The NBA is all about excitement and the game tries to give us that night in and night out but you have to put those type of players in place to accomplish that on a daily basis. There is also a rare feat of putting together a trio of players that play well together, but it has been done in different eras and some have even clashed head to head but to keep a long story short, here are my top 10 trios of all time.
1. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman- Chicago Bulls
Definitely the best of the best, this trio led the Bulls on one of the most historical runs in NBA history and that netted 3 straight titles, bringing their total to six for the decade.
2. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy- Los Angeles Lakers
The original SHOWTIME Lakers were a sight to see on the court with Magic at the helm. This talented trio made 6 finals during their 80's run and won the title 3 times.
3. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish- Boston Celtics
The Celtics had a lot of big three's but these three had a long run in Boston (12 years) that ended up putting 3 championships in the Celtics record books. Bird was the star of the show but McHale and Parrish were one of the best front court combos in that era.
4. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili- San Antonio Spurs
The winningest trio in NBA history (541 wins together) used knowledge and chemistry to put up the run they put together for 13 seasons. Their play-off dominance has been unreal as their record 129 wins has set them apart from the rest. Led by the legend Tim Duncan, San Antonio has won 5 total championship during his run with the Spurs. Doesn't hurt that they were led by one of the most underrated coaches in NBA history Greg Popovich.
5. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh- Miami Heat
One of the most talented trios ever assembled, led by maybe the best player ever LeBron James, Miami made it to the Finals 4 straight seasons (2 up, 2 down) and made it look easy in doing so. James was at the top of his game during this run and if he had stayed put in South Beach this team may have won about 2 more titles.
6. Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek- Boston Celtics
The Celtics owned the 60's, Bill Russell was the centerpiece to one of the best dynasties in any era of NBA/ABA basketball. Havlicek joined the starting lineup after Bob Cousy retired and helped form one of the best scoring tandems of the golden era. They both averaged over 20 points a game, while Bill Russell averaged a double-double making the Celtics unstoppable inside and out. Did I mention all three are hall of famers.
7. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen- Boston Celtics
These were the Celtics that brought back the Big 3 concept with Garnett, Pierce and Allen. They won one title in BeanTown had 12 All-Star appearances between them. If you think about it they really had a big 4 with breakthrough point guard Rajon Rondo running the show.
8. Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Bill Laimbeer- Detroit Pistons
The "Bad Boy" Pistons were ahead of their time with the physical and mental punishment they put on opposing teams. Led by maybe one of the best point guards to ever play the game in Isaiah Thomas, along with sharp shooter Joe Dumars and The enforcer Bill Laimbeer, Detroit intimidated their way to back to back championships in the late 80's. I wonder how technicals would they accumulate in today's NBA? Hmmmmm?
9. Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson- Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic had a dynamic run with these three young stars running the show in central Florida. Shaq and Penny were two of the brightest young players in the NBA at the time and if it was not for Jordan and the Bulls they may have reeled off a championship or two. Nick Anderson was the third wheel that put the Magic scoring through the roof with his timely shooting. They would be a very ideal trio in today's NBA.
10. Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Ben Wallace- Detroit Pistons
This trio pulled off one of the biggest upsets in finals history by upending the heavily favored Lakers led by Shaq and Kobe. Deeetroit basketball was back in the motor city as defense was once again the name of the game for the Pistons. The Pistons thrived off turnovers as Ben Wallace led the team on defense, while Billups was the engine on offense. Chauncey was unstoppable whether it was driving to the hole, dishing the rock or jacking up shots from the perimeter, he was Mr. Do-it-all. Hamilton was the closer, hitting key shots all series long.
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