10 greatest backcourt duos in NBA history

#8 Walt Frazier/Earl Monroe - New York Knicks

Clyde and The Pearl.

The popular New York Knicks have two NBA championships in their history, and the last one happened with their backcourt being formed by Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe.

Frazier had won the 1970 NBA championship with the team, while Monroe arrived in 1971 from the Baltimore Bullets. Though they were similar players, they were a good fit at the Big Apple.

They won the 1973 NBA championship together, with Frazier averaging 21 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game in the regular season. Monroe played well too, averaging 16 points per game and dishing out four assists.

During the 1973 NBA Playoffs, they averaged 38 points and 9.4 assists per game as the Knicks won the 1973 NBA championship against the LA Lakers.

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#7 Rajon Rondo/Ray Allen - Boston Celtics

They did not have a great relationship, but it worked on the court.

Rajon Rondo was a young point guard when Ray Allen joined the Boston Celtics to form the team's Big-Three with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. However, Boston's backcourt proved to be solid from the start.

The team romped to a 66-16 record in the regular season, with Allen averaging 17 points, four rebounds, three assists per game and hitting 180 threes. Rondo, on the other hand, embraced his spot as a starter and averaged a solid 11 points and five assists per game.

Rondo's passing ability was a good fit with Allen. The latter would come off of screens, and Rondo would pass the ball in the perfect spot for him to shoot.

Boston went on to win the 2008 NBA championship, with Rondo being the fourth most important player of the team, behind the Big Three. Then, they played deep in the NBA Playoffs in 2010 (lost NBA Finals to the Lakers) and 2012 (lost EFC to the Miami Heat), with Rondo running the show and Allen still coming off of curls and hitting jumpers.

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#6 Michael Jordan/Ron Harper - Chicago Bulls

Jordan and Harper.

Any backcourt pair with Michael Jordan as one half could easily be ranked in the Top 10 in NBA history.

ULTIMATE Michael Jordan @chicagobulls #NBAMixtape 🔥 https://t.co/Snjntx4Ts0

— NBA (@NBA) May 19, 2020

Michael Jordan and Ron Harper formed one of the greatest backcourt duos ever. This was because Jordan was dominant on both sides while Harper was a winner and a smart player who could score with high volume (19 PPG in his first seven years in the NBA) but sacrificed a lot for his team.

The pair formed the Chicago Bulls' backcourt duo from 1995 to 1998, with the team achieving the second three-peat in franchise history. Jordan is recognized as the greatest player in the history of the NBA by many, and in those three years, he won three scoring titles, two MVPs and was also named to the All-Defense NBA teams three times.

Harper, on the other hand, was a team player who defended well against any guard, could shoot with consistency and was smart with the ball in his hands.

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#5 Tony Parker/Manu Ginóbili - San Antonio Spurs

Parker and Ginóbili.

Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili were two-thirds of the most successful Big Three in the history of the NBA and the NBA Playoffs, alongside Tim Duncan. They delivered four NBA championships to the San Antonio Spurs during their tenure together.

Parker, Ginobili, & Duncan focus up during the National Anthem before Game 3 on ABC. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/0SwZxOV0gw

— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2014

Although Ginóbili usually didn't start games for the Spurs, he was a closer and normally found himself on the court with Parker or even controlling the team's offense.

Both had great play-making abilities, and opposing defenses had a hard time trying to keep them out of the paint.

Parker and Ginóbili are the most successful duo in the NBA Playoffs in terms of wins (132).