When you’re putting together a championship contender, one rule is paramount – get the best talent you possibly can. You’ll be facing the best possible roster your opponents can assemble, so it’s only logical that you should fill your team with stars. Sometimes, the stars align and you can bolster your roster with multiple Hall of Famers, guaranteeing you a title.
Correct?
OK, not at all. that’s it Brooklyn Nets they probably had in mind when they acquired Kevin Durant And Kyrie Irving in 2019, and then added james harden in the latter half of the 2020–21 season. These are three superstars, all of whom are likely bound for Springfield, Massachusetts when they retire, and all of whom can handle a game. What could stop them?
A lot of things, as it turns out — between injuries and off-court factors, the trio only played 16 games together (13-3, to be fair) before Harden was sent off. philadelphia 76ers in a business. The Nets were swept in the playoffs, and the following season, it all became too much for them. endurance team, irving was traded dallas mavericksAnd a few days later, Durant was dealt Phoenix Suns,
It’s a sad tale for the Nets, and as Durant and Irving’s new teams face off for the first time since blockbuster trades, it brings to mind what could have been. If it makes Nets fans feel better, this isn’t the first time legitimate superteams have never managed to keep it together. Here are some examples from the major men’s pro leagues since the turn of the century.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were the only combinations feared, but the Lakers decided to add karl malone And gary payton To further overwhelm the other teams. It wasn’t a bad idea – the team finished first in the Pacific Division and third overall in the Western Conference and cruised through the playoffs, going 12-5 in the first three rounds. Unfortunately, the Lakers detroit pistons and lost 4–1 in the NBA Finals. Payton will be traded Boston Celtics And Malone would retire, leaving this superteam one-ended.
Take tom brady, is likely to be the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Pair him with Randy Moss, one of the top five wide receivers of all time. Then there is a team full of names like Wes Welker, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour, Junior Seau, Vince Wilfork and Asante Samuel. Result? 16–0 record, only the second time a team went undefeated in the regular season in NFL history. Unfortunately for this team, its final record is one in the loss column as Eli Manning and new york giants beat the Patriots in one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever.
Of course, the modern Nets is not the first instance of Durant and Harden being on a team that didn’t quite make it. That dubious honor belongs to the Thunder, who drafted Harden to play alongside Durant shortly after he moved to Oklahoma City. Russell Westbrook, The trio immediately began to dominate, and the Thunder improved each year until reaching the NBA Finals in 2011–12. That series started well, with the Thunder defeating the Heat at home in Game 1, but they lost four in a row after that. Harden was traded in the offseason after the team was unable to sign him to an extension.
One pitching ace is great, but what about when you have four? The Phillies were rocking a rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and cole hamels, Not to mention Ryan Howard and Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins in the lineup. That’s good for 102 wins and a league-low 529 runs allowed. they faced off against st louis cardinals In the division series, and after they jumped out to a 2–1 lead in the first three games, St. Louis came back to force a Game 5. Skip Schumacher knocked in a run in the first inning against Halladay, and Chris Carpenter pitched. a three-hit shutout. The Cardinals would end up winning the World Series.
2011–17 Los Angeles Clippers
One of the most exciting teams in NBA history, the Lob City Clippers looked to use their high-flying style of basketball to bring a non-Lakers title to Los Angeles. acquisition of chris paul means that Blake Griffin And deandre jordan There will be plenty of alleyways – just ask the poor brandon knight After Jordan threw an all-time poster dunk at him. The Clippers were a very good team during Paul’s tenure, but lost in the playoffs – Lob City never advanced beyond the semifinals.