Brooklyn Nets Big Three and the 5 worst Big Threes in NBA history
After three and a half seasons, the Brooklyn Nets' Big Three experiment is officially over, following the departures of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Irving joined the Dallas Mavericks earlier in the week and made his debut with his new team on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Durant joined the Phoenix Suns on a blockbuster trade and is set to make his debut for the Suns after the All-Star break.
James Harden parted ways with the Brooklyn Nets a year ago and joined the Philadelphia 76ers, so Brooklyn's Big Three no longer exists after the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
With their Big Three in the lineup, the Brooklyn Nets never managed to play at the elite level they were supposed to play and didn't make it past the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the playoffs.
Injuries, chemistry issues and tension between the three superstars and the coaching staff were the main reasons behind the failure of the Nets' Big Three.
With all three of them now playing for other franchises, Brooklyn will look to rely on team basketball to maintain a Top-4 push in the East.
That said, let's take a look at the other four Big 3s, which failed to win an NBA championship.
LA Clippers - Chris Paul, Deandre Jordan, Blake Griffin
When the LA Clippers brought Chris Paul, Deandre Jordan and Blake Griffin to the franchise, they were confident they would reach the Western Conference Finals and would compete for the championship.
With Doc Rivers as the head coach, the "Lob City" Clippers played impressive basketball, but never put it together in the playoffs, losing in the first or second round every year.
Despite not claiming the title, all three of them are still playing for contending teams. Chris Paul is with the Suns and will be teammates with Durant, while Griffin plays for the Boston Celtics and Jordan plays for the Denver Nuggets.
LA Lakers - Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard
One of the worst Big Threes in NBA history, despite a plethora of talent on both ends. The late Kobe Bryant, one of the best players in NBA history, was the main guy on the team, but Dwight Howard didn't like it and wanted to have the ball as much as he did with the Orlando Magic.
Steve Nash was dealing with injuries and the three superstars never managed to build chemistry. Just a year later, Howard signed with the Houston Rockets and the Lakers' Big Three came to an end.
Brooklyn Nets - Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson
The departure of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett put an end to the Celtics' Big Four and led to the creation of the Nets' Big Three with Joe Johnson.
Despite having three of the best players in the league on their roster, the Nets never became the team they should have been, with LeBron James and the Miami Heat dominating the Eastern Conference.
Instead, the trade set the Brooklyn Nets back for years and all three stars left the team without bringing a championship to the franchise.
LA Lakers - LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook
Another Big 3 experiment that didn't go as planned, leading to Russell Westbrook joining the Utah Jaz on a three-team deal before the trade deadline.
The Lakers' Big 3 lasted less than two years and never challenged for the championship. With Davis missing several games with injuries and all three superstars being ball-dominant guys, the lack of chemistry was the main reason for the Big 3's failure.
Despite Westbrook's departure and the changes they made to their roster before the trade deadline, a second straight elimination from the playoffs is likely to happen, as the Lakers are currently 13th in the West with a 25-31 record.