The Best Trios In NBA History

Read update

• Throughout the history of the NBA hundreds of extraordinary players have passed through the league's venues, who have delighted us with their great talent and their impressive physical and mental abilities for the game, but what if instead of a single athlete per team or an explosive duo we would get the excellent gift of a trident of overflowing genius at the same time and in the same team?

Most NBA franchises have the goal of putting together a “big three” as the easiest path to title contention. Quite a few NBA Champions and dynasty teams were led by three specific top players all delivering together on the highest level. Each of the three players were stars on their own, but they took the league to another level when united.

RELATED: 10 Best NBA Power Forwards Of The 1990s, Ranked

Not every trio will achieve their full potential despite looking good on paper. Kevin Durant teaming up with Kyrie Irving and James Harden or Kobe Bryant uniting with Dwight Howard and Steve Nash showed how things can fall apart quickly. The big three tandems to score huge success provided the best-case scenario. NBA fans will always view the following trios among the best in league history.

UPDATE: 2023/09/14 18:00 EST BY ROBERTH PEREZ

Throughout the history of the NBA hundreds of extraordinary players have passed through the league's venues, who have delighted us with their great talent and their impressive physical and mental abilities for the game, but what if instead of a single athlete per team or an explosive duo we would get the excellent gift of a trident of overflowing genius at the same time and in the same team?

Indeed, there have been specific cases where a team has three phenomenal players on the court, and right below we present the ones that stand out above the rest.

20 Scottie Pippen/Hakeem Olajuwon/Charles Barkley

In the 1998-1999 season, the Houston Rockets, still under the leadership of the successful two-time world champion Rudy Tomjanovich, managed to bring together three of the greatest players in the history of the competition, as the extraordinary center and franchise player Hakeem Olajuwon and the fantastic power forward Charles Barkley were joined by the great small forward and excellent defender Scottie Pippen. Sadly there were only 54 games, but enough to enjoy these three Hall Of Fame players doing wonders on the court. Their collective averages were 49.5 points, 28.4 rebounds, 12.3 assists, 4.6 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.

19 Elgin Baylor/Jerry West/Wilt Chamberlain

Between 1968 and 1972 there was a trio of players belonging to the Los Angeles Lakers, who managed to conquer the league with their wonderful chemistry and their achievements. We are talking about Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, who won the Championship in the 1971-72 season after defeating the New York Knicks with ease, 4-1. The averages of the three of them? In the regular season, they combined for 70.3 points, 34.0 rebounds and 18.0 assists per game, for a combined record of 257-134.

18 Maurice Cheeks/Moses Malone/Julius Erving

It was the second half of the 70s and the Philadelphia 76ers, hungry for victories and their third title, made three key moves. First, by taking from the New York Nets the powerful forward Julius Erving in 1976. Next in 1978, they took in the draft the powerful point guard Maurice Cheeks and as the icing on the cake they acquired from the Rockets via trade in 1982 the MVP of the previous season, the extraordinary Moses Malone.

That same season, they won their third and most recent championship by sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers. In the four seasons they played together they averaged a combined 57.9 points, 22.2 rebounds, 12.1 assists, 5.0 steals and 3.3 blocks and had a 257-114 record.

17 Kobe Bryant/Shaquille O'Neal/Robert Horry

One of the most dominant players in the history of the game at over 7 feet and 325 pounds, the gigantic center Shaquille O'Neal, and the incomparable shooting guard Kobe Bryant with his magic made a dynamic, unstoppable duo. And we can add the tireless fighter Robert Horry, who always left body and soul on the court. The three won three championships in six years together, and an overall record of 384-167.

16 Bill Russell/Sam Jones/Tom Heinsohn

Is there a dynasty as dominant in NBA history as the Boston Celtics of the late 1950s and early 1960s? Probably not. The fact is that eight seasons together for seven (consecutive) championships seems to be a feat unlikely to be surpassed (only Michael Jordan's Bulls came close) and obviously such an ironclad dominance has to have a logical basis and here we describe them: Bill Russell, Sam Jones and Tom Heinsohn. These three pillars took the Boston Celtics to a whole new level.

15 Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook/James Harden

&copy; Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n"">

Most celebrated trios win the NBA Championship, but that shouldn’t be the only factor when ranking success. The Oklahoma City Thunder created something special when drafting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden all to become stars.

Durant and Westbrook evolved into superstars for the team, and Harden was the best bench player in the league. Oklahoma City fell just short when making the NBA Finals in 2012 and losing to the Miami Heat. The team trading Harden ended the run, but they were a great force together whenever healthy.

14 David Robinson/Tim Duncan/Sean Elliott

&copy; Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n"">

The San Antonio Spurs started to build something special in the 1990s when drafting Tim Duncan during a season where David Robinson was injured enough for them to get the first overall pick. Robinson and Sean Elliott were already beloved Spurs, but they needed more to contend.

Duncan instantly became a top power forward for them and made their run together as a trio a huge success. San Antonio won the 1999 NBA Championship with this group before Elliott retired. Duncan ended up passing them both and leading the franchise into the future.

13 Karl Malone/John Stockton/Jeff Hornacek

&copy; USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n"">

The Utah Jazz of the late 1990s were arguably the best team ever to not win the NBA Championship. Karl Malone and John Stockton were viewed as an all-time great duo since they spent all but one year of their careers together.

However, there should be more respect towards Jeff Hornacek, who was the missing third piece to help them make the NBA Finals. Utah didn’t have much helped beyond those three and fell short of a title to the Chicago Bulls twice.

