In recent years, the NBA has experienced several superstars teaming up in order to chase after a championship.
The trend first started with the Boston Celtics when they assembled a “Big 3” of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, though it was LeBron James who popularized the method by teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat.
The Phoenix Suns are the most recent culprits as they’ve got a “Big 4” of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Deandre Ayton.
Even with superstars coming together, teams like the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks have been able to capture titles with just one bonafide superstar in Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jokic and Antetokounmpo have All-Star caliber teammates, but they didn’t go out of their way to recruit them to their respective teams.
Because of that, they earned praise from Charles Barkley who hasn’t been pleased with stars trying to take the easy way toward a title via The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“With all the BS that goes on in the NBA, what the Nuggets and the Joker accomplished just made me feel good,” Barkley said. No super team, no drama… Joker and Giannis, they make me feel good about my sport.”
Charles Barkley:
“With all the BS that goes on in the NBA, what the Nuggets and the Joker accomplished just made me feel good. No super team, no drama… Joker and Giannis, they make me feel good about my sport.”
(via @BillSimmons, h/t @HarrisonWind) pic.twitter.com/eo3Q3a2CQC
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 27, 2023
Although it’s technically not a problem, the league can’t be too happy with stars forcing trades in order to team up together.
To Barkley’s point, Jokic and Antetokounmpo have been able to accomplish the game’s highest honors with the teams they had on hand and that should definitely be celebrated.
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