problems within, the Lakers would return to the NBA Finals once again, only to lose the championship series 4–1 against the hard-nosed defensive-oriented Detroit Pistons.^[73] After the series loss, the team was dismantled: coach Phil Jackson resigned (but eventually returned to coach them again a year later), Malone retired, and O'Neal and Payton were traded, with both of them eventually winning together while with the Miami Heat in 2006. The Lakers would not qualify for the 2005 playoffs and did not become a title contending team until they acquired Pau Gasol in 2008, later winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.

2012–2013: Los Angeles Lakers[edit]

On July 11, 2012, Steve Nash was traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Lakers. On August 10, 2012, NBA superstar Dwight Howard was traded by the Orlando Magic to the Lakers in a 4-team trade.^[74] This trade formed a superteam of Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, and Pau Gasol. The Lakers dealt with multiple injuries throughout the season,^[75] and on February 18, 2013, Lakers owner Jerry Buss passed away from kidney failure after battling cancer since 2012, leading to an immediate change in ownership to his family's estate (primarily his son Jim Buss). On April 12, 2013, Bryant tore his Achilles in a game against the Warriors.^[76] Despite the injuries and turmoil, the Lakers still finished with a 45–37 record and a #7 spot in the playoffs, but were swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs. Howard soon left the Lakers as a free agent to sign with the Houston Rockets.^[77] During the 2013–14 NBA season, the team's star players continued to struggle with injuries, and Steve Nash retired at the end of the year, while Pau Gasol signed with the Chicago Bulls.^[78] This ended the Lakers second superteam attempt of the century and initiated their longest playoff drought in franchise history.

2021–2023: Brooklyn Nets[edit]

Near the start of the 2020–21 season, on January 13, 2021, the Brooklyn Nets traded for James Harden in a blockbuster four-team trade, which reunited Harden with his Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant, as well as gave Harden another All-Star teammate in Kyrie Irving to form a new superteam in the East.^[79][80] However, this team struggled due to various injuries to Durant, Harden, and Irving, and were eliminated by the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 in overtime of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Harden was ultimately traded to the 76ers in the following season for a package headlined by All-Star Ben Simmons.^[81] With Simmons sitting out of the season due to struggles with mental health, the Irving and Durant led team finished 7th in the conference, surviving the play-in tournament against the Cavaliers before being swept by the eventual Conference champion Celtics in the first round.^[82] In February 2023, Irving requested a trade from the Nets and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Following Irving's trade to the Mavericks, Durant was subsequently traded to the Phoenix Suns, ending the Nets' superteam run.^[83]

2021–2023: Los Angeles Lakers[edit]

After sustaining the longest playoff drought in franchise history, even after acquiring LeBron James in free agency from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Lakers traded for All-NBA player Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans. Despite a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lakers not only ended their playoff drought, but also won the 2020 NBA Finals at the 2020 NBA Bubble. The following season, however, saw the team finish the regular season as the 7th seed and participate in the first iteration of the NBA play-in tournament, ultimately losing 4-2 in their first round series against the Phoenix Suns.^[84]

During the 2021 free agency period, the Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook and three second round picks for Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, and Montrezl Harrell in a five-team trade.^[85] Like the Brooklyn Nets superteam of the same time, the Lakers were expected to be clear championship contenders, and both teams were considered heavy favorites to meet in the 2022 NBA Finals.^[86][87][88] In contrast to these high expectations, the Lakers finished with a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs entirely, with outlets referring to the shocking outcome in terms such as "the biggest disaster in the NBA" and the "most disappointing team in NBA history".^{[89][90][91][92][93]} As a result, the team fired head coach Frank Vogel after the end of their season,^[94] and hired Darvin Ham as his replacement. Further struggles throughout the following season forced the team to make changes to the roster, causing them to trade Westbrook to the Utah Jazz^[95] and ending the Lakers third superteam era of the 21st century after only one and a half seasons.

Current Superteams[edit]

2023–present: Boston Celtics[edit]

On July 12, 2013 the Boston Celtics traded two key components of their previous superteam, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, to the Brooklyn Nets, in exchange for three first-round draft picks^[96]. Two of these picks were later used to select Jaylen Brown third overall in the 2016 NBA draft and Jayson Tatum third overall in the 2017 NBA draft, after trading down from #1 overall. The two developed into the franchise’s centerpieces in the subsequent seasons.^[97]

Following multiple deep playoff runs, in the 2023 offseason the Celtics made a series of moves that were seen as an attempt to finally win a championship with their homegrown core^[98]. On June 23, the Celtics made a three-team trade with the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards to acquire center Kristaps Porziņģis, sending point guard Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies.^[99] On October 1 of that same year, the Celtics acquired point guard Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon, and two future first round draft picks^[100]. These moves paired the two former All-Stars with the Celtics previously drafted stars Tatum and Brown. During the 2023–24 season, they finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA at 64–18 and the third best net rating in NBA history. The Celtics continued their domination in the playoffs, losing only two games throughout the Eastern Conference Playoffs before winning the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks in five games.^[101]

2023–present: Phoenix Suns[edit]

The Phoenix Suns drafted Devin Booker as the 13th pick in the 2015 NBA draft. During Booker's initial seasons with the Suns, the team found little success. Before the 2019–20 NBA season, Phoenix acquired star point guard Chris Paul in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.^[102] With the addition of Paul the Suns were able to not only end their decade-long playoff drought, but also reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993, ultimately losing 4-2 to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals after opening with a 2-0 series lead.