12 Kobe Bryant/Pau Gasol/Lamar Odom

&copy; Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n"">

The first version of Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers featured a dynamic duo with Shaquille O’Neal, but they didn’t have a third star. Kobe saw the team a bit more well-balanced when leading their later version to two NBA Championships.

Pau Gasol joined as the perfect second star and became Bryant’s favorite teammate. Lamar Odom was a superb sixth man and great all-around player to be a third star. The Lakers making three consecutive NBA Finals and winning two rings ensures they’ll be remembered together.

11 Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen/Horace Grant

&copy; RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n"">

Horace Grant was an iffy third star, but he was outstanding in his role for the early 1990s Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan was at his peak and would have been enough to contend alone. However, the additions of Scottie Pippen and Grant formed a big three.

All three players knew their roles, and each played it to perfection. Jordan and Pippen are a nearly flawless duo on their own, but Grant did the dirty work, grabbing rebounds and defending the paint for three consecutive NBA Championships.

10 Kevin Durant/Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson

The Golden State Warriors already had a big three when they added generational talent Kevin Durant to the mix. Many people in the league felt it was unfair for Durant to join a 73-win team, but they didn’t stay together long enough to have a higher rank.

RELATED: 10 NBA Players Who Played In The League The Longest

Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson may be the most dominant trio since they never lost a playoff series at full strength. The problem is they only played together for three seasons before Durant wanted to make a change.

9 Isiah Thomas/Joe Dumars/Bill Laimbeer

The Detroit Pistons core of the late 1980s and early 1990s became a surprisingly dominant force. Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars made up one of the best backcourts in league history. Bill Laimbeer was considered the heart of the team that helped create the Bad Boys persona. Some fans rank Dennis Rodman above Laimbeer, but Pistons fans valued the latter more. Detroit became known for their toughness on the court with these three names leading the way. Two NBA Championships were won in back to back seasons with Thomas and Dumars splitting Finals MVPs. This trio knocked out Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan during their postseason runs.

8 Kevin Garnett/Ray Allen/Paul Pierce

The NBA witnessed a drastic shift in 2008 when the Boston Celtics went from a forgettable secondary team to the standard in one offseason. Boston pulled off a heist by trading for both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to unite with Paul Pierce. That first season saw the Celtics dominating the regular season and winning the NBA Championship. Boston never won another title with this core, but they remained the biggest threat to Kobe Bryant and LeBron James each postseason.

7 Larry Bird/Kevin McHale/Robert Parish

The Eastern Conference was mostly won by another Boston Celtics squad during the 1980s due to their strong core staying together. Larry Bird was arguably the best player in the league with stars Kevin McHale and Robert Parish forming a tremendous trio at the top of the roster.

RELATED: 10 NBA Players You Forgot Were On These Teams

Boston won three NBA Championships and were always viewed as a contender to win it all. Bird was the one setting the table for success, but McHale and Parish provided that toughness in the paint that forced other teams to fight back.

6 LeBron James/Kyrie Irving/Kevin Love

Many fans and pundits declare the 2016 NBA Championship as the most impressive in league history. The Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors behind the play of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. This trio spent three years together, made the NBA Finals every time, and achieved a historic goal. LeBron’s block, Kyrie’s game-winning three, and Love defending Stephen Curry to keep the lead will always be remembered from that epic Game 7 victory. It is unfortunate that Irving wanted out, or they’d have even more accomplishments.

5 Magic Johnson/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/James Worthy

The Los Angeles Lakers had unparalleled star power in the 1980s when Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were on the same roster. Both men are still among the popular choices to round out the Mount Rushmore of NBA legends with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Kareem and Magic had won two rings together when another legend James Worthy joined them to form a big three. The Lakers won three NBA Championships with this core and were the most impressive NBA franchise of the decade.

4 LeBron James/Dwyane Wade/Chris Bosh

The NBA witnessed a new rise of teams trying to form a big three to contend when the Miami Heat won the 2010 offseason. LeBron James and Chris Bosh each signed with Dwyane Wade’s Heat team with a world of hype and expectations between them. The knock against Miami’s trio was that they declared they’d win 5-7 rings and finished with just two. One positive for the Heat was they made every NBA Finals together and became a phenomenon for the league. Everyone wanted to see them get eliminated during the four years of LeBron dominance.

3 Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson/Draymond Green

The Golden State Warriors' second trio makes the list due to the longevity and general success involved. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are already iconic figures for the Warriors franchise, with many years left together. The trio won an NBA Championship and has made three NBA Finals before and after Kevin Durant was on the team. This core has been the class of the Western Conference for almost a decade with many teams building contenders and failing each season.

2 Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen/Dennis Rodman

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen having two three-peats with the Chicago Bulls featured Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman as their respective third-best players for each run. Rodman’s time for the 1996-98 period was more impressive due to his defense and toughness putting them over the top. Chicago had their epic 72-win season to start the three-peat by dominating the playoffs each year. Jordan was the best in the league, Pippen was among the best all-around players, and Rodman added the X-factor to make them almost unbeatable.

1 Tim Duncan/Tony Parker/Manu Ginobili

The San Antonio Spurs witnessed their top trio having strong success for over a decade together. Tim Duncan had already won an NBA Championship with David Robinson when Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili joined the roster as late round draft picks with international backgrounds. The Spurs changed their identity from having two big men dominate in the paint to having a free-flowing offense. Parker and Ginobili added another dynamic to help San Antonio win four NBA Championships with this core a decade apart. A young Kawhi Leonard joining them for the final ring showed how great the Spurs scouting department was.