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Russell Westbrook's trade to the LA Lakers is the hottest NBA news at the moment, as it should be because, with this move, the team has established a phenomenal line-up. Russell's addition to the star power of LeBron and Anthony Davis makes the current LA Lakers' big three arguably the strongest in the team's last decade.
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The concept of building an NBA team around a star trio is not new. The golden era of the Chicago Bulls was dominated by its big three- Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. They won three back-to-back championships, making them one of the greatest trio of all time.
Five best big threes in the NBA in the last 10 years
For today's list, we look at the five best big threes from the past 10 years who played in the NBA. These players had historical runs, made a big splash in the league, and also had stellar seasons together.
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#5 Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green
This NBA threesome is one of the most memorable ones of the decade. The championship-hungry Golden State Warriors pushed for a ring bid in 2014-15 with such power and determination, trampling any and all that came their way.
Steph's MVP run with Klay Thompson was the greatest shooting duo of the decade. Even then, their run would have been incomplete without Draymond's support. In Green, the Golden State Warriors found a defender who could aggressively clash with the best scorers in the league and come on top. Of course his playmaking skills were second to none either.
GSW's Big 3 obliterated a Cleveland Cavaliers team that had stars like LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. While Curry averaged 28.3 points and 6.4 assists in the NBA playoffs, Klay averaged 18.6 points, and Draymond dominated the paint by snatching an average of 10.1 rebounds.
#4 Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker
The longest existing big three played together for fourteen seasons. They won four NBA championships together, winning their final ring in 2014 against the star studded Miami Heat.
The San Antonio Spurs trio includes some of the most beloved NBA players of our time. In Tim, the league saw a power forward like none other. Some even make the case for him being the best power forward to ever exist. We shall reserve that conversation for some other time but we cannot deny just how good Tim Duncan really was. He could score at will and defend the basket with his life. In him his teammates found a pillar that could brave all storms and still stand proudly on his two feet.
Tony Parker is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated NBA guards of our time. Over his career, the French superstar averaged 15.6 points and 5.6 assists. He became a scorer and feeder on whom his team could lean on whenever things got tricky.
The last man in this exceptional trio, Manu Ginobili, wasn't a player that believed in posting numbers. The Argentinian had such a desire to win that he would do so by any means possible. He would get under his opponent's skin and defend with such intensity that opposing players would walk-away frustrated and disgruntled. His ball handling, his euro-step, and his ability to score from anywhere on the NBA court were all the ingredients that bind this trio.
#3 LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love
The Cleveland Cavaliers have only one championship in the duration of their existence in the NBA. The team has appeared in 5 NBA finals, of which four were their consecutive runs from 2014-15 to 2017-18. It is interesting to note that the team has never reached the NBA Finals without LeBron James playing for them.
This trio is ranked number three on our list for many reasons but the most important of it all is that they won the first and only championship ever for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They fought together in the NBA finals for two consecutive years against the trio from Golden State Warriors.
After an incredible season in 2014-15, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost 4-2 to Steph Curry-led team. Their greatness lies in the fact that, despite the overwhelming run by their opponents in the 2015-16 season, when GSW won a record 73 matches, they were able to finally best them.
The awesome threesome were phenomenal together. Kevin Love was one of the best team defenders of the season, averaging 8.8 rebounds and 14.7 points in the playoffs. His dominance under the bucket allowed LeBron and Kyrie to attack more confidently. In Kyrie, the trio found a player that could do just about anything with the ball. He could shoot deep threes, break ankles with his incredible ball handling, and drive to the basket for unbelievable finishes.
Lastly, what needs to be said about LeBron? His greatness, his game IQ, and his willingness to win are not by any means a secret. There is a reason he is considered a GOAT and he displayed that reason with quite some gusto while playing as a part of this big three.
#2 Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson
To say that watching this big three was thrilling is an understatement. Watching them play was like being on a roller coaster racing through an asteroid belt. Goosebumps raising plays were inevitable and the unpredictability of just how much they could score landed them a huge fan following.
This big three trio is second on our list. They won two NBA championships and reached the NBA Finals three times. They would incite such terror while on offense that teams would strategize endlessly to stop their iron clad rule over the league.
While Steph kept excelling as a three-point shooter, Kevin Durant's addition to the team ensured that even if Curry was being guarded like Fort Knox, scoring pace would not even falter. Klay Thompson being the third member of the trio made things worse for every other team in the league. His impressive defensive abilities combined with his shooting accuracy made the team and the threesome the best in the league.
#1 LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh
On this list of the greatest big threes in the NBA in the last three years - the trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh is number 1. The Miami Heat reached four consecutive NBA Finals when the three played for them and won two NBA Championships.
For the 90s kids, the big three of the Miami Heat was their first introduction to a team that could become so dominating with the coming together of three superstars. The games they played, the numbers they posted, and the wins they amassed together were reminiscent of Phil Jackson's Chicago Bulls.
In LeBron, the trio had perhaps the fastest player in the NBA league who could fly to the rim without fear or inhibition. His unreal strength, skill, and mindset would become the skeleton upon which the Miami Heat would go on to win two back-to-back championships. His scoring ability, his chase-down block, and his leadership made the big 3 the best in the last 10 years.
The other two weren't any less. Dwyane Wade was one of the best players in NBA back then. His fadeaway jumper was unstoppable and so were his passes. Remember those lobs before there was lob city? D Wade and LeBron would rain down dunk after dunk in every game.
Chris Bosh was the team's rebounder and the most influential defender. His ability to get back any ball that missed the target allowed LeBron and Wade to attack the basket constantly and score more than their opponents every single night.
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