Ranking the 5 best big 3s in the NBA in the last 10 years
Russell Westbrook's trade to the LA Lakers is the hottest NBA news at the moment, as it should be because, with this move, the team has established a phenomenal line-up. Russell's addition to the star power of LeBron and Anthony Davis makes the current LA Lakers' big three arguably the strongest in the team's last decade.
The concept of building an NBA team around a star trio is not new. The golden era of the Chicago Bulls was dominated by its big three- Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. They won three back-to-back championships, making them one of the greatest trio of all time.
Five best big threes in the NBA in the last 10 years
For today's list, we look at the five best big threes from the past 10 years who played in the NBA. These players had historical runs, made a big splash in the league, and also had stellar seasons together.
#5 Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green
This NBA threesome is one of the most memorable ones of the decade. The championship-hungry Golden State Warriors pushed for a ring bid in 2014-15 with such power and determination, trampling any and all that came their way.
Steph's MVP run with Klay Thompson was the greatest shooting duo of the decade. Even then, their run would have been incomplete without Draymond's support. In Green, the Golden State Warriors found a defender who could aggressively clash with the best scorers in the league and come on top. Of course his playmaking skills were second to none either.
GSW's Big 3 obliterated a Cleveland Cavaliers team that had stars like LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. While Curry averaged 28.3 points and 6.4 assists in the NBA playoffs, Klay averaged 18.6 points, and Draymond dominated the paint by snatching an average of 10.1 rebounds.
#4 Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker
The longest existing big three played together for fourteen seasons. They won four NBA championships together, winning their final ring in 2014 against the star studded Miami Heat.
The San Antonio Spurs trio includes some of the most beloved NBA players of our time. In Tim, the league saw a power forward like none other. Some even make the case for him being the best power forward to ever exist. We shall reserve that conversation for some other time but we cannot deny just how good Tim Duncan really was. He could score at will and defend the basket with his life. In him his teammates found a pillar that could brave all storms and still stand proudly on his two feet.
Tony Parker is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated NBA guards of our time. Over his career, the French superstar averaged 15.6 points and 5.6 assists. He became a scorer and feeder on whom his team could lean on whenever things got tricky.
The last man in this exceptional trio, Manu Ginobili, wasn't a player that believed in posting numbers. The Argentinian had such a desire to win that he would do so by any means possible. He would get under his opponent's skin and defend with such intensity that opposing players would walk-away frustrated and disgruntled. His ball handling, his euro-step, and his ability to score from anywhere on the NBA court were all the ingredients that bind this trio.