The following season, the Suns achieved their best regular season record in franchise history at 64–18. However, the team was unable to duplicate the prior year's playoff success, losing a 4-3 series against Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks.^[103] In the following offseason, the team traded Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, and multiple first round draft picks to acquire Kevin Durant and T. J. Warren from the Brooklyn Nets.^[104] Injuries caused Durant to only play 8 games during the entire regular reason, and the Suns finished the year with a 45-37 record. Despite Durant's return in the playoffs, the Suns fell to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets 4-2 in the second round. After the series loss, the Suns fired head coach Monty Williams and replaced him with former championship coach Frank Vogel. In the aftermath of their first year together, the Suns traded Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, four first round pick swaps, and six second round picks to the Washington Wizards on June 24, 2023 in order to acquire three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, forming a new version of their superteam.^[105] In a rocky first season with Beal, the Suns reached the #6 seed in the Western Conference at 49–33, slightly improving upon their previous season's record, before losing in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a four game sweep.

2023–present: Milwaukee Bucks[edit]

The Milwaukee Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo as the 15th pick of the 2013 NBA draft and traded for Khris Middleton later that offseason. Antetokounmpo won consecutive NBA MVP awards in the 2018–19 and the 2019–20 NBA season,^[106] but the Bucks were unable to reach the NBA Finals. Before the 2020–21 NBA season, Milwaukee traded for former All-Star Jrue Holiday, and the improved Bucks won the 2021 NBA championship by defeating the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals. However, the Bucks failed to make the Conference Finals in each of the next two seasons, and fired head coach Mike Budenholzer in the offseason. On September 27, 2023, the team completed a blockbuster trade that sent out Holiday in exchange for seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard, forming a dubious superteam consisting of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton.^{[107][108][109]} Despite starting the season out 30–13, the Bucks fired new head coach Adrian Griffin mid-season, replacing him with former championship coach Doc Rivers. The Rivers-coached Bucks would finish the regular season with a 17-19 record and fell to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs after injuries to both Antetokounmpo and Lillard.^[110]

2023–present: Los Angeles Clippers[edit]

After Kawhi Leonard won the 2019 NBA Finals in his sole season with the Toronto Raptors over the superteam Golden State Warriors, Leonard signed as a free agent with his hometown Los Angeles Clippers. At the same time, the Clippers to trade point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, forward Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks, and two first-round pick swaps to the Oklahoma City Thunder for star forward Paul George. In the pair's first two seasons together, they blew a 3–1 series lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2020 NBA playoffs in the NBA Bubble and then lost 4–2 in the first Western Conference Finals appearance in franchise history to an upstart Phoenix Suns team led by Devin Booker and former Clippers guard Chris Paul the next year.

In the subsequent seasons, the Clippers experienced diminished success due to constant injuries with Kawhi Leonard^[111] and Paul George.^[112] With Leonard missing the entire 2021–22 NBA season, the team posted a 42–40 record and failed to qualify for the 2022 Playoffs after losing two games in play-in tournament. The Clippers later signed former MVP point guard Russell Westbrook off of waivers in 2023,^[113] which helped their return to the playoffs, but lost 4–1 to the Phoenix Suns superteam as Leonard was out for most of the series. During the 2023–24 season, the Clippers acquired James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers on November 1, 2023.^[114] The team finished with a 51-31 record to obtain the #4 seed in the Western Conference. The team faced the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs for the third time in five years, losing 4–2 and missing Leonard for most of the series.

Criticism[edit]

There has been some controversy about superteams in the NBA. Claims persist that superstar players are no longer looking to make the game competitive, but rather finding an easier way to win championships and nullifying smaller contenders by joining other elites.^[115] From James joining the Heat to Durant joining the Warriors, there has been derision from the media and fans in their efforts to unbalance the NBA.^[116] However, there have been cases for both sides as others argue that the NBA has achieved its highest grossing TV revenue, that it was all done under the rules of the salary cap, and that it is enjoyable sports entertainment.^[117] Recent efforts made to punish teams that look to assemble long-term superteams, starting in the 2023–24 season, have been implemented under newly established salary cap rules and limitations at hand. One such effort/method made was the creation of the second tax apron, which looks to significantly hamper teams that would look to overspend in order to create their superteams in question.^[118]

See also[edit]

• Supergroup (music)

References[edit